Can the Chiefs proceed to rely so closely on QB Patrick Mahomes? – Kansas Metropolis Chiefs Weblog

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Patrick Mahomes entered a brand new dimension of his professional profession within the fourth quarter of Sunday night time’s recreation towards the Tennessee Titans.

Mahomes threw his fifty fifth go of the sport, setting a profession excessive. He would throw 13 extra, together with 10 in time beyond regulation, giving him a complete of 68, which was third-most in NFL historical past.

The Chiefs wanted each a type of to tug out a 20-17 victory in time beyond regulation.

“Now we all know if we want him to throw [68] passes we are able to get it executed,’’ stated tight finish Travis Kelce, who caught 10 of Mahomes’ throws.

Mahomes additionally led the Chiefs in speeding yards, which isn’t a primary for him. However his 63 yards had been a profession excessive for the common season. He had 69 in final 12 months’s playoff win over the Buffalo Payments.

Mahomes scored the Chiefs’ closing landing with 2:56 remaining within the fourth quarter after which tied the sport by working for the two-point conversion.

The Chiefs have not often relied on Mahomes extra to win a recreation, however weren’t shocked he delivered.

“He’s Pat, and Pat’s going to be Pat,’’ stated large receiver Mecole Hardman, who caught Mahomes’ solely landing go of the sport within the first quarter. “We will positively rely on him in these conditions.’’

Mahomes didn’t set a private report with 68 go makes an attempt. He threw 88 passes at Texas Tech in a 2016 recreation towards Oklahoma, which is why Chiefs coach Andy Reid had no downside placing such a burden on Mahomes towards the Titans.

“I’ve seen him do this in school just a few instances,’’ Reid stated.

Reid didn’t have a lot alternative. The Chiefs’ working recreation — exterior of Mahomes — was dismal, with their 4 backs totaling 13 carries for 14 yards with a protracted of three yards.

“We need to attempt to get the run recreation going because the season goes on and type of keep extra balanced, however that’s a superb line of defense they usually had been doing a superb job of stopping that,’’ Mahomes stated. “Coach Reid type of put it in my palms to go on the market and attempt to make some stuff occur, and it seemed unhealthy there for about two and half quarters, three quarters, however we had been in a position to make it occur there on the finish.”

Mahomes made no single play larger than his 20-yard scramble on third-and-17 on the fourth-quarter landing drive. The Chiefs had been behind 17-9 and in desperation mode with time working out.

When Mahomes couldn’t discover an open receiver, he discovered one other method to get the job executed.

“I positively noticed a lane to get it shut sufficient that I believed we’d be capable of go for it,’’ Mahomes stated. “If you’re in that scenario that if you may get it to a fourth-and-five, fourth-and-four, coach Reid’s in all probability going to present you an opportunity there . . .

“We simply battled on the finish of the day. It wasn’t like we had been designing it up. We had been simply going on the market and attempting to make some stuff occur.”

For that cause, Reid appeared extra glad after the Titans victory than every other this season. The listing of wins for the 6-2 Chiefs consists of three highway video games through which they scored greater than 40 factors.

What the Tennessee win lacked in flash, it made up for in a will to win. A lot of that was equipped by Mahomes, who was sacked 4 instances however wouldn’t let the Chiefs lose.

“All the things wasn’t clean,’’ Reid stated. “It was up and down. So that you’ve acquired to persevere by way of that, the lows. After which any person’s acquired to step up and make a play. That’s what has to occur.”