Don't Worry: The Patrick Mahomes-Tyreek Hill Connection Is Alive and Well
While the Kansas City Chiefs' offense hasn't been quite as much fun to watch as the big-play machine we saw in 2018, it's still managed to be remarkably efficient. Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill are perfect examples of that.
Individually, both Mahomes and Hill are thriving. Mahomes is having a career year, on pace for over 4,600 passing yards and 42 touchdowns. His passer rating (115.0) and QBR (86.8) are career-bests. In just eight games, Hill has already matched his touchdown total from last season (although he did miss four games in 2019). The two have been a premier quarterback-wideout duo in the league for three years now and despite the results being as good as ever, the process used to get them has changed.
When asked this week about a lack of deep passes to Hill in 2020 in comparison to years past, Mahomes acknowledged the offense is simply taking what the defense gives it.
"I mean, we run the routes during every game where we have the opportunities to have these big plays," Mahomes said. "It's just we’ve been hitting the underneath guys instead just because of how the defense has presented itself."
This especially pertains to players like Mecole Hardman, who have stepped up in Sammy Watkins' absence. Hill has still carved out quite the niche, though.
Hill had his best game of the season last Sunday against the New York Jets, catching four passes for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This included scores from 36 and 41 yards out, reminding the NFL that the big play is still a staple of the Andy Reid and Mahomes-engineered offense. If you ask Mahomes, the Chiefs have kept that faith all along.
"I never had any doubt that we were able to do it," Mahomes said. "I think for us, we just go out there and take what’s there and score points."
Mahomes, because he threw 50 touchdowns in his first full season as a starter, has been talked about as the best player in the league for most of his young career. Finding ways to improve an already-elite game is easier said than done, but the 25-year-old quarterback has done so.
One area Mahomes has made significant strides in this year is his maturity, as defenses have attempted to take away the big play every week. The offense is averaging 31.6 points per game despite getting its opponents' best shot week-in and week-out, and that's a testament to the team's overall perspective and humility. The reigning Super Bowl champions are a selfless group — Hill included — and their best player knows it.
"That’s what’s so special about our locker room is that no one’s trying to ask for the ball, no one’s saying ‘I need to get these catches or these run attempts,'" Mahomes said. "Everybody wants to win and they understand that they’re going to get a shot and when they do, they’re going to capitalize on that opportunity.”
A critical element of the Chiefs' "Run It Back" campaign has been keeping their eyes on the prize and believing in each other, even if it means sacrificing some numbers. Halfway through the regular season, that mindset is as strong as ever.
I can guarantee that Mahomes is more than okay with trading stats for wins. Hill is no different, and the scary thing is that even when it may not seem like it, their connection is still very much alive and well. In a year that's been anything but steady, you can count on those two to show up and perform well on game day.
