The Christmas celebration turned pale in Arrowhead Stadium as the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes failed to bring a spark of happiness to their fans by securing a potential win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Days after going down to the Buffalo Bills, they again got smashed in Week 16 with a disappointing 14-20 loss.
Even with the loss, the Chiefs are sitting atop the AFC East with a seemingly lackluster 9-6 record, something sports enthusiasts didn’t expect from the defending champion team. Amid the team’s recent struggle, Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe raised eyebrows in the NFL community by unveiling an unpromising performance by Mahomes this season.
Sharpe unveils concerning Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes stats
Shannon Sharpe expressed doubt in his recent segment on ESPN’s First Take about the Chiefs’ ability to embark on another Super Bowl journey this season, underpinned by a significant revelation. He shed light on the team’s struggles by pinpointing their inability to score at least 20 points in seven games so far.
However, the most interesting facet of this statistic is that Patrick Mahomes, a once consistent point producer, has already experienced seven sub-20 point games in the 2023 NFL season, which surpassed his previous six such occurrences over his initial five years in the league.
“This is what you get – a team that has seven games, they’ve scored less than 20 points – and Patrick Mahomes has six of those in his first five years. There you go. That’s the recipe”, Sharpe said via SportsKeeda.
“If we clean it up, we’ll be able to score points. It’s just (that) we’ve got to clean it up. We’re two games left. You have to do it and if we don’t, we’ll be going home. If we clean it up, we can beat anybody. I truly believe that, but we got to prove that we can do it,” Mahomes was quoted as saying by Adam Teicher of ESPN.
Sharpe attributed the Chiefs recent offensive challenges to their deficiencies in the wide receiver department. The absence of a reliable veteran receiver has plagued the team throughout the season.
Even during the recent matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, Mahomes notably encountered difficulty finding his rhythm, primarily due to the absence of dependable downfield targets. This resulted in a disjointed offensive performance, visibly frustrating the two-time MVP, as evidenced by his discontent towards his offensive teammates, whom he gifted Christmas gifts days back.
Rodgers voices confidence in Mahomes
Unpredictability abounds in NFL games as the reigning Super Bowl winner is now fighting for a spot in the playoffs. The New York Jets injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers showed his support for Patrick Mahomes during an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show.” This came after a disappointing season for the quarterback.
“I would say it is mostly overreaction,” Rodgers said. “To me, it seems like it’s tough right now. Because there’s not a lot of on-time throws, you know, Pat’s so good with the second reaction stuff. And even yesterday, he made just silly plays, where he’s extending, late throw, or moving up in the pocket pump, fake, making stuff happen. I just think there’s too much of that, they’re relying too much on that.”
Rodgers, acknowledging the ups and downs of NFL careers, expressed solidarity with the Alpine F1 owner, noting, “He’s a competitive quarterback; often, these things happen.”
Drawing parallels to his own journey, Rodgers shared glimpses of his past, where he used “colorful metaphors” with teammates and even tossed a few surface tablets in moments of frustration.
Further delving into his endorsement for the two-time MVP, Rodgers emphasized the effectiveness of simplifying the game. He suggested that rather than Mahomes relying on extravagant plays and extending plays at the risk of turnovers, opting for simpler throws might enhance his overall performance.
“Some more easier throws would be good, but again, in the AFC, I mean, Pat has never played a playoff game on the road—who gives a sh*t?” Rodgers said.
Despite failing to score good points this season, Patrick Mahomes has accumulated an impressive 3,938 passing yards at an average of 262.5 per game. The quarterback has thrown 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while maintaining a completion rate of 66.9%. He has also added 71 carries for 387 yards on the ground.
