KANSAS City, Mo. — Soon right after quarterback Patrick Mahomes observed out he was not heading to engage in in previous Sunday’s frequent-season finale, he headed to the Kansas Town Chiefs’ apply facility to draw up some plays he prepared to share with his coaches. His would-be two-week crack from soccer had scarcely lasted a few of hrs.
It was section of Mahomes’ prepare to keep sharp. He and numerous of the Kansas Town regulars didn’t engage in in 7 days 17 with the Chiefs owning previously clinched the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed. As the best seed, the Chiefs get the AFC’s playoff bye this weekend.
Mahomes was on the Arrowhead Stadium subject a pair of several hours prior to Sunday’s 38-21 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, throwing to receivers Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, who both of those would sit out the game.
“You have to keep on leading of things like that,” Mahomes said. “Another point that I did that drove the coaches crazy is that I drew up like 25 plays. I was just in there drawing up plays endlessly and with any luck , I can get a couple of of them in and we can get a several touchdowns in the postseason.”
Staying sharp all through an extended break isn’t really a bad notion, but the thought of him not actively playing well immediately after missing a pair of weeks is the minimum of the Chiefs’ fears. Previous 12 months, following missing two game titles at midseason because of a knee injury, Mahomes returned to toss a few landing passes and for a year-higher 446 yards against the Tennessee Titans.
The Chiefs will head into the playoffs either Jan. 16 or Jan. 17 applying a team of players whose last game motion together was 7 days 16 against the Atlanta Falcons. To Mahomes, at the very least, the added benefits outweigh the challenges. The Chiefs ended up taken to the finish in each individual of their seven games prior to the a single against the Chargers, profitable all 7 but none by much more than six points.
“We had some battles there at the conclude of the year, and games like the Saints and the Bucs and even the Falcons, they were bodily soccer game titles,” Mahomes claimed. “For us to be equipped to get again healthy, get all people back to 100 %, I think we will be capable to benefit from our speed and our electric power as we get into the playoffs and genuinely have the most effective Kansas Metropolis Chiefs soccer crew that you’ve got witnessed because the beginning of the year.
“It truly is massive. Obtaining the two months, you can kind of mentally just take off that to start with 7 days. … We continue to follow. It can be not like a normal bye in the time when you happen to be type of having times off and not doing just about anything. We are nevertheless training and even training quite quick, more quickly most likely than usual. Bodily, we are going to be wonderful. It’s possessing that psychological break that will definitely rejuvenate every person, maintain most people prepared to go, all set to be at get the job done every single single working day and be the finest doable participant they can be for the workforce.”
The Chiefs, with an NFL-greatest 14-2 record, are below stress to repeat as Super Bowl champions. They were 4- in opposition to other playoff groups, the only workforce to be undefeated in the normal year towards the rest of the area.
“If you watched us all through the year, it feels like we usually elevated up and performed improved in the big game titles,” Mahomes mentioned. “I will not know if that’s a excellent or a terrible matter. Knowing that the following three are heading to be big video games, I know I am likely to get the ideal energy out of each and every one man on this group and we are heading to increase our video game to be even far better. I am psyched for it mainly because I know what this team can do. It can be a particular run.”
Substantially of the stress falls on Mahomes. But he has played well in the postseason. He has 13 landing passes, two interceptions, a 106.6 passer ranking and 4 victories in five playoff online games.
“For a younger male, he handles [expectations] extremely properly,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid reported. “He manages it, he stays centered on the soccer, he takes it home with him and reports. He is often in the movie place finding out. All of those people points have not changed.
“He seems to be centered in on points and it isn’t going to seem to be stressing him out also much.”
Mahomes is a candidate for MVP once more just after possessing gained the award in 2018, his initial entire year as a starter. He finished next in the league in passing yards (4,740) immediately after having the lead into the season’s remaining video game and was fourth in landing passes (38).
“It is really something you would appreciate to have but not anything that’s essentially something you attempt for,” Mahomes mentioned of the passing yards title. “To me, it really is about profitable soccer games. I generally believe that if you gain soccer video games and perform the recreation the right way, that stuff handles itself. I would definitely really like to have it, appreciate to have that trophy, but if it isn’t going to transpire and we uncover a way to gain the Tremendous Bowl, I will be flawlessly high-quality with it, I assure you.”