{"id":31822,"date":"2025-09-03T12:07:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T12:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=31822"},"modified":"2025-09-03T12:07:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T12:07:13","slug":"what-im-seeing-from-the-chiefs-patrick-mahomes-going-deep-defense-in-a-rush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=31822","title":{"rendered":"What I\u2019m seeing from the Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes going deep, defense in a rush"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The Kansas City Chiefs \u2014 more than six weeks after they opened training camp in St. Joseph, Mo. \u2014 have finally made it to game week.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s take a step back before Friday\u2019s opener against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil to view things in a broader sense. Here\u2019s a look at what I\u2019ve observed (and heard) after spending most of my days with the team over the past month and a half.<\/p>\n

Patrick Mahomes\u2019 top priority (for real, this time)<\/h2>\n

Yes, throwing the ball deeper was all the talk during the 2024 preseason, even if that didn\u2019t materialize during the season.<\/p>\n

Though K.C.\u2019s offense did enough to help the team to a 15-1 start, Mahomes continued a trend of throwing shorter passes overall, finishing the regular season with 6.3 air yards per attempt \u2014 ranking 25th out of 28 quarterbacks with at least 300 pass attempts, per TruMedia.<\/p>\n

This continued a downward shift for Mahomes. His air yards per attempt, starting with his first season as a starter in 2018, have either decreased or remained steady every season of his career.<\/p>\n

\n
Patrick Mahomes air yards per attempt<\/div>\n
\n\n<\/thead>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
2018<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
9.1<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
2019<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
8.8<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
2020<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
8.3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
2021<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
7.3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
2022<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
7.3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
2023<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
6.5<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
2024<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
6.3<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

That trend will change this season. Count on it.<\/p>\n

Mahomes isn\u2019t just talking about getting the ball deeper downfield on pass attempts \u2014 he\u2019s also having others hold him accountable since organized team activities began in May.<\/p>\n

Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said he and the QBs have come up with acronyms in the meeting room to remind Mahomes when he\u2019s not testing defenses down the field enough. Though those short messages aren\u2019t public yet (\u201cI\u2019ll leave that internal,\u201d Nagy said Monday with a smile), they still reinforce just how much Mahomes is focused on rewiring his decision-making.<\/p>\n

Nagy described it this way: If the Chiefs have a post pattern on a play and another route out to the flat, Mahomes\u2019 goal is to stay true to his progression post-snap. He might not throw it to the deep route but must look there first before advancing to a potential checkdown.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also been evidence that Mahomes is serious about this adjustment. He completed a 58-yard pass to Tyquan Thornton in the third preseason game against Chicago on the exact type of explosive play the Chiefs lacked last season.<\/p>\n

\n

Mahomes goes long to Tyquan Thornton!<\/p>\n

Stream on @NFLPlus<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/bVmcODAep8<\/a><\/p>\n

— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n