Patrick Mahomes' best throws that didn't count, Part 1
A list of throws that are better than any other quarterback's highlight reel
One would think that it gets old to talk about the ways Patrick Mahomes is better than everyone else in the league. One really would. But somehow, it does not.
Really, the problem (not a real problem, mind you) is that the ways in which he outstrips the competition are so numerous that I could spend 20 articles discussing them and still miss a few areas. Today, we’re going to look at it from a different angle: Mahomes’ best plays that didn’t count are still better than the highlight reels of other quarterbacks.
What does that mean? Well, let’s start with an example.
This is Mahomes doing one of those things that makes your jaw sag on a simple RPO slant. He has pressure in his face immediately on a well-executed blitz, but rather than fold he turns his body and slings the ball sidearm around the defender. Despite the absurd platform, the ball is on the money with velocity… only to be dropped.
That’s what I mean by plays that don’t count. Whether it’s due to a penalty, drop, or some other event outside Mahomes’ control, some absolutely incredible plays have gone under the radar. I had a theory that a collection of his best “didn’t count” plays would outstrip any other quarterback’s highlight reel, so I set out to see if that was true.
How did I do that? Well, by watching literally every incomplete pass or play called off by penalty since Mahomes’ first start in 2017. That’s a totally normal and not crazy thing to do, right? Right?????
Regardless, that’s what I did. And I was absolutely right. So in a time where we need as many reasons to smile as possible, I’ve compiled a list of the best 10 plays Mahomes made that didn’t count. Today, we’re going through plays 10 through 6 (and no, the above play didn’t make the cut despite being witchcraft).
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Number 10: The No-Look Throw that Never Was
Sometimes your teammates let you down.
You ever make an awesome pass into the lane only to have a teammate completely whiff on an open layup? It’s a tough feeling. Your chest is already swelling with pride and anticipation of celebrating, only to have that change into disappointment. It’s sort of like being a Chargers fan in August vs November.
People love talking about Mahomes throwing no-look passes, and that’s because they’re awesome. But we (and he) were robbed of one of those beautiful plays in Week 17 of the 2018 season.
Mahomes saw what looked like the pocket collapsing (some nice recoveries along the offensive line prevented it from happening) and took off to his right. Prior to starting to run he surveyed the middle of the field and apparently saw Travis Kelce (from our left) and/or Kelvin Benjamin (from our right, and remember when the Chiefs signed Kelvin Benjamin?) moving towards the middle of the field.
Mahomes kept his eyes forward as though he were looking to scramble, but it was a ruse to draw the underneath zone coverage away from the area he’s looking to target. We’ll never know whether he was looking for Kelce or Benjamin here, but both of them converged onto the same spot and saw each other simultaneously, stopping in a “oh you got it” comedy of errors.
Considering the angles, I have to think that Kelce was the target here. In either event, given that Kelce is a tight end demigod and Benjamin’s time in Kansas City was uneventful, we’re going to blame Benjamin for robbing the world of a no-look completion.
Number 9: Probably a Touchdown, Ref. Maybe
Mahomes’ performance in the AFC Championship against the Tennessee Titans has already become the stuff of legend, and rightfully so. However, he was a literal inch, or maybe a poor call, from one of the most spectacular throws of his career.
On 1st and 10 from the Titans’ 13-yard-line, Mahomes found himself facing quick pressure. In the meantime, Kelce was being covered by all-world safety Kevin Byard, whose basic strategy was “hold the bejeepers out of him all the way through the route.” That seems like a tough combination to beat.
Mahomes rolled right and, facing a delayed blitz from that area, continued to drift backwards and to his right. By the time he was ready to throw he had gone back to almost the 30-yard-line. He saw that Kelce was in the back of the end zone and lofted a throw up while fading backwards and to the side.
And somehow, against excellent (and illegal, given the holding penalty that was called on Byard) coverage, Mahomes dropped the ball in basically the only place it could come down without being too far out to catch or far enough in for Byard to knock it down. Kelce came within a gnat’s hiccup of dragging his toe enough for the catch, and other angles make it look like he may have. QB1 thought the issue was enough in doubt to ask his teammate.
To which Kelce took responsibility.
Whether it was on Kelce or the refs, that’s a throw most quarterbacks will go their whole life without making.
Number 8: The Omen
The league should have known it was in trouble from the very first throw of Patrick Mahomes’ first regular season start. Because even though it fell incomplete, it was just shy of a miracle.
It’s almost impossible to overstate the difficulty of this throw. But first, it’s worth noting that the entire play also serves as a good example of the strides Mahomes has taken as a quarterback since that first start.
The Broncos edge defender does a nice job of staying with fullback Anthony Sherman just long enough for Mahomes to go to his next read, then he makes a beeline towards Mahomes. I think the 2019 version of Mahomes anticipates this and holds the read a moment longer, lofting it over the head of the defender when he shifts into a rush. Mahomes’ processing has become quicker and he’s a little less likely to take risks.
Of course, none of that matters because look at that throw. Mahomes is getting hit as he throws to the point that he’s falling backwards as the ball exits his hand. He still puts the ball in front of Demarcus Robinson in a catchable spot while being high enough to avoid the underneath defender. That throw wouldn’t be easy even if there wasn’t a giant human actively tackling him.
The announcers barely noticed, and no one talked about this throw after the game. But it was the first time I said “holy crap” about a Mahomes throw during the regular season. And all it took was one throw.
Number 7: Sammy!
(Please note that if you’re not a fan of the show “Supernatural” you missed a nice little joke there)
Look, I don’t want to pick on Mahomes’ receivers. But DANGIT, Sammy.
This play came on 1st and 10 in the 3rd quarter in the Chiefs’ Week 10 loss to the Titans. Tennessee took advantage of what appears to be a miscommunication by the offensive line, which left a blitzer completely unblocked. Mahomes sees the defender coming his way, but hangs in there and lofts the ball to Watkins, who is covered one-on-one.
This throw is over 20 yards down the field and from the opposite hash. Additionally, because Mahomes waits until the last second to release, he can’t put any of his body into it and has to launch it from a strange angle in order to avoid slamming his hand into the rusher.
Despite that, the throw is perfect. Like, literally perfect.
If that throw were from 5 yards away, it couldn’t be any better placed. If Mahomes had frozen time and space, then run down the field and dropped it from 3 feet above Watkins’ arms, it wouldn’t be any better placed. It drops right into Watkins’ arms before Logan Ryan can start to swat downward. It’s perfect in a way almost no throws are perfect.
And, well, you see why I constantly rail about box score analysis being bad?
It’s worth noting that the Chiefs had to settle for a field goal on this drive after it stalled on the Titans’ 25-yard-line. Had Watkins held on, the Chiefs would’ve had the ball around the 15-yard-line and a fresh set of downs. That could have made the difference between a field goal and a touchdown, which would have been the difference between a win and a loss.
Sammy!
Number 6: Across the Body Magic
I don’t even have much to add to this Week 6 throw to Kelce, so I’m just going to show it to you right away.
The physics behind this throw cannot be explained by Western science. Mahomes is moving left, about to be hit, his footwork long gone… and he somehow throws it across his body nearly 30 yards in the air right into Kelce’s hands. The only thing that saves this for the Chargers is a heads-up play by a secondary defender to shove Kelce out of bounds while he’s still in the air.
Patrick Mahomes is beyond description, and I’d put the 5 throws we’ve discussed here against anything any other quarterback has done.
And we haven’t even cracked the top 5. See you in part two, in which you’ll watch Mahomes violate every known law of the universe.
Again, if you haven’t, subscribe to see part 2 when it comes out, as well as the complete archive and every other article published here at The Chief in the North Newsletter. Your unreal support is actively turning this from a side passion project into something much more.
After watching other teams have THE QB for decades, I still have to pinch myself with the realization that THAT guy plays for MY hometown team. So no, coverage of Pat in any form NEVER gets old. And articles like this that highlight his absurd talent level is food for the soul. The man is a wizard from another dimension sent to KC to save us from excruciating playoff failures past. We're not worthy.
I still love the run by Mahomes where he looks back to see if the ref called Offensive holding and since he didn't Mahomes just kept running. Lol