"Sometimes the bear gets you" - Kansas City Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy opens up about Patrick Mahomes' recent form
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy knows Patrick Mahomes as well as anyone. Bieniemy has been Mahomes' offensive coordinator every season since Mahomes became the Chiefs' starter.
Bieniemy spoke to the media Friday and reassured them that he expects greatness from Patrick Mahomes and his entire offense. The rising head coaching candidate said:
“Not trying to sound arrogant, we expect those types of performances from him a lot. But as you know, sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you. So, it was fortunate enough that he had a great game. I thought the O-line did a heck of a job of keeping the pocket clean for him and you had guys that made some plays on the perimeter, so it was good to see. It was fun to watch and like I said, I thought our guys did a great job of allowing their personalities to be on full display.”
Mahomes has notoriously struggled this season by his standards. He's often turned the ball over uncharacteristically. Before Week 10, Mahomes struggled to throw the ball deep and run the plays that have helped the Chiefs win 38 games in the last three seasons.
But responses like this one are why Bieneimy will be a head coach candidate in 2022. While the NFL community was dramatizing and sometimes overreacting to Patrick Mahomes' slump, Bieniemy stayed the course.
Bieniemy knew when Mahomes was struggling that this would only be a short-term issue. Life in the NFL is full of dips and valleys. Mahomes' greatness was just so legendary that it took three years for defenses to catch up.
#Chiefs Eric Bieniemy on Mahomes: “Not trying to sound arrogant, we expect those types of performances from him a lot.”
To Bieniemy's point, the Chiefs' offensive line deserves credit for being one of the league's best. They've been underappreciated, but play more physically than previous offensive lines Patrick Mahomes has had.
"They've gotten better and better every single week"
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on the O Line and chemistry with his line.
#ChiefsKingdom
Bieniemy backs Mahomes to have a great season
Bieniemy is fully confident of his starting quarterback having a fantastic season. Based on what the former MVP has done since 2018, it's easy to see why the coach's opinion hasn't shifted.
“Each and every week, I go into every game feeling confident on how Patrick is doing and how he’s feeling. So, it wasn’t anything different that led me to believe that he would have the game that he had,” Bieniemy said.
Patrick Mahomes will look to continue playing as he did in Week 10. He threw five touchdowns, didn't turn the ball over, and played confidently.
However, the Chiefs won't have an easy task in their upcoming game, as the Dallas Cowboys have the ability to go toe-to-toe in a shootout and have an above-average defense.
Also Read: How long has Patrick Mahomes been in the NFL?