KC Chiefs: What to expect from Patrick Mahomes in AFC Championship
Patrick Mahomes and the KC Chiefs have one game standing between them and a trip to Miami for Super Bowl LIV. What should we expect from Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game against the Titans?
A lot has changed since the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Tennessee Titans in week ten, but one of the biggest is that Patrick Mahomes has recovered from his knee injury and looks better than ever. In their week ten match-up, the Chiefs signal caller put up big numbers, but it was his first game back from injury.
In that week ten match-up in Nashville, Mahomes went 36 of 50 for 446 yards and three touchdowns and was sacked twice. The passing numbers were gaudy even with the offensive line being banged up at the time, so when you think about it – Mahomes should have had even more passing yards and touchdowns in that game.
A big key in helping Mahomes have his best game possible is the offensive line, who are playing lights out recently. While the guys up front were a bit nicked up last time, this time around the offensive line is as healthy as its been all season. Eric Fisher and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif are both back in the fold after missing that week ten match-up and they’ve made a huge difference along the line.
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Mahomes hasn’t been sacked since week 16 in Chicago and even then, he was taken down just once against a very tough Bears defense. The line’s improvement is obviously pivotal moving forward because a clean pocket for Mahomes means trouble for the opposing secondary.
Mahomes was able to carve up the Titans secondary pretty easily in week ten and his line wasn’t even at full strength then. Imagine the damage he should be able to do on Sunday at Arrowhead with a healthy o-line.
Truthfully though, Mahomes won’t have to throw for 446 yards again this time around because the Chiefs defense has improved substantially since their last loss, which came against Tennessee.
While Mahomes can definitely still sling the pigskin, he’s not counted on to do so as much now. The Chiefs can dink and dunk it a little more because there’s not as much pressure on Mahomes to make a huge play down the field.
Having a healthy Patrick Mahomes on the field along with an offensive line that’s at its peak and a defense that’s playing incredibly well should make Kansas City Chiefs fans feel pretty confident heading into this one. The Chiefs have the advantage at the quarterback position and at head coach and hopefully that pays off when it’s all said and done on Sunday.
While he might not have a repeat performance of last week (five touchdown passes), expect Patrick Mahomes to throw for over 300 yards and a few touchdown passes en route to a KC Chiefs victory.