Patrick Mahomes in September is the best QB in NFL history
Patrick Mahomes has already been ranked as the best player entering the NFL this season, but if he were to ever come up against his September self, he would drop to second place. This is because Patrick Mahomes of September is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.
Partick Mahomes is a different beast in September
Patrick Mahomes' stats in September defy belief. He has been the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs for three years. They have played eleven games in September during that time. Patrick Mahomes has won them all.
Not only has he won them all, but he has also arguably led his team to these wins. Consider that in these eleven games he has not thrown for a single interception. As a comparison, imagine someone going two-thirds of the season without throwing a single interception. Unreal, right?
He attempted 406 passes in that period and successfully completed 277 of them. That has yielded Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs a whopping 35 touchdowns in the last three Septembers. He has more than 3600 passing yards in these games with a passer rating of 125.
What makes Patrick Mahomes so good in September?
The question then becomes why is Patrick Mahomes playing at a higher level in September? There are a couple of reasons.
First, the offensive line comes into the season with no injuries or niggles to begin with and they can protect the quarterback better. This allows Patrick Mahomes more time in the pocket. Hence, we see lesser interceptions and more passing yards. The veracity of this claim can be found in the fact that he has just been sacked 9 times in the 10 games he has played in September.
Another reason why Patrick Mahomes rules in September is that quarterbacks who have better fundamentals and throwing range can get ahead during this month. Patrick Mahomes, as we know, can pull off some throws that mere mortals cannot.
As the regular season progresses, there is more tape for opposition teams to view as they start figuring the offense out. At that point in time, the play becomes equally about strategy and not just who can throw the ball better. This also reduces production.
Irrespective of the reasons that are common across the board for all quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes has set the standard for how good one could be in September. Then again, he has set the standards pretty much every other time as well.