Patrick Mahomes has defied expectations and transformed his game since the Chiefs' last Super Bowl victory.
Once known for his deep-ball accuracy, Mahomes now excels in short passes and checkdowns.
In an interview, Joe Bleymaier, the man responsible for overseeing passing plays, reflected on Mahomes' growth during the AFC Championship Game.
He recalled feeling a sense of deja vu as he watched Mahomes masterfully maneuver the Chiefs down the field with short passes in the first half. Memories of Tom Brady's stellar games flooded Bleymaier's mind as he reflected.
Mahomes and the Chiefs, who faced off against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, have undergone a remarkable transformation from their previous selves.
Since Super Bowl LIV, Mahomes has switched from relying heavily on long throws to being adept at short passes. The new strategy has boosted their winning record in the playoffs.
Matthew Naggy, who calls the plays for Patrick Mahomes, showed his remarkable talent at engineering explosive offensive plays that gave the Chiefs their third Lombardi trophy in the last 5 seasons of the NFL.
Pat's learned how to play as a different quarterback — not a game manager — but a different quarterback. He's still winning
Matt Nagy
Chiefs quarterbacks coach David Girardi emphasizes that Mahomes is simply doing what he needs to do and evolving his game.
Although it's rare for a player to change so drastically and quickly, Mahomes assures that this transformation is all about adapting to what's across from him.
Last season continued the trend of shorter passes being effective, as defenses shifted their focus on forcing the Chiefs to be perfect on longer-play drives.
The Chiefs have been propelled into a unique passing offense as a result of this recent sports campaign.
The average depth of target (aDOT) statistic provides evidence of this shift, as Mahomes' average throw distance has declined significantly each year since his rookie campaign.
In his first season as a starter in 2018, Mahomes averaged 9.2 yards per throw; that number fell to 8.4, 7.3, and 7.2 the next three years, and is now at a record-low 6.5 yards per throw this year.
Only Cincinnati's Joe Burrow ranks lower in aDOT than Mahomes among quarterbacks with 250 passing attempts this season.
He's just doing what he's got to do
Joe Bleymaier
The Chiefs offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy, acknowledges that Mahomes' new approach is a perfect example of following the script.
Placing two suitable candidates in strategic spots to baffle linebackers and safety players, followed by a straightforward approach. If the Niners defend the deeper guy, throw short and make them tackle.
This strategy paid off as Mahomes led the Chiefs to victory and another comeback win at the Super Bowl.
Mahomes Continues to Make History
Every game is a team effort and every win a collective accomplishment but, as they say, it all comes down to the quarterback.
After halftime, Mahomes has clocked in 210 passing yards and 59 rushing yards, making him the first player to have 200+ passing yards and 50+ rushing yards in any playoff game since at least 1991.
To date, Mahomes has played six seasons as an NFL starting quarterback. Winning the third Super Bowl championship in his career puts him in that very short list of quarterbacks who have hoisted the Vince Lombardi trophy that many times. The list includes Tom Brady, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, and Troy Aikman.
In NFL history, he is the only quarterback to be over .500 when trailing by double digits at any point, as he is at 3-1 when trailing by double digits in a Super Bowl. In all four of Mahomes' Super Bowl appearances, the Chiefs were down 10+ points before securing their win.