What we learned (or re-learned) from Patrick Mahomes in Week 8’s win over the Raiders

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders 27-20 on Sunday afternoon to increase their lead to 7-0. It was a physical and grueling contest throughout the day. Kansas City’s defense prevailed in tough situations and once again gave the Chiefs some needed momentum. But from the jump Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing offense were in rhythm.

This was arguably KC’s top two or top three performance in terms of passing attack so far this season. Mahomes didn’t make many mistakes against the Raiders defense. His interception was more of a credit to a Las Vegas linebacker for tip-in than a bad read or call. And honestly, Offensive penalties or mishaps by the Kansas City offensive line They were really the only thing slowing down Mahomes for most of the day.

What were Patrick Mahomes’ biggest hits on Sunday? Plus, why the connection to several veteran players has provided more hope for what the Chiefs’ passing offense could potentially be.

No one can say that Patrick Mahomes completely panicked when his passing attack was stopped. But he showed much more confidence on Sunday. This was evident from the first drive of the game. You’ve seen Mahomes delay his releases and fail to see some open looks when opportunities present themselves this season. This is because the person calling the Kansas City signal does not trust what they see. Mahomes could also be affected by some latent pressure.

But against Las Vegas, Mahomes was playing with more freedom and was breaking the play with little wasted time. Although he was still in control, his decisions were urgent. Mahomes was sensitive about his timing. He was scrambling early when needed, compared to running out of the pocket too early. And best of all, Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing offense got a third down. These plays appeared to be much more effective than the various money-cutting attempts earlier in the season.

Let’s expand on this last point a little further. Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City were incredible and held control on third down and in the red zone on Sunday. The third down offense hasn’t been as up and down as the red zone offense so far this season. Still, the Chiefs made some third-down attempts look less choppy and rushed. Kansas City attacked downfield most of the time, getting the ball over the sticks. On the other hand, this offense has been settling for underhand shooting and physicality to barely get past the sticks for most of the year.

Comprehensive, Kansas City finished Sunday’s game by converting 12 of 16 third-point attempts. Mahomes found a variety of playmakers on the field to keep moving forward. He also had a special rushing attempt that got decent yards on a third-and-long throw. Walking off the field on third down This was one of the biggest differences of the competition. As for the Raiders’ defense, they had no chance in that area given how flawless Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing offense were in this particular situation. Finally, KC also scored three touchdowns in four red zone trips. Their only shot at that point came with the lead already in hand.

It was a great day for Travis Kelce. It’s probably no surprise to hear that the Chiefs had one of their best passing performances of the season. But in a year where production was further toned down due to a star crunch, it was frankly a classic showing from Kelce. He led the offense in targets (12), receptions (10) and receiving yards (90).. There were plenty of open looks waiting for him on the field. In other moments, Kelce was able to frustrate the Raiders after the catch by making catches in traffic.

DeAndre Hopkins may not have lit up the stat sheet. Still, if you’re a Chiefs fan, a few of his catches were exactly what you wanted to see. With his massive catch radius, Mahomes has thrown some strikes into places where only he can catch sticks. Hopkins had even more separation on several other routes where the ball didn’t come to him.

Secondary weapons like Noah Gray and Justin Watson also continued to pop up when Mahomes needed them. Each player had three catches on Sunday. Gray and Watson have proven to be reliable veterans that Mahomes can rely on. When Mahomes and these veteran arms align, the Chiefs can be nearly unstoppable.