Patrick Mahomes is heading to his third consecutive Super Bowl, but not everyone is thrilled with the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback’s recent style of play.
Despite another narrow win – a 32-29 victory over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game – polarizing sports personality Skip Bayless questioned why Mahomes’ performances have become less exciting to watch.
In the AFC Championship, Mahomes led the Chiefs with 245 passing yards, 43 rushing yards, and three total touchdowns – one passing and two rushing.
It was yet another methodical effort from Mahomes, who has repeatedly delivered when the stakes are high, although the offense no longer relies on the explosive deep throws that once made it the NFL’s most dynamic unit.
As Kansas City prepares for a Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, Bayless pointed out how the Chiefs’ offense has become more cautious this season, noting that Mahomes no longer plays with the same flair.
“Has anybody out there but me noticed that Patrick Mahomes is no longer Patrick Mahomes?” Bayless asked on his X account.
“That super-duper star, who took the NFL by storm in his first five years by ‘Bombs away, everybody go long and I’ll throw it 80 yards for touchdown after touchdown. Storm! Storm! Storm!’ Patrick Ma-Home Run is what he used to be.
“That guy is gone, along with much of the splash and the flash.”
Bayless went further, challenging listeners to refute his assertion that Mahomes has become a “shockingly boring” quarterback.
“This Mahomes has turned into the ultimate dink-and-dunk artist. Tell me I’m wrong,” Bayless continued. “No NFL quarterback gets rid of the ball quicker than Patrick Mahomes.
“Instead of high-rolling hundreds, trying to hit the casino jackpot the way he used to – especially in his first couple of years – this Mahomes just quietly and patiently plays the dollar slots.
“And it’s not like he’s 40 now and conceding to age. Nope. Patrick Mahomes is playing like a grandpa at the ripe old age of 29.”
Bayless may not be entirely wrong in observing Mahomes’ shift in style.
The same quarterback who previously exceeded 5,000 passing yards twice finished this season with a career-low 3,928 yards.
As Bayless pointed out, Mahomes also averaged just 6.8 yards per pass attempt, his lowest career average, signaling fewer explosive plays compared to his early years.
In fact, Kansas City’s offense, which had ranked no lower than sixth in scoring for each of Mahomes’ first six seasons, slipped to 15th in the past two years.
For the first time, the Mahomes-led offense finished outside the top 10 in total yards in the 2024 season.
However, we all know it’s not about the numbers. (Unless you’re Cam Newton.)
At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is winning – and no one has done more than that than Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Time after time, Mahomes has consistently excelled in clutch moments, with his ability to lead comeback wins and game-winning drives remaining as strong as ever.
In the regular season, Mahomes led the Chiefs to seven game-winning drives and five fourth-quarter comebacks.
This success carried over into the playoffs, with Mahomes delivering in high-pressure situations, including Sunday’s dramatic victory over Buffalo.
Kansas City, known for making comebacks, has won six of nine playoff games when trailing in the fourth quarter.
Remarkably, the Chiefs have scored 13 touchdowns on 14 drives when down by one score (1-8 points) in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Unfortunately, much of the current conversation surrounding the Chiefs involves the officiating and an alleged KC-bias.
Getting back to Bayless … While he may find Mahomes’ style less exciting, there’s no denying that the Chiefs continue to win – and that’s the ONLY thing that matters.
What are your thoughts on Bayless’ comments? … Does he have a point – or is he just looking for attention?
More importantly, what’s your early Super Bowl prediction? … Will Mahomes and the Chiefs actually pull off the historic three-peat???
