Patrick Mahomes has been the gold standard for NFL quarterbacks since coming into the league and sitting behind a pro bowl veteran as a rookie. Drafted 10th overall and getting a year to watch Alex Smith win the division and make the pro bowl showed him what it took to win. What he needed to do to take the Chiefs to the next level. Which is what the Raiders are attempting to recreate with Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza.
Mahomes has been good coming off his season-ending knee injury and is still
getting back into the swing of things. The Chiefs offense has been incredibly successful on the ground and he hasn’t had to do much through the air. However, he has shown some things we haven’t been used to seeing. Like all invincible quarterbacks who get injured, the pass rush now seems to affect him a lot more than it used to.
Against the Broncos
Pressure up the middle appears to be what makes him the most uncomfortable as with all quarterbacks, the game plan against the Broncos called for getting the ball out quickly. The route combinations were floods against zones and crossers against man. Never-ending motions and check-motions in attempts to get the defense to top their hands. Lots of run-pass options and play actions.
However, when pressure came from the outside, he was able to negotiate it and find preferable outcomes by escaping up the middle, which he did numerous times and scored on one of them. Replacing the blitzing defender with the football for a completion, or evaded them as a whole. He did throw an interception to the safety deep across the middle on a bad ball.
Vs the Colts
Mahomes threw the ball a staggering 47 times completing 32 of them for 382 yards and three touchdowns in the overtime contest against the Indianapolis Colts. All three touchdowns were short passes to the right side of the field (13,1,1).
Starting with the quick screen RPO game, he completed 11/13 passes behind the line of scrimmage, inside 10 yards he was 16/20, 3/6 in intermediate areas and ⅔ to the deep right.
Vs the Dolphins
Mahomes was much more efficient against the Miami Dolphins completing 20/24 passes for 246 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Three weeks in and throwing nearly 30% of his passes behind the line of scrimmage (7/7, 1 touchdown), 33% (seven of eight) in the short range. In the intermediate range (10-20 yards) Mahomes was three of five all to the right side with a touchdown, and two of three to the deep left with an interception.
How best to attack Mahomes in 2026
When blitzing Mahomes from the outside it’s best to do it while pressing his receivers. Forcing him to hold the ball and not hit the first/hot read allows the defense the time to get home. Pressures up the middle lead to errant throws.
Do not under any circumstances leave the middle of the field uncovered. Linebackers are going to need phenomenal eye discipline. The window dressing is designed to get them to vacate the middle of the field and Travis Kelce is making a home in between the hashes.
Twists and stunts can be effective when used in proper combination, it isn’t recommended to blitz from the side of the field Kelce is on. A big game from Folorunso Fatukasi, Adam Butler and Tonka Hemingway would be ideal. The Raiders are #1 in pressure percentage and doing it with little blitzing is the way to go.
