ESPN poll shows NFL coach giving Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes crazy praise
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is getting a lot of love from NFL executives and coaches for the amazing season he just had.Patrick Mahomes just finished up one of the best seasons by a quarterback ever. Honestly, it wouldn't be crazy to go ahead and say one of the best seasons by any player. Mahomes […]
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is getting a lot of love from NFL executives and coaches for the amazing season he just had.
Patrick Mahomes just finished up one of the best seasons by a quarterback ever. Honestly, it wouldn't be crazy to go ahead and say one of the best seasons by any player. Mahomes won the regular season MVP; then he won the Super Bowl and the MVP that comes with that one; oh, and then he won an ESPY award for the best male athlete and best NFL player. It really doesn't get better than that.
So, it makes all the sense in the world to say he is the best quarterback in the league, right? Well, in a poll ESPN does, everyone voted for Mahomes as the best at his position. Well, actually, not everyone did. There are two who chose not to, for some odd reason, and to those guys, I would say you are out of your mind.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN does rankings by position yearly, but he bases the rankings on what executives, coaches, and others around the league say. He then has them all rank the players at each position and compiles it together in a consensus ranking. Here are some of the things they said:
Back on top after holding the No. 2 ranking last year, Mahomes received all but two first-place votes thanks to a dominant season capped by his second Super Bowl win.
"He's got everything needed from a great quarterback, and he does those things at a high level all of the time," an AFC scout said.
Most impressive was Mahomes' ability to adjust without the vertical threat of Tyreek Hill, who was traded to Miami. Of Mahomes' 41 touchdown passes, 31 went to running backs or tight ends, the most in a single season in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).
His QBR of 77.6 was six-plus points higher than any other quarterback. He was particularly dominant in the red zone with an 87.3 QBR to lead all quarterbacks from inside the 20. He's the best against the blitz, too (83.6 QBR).
And he has proved efficient when the big passing yards aren't available. In the Super Bowl win over Philadelphia, Mahomes completed 12 passing first downs for 182 yards.
"He's accurate when uncomfortable, which is probably the hardest thing to do in the NFL," an NFL offensive coach said. "The game just slows down to the point where he's at his best in the chaos."
The Chiefs believe Mahomes improved his in-game adjustments in the past year, figuring out how defenses were attacking him and responding accordingly. Behind the scenes, the team has seen Mahomes take a more active role in coaching receivers and tight ends on where he wants them on a given play. – ESPN
First of all, the fact two guys didn't vote for him as the best is just crazy to me. He is the best quarterback in the league, and while talent-wise, it is close with Joe Burrow, accolades-wise, last season, no one holds a candle to Mahomes.
But what some of the other executives and coaches said makes so much sense. As one executive said, Mahomes is so good in chaos, which he is amazing at. Mahomes has made it his trademark to never show any signs of possible distress during the game.
Look at the playoff last year, where he was at a disadvantage in every game with that high ankle sprain, yet always managed to get the job done. He thrives under pressure, and he thrives when the cards are stacked against him.
It's good to see that there are some smart executives out there. However, for the two that didn't vote for Mahomes, I wouldn't let them run my team. Then again, it could be executives of the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Featured Image Via Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
