Patrick Mahomes’ 2018 season was phenomenal. In his first year as a starter, he threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns, leading the league in both. He was also named the NFL’s most valuable player, the second-youngest to ever do so. However, when the young gunslinger was in a battle with Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the quarterback took it to heart.
“I think the most humbling (moment) was probably that first half against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game,” Mahomes told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. “I just felt like we couldn’t do anything, and I felt like I was really letting the defense down. It was holding them to, I think, 10 points in that first half. I knew a lot of that was me not making the right decisions. That was kind of when I realized, hey, I gotta make sure I’m ready for everything every single game. No matter who we play, I’ve gotta prepare for it so that whenever stuff happens during games I can make adjustments quickly.”
During that first half, Mahomes struggled against a stiffening Patriots defense. With all the success they had leading up to this matchup, it was surprising to see the then-23-year-old completed four of his nine passes for 65 yards and was sacked three times.
He showed what he was made of in the second half, throwing for 230 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Chiefs back to force overtime. And, had it been a different result on a coin flip, he would’ve had a chance to put it away for Kansas City.
That talent and leadership ability brought them back to this year’s AFC Championship Game, where the Chiefs put down the red-hot Tennessee Titans. Now, in less than a week, Mahomes could become the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl and a league MVP.
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