Before we turn the page to the Kansas City Chiefs’ big-time Week 4 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, the spotlight deserves to stay on quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ performance against the Miami Dolphins a little longer.
He completed 20 of 24 passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns; with the interception factored in, he registered a 119.8 passer rating without being sacked.
The box score doesn’t match the eye test; Mahomes played with the ultimate confidence, using misdirection and play action
to exploit soft spots in Miami’s coverage. We looked at what went into tight end Travis Kelce coming open for a 48-yard gain to start the game, but there were more examples that showcased how well the Chiefs’ leader is playing right now.
Here are some of my favorite examples from the game (using good ol’ .gifs!)
Staying cool
On the big throw to Kelce, it stood out how nonchalantly Mahomes sidestepped pressure and unloaded the pass across the field. After that, he kept the calm swagger.
On this misdirection play, Mahomes rolls out and identifies running back Kenneth Walker as covered in the flat. That makes wide receiver Tyquan Thornton the target coming across the field at the sticks.
With edge rusher Chop Robinson in his face, Mahomes keeps his cool by buying time for Thornton to clear Robinson, allowing a simple sidearm pass to be completed for a first down.
Coming out of a fake handoff from under center, Mahomes reads the Dolphins’ coverage against Kansas City’s two-man route concept to that side. With the pass rusher coming on, Mahomes nonchalantly fakes out the cornerback middling the routes, making him bite on Kelce in the flat and opening up a window for Thornton to come down with the sideline catch.
Influencing defenders’ movements
Play action is a great first step to widening throwing windows, but Mahomes takes the next step when he’s in a rhythm by using his body language and shoulder fakes to move defenders. He did it in the play above with nonchalant ease, and he kept toying with Miami’s zone defense.
Watch the Dolphins’ defenders in the middle of the field bail when he turns his shoulder to Kelce and climbs the pocket. He was setting up tight end Noah Gray with ample space to work on the checkdown.
He’ll do something similar here, approaching the line of scrimmage and grabbing the attention of defenders, but this time it brings them forward, giving wide receiver Rashee Rice room to roam down the sideline for a crucial play late in the fourth quarter.
Then there’s the touchdown throw to Kelce that iced the win. Just like he did to get Thornton open on the sideline as previously mentioned, Mahomes stunned the cornerback with a shoulder fake, prying open enough of a window to give Kelce a jump ball.
He processes it all at a rapid pace, delivering the pass just before edge rusher Josh Uche lays him out after easily beating left tackle Kahlil Benson.
A fadeaway, downfield dime — just for fun
This was my favorite throw of Mahomes’ performance against the Dolphins, and it’s not just because it was a 40-yard dime as he faded away from an oncoming defender, but because he also passed up a wide-open Xavier Worthy streaking across the field. There’s a chance Worthy scores if the ball gets to him.
Whether it was Gray or Worthy receiving a confidence boost from the big play, it was just one of many examples of Mahomes playing at a very high level right now.
