"The tape doesn’t lie" - NFL analyst urges Patrick Mahomes to buckle up to avoid another terrible season
Patrick Mahomes got off to a poor start last season. The Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback seemed a little off, and his interceptions were up. As the season progressed, Mahomes seemed to settle in and look a little more like his former Super Bowl-winning self, but overall, his stats were down.
In a recent article on VSiN.com, NFL analyst Michael Lombardi took a look at Patrick Mahomes and how he didn't seem like the same quarterback NFL fans are used to seeing under center in Kansas City.
Lombardi said:
"Mahomes can play better. He knows he has to play at the level he set when he took over in ‘18. The tape doesn’t lie. His fundamentals are consistently inconsistent which affects his throws and then he sprays the ball, which is some of the reason for his increase in turning the ball over."
Lombardi added that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is confident that Mahomes will improve but noted that the quarterback becoming the '18 version of himself is key to the team's success in the West:
"Chiefs head coach Andy Reid is confident Mahomes will play better, as am I. However, we both know the key to the Chiefs winning the West isn’t who takes over for Tyreek Hill, rather does Mahomes become the ‘18 version of himself. For all the hope the draft and free agency provides, Reid knows getting Mahomes back on track is the key."
While it's true Mahomes had an off-year compared to his stats, he still finished among the top quarterbacks in the league. The Chiefs made it to the AFC Championship game to face the Cincinnati Bengals but came up short, thanks mainly to three bad passes thrown by the Chiefs quarterback in overtime.
Patrick Mahomes faces more challenges than ever with a stronger division in 2022
Heading into the 2022 season, Mahomes finds himself without one of his favorite targets in Tyreek Hill. The speedy pass-catcher will play with the Miami Dolphins while the Chiefs have questions at the wide receiver position. The biggest one is: who will emerge to fill the void left by Hill.
Yet another challenge for Mahomes and the Chiefs comes in a much-improved division. The other three teams in the AFC West have added big names to their roster.
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Khalil Mack joins Joey Bosa to make the Los Angeles Chargers pass rushing attack a potential nightmare for Mahomes. Then there are the offensive additions to the other two teams. The Denver Broncos brought in Russell Wilson at quarterback, and the Las Vegas Raiders added Davante Adams at wide receiver. Mahomes will have to work much hard to keep up with the division rivals.
Can he get back to the Mahomes who led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win in 2020? Only time will tell, but the odds are stacked against him.