KC Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes looks to be real deal after first ten NFL starts

Patrick Mahomes has been the highlight of the KC Chiefs’ 8-1 start in 2018 and it appears the team has found their franchise quarterback.

After years of trading for or signing castoff quarterbacks from other teams (usually the 49ers), the Kansas City Chiefs made the decision to trade up 18 spots and draft Patrick Mahomes in 2017. Mahomes sat on the bench in 2017, but made one start at the end of the year.

He’s now made nine starts in 2018, bringing his total number of starts to ten so far. What have we learned about Mahomes in that time? Well, the easy answer is that he’s been awesome.

Even though the Chiefs have played nine games this year, Mahomes has started ten games in total. During those ten starts, Mahomes has totaled 3,185 yards, 29 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. This year, Mahomes has thrown for 2,901 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven picks.

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Those 29 touchdowns through nine games this year is just one shy of the Chiefs’ all-time single season leader in passing touchdowns, which was Len Dawson‘s 30 touchdowns in 1964. Mahomes is just one passing score away from tying that record and with seven games left, it’s nearly a given that the Chiefs signal caller breaks that tie.

Mahomes is on pace for another big record too, including the all-time single-season leader in passing yards. That record is currently held by Peyton Manning, who tossed for 55 scores in 2013 (a year in which the Broncos went to the Super Bowl, for what it’s worth).

The Chiefs have seven games left in the regular season and Mahomes has thrown for at least three touchdowns in his last four games. There’s been one game this year where he hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass and that came against the Jaguars in week five. While putting up three touchdowns every week isn’t the likeliest of scenarios, Mahomes reaching Manning’s record isn’t farfetched whatsoever, especially in today’s pass-heavy NFL.

I’ll admit that I truly believed a regression would hit Mahomes at some point this season, but we’re at the halfway point and it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. Mahomes really might be the outlier when it comes to quarterbacks regressing and I will GLADLY eat my words from the beginning of the season.

The Kansas City Chiefs are 8-1 and there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the hot start is mostly thanks to Patrick Mahomes. This year’s offense is even better than the 2003 offense led by Trent Green and Priest Holmes and I don’t think many Chiefs fans thought that would be the case entering year one under Mahomes as the quarterback.

The big storyline to follow now will be can Mahomes truly be a contender to win the MVP? As of now, how could he not be in the top three for that honor? Todd Gurley has a strong case, but quarterbacks win the award nine times out of ten, which bodes well for Mahomes.

Even if this season doesn’t end with an AFC Championship appearance, Chiefs Kingdom has to be loving what they’re seeing from their quarterback. We finally got our guy and it feels great!

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