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The Kansas City Chiefs won in Week 2 with the help of their best players’ legs. I’m not just talking about Harrison Butker and his booming 58-yard field goals either. One of the first things that Andy Reid brought up after the game was Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes’ performance on the ground.
“Patrick (Mahomes) made some nice plays with his legs,” Reid said in his opening statement.
Mahomes led the Chiefs in rushing on the night with six attempts for 54 yards. The show of skill was highlighted on third-and-20, late in the fourth quarter, when Mahomes scrambled for 21 yards to pick up the first down. It provided Kansas City an opportunity to score and win the game within regulation.
“The run, third-and-20, at that time when I took off running I was more worried about trying to get into field goal range to get Butker to be able to tie the game,” Mahomes told reporters. “I was able to get the first down, and then we were almost able to put a touchdown in there before regulation ended.”
This isn’t the first time that Mahomes has found himself using his legs to change his team’s fortunes of a game. Many will point back to his rumbling touchdown run against the Tennessee Titans in last year’s AFC championship game. Reid pointed to a run he had against the Detroit Lions in Week 4 of 2019.
“That’s the thing, he did the same thing in Detroit last year,” Reid said. “Things weren’t going very well and he pops off a couple of big runs — same type of deal. He’s a great player. He loves the game and loves it when the game is on the line. He wants the ball. Other guys, I think, shy away from that. He wants it, and he’s got guys around him who want it, and who are willing to reach down deep in a situation like that.”
These runs against the Chargers didn’t just come at any old time either, they came at the most crucial moments in the game. Five of the six runs came on third down and Mahomes converted four of them, setting up a fourth-and-1 on the lone non-conversion.
Mahomes 3rd down conversions as a runner vs LAC
3rd & 7 -> 15 yards
3rd & 5 -> 10 yards
3rd and 20 -> 21 yards
3rd and 3 -> 4 yards— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) September 21, 2020
So what allowed Mahomes to thrive on the ground against the Chargers?
“They were playing coverage,” Mahomes said following the game. “They were getting depth and our offensive line was giving me time, but they were getting so much depth that we couldn’t find ways to get open. The thing about them playing coverage and being so deep is that they don’t have a guy for me. So, I was able to run and get some yards downfield. It’s just about trying to find whatever way to win, I think that’s the biggest thing. If teams are going to stay back and guard our receivers, I’m going to have to find ways with my feet to make stuff happen.”
If the defense is intent on stopping Mahomes through the air, he’ll beat them with his legs. If they leave an extra player to spy Mahomes or only rush three, he’ll have the time to find an open player downfield. It’s a no-win scenario for defenses and another reason why the Chiefs remain such a tough team to beat.
Ideally, you probably don’t want your half-billion-dollar quarterback scrambling all the time. However, when the game is on the line, Mahomes has shown the willingness and prowess to break off a big run.
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