Nobody knows whether to blame it on the receivers or if it’s Mahomes’ own fault?
In addition to being the current NFL MVP, one of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation is Patrick Mahomes. But nobody really knows why the Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller is having such a difficult season.
The release of Netflix’s “Quarterback” documentary series just before the 2023 season may have been a coincidence, but some conspiracy theorists believe the show revealed information that his opponents are using to stop him in the field.
Whether this is accurate or not, Mahomes is going through a tough period right now, but only in certain areas of the game; in other areas, he is doing better than he did in prior seasons.
Let’s take a look.
Mahomes’ numbers
According to the cold statistics, which were put together by Pro Football Reference, Mahomes has a five-touchdown percentage per pass completed, an average of seven yards per attempt, 10.4 yards per completion, 260.6 yards per game, and a rating of 95.1 points after 13 weeks of play in the 2023 campaign.
These figures are all lower than his previous averages. The former Texas Tech player has a career touchdown percentage of 6.2, average rating of 104.3 points, eight yards per attempt, 8.4 yards per completion, and 297.5 yards per game.
To this we must add that he intercepts 2.3 passes for every attempt made, compared to his career average of 1.7%.
However, not everything is bad for Mahomes. His completion percentage is 67.8%, versus his career average of 66.5%, and his sack percentage is 3.7%, down from his 3.9% average.
The reasons beyond Mahomes’ arm
Many reasons have been proposed by analysts to explain the Chiefs star’s decline in output. Nonetheless, the subpar performance of his receivers is one of the most evident issues.
It is true that the Kansas City receiving corps has completed 30 passes to quarterback Kirk Cousins so far this season, which is the highest total in the NFL and four passes more than the 26 of the Cleveland Browns, who are in second place.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72928267/1829614961.0.jpg)
With seven drops, Rashee Rice tops this category, followed by Marquez Valdes-Scantling with two drops. Travis Kelce, the team’s other standout tight end, isn’t immune to this too, having failed four throws to his quarterback.
A lot of people claim that Mahomes’ problems began when Tyreek Hill left. Hill, on the other hand, is even worse than Rice because he has the second-worst record in the league after dropping eight passes to Tua Tagovailoa.
Not to be overlooked is the systemic shift that resulted in offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy leaving this season to take a job as an assistant coach with the Washington Commanders.
The offense as a whole has suffered because the club has not yet adapted to Matt Nagy’s alterations, which has affected Mahomes’ performance.
It’s still unclear how Mahomes will conclude the season with five weeks of action left, but right now it seems unlikely that he will win MVP again.
