Tyreek Hill on Patrick Mahomes’ Crazy Throw: ‘Just Being Patrick Mahomes’
The Patrick Mahomes-Tyreek Hill connection has been one of the most lethal in the NFL for a few years now. In the Kansas City Cheifs' first game of the 2021 season, that was once again the case.
In the Chiefs' 33-29 win over the Cleveland Browns, Mahomes threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns. 197 of those yards — as well as one touchdown on 11 total receptions — went to Hill. Despite an inconsistent showing from the team as a whole, arguably the two most dynamic players in the league were locked in and firing on all cylinders all afternoon. They scored on one of the leading candidates for play of the year, albeit just one game in.
This isn't the first time Mahomes has escaped the pocket and found Hill down the field, and it almost surely won't be the last. After the game, the Chiefs' star wide receiver played it cool when asked about his quarterback's crazy throw.
"It's just Patrick Mahomes being Patrick Mahomes," Hill said. "What's crazy is, I was in the locker room and he said 'I didn't even see you — I just saw your little hand sticking up...' But I was able to make a play for the team when they needed me the most."
Highlight-reel throws from Mahomes are commonplace now, and Hill has made a name for himself as one of the premier overall receivers in all of football. With that said, many still omit him from top-three or top-five lists when ranking the best wideouts in the game. Hill also talked about why he works so hard to put his name on everyone's radar, whether they embrace it or not.
"I've got a lot of pride in just being the best," Hill said. "I feel like each and every year, I come out here like I'm proving myself and every time I get on Twitter, people are doubting me because of how fast I am. Plus, I just want to retire my mom. That is what drives me to just come out here, work hard, and just be the best. My mom, my family, just everything in general."
It's hard to consider Hill anything other than one of the five best wide receivers in the NFL. After all, he did haul in 87 passes for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns (which ranked second in the league behind only Davante Adams) last season. He's no longer just a speed threat who needs manufactured touches in order to make an impact. His game has become extremely well-rounded and effective over time.
As long as Mahomes is throwing Hill passes, he'll have every opportunity to continue proving himself. The Chiefs' megastar quarterback has made so many dazzling plays in just over three full seasons of starting that even his teammates have become somewhat numb to it. The duo of he and Hill will only continue to grow even stronger as they hit their respective strides, and the rest of the NFL should be a bit worried that Hill is used to seeing this from Mahomes in games.
