Kansas City Chiefs fans used to joke that Patrick Mahomes had incomplete passes that were better than complete passes from other quarterbacks. Well, now the statement actually holds some weight.
The NFL started to release their list of the Top 100 plays from the 2020 NFL season on Monday. Coming in right at No. 100 was an incomplete pass from Patrick Mahomes during Super Bowl LV. You should know exactly the play that you’re about to see.
The incomplete pass came on fourth down and early in the four quarter, with Mahomes facing instant pressure and being chased back a solid 20 yards from the line of scrimmage. Mahomes reverses field with his normal dance to avoid pressure, but is tripped up in the process. In a last-ditch effort, Mahomes makes a diving throw toward the endzone with the ball releasing while he’s in midair. The pass hit Darrel Williams right in the facemask but was dropped in the process, resulting in a turnover on downs. It was par the course for the game.
Top 100 Plays of 2020 … 100-75! pic.twitter.com/R1B2vhzNu1
— NFL (@NFL) February 15, 2021
Here’s what Mahomes had to say about the pass afterwards:
“Yeah, definitely a pass you only attempt on fourth down. I was scrambling out and I was trying to get past that last guy on that edge there because I knew that if I got past, it would buy enough time that hopefully somebody could get open. Obviously, he kind of clipped me and it kind of tripped up my feet and I wasn’t going to go down without giving somebody a chance. I saw a red jersey, I didn’t know it was Darrel (Williams), I just saw a red jersey and I knew I had to find a way to throw it and give him a chance to catch the ball, so I just put it up there. Obviously, came up short but I mean he battled for the ball and just like the whole game, we didn’t make the plays, but guys battled until the very end.”
This wasn’t just any old incompletion. The throw left fans in awe literally days after the conclusion of the Super Bowl. Had it been completed, this would probably have been a play worth the No. 1 play of the 2020 season and one of the greatest in Super Bowl history. Instead, it’s an inconsequential play in the worst loss of Mahomes’ professional career.
It’s a bit strange to see a failed play receive such praise from the league. It also won’t earn the Chiefs any love from outside of their own fanbase. The fact that this play was even included in the best plays highlight reel is a testament to Mahomes’ talent. It’s also a testament to him leaving it all on the field in Super Bowl LV.
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