Patrick Mahomes has developed some bad habits over the years and, unfortunately, all of them were on display in Week 7, imploding in the Chiefs’ loss to Tennessee (206 yards on 20-of-35 passing with four sacks and an interception). The Chiefs’ sluggish start (3-4) has mostly been attributed to their defense, though NBC Sports personality Chris Simms, who regards himself as one of Mahomes’ staunchest supporters, admits the former MVP hasn’t met expectations in 2021.
“You know I don’t love saying this. You know this is my guy. I [reached] another level in the industry when I was going Patrick Mahomes is the first pick in the [2017] draft. He’s the best quarterback in the draft. He’s not playing well,” Simms acknowledged Friday during his weekly appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. “It’s been a little all over the place and this last game was the worst game he’s ever played in his career. There’s no doubt about that.”
Much has been made of Mahomes’ surgically-repaired toe, which clearly hampered him in last year’s Super Bowl and may still be affecting his mobility. However, Simms thinks the 26-year-old’s struggles have had more to do with his decision-making, failing to recognize pressure while biting off more than he can chew with risky passes into tight coverage.
“Not looking down the field and going through reads. I do believe he’s watching the rush a little bit,” opined Simms, who added that Mahomes has been “impatient” at times this season. “For whatever reason, he’s a little anxious in the pocket this year. He’s not staying true to the form as far as reads down the field and going through the progressions the right way. He predetermines sometimes.”
Between his mechanical flaws and recent pocket jitters, it’s no wonder Mahomes is tied for the league-lead with nine interceptions, three more than he had all of last season. Before this rough patch, Mahomes had faced remarkably little adversity in his career, receiving near-universal praise for his ability to improvise while resurrecting broken plays with a magician’s flair. It seems opponents are finally catching on, exposing shortcomings that had previously been masked by Mahomes’ superior arm talent and dominant supporting cast. Now it’s up to Mahomes to make the necessary adjustments … or risk missing the playoffs for the first time in his career.
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