In Legacy-Defining Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes Came Through

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The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles just played one of the most exciting Super Bowls in recent memory. In the end, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs won their second Lombardi Trophy in the last four years. Kansas City once again used a second-half comeback to take home a title. In the meantime, Mahomes had his best performance in a Super Bowl yet.

The coaching, adjustments by the defense and highlight-reel plays from offensive skill players also helped secure a comeback victory. You also have to be amazed by the brilliance of younger players, like Isiah Pacheco. The energy that those newer additions provided helped push Kansas City over the top. Of course, that came in a season in which the Chiefs were viewed as having a much weaker roster on paper, compared to the last few years.

We will focus on other aspects from Sunday’s Super Bowl LVII victory throughout this week. But today, the toughness, instincts and leadership of Patrick Mahomes takes center stage. Let’s kick it off.

Safer Start

Part of the reason as to why Patrick Mahomes had his best Super Bowl performance so far, was due to the safer start that he had out of the gate. The broadcast detailed how in his past two Super Bowl appearances, Mahomes was trying to be Superman and do too much. That was not the case on Kansas City’s first offensive drive.

Already trailing 7-0, Mahomes and the Chiefs needed just six plays to tie it up on a 75-yard touchdown drive. The Kansas City signal caller simply attacked simple one-on-one matchups with Travis Kelce, with one of his two catches going for a touchdown. Elsewhere, Mahomes used his legs early and scrambled for positive yardage.

Sure, that was the only offensive scoring drive for the Chiefs in the first half. Patrick Mahomes did a great job of identifying his hot routes and getting the ball out quickly on the next drive, nonetheless. His ability to get the ball out quick wore down the Philadelphia defense as the night got deeper. Unfortunately, that second drive ended with a missed field goal.

All in all, Mahomes kept the ball out of harm’s way, while staying on schedule and ahead of the sticks in the first half. The most severe blow to his first half start was reaggravating that ankle injury. Though, it did not hamper Mahomes much, if at all, in the second half.

Leaving It All Out There

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That second half was seemingly perfect for the Chiefs offense and Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City scored on every drive of the second half. Meanwhile, Mahomes had just one incompletion on 14 pass attempts in that half. He was simply locked in. Part of his stellar performance was the decision making looking so easy, as the game just slows down for him in the pocket. On the other hand, Mahomes is one of the best, because of his competitiveness.

He left it all out on the field in that second half. On the first drive of the third quarter, his scramble to the right got the Chiefs inside the Eagles’ five-yard line. He did not just push it hard on his reaggravated ankle. But, Mahomes also barreled into defenders with determination deep in Philly territory.

He had a few other scrambles that stood out. Obviously, none were bigger than his 26-yard scamper on the game-winning scoring drive. Tied at 35 with roughly three minutes left in regulation, Patrick Mahomes evaded pressure and stepped up into the middle of the field. It appeared that he may slide or go down much earlier. However, Mahomes went as far as he could with sheer will power before getting tackled from behind.

That ability to rise up in the most crucial of moments on the biggest stage is part of the reason as to how Patrick Mahomes has become an elite player. He leads by example and by motivating teammates with his own play. In this particular Super Bowl, Mahomes left it all out there and delivered a legacy-defining performance.

Constantly Improving

The thing that makes Patrick Mahomes so special this early in his career, is that he is constantly improving. There are a few areas of his game that appear to become more well-rounded by each passing season. In Super Bowl LVII and throughout 2022, Kansas City saw him take the next step with his pocket awareness, decision making and ability to read the field. The items that he is able to read and recognize at this point in his young career are lightyears ahead of where he was even during his first Super Bowl victory.

After losing a weapon like Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs totally revamped the wide receiver room. This was a year in which people thought Patrick Mahomes was surrounded by a lack of weapons. But from last offseason and up until Super Bowl LVII, the Chiefs quarterback adjusted to leaning more on his new teammates’ strengths. That led to him taking what the defense would give him. In turn, we saw plenty of yards after the catch for this smart group of Kansas City pass catchers.

Defying History

Sometimes, it is hard to appreciate greatness when you are witnessing it in real time. The comparisons to other dynasties and legacies of names like Tom Brady are still a bit too rich. Yet, Patrick Mahomes is among the best in NFL history, when it comes to best starts to a quarterback’s career.

Through five seasons as a starter, Mahomes now has two Super Bowl wins, two Super Bowl MVPs and two NFL regular-season MVPs. He is the first player to win the regular season MVP award and a Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner in 1999. That snapped a streak of nine consecutive past MVPs to lose in a Super Bowl in a same season.

Moreover, Patrick Mahomes has either finished his season in the AFC Championship Game or Super Bowl in every season as a starter. He also has five Pro Bowl nods, as well as three All-Pro selections. He has won NFL Offensive Player of the Year once. Finally, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have produced at least 12 wins in every season that he has been a starter. He is just 27 years old.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.