It’s Showtime!
By Sam Kombrink, Sports Columnist
I can tell you right now, I expected good things out of this team and Patrick Mahomes, but I did not expect this quarterback to best the great Peyton Manning by throwing the most touchdown passes to start a career (13).
I’m going to start you off with a little fun fact: Baker Mayfield was the number one pick, drafted by the Cleveland Browns. What most people don’t know is that before he won a Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma, he was at Texas Tech, where he got beat out by a quarterback who goes by the name of Patrick “Showtime” Mahomes. Who would have known Mayfield would end up winning the Heisman and be the number one pick while Mahomes got to sit behind Chiefs’ quarterback Alex Smith for a season. We are now witnessing before our very eyes, that was the very best thing for Mahomes.
I’ve mentioned the comparisons to Brett Favre whom Andy Reid had the chance to groom early in his coaching career at Green Bay for seven seasons as offensive coordinator. The comparisons are there, but I think Mahomes can be better. I mean even big red said Mahomes does things “you just can’t coach.” But don’t just take my word for it. Here is what Hall of Famer Brett Favre had to say about the young gun slinger:
“Mahomes has done something that took me 18 years to do. I think the kid will get nothing but better. Now does that mean he’s going to throw eight touchdowns next week? More than likely not. There will be some downtime. He started so good he can only go down. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. But you just can’t mass-produce like that week in and week out, I don’t think. But that’s not a knock against him at all. I think he’s played outstanding, and he was drafted in the first round for a reason. They traded up for him, and I think he’s just proving they made the right decision.”
As we have seen so far, Mahomes makes everyone around him a better football player. A trait that Favre and other great quarterbacks like Tom Brady & Peyton Manning have. Just to mention Patrick Mahomes with those greats gives me chills writing this article.
Mahomes is what the Chiefs Kingdom has been waiting for for a very long time. We got him now. As long as I have been a Chiefs fan, I have seen my fair share of quarterbacks come and go in Kansas City. Starting with Trent Green, followed by Damon Huard, Brodie Croyle, and Tyler Thigpen. Then I will never forget, I was at a pizza party after a basketball game when I looked up at the TV and let the whole joint know we got “the next Tom Brady.” That was a 12 year old talking. Heck I might have been the most hyped fan in there. Problem was, he had Randy Moss to throw to in New England, and the rest is history.
The Chiefs will play the Denver Broncos in Denver on Primetime Monday Night Football, 7:15 p.m.. Mahomes started his career last season in Denver where he was 22/35, threw for 284 yards, and an interception. I look for Mahomes to continue the hot streak. As for the Defense, I believe it will come around. I think our secondary is good enough, we just need to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. As long as Mahomes can average 3-4 touchdowns a game, which could pass Peyton Mannings’s 55 touchdowns in a season, we’ll still be a scary team to play. I say he ends up with 58 TD’s on the season.
There is also talk of the Chiefs acquiring pro-bowl safety Earl Thomas from the Seattle Seahawks. There is no doubt if we can get Thomas to pair with a healthy Eric Berry, we can be Super Bowl Champion contenders. You can bet we will be playing in New England to punch our ticket to the Super Bowl, something Alex Smith could have never done. As for Patrick “Showtime” Mahomes, he’s just getting started.