HOUSTON – The NFL is filled with star quarterbacks who make huge plays off-schedule. They run around, they create time, they improvise and ultimately become more dangerous to the defense based on defenders having to “cover twice.” Every MVP since Patrick Mahomes became a starter in 2018 has that ability. Mahomes (2018, 2022), Lamar Jackson (2019, 2023) and Aaron Rodgers (2020, 2021) all create danger with their legs and solidify big gains with their arms.
“The Chiefs really started the whole trend of that,” said linebacker and captain Azeez Al-Shaair. “They have routes they draw up, then you can see the ability of Mahomes and Kelce, and they know that ‘he gets out of the pocket, if I’m not open, I can get open and he can make all the throws.”
“When you’re playing guys like this it’s all about getting tied in and who you’re covering, because when one guy gets loose, Patrick Mahomes does a great job of finding that wide receiver down the field,” said linebacker Henry To’o To’o.
Mahomes is having a down year by his standards, throwing for a career low 3,928 yards, a career low 26 touchdowns and the second-lowest rating of his career at 93.5. However, Mahomes had a similar season in 2023, with a career low passer rating of 92.6 and a career-high 14 interceptions. In the playoffs that passer rating spiked to 100.3 and he threw 6 touchdowns to 1 interception, while leading the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl Championship in five years. Mahomes is 15-3 in his career in the playoffs with a passer rating of 105.8, which is higher than his regular season passer rating of 102.1.
The Texans defense impressed the league with its dominant performance Saturday, forcing Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to throw four interceptions, after throwing just three all of 2024.
“It’s all about us being tied together. A lot of the Chiefs’ stuff is great, but at the end of the day it’s all about what we do as the Houston Texans,” said To’o To’o.
