Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes delivered an outstanding performance in the Kansas City Chiefs’ last game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4. Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 41-31 victory.
The 27-year-old completed 23 of 37 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns, while also gaining 34 yards on four carries. The Chiefs were leading 28 points by halftime. They also rushed for 189 yards in the game, after only 57 yards in the Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
Teammate Travis Kelce was stunned by Mahomes’ impressive performance on Sunday, despite having witnessed similar miracles from him in the past.
“The NFL hasn’t seen anything like Pat Mahomes, I promise you that,” Kelce said about Mahomes. “And you saw it today. He’s the Houdini of our era, man.”
Mahomes was able to create some magic by throwing sidearm, no-look passes, sidearm, and left-handed tosses against the Bucs. Mahomes’ 2-yard touchdown pass to Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the second quarter was one of his most impressive plays in the last game.
To draw a touchdown pass, he spun and evaded multiple tackles. Mahomes needed 7.6 seconds to complete the touchdown pass to Edwards-Helaire, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. As he approached the sideline, he was flushed from the pocket and appeared to be ready to run.
Then, Mahomes did a 360-degree spin to avoid a defender and flipped the pass to Edwards-Helaire in the end zone. He pushed the pass as much as he threw it. He said that he didn’t plan anything about it.
“I just try to win, man,’ Mahomes said. “At the end of the day that’s what I try to do. It’s not like I’m planning these things where I’m throwing sidearm or whatever it is, spinning, running around.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was impressed with Mahomes’ creativity by saying that “basketball shot” attempt that resulted in touchdown was “not in the playbook.”
“I was able to use my speed, my little bit of speed, to get around the edge there. I was gonna run for it, but they kind of flew around me,” said Mahomes. “I realized I wasn’t going to make it, and I saw Clyde, so I kind of flicked it up to him.”
Patrick Mahomes scrambled 39.4 yards before finding Clyde Edwards-Helaire for a 2-yard TD.
Mahomes has thrown 4 TD passes in his career after scrambling 30+ yards. No other QB has more than one since 2018.#KCvsTB | Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/DX2HvcJm3a
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 3, 2022
Mahomes avenges Chiefs’ Super Bowl loss
Not only did Mahomes lead Kansas City to victory, but he also managed to avenge their Super Bowl loss two years prior.
The game on Sunday was Mahomes’ first meeting with Bucs star quarterback Tom Brady since Tampa Bay’s 31-9 victory over Kansas City at Super Bowl LV.
“When I came into the stadium, I realized that I hadn’t been here, and the bad taste I had last time came into effect,” Mahomes said. “But it’s still not a playoff game. It’s a regular-season game, which is important. That Super Bowl will always leave a bad taste for me.”
Brady gave respect and credit to Mahomes after dominating 41-31 in Week 4. After the game, Brady was caught on camera sharing a little message with Mahomes. “You look great, keep it up,” the veteran quarterback said to Mahomes after the game ended.
Next up, Kansas City will host the Las Vegas Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 5.
Tom Brady to Patrick Mahomes: "You look great, keep it up."pic.twitter.com/1Go5cpTChD
— NFL on ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsNFL) October 3, 2022