Patrick Mahomes is silencing his critics by putting up generational numbers
When the Steelers were officially locked in to play Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs, a sense of dread overtook the NFL. Steelers and NFL fans felt a pit develop in their stomachs.
Meanwhile, Mahomes licked his chops. After watching the Chiefs demolish the Steelers just a couple of weeks earlier, fans prepared themselves for the worst, and Patrick Mahomes prepared for the best.
The NFL and Mahomes both got what they expected in the final game of Sunday. In what most expect to be Ben Roethlisberger's final game in the NFL, he was outplayed by the leader of the next generation of AFC quarterbacks.
In the game, he threw for 404 passing yards and five passing touchdowns. According to NFL insider Field Yates, the game made him the first player in NFL history with four games of more than 400 passing yards and five or more passing touchdowns.
It should be a career stat that comes in one's mid-late 30s. Instead, Mahomes set the record in his mid 20s after only 72 games played.
What has gotten Patrick Mahomes to this point so quickly?
The unquestioned top quarterback in the AFC deserves a ton of credit for the accomplishment and, barring a meltdown next week, he's done enough to erase his sluggish season in the eyes of many critics.
However, it would be unwise to overlook all of the talent he has around him, pushing his game to unseen heights. Put simply, there is a lot of credit to go around.
First, his head coach is Andy Reid, one of the best offensive play callers in the history of the game. Second, with the exception of a meaningless Week 17 game, he was able to sit for a full year behind Alex Smith.
Third, he has Tyreek Hill, who is fast enough to burn even the fastest cornerbacks in the NFL.
Patrick Mahomes last night: 404 passing yards, 5 passing TD.
He's now the first player in NFL history with 4 games of 400+ passing yards and 5+ passing TD.
It's taken him 72 career starts. https://t.co/gzKq2oYLRO
Fourth, he has Travis Kelce, who is entering into conversations as one of the best tight ends in the history of the game. Fifth, he has had a relatively stable offensive line by NFL standards that has kept him clean in the pocket.
Sixth, he has had a solid stable of running backs.
From 1970-2017, the Chiefs had four playoff wins.
Patrick Mahomes has seven including a Super Bowl victory and two SB appearances.
Few players have ever altered their franchise so completely, so quickly
Of course, the Chiefs haven't had the healthiest or most available group, but when they're on the field, they do their job competently enough to be respected. This gives the former NFL MVP extra opportunities to throw over linebackers.
Of course, number 15 didn't break these records on his own. There is a strong argument saying he has had as much help as any quarterback he's faced.
At the end of the day, while Mahomes deserves credit for all he has accomplished in his short time in the NFL, one cannot overlook all of the helpful and stable circumstances he's enjoyed along the way.