Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has overcome many hurdles to etch his name in history as one of the league’s greats.
No player is beyond criticism, however, and this weekend Mahomes faces one of the lingering questions about his postseason success. At frigid Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, Mahomes will play his first road playoff game.
Mahomes has heard the critics and pundits question his mindset ahead of the game and the fact he won’t have the support of the Arrowhead Stadium crowd that he’s commonly enjoyed this time of year.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot of games at home at Arrowhead Stadium, but now we have a great opportunity to go on the road, play in a hostile environment, one where I haven’t been able to play with fans in the stands,” Mahomes told reporters on Wednesday. “Even though I know it’s going to be hostile and there are going to be people talking trash, I’m excited for it because it’s one of the best environments in football, and you want to do that when you grow up watching these games — play in the best environment and see what it’s like.”
Mahomes alluded to the Chiefs’ 2020 regular-season road victory over the Bills. The game was played during the COVID-19 pandemic, so no fans were allowed at the stadium.
“I go into every game with the same mindset, and that’s to go out there and win,” Mahomes said. “We understand it’s going to be a great challenge, we understand it’s going to be a hostile environment, and we’re playing a great football team. We know it’s going to be a great challenge for us, but our mindset is we’re going to prepare ourselves this week to go out there to win the football game, and that never changes.”
The Chiefs are playing their first road postseason game as a franchise since the 2015 season. They won a road game against the Houston Texans and lost in the divisional round to the New England Patriots while Mahomes at Texas Tech.