Mahomes’ ‘Houdini’ play leads Chiefs’ bounce-back

TAMPA, Fla. — Patrick Mahomes has accomplished no-look passes, sidearm throws and even left-handed tosses. His 2-yard landing move to Clyde Edwards-Helaire within the second quarter of what would turn out to be a 41-31 Kansas Metropolis Chiefs win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night time was at or close to the highest of the listing of Mahomes’ spectacular and weird performs — even to those that have been with Mahomes from the beginning of his NFL profession.

“The NFL hasn’t seen something like Pat Mahomes, I promise you that,” Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce stated. “And also you noticed it at the moment. He is the Houdini of our period, man.”

Mahomes ran 39.4 yards, in accordance with NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, and wanted 7.6 seconds to complete the landing move to Edwards-Helaire. He was flushed from the pocket and appeared able to run as he neared the sideline.

He then did a 360-degree spin to keep away from a defender and, beneath stress, flipped the move to Edwards-Helaire ultimately zone. Mahomes pushed the move as a lot as he threw it and referred to as his throwing movement on the play “a basketball shot.”

“I used to be ready to make use of my velocity, my little little bit of velocity, to get across the edge there. I used to be gonna run for it, however they sort of flew round me,” stated Mahomes, who threw for 249 yards and in addition had TD throws of 16 yards to Kelce and 10 yards to Jody Fortson whereas making NFL historical past by reaching 20,000 yards passing sooner than anybody else. “I spotted I wasn’t going to make it, and I noticed Clyde, so I sort of flicked it as much as him.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid, in a nod to Mahomes’ creativity, stated the maneuver “shouldn’t be in our playbook.”

The Chiefs busted out offensively at a seemingly unlikely time. They struggled to attain 17 factors in final week’s loss on the Indianapolis Colts. And the Bucs had the NFL’s greatest scoring protection coming into Week 4, having allowed a complete of 27 factors in three video games.

By halftime, the Chiefs had scored 28. Additionally they rushed for a season-high 189 yards for the sport, this after working for 58 yards in opposition to the Colts.

Sunday night time’s contest marked the primary assembly between Mahomes and Bucs quarterback Tom Brady since Tampa Bay’s 31-9 rout of Kansas Metropolis in Tremendous Bowl LV — additionally performed at Raymond James Stadium — in February 2021.

“After I got here into the stadium, I spotted that I hadn’t been right here, and the dangerous style I had final time got here into impact,” Mahomes stated. “But it surely’s nonetheless not a playoff sport. It is a regular-season sport, which is essential. That Tremendous Bowl will all the time depart a nasty style for me.”

Bucs linebacker Shaq Barrett stated main as much as the groups’ Week 5 matchup that he did not see a lot enchancment within the Chiefs’ offensive line from the final time they met, within the Tremendous Bowl, when the Bucs’ defensive entrance dominated the sport.

“They accepted the problem,” Mahomes stated of his offensive line. “They made our group roll at the moment. That is an incredible protection, nice protection line. I feel they heard the speaking they usually heard the speaking not solely from [the Bucs] however from all people about how they did not play nicely final week. They accepted that problem, they usually went on the market; and after they dominate like that, it makes my job loads simpler.”

The Chiefs acknowledged desirous to get a measure of revenge in opposition to the Bucs for the Tremendous Bowl defeat. Edwards-Helaire, who rushed for 92 yards on Sunday night time, stated his final reminiscence of enjoying in Tampa was an disagreeable one.

“Every little thing was blurry as a result of I used to be so rattling teary-eyed,” he stated. “So it is rather like you are taking that and also you sort of bottle it up, work out the place you need to put it, after which I listened to actually the identical playlist that I had for the Tremendous Bowl and we went out right here and did what we wanted to do.”

Data from The Related Press was included on this report.