New England’s defense is preparing for scramble drills against Patrick Mahomes and company.
The Kansas City Chiefs offense is not lighting the world on fire like it usually did the last few seasons, but the unit is still a dangerous one largely due to one man: Patrick Mahomes.
Now in his seventh season as a Chief, Mahomes has established himself as arguably the best quarterback the NFL has to offer at the moment. There are multiple reasons for that, but his innate ability to make plays out of structure is right near the very top of that list: he has shown he can keep plays alive, and therefore give his team a chance on every down.
For the New England Patriots, this means they have to be on high alert at all times when they play against him on Sunday. The much-talked-about “team defense” will be key in this — from the discipline up front to the awareness in the back.
“When you’re playing against a guy like that, you have to be disciplined in your pass rush, obviously,” said linebacker Mack Wilson. “You have to be aware when you’re rushing against a guy like that because he can make every throw. He’s looking for the rush, obviously. If you lose the edge, he’s going to take it. Or if you give him a B-gap, he’s going to step up in it. We just have to be disciplined and crush the pocket, and do what we do.”
The Patriots have seen Mahomes’ skills as a play-extender multiple times through the years. However, with the two sides not crossing paths since the 2020 season there is a certain degree of unfamiliarity with the current cast of characters on the New England defense.
Adhering to those core principles will therefore be crucial throughout the contest. That goes for the pass rush mentioned by Wilson, and for the coverage as pointed out by cornerback Myles Bryant.
“It’s not necessarily having to cover the first route, but covering the second route,” he explained on Thursday. “So, you cover the guys on the first route, then they start scrambling around. And he’s made a career just off of extending plays, scrambling, and being able to hit guys downfield when guys give up on the play. I think that’s going to be a good challenge for us.”
Mahomes has indeed been able to find considerable success when plays break down, in large part due to the chemistry he has developed with his favorite target: tight end Travis Kelce.
One of the best tight ends of all time and a future Hall of Famer in his own right, Kelce is the Chiefs’ most dangerous pass catcher. A primary reason for that distinction comes through his ability to be on the same page as his quarterback, even when that page changed from the moment the ball was snapped.
“Those guys have good chemistry, they’ve been playing together for a while,” said Bryant. “They just know one another. Mahomes knows where Kelce’s going to be in a zone; he knows when he’s going to break versus man, different leverages and stuff. So, I think we always have to keep an eye out on him.”
If the Patriots can do that, and showcase the same discipline they have at times in their first four games versus Mahomes, they will put themselves in a good spot. Whether or not that is enough will be seen, though.