Patrick Mahomes proves he can handle any opponent in any environment

THE BAD

Interceptions

For the second game in a row, Mahomes threw two touchdowns on Sunday night. You always want your QB to have no interceptions in a game, but with a playmaker like Mahomes in a game where he’s got to go win it by himself, well it’s acceptable.

The first interception was just a solid defensive play. The middle linebacker Dont’a Hightower faked a blitz up the middle and waited until the last second to drop back into coverage directly in Mahomes throwing lane. He never saw him and threw right to him and Hightower made a good catch and a good return to the two-yard line. It’s an interception every QB in league history has made and one you just tip your cap to the defense.

The second interception has been more of a debate as to whether it was a bad or okay interception. You never like seeing a QB throw an interception in the end zone, especially right before half taking points off the board in a shootout game. By that standard, it was a bad interception as he tried to force a throw into double coverage which took at least a field goal off the board.

I don’t think it was that bad of an interception. I think that was a situation where the team desperately needed a touchdown going into the half. A field goal is better than nothing, but that would have been a shallow victory knowing you can’t trade field goals for touchdowns against Brady. He had Travis Kelce open just before he released the ball and the throw was there. The problem was he waited for a split second too long and the throw was a bit behind where it needed to be. If he leads the throw it’s at worse incomplete.

So the play was there, he just didn’t make it and I won’t ever tell a player as talented as Mahomes not to try to make the play when it’s there.

Missed Throws

Mahomes had a rough first half with the two interceptions, but maybe worse was the three missed throws he had that would have led to walk in touchdowns. He had two overthrows on the first drive of the game that both should have been walk-in touchdowns. The first was to Hunt on the same play he later scored on and one was to Hill down the left side off a blitz. He had one more to Travis Kelce a few drives later that was wide open for a touchdown.

Both drives the Chiefs had to settle for field goals costing the Chiefs eight points. A normal game against almost any other offense those throws stink, but they aren’t as deadly. On the road against Brady, you can’t afford to have those mistakes.

I think he was overhyped going against Brady in primetime and tried to be just a little to perfect on those passes. He tried to guide them to their target rather than just trusting his arm and letting the ball go. This is something that Mahomes will learn with experience and he’ll have been in every moment possible so being overhyped won’t be an issue. It’s the only thing that makes Mahomes look like a second-year player and not a 10-year veteran.