The Patrick Mahomes Death Star Is Armed and Fully Operational
By Liam McKeone
Patrick Mahomes didn't quite set the league on fire in 2019 the way he did in 2018. It was, admittedly, going to be nearly impossible to top his 5,000-plus yard, 50 touchdown, MVP-winning performance, and matters weren't helped by the knee injury he suffered halfway through the season. But instead of looking absolutely superhuman, Mahomes just looked somewhere between good and very good in the weeks leading up to the playoffs.
After the Chiefs' epic comeback and subsequent beatdown of the Houston Texans in the divisional round on Sunday, it's safe to say he's shaken off any rust that may have come from spending a few weeks on the bench. After falling behind 24-0 early, Mahomes led his team on a 51-7 run through the rest of the game. He was immaculate after a few tough drops early. He tossed five touchdowns for 321 yards on 23-of-35 passing, including a toe-drag touchdown toss for the ages. He also added 56 yards on the ground as his team's leading rusher.
Mahomes took the throws the defense was giving him and exhibited his standard and impressive array of arm angles from which he can get a pass off. At one point, he threw five touchdowns and had just five incompletions in 22 attempts. The Texans didn't give up many of the home run plays that we've become accustomed to from the Chiefs, but Mahomes picked apart their man coverage with relative ease.
The five touchdown passes were more than he had in any game in 2019, and the most he'd thrown in a contest since Week 2. He only threw for more than 300 yards once in the final six weeks of the 2019 season. None of that is to say anybody was taking him less seriously, or didn't believe he was a top-five quarterback in the league. But the Mahomes that struck fear into the hearts of opposing fans and coaches across the country hadn't been seen on a wire-to-wire basis in the months leading up to the postseason.
That is no longer the case. Patrick Mahomes, destroyer of defenses and hopes/dreams, is back. The Chiefs' Death Star is fully operational. Be afraid. Be very afraid.