The Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins trade needed to
happen. Whether some like it or some don’t. Patrick Mahomes time to shine is
now and it’s time for Chiefs fans to accept it. And let’s be honest, Mahomes
could be the most electrifying quarterback the Chiefs have had in a while.
The reason Mahomes will shine with the Chiefs is because of
his arm. While he is still young, he had a chance to learn the Andy Reid
offence for a year under Pro Bowl QB Alex Smith. While Smith is a conscience QB,
he wasn’t afraid to throw the deep ball and Mahomes noticed.
Mahomes will be a franchise QB because:
Mahomes has Andy Reid. Let’s be honest, Reid churns out
talent at QB like no other. Reid has helped Favre, McNabb, Michael Vick and
most recently Alex Smith. All of which have been to multiple Pro Bowls. If Mahomes
is going to be successful, it’s going to be under Reid.
The receivers aren’t just great in Kansas City but they’re
good enough. Tyreek Hill is on the upside and is quickly becoming a threat in
the National Football league. He has the speed to out rout any defender and the
hands to catch just about anything within a five-foot radius. Mahomes could be
the answer Hill needs to excel. Chris Conley is coming off an injury and was
known for the deep ball catch at Georgia. With Conley coming back and at full
health, the Mahomes to Conley call could become quite popular for Chiefs fans
to hear.
Tight Ends could be a bigger factor than one would think for
Mahomes. While he has the arm to sling it down the field 70 yards, he still has
to get used to the pro style defense. That’s where Travis Kelce comes into
play. Kelce is arguably the best TE in the NFL right along with Rob Gronkowski.
Kelce has sure hands and loves to embarrass the defense. Look for Mahomes and
Kelce to hook up early and often.
Mahomes is still
learning and won’t be able to throw it every down. And quite frankly he won’t
have to. While the hype around Mahomes is huge, you can’t forget about the
second year running back the Chiefs will have. Kareem Hunt had an amazing year
running the ball the same year Smith had one of his best passing years of his
career. After his first touch and fumble against the Patriots, Hunt had an
explosive year. Look Reid to help Mahomes with the ground and pound game.
Challenges Mahomes will face early:
Mahomes thrived under Kliff kingsberry at Texas Tech. Many
would put him in the same company as Graham Herrell. That’s pretty damn good company
to be with at Texas Tech. But… Mahomes didn’t face one defense in the top 25
while in conference play.
The Big 12 is known for the spread offense and usually take
the shotgun approach. Mahomes will have to get comfortable enough to go under
center whenever Reid wants.
The Chiefs recently lost their offensive coordinator in Matt
Nagy. While this isn’t that big of a deal for Mahomes (he was still learning a
new system) he will have to start over in learning a new offense.
Chiefs fans will be happy with their new starting QB and
defenses across the NFL will respect him. Look for Reid to continue his success
and have yet another QB to add to his already impressive résumé.
