KC Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes has strong case to be MVP in all of sports

Patrick Mahomes has been playing lights out since taking over at quarterback for the KC Chiefs. ESPN’s First Take had the debate of who the MVP in American sports is and Mahomes was in the conversation, as he should be.

EDITOR’S NOTE – Cameron Black, the staff member who wrote this, is blind, but has a great feel for the game, even without his vision. This article was written with the help of a screen reader.

ESPN’s First Take had a hot debate earlier this week. The matter up for debate is right there in the title: Is Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes the MVP of all American sports? My answer is – Yes he is.

It’s important to establish the parameters of this debate, for if we do not do so, we could be debating two different topics. This is not a discussion of lifetime achievements Clearly we cannot have that discussion about a guy with zero Super Bowl rings and in his second year as a starter.

https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1219701640917389314?s=20

This is simply discussing who the most valuable player in sports is right now, and right now Mahomes plays the most valuable position, on a team in the Super Bowl, and he plays arguably the most popular American sport and he is the best at it.

There are several other athletes in their respective sports that could also fit into this debate, but let’s focus on Mahomes’ impact on the KC Chiefs.

In his first season, Mahomes was responsible for 50 touchdowns and thew for over 5,000 yards won the league MVP award. This is not a discussion of achievements, but rather play, but since he has transitioned from one MVP season into the season that is currently being discussed, then I think it appropriate to submit his stats from last year.

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During his career as a two-year starter, Mahomes threw 76 touchdown passes to only 18 interceptions and if he goes to the Super Bowl and wins it, he will be the first quarterback in the history of the league to win league MVP and a Super Bowl before the age of 25. He is quite literally the face of the league, having appeared on Sports Illustrated and Madden 20 (breaking the Madden curse in the process, as he suffered an injury, but not a season ending one).

Mahomes was the final piece to a strong Chiefs team. Last season, even with an abhorrent defense, Mahomes had the Chiefs an offsides call and a coin flip away from the Super Bowl. He had basically carried the team on his back all season.

Now, there is a strong argument that Mahomes is only as good as the pieces around him, and there is a lot of validity to that argument, but Alex Smith had most of those pieces as well. He did not have Mecole Hardman, but he had Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and a sound defense, and even with those pieces, he never took the team past the Divisional Round. Mahomes has done so in both of his seasons as a starter.

People love to talk about the pieces that Mahomes has at his disposal, and they are not wrong. Obviously those guys can’t throw the ball to themselves though. When it was 2nd and 30 in Denver, the Chiefs – prior to Mahomes – would have just gotten as many yards as they could to make for a good punt, but instead Mahomes shot putted a left-handed pass into the waiting grasp of Tyreek Hill.

The receivers might all be in place, but without Mahomes we are not talking about the game saving left-handed pass or the no look pass; We are not talking about him fitting passes in windows the size of a cereal box.

Before Mahomes, 3rd and 17 or 3rd and 20 would have had the predetermined outcome of a punt, but with Mahomes, the fact that he will pull off some jaw dropping play and pick up the first down has become the norm. Without Mahomes, we are not talking about the 27-yard tight rope scramble down the sideline during the AFC Championship Game.

There is not a Chiefs fan in the world, that when the Chiefs were down 24-0 to the Texans, did not think to themselves, “All right, here we go again, the playoff collapse as always” and without Mahomes, that is probably exactly what would have happened.

Without Mahomes, we are talking about yet another Chiefs season followed up by disappointment and heartbreak, rather than a seven touchdown, 41 point firework show, which led to domination in the AFC title game and now the Chiefs first Super Bowl berth in fifty years.

It has been now well established just how important Mahomes is to the Chiefs, and I wouldn’t think there would be anyone questioning that.

One of the biggest challengers to Mahomes could be NBA star Lebron James, who is in his second year with the Los Angeles Lakers. James was one of the focal points in First Take’s argument and while he could have been the MVP in all of sports a few years ago, that ship has sailed now. If we’re talking about RIGHT NOW who is the best player in all of sports, Lebron James isn’t anywhere close to being the answer.

Next. Ranking Every Patrick Mahomes Start in 2018 Season. dark

The “best” player in all of spots is hard to quantify and I am no expert on all American sports, but none makes my mouth hang open and words escape me every single game more than the play of Patrick Mahomes.

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Patrick Mahomes has been playing lights out since taking over at quarterback for the KC Chiefs. ESPN’s First Take had the debate of who the MVP in American sports is and Mahomes was in the conversation, as he should be.

*EDITOR’S NOTE – Cameron Black, the staff member who wrote this, is blind, but has a great feel for the game, even without his vision. This article was written with the help of a screen reader.*

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EDITOR’S NOTE – Cameron Black, the staff member who wrote this, is blind, but has a great feel for the game, even without his vision. This article was written with the help of a screen reader.