Henry McKenna
NFL Reporter
Last year, the NFL didn’t fear the arm of the world’s most dynamic passer.
There was a perfect example of why in Super Bowl LIX — one throw Patrick Mahomes chose not to make. It’s a throw that — had he gotten the most out of the play — might’ve been a north star for the 2025 season. Instead, it’s a microcosm of what went wrong for the Chiefs in 2024. And what they desperately need to change this season.
On Kansas City’s second drive of the game, after the Eagles scored their first touchdown, Mahomes had Xavier Worthy open downfield. Near the left sideline, Worthy had a one-on-one matchup with the cornerback. When Mahomes considered throwing the football, Worthy was even with the corner, which meant that he was leavin’.
It was an opportunity for an explosive play. Instead, Mahomes holstered the ball and picked up five yards on a short throw to JuJu Smith-Schuster. The drive went three-and-out.
That play was emblematic of how Kansas City’s offense has devolved in recent years. The Chiefs once boasted the most intimidating downfield passing attack in the NFL. But on that play in the Super Bowl, Mahomes looked intimidated — afraid to take advantage of a winnable situation.
Patrick Mahomes had a rough outing in Super Bowl LIX, throwing two first-half interceptions and passing up some deep shots. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
So it should surprise no one that Mahomes has a clear sense of where he wants to improve this year.
“I have to be better at throwing the ball down the field. Obviously, we weren’t good enough there,” Mahomes said after the Chiefs’ first training camp practice. “If teams are going to challenge us at the line of scrimmage, if teams are going to challenge us to throw the ball deep, we have to show that we can do that. If we can do that — it starts with me and giving guys a chance — I think it is really going to open up the offense and make us a better team in general.”
The Eagles did, in fact, encourage the Chiefs to take chances in the deep game. And Mahomes either took the wrong chances — with two interceptions — or he took the right chances at a point in the game when it no longer mattered. Worthy, after all, finished the Super Bowl with eight catches, 157 yards and two touchdowns. The second touchdown, which came on a 50-yard bomb, came despite a two-high safety look designed to contain big plays.
Despite that disadvantageous situation, Mahomes took the risk and gave Worthy an opportunity to make a big play. (Because it really couldn’t get much worse for the Chiefs, who were down 40-14 at the time.) Mahomes hasn’t indicated that he thinks about the throw he didn’t make in the first quarter. But that second touchdown? It’s still on his mind.
“[Worthy is] not simply quick, he could make performs,” Mahomes mentioned in Could. “You noticed that with the contested catches he made final season. … Even the final catch he had within the Tremendous Bowl. He is somebody who will go up and get the soccer. My job is to offer him extra alternatives. Even when it is one-on-one and he is operating with any individual, throw the ball up there and let him make the play.”
On the very first play of crew drills at coaching camp, that is the place Mahomes went with the ball. Worthy and Mahomes linked for a giant play within the deep a part of the sector. After follow, Mahomes mentioned he is intent on difficult Kansas Metropolis’s cornerbacks this summer time, from Trent McDuffie to Jaylen Watson to, when wholesome, Kristian Fulton.
“The mindset is getting again to throwing the ball down the sector, and if we are able to do this, it’ll open up the remainder of the offense,” Mahomes mentioned.
If it sounds a bit acquainted, that is as a result of it’s. This was the Chiefs’ purpose final 12 months, too. They signed Hollywood Brown, one of many quickest receivers within the NFL. They drafted Worthy, the quickest receiver ever on the NFL Mix. But their downfield passing obtained worse. And it wasn’t like groups had been gearing up their defenses to cease Kansas Metropolis’s deep threats.
There was a time when groups bottled up the Chiefs with quarters protection — or any protection designed to forestall large performs. Mahomes & Co. tailored, exhibiting a willingness to run the soccer and assault the quick areas of the sector. The QB demonstrated a few of the most disciplined soccer of his profession in the course of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
However in 2024, issues started to shift. Defenses weren’t afraid of Mahomes’ downfield throwing. The Chiefs noticed an uncommon quantity of single-high security appears to be like, the eighth most within the NFL at 56.9% of snaps. These single-high appears to be like create alternatives for Mahomes and his speedy receivers, however the Chiefs did not assault what ought to’ve been a more-open-than-normal deep space of the sector. Their 68 explosive passes (16-plus yards) had been tied for twenty eighth within the NFL, per FOX Sports activities analysis. They had been twenty seventh in passing performs of 20 yards or extra.
There have been numerous causes for Mahomes’ hesitance.
First, the Chiefs had points alongside the offensive line, significantly at left sort out. The excellent news is that the crew drafted Josh Simmons in Spherical 1 and signed veteran Jaylon Moore in free company.
The second situation was the knee damage that ended Rashee Rice’s season in Week 4. He was Kansas Metropolis’s clear-cut WR1 and the highest possibility within the passing offense earlier than the damage. There’s principally dangerous information there for 2025, as a result of although Rice is again from damage, he’ll possible serve a suspension for his function in a automobile crash that led to a jail sentence.
And eventually, final 12 months, Travis Kelce did not appear like the participant he was once. Age is beginning to grow to be a problem for the 10-time Professional Bowler, who turns 36 in October. This offseason, he misplaced weight and centered on conditioning, which has him optimistic a couple of bounce-back 12 months. Nevertheless it’s anybody’s guess whether or not he can really discover the shape he as soon as had.
It is unusual to suppose that defenses are daring Mahomes to assault them. However that is what we noticed for almost all of 2024. So in 2025, it is about surrounding expertise. It is about mindset. It is about scheme. It is about an excellent mixture of issues. However the Chiefs are but once more dedicated to fixing their drawback.
Final 12 months, the NFL did not concern Mahomes’ arm.
This 12 months, Mahomes has terrifying plans.
Earlier than becoming a member of FOX Sports activities as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years protecting the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports activities Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Comply with him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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