FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons’ defensive gamers discuss Patrick Mahomes like he’s an actor, and the NFL’s main man is coming to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday evening.
“When the play breaks down and also you’ve acquired all of it coated and also you’ve finished all of it proper, there’s a second half to the play. There’s a second act,” Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss mentioned. “Having the ability to cowl up not solely the preliminary play that the good Andy Reid has drawn up falls aside, you’ve acquired Patrick Mahomes changing into Him.”
“Him” refers back to the dominant determine in his surroundings, and few skilled athletes have been extra dominant of their surroundings than Mahomes.
In six seasons as Kansas Metropolis’s beginning quarterback, he has by no means completed a season in need of the AFC Championship Recreation. His three Tremendous Bowl titles are tied for third amongst beginning quarterbacks in NFL historical past, and everybody forward of him on that record began for not less than twice as many seasons as he has. Solely Tom Brady and Joe Montana have extra playoff wins than Mahomes’ 15, and he’s 29 years previous. Since he joined the league in 2017, no quarterback has gained extra video games (91) or gained them at a better charge (78.4 p.c). The seven different quarterbacks drafted in 2017 have gained 76 video games mixed.
These numbers go on and on and on, they usually’re the rationale Atlanta finds itself on a prime-time stage for the second straight week because the Falcons are making ready to host the Chiefs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on “Sunday Night time Soccer.”
With all due respect to Kirk Cousins and Bijan Robinson and the new-look Falcons, the stage will belong to Mahomes.
“It’s his improv, man,” Falcons security Richie Grant mentioned. “He can improv each single play, flip one thing that you just suppose is a no acquire right into a landing.”
Mahomes is so good he even beats the oldest of NFL cliches — that each week needs to be handled precisely the identical irrespective of the opponent. Atlanta exterior linebacker Matthew Judon confronted Mahomes six occasions as a member of the New England Patriots. Mahomes Week is completely different, he mentioned.
“There are particular gamers on this league,” Judon mentioned. “Once you’ve acquired a man like Patrick Mahomes on the schedule, you watch a bit of extra movie. You pay nearer consideration to the small print as a result of he’s a three-time champ, and there’s one thing within the margins to win the sport. It’s going to be one thing within the particulars. It’s in all probability going to return down to some performs.”
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The Chiefs (2-0) come into Atlanta as 3.5-point favorites, having gained eight straight video games relationship to final postseason.
“As a competitor, you at all times need to make a play in opposition to probably the greatest rivals,” Grant mentioned. “I’d query you when you don’t have that mindset.”
“It positively stokes your aggressive fireplace,” Elliss mentioned. “In case you take anyone lax on this league, it’ll get you, however while you get to go up a staff of this high quality, it does stoke your aggressive fireplace a bit of bit extra. I’m excited.”
Falcons coach Raheem Morris compares Mahomes to not an actor however to an extraterrestrial.
“He’s an alien,” Morris mentioned. “He’s good. He’s distinctive. He can transfer round. He should purchase time. He can play inside the framework of the system. He is aware of what you’re doing on protection. He’s grown as much as the purpose of seeing the whole lot. He’s seen each trick, each gimmick, each gamut, no matter you need to name it. He’s been in a position to actually go on the market and be on the prime of his recreation in nearly the whole lot, and he’s simply probably the greatest.”
DOT. @PatrickMahomes | @Chiefs pic.twitter.com/a9lV4txNu3
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Atlanta offensive coordinator Zac Robinson was charting draft-eligible quarterbacks as an analyst for Professional Soccer Focus in 2017. He mentioned Mahomes had all these traits even then.
“Clearly, the power that he has together with his arm to actually make any throw at any time was particular, and then you definitely simply noticed the instincts and the imaginative and prescient, and immediately you’re saying, ‘There’s actually no approach that this shouldn’t work out,’ so long as he’s dedicated to the sport, and he loves it,” Robinson mentioned. “Clearly, he’s confirmed to be a soccer junkie.”
Sunday evening would be the second time the Falcons have confronted Mahomes. The primary was in December of 2020 when Morris was Atlanta’s interim head coach after the firing of Dan Quinn. The Chiefs gained 17-14, however the Falcons precipitated Mahomes sufficient issues (55 p.c completion proportion, 79.5 passer score) that different NFL groups briefly hoped that they had offered a blueprint for slowing him down.
He’s been to a few Tremendous Bowls since then.
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Morris acquired one other shot at Mahomes because the defensive coordinator of the Rams in 2022. Once more, Mahomes didn’t play nice (85.4 passer score). Once more, Mahomes gained (26-10). In two matchups in opposition to Morris’ defenses, Mahomes’ passer score and effectivity as measured by EPA per try are decrease than his profession averages (82.4 passer score versus 103.3 and .04 EPA per try versus .26), based on TruMedia.
These numbers don’t change how Morris talks about Mahomes.
“He’s definitely an issue it doesn’t matter what,” the coach mentioned, “and he’s probably the greatest that we’ve seen simply in no matter technology you need to discuss.”
Falcons security Justin Simmons, who spent the primary eight years of his profession in Denver, additionally has had some success in opposition to Mahomes. He’s intercepted the quarterback 5 occasions. No different participant has finished it greater than twice. Like Morris, Simmons is sensible sufficient to not brag about it.
“It’s not these first three seconds of the play, it’s these subsequent 4 or 5 seconds that actually matter,” Simmons mentioned. “You’ll be able to’t get annoyed once they make a giant play. It’s a next-play mentality. They take loads of photographs and you’ve got loads of possibilities to go play the ball. We’ve acquired to have the ability to make performs on the soccer. It’s enjoyable taking part in that cat-and-mouse recreation. That is going to be a giant one for us.”
(Picture: David Eulitt / Getty Photos)