KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The first time Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC championship game, in January 2019, he was a starter in the first year who had just guided a long-suffering franchise to a divisional rout of the Indianapolis Colts.
Mahomes showed up at the postgame press conference that day, spoke with a maturity beyond his years, and then went off to celebrate in the way that an NFL quarterback would. 23, quickly becoming a household name, could choose.
Six years later, Chiefs return to conference title gamethis time face the Buffalo Bills Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes is now a two-time NFL MVP, with three Super Bowl rings and the same number of children, and the way he handles the game – and life in general – is very different than it was in the beginning of this period. run.
He is meticulous. He is patient. He still has moments of genius, of course, throwing crazy behind-the-back, no-look passes that leave you speechless. But he also understands the nuances of the game and that the highlights that catapulted him to stardom aren’t always necessary for a franchise chasing an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title.
“Obviously I want to be perfect. I want to be great,” Mahomes said. “But at the end of the day, I want to win, and however we have to win the football game, I’m OK with that. If it’s scoring a lot of touchdowns, not scoring touchdowns, if it’s t’s running the football – whatever it is, if it’s just playing defense to win football games – I just want to win.
Last season illustrated how Mahomes has changed on the field.
He averaged just 245.5 yards per game, about 70 fewer than in his first year as a starter. He threw 26 TD passes, tied for his worst full season as a starter. He averaged 6.8 yards per attempt – worse than, among others, Jameis Winston, Will Levis, Justin Fields and Anthony Richardson. And he was sacked 36 times, more than any other season in his career.
So how does this translate into growth on the ground?
Well, consider the fact that – unlike 2019 – the Chiefs have the ninth-ranked defense in the NFL and finished fourth in scoring defense during the regular season. Mahomes is mature enough to understand that he can throw for fewer yards and fewer TD passes, if it means avoiding turnovers and other mistakes that would put his defense in a compromising situation.
In other words, Mahomes is content to let the defense do its job.
This also plays into that high sack total (along with poor play at the tackle position). Mahomes is more willing to go down when under heavy pressure, rather than risk losing the ball or throwing an interception.
As bizarre as it may seem, this once cavalier quarterback has become almost conservative in the way he plays.
“For example, there might be more special plays or he might try to move more things or force certain things – he could do any of those types of things – but I think he knows that That’s how they’re going to win,” said NFL quarterback turned CBS analyst Matt Ryan. “And that’s what I love about it.” It’s a very altruistic approach.
That’s not to say Mahomes doesn’t still have that big arm, that confidence, and that brilliant ability to see the field.
“Make no mistake, when it’s time to play, he will. And he believes it,” Ryan said. “And that’s what I think I see from him now.” And I think he’s more dangerous now than he was in 2019 because he has this Rolodex of memories of doing it over and over and over and over again. I think his conviction is probably stronger than it’s ever been.
Mahomes’ maturity is also evident off the field.
To begin with, he is a successful entrepreneur and businessman, with stakes in the Kansas City Royals, Sporting Kansas City, Kansas City Current and the Alpine Formula 1 team. He owns several Whataburger franchises as well as stakes in Whoop, the maker of a wearable fitness tracker, and performance wellness company Hyperice.
Then there’s the list of mentions: Adidas, Coors Light, Head & Shoulders, Oakley, State Farm, Subway and more.
But perhaps most significant have been the changes in Mahomes’ personal life. He put down roots in Kansas City, building his dream home there, and his wife, Brittany, recently built gave birth to their third childGolden stripe.
Six years ago, after beating Indianapolis to reach its first AFC title game, Mahomes probably left to party afterwards. But the scene was different last Saturday night, after the Chiefs beat Houston to earn a date with the Bills.
Mahomes fielded questions from reporters while his daughter Sterling and son Bronze did their best — and sometimes unsuccessfully — to remain silent. When he was finished, Mahomes approached them and asked with a smile: “Why are we talking so much? Come on Bronze!” Then Mahomes grabbed his daughter’s hand, lifted her up and walked toward the door.
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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Orchard Park, New York, contributed to this report.
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