What can Patrick Mahomes do for an encore in 2019?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes could not throw 50 landing passes and for greater than 5,000 yards in 2019, one yr after he turned the second quarterback in NFL historical past to perform each feats in the identical season.

However the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs nonetheless consider no matter they get from Mahomes can be appreciable. What they noticed from him final season, his first as a starter, satisfied them of that.

“You knew it was inevitable, it was coming,” Chiefs normal supervisor Brett Veach mentioned when requested whether or not Mahomes’ debut season was in any respect a shock. “I might say the factor that shocked me was the convenience at which he did it, the consistency at which he did it. Even with the nice gamers who’re younger, I believe you at all times anticipate possibly [hitting] a wall. Sooner or later after seven or eight weeks [opposing defenses] determine this child out. They throw a few completely different seems, coverages or combos that give him points, however there was by no means actually any points. There was by no means actually a time the place that occurred.”

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The Chiefs, hoping this season to succeed in the Tremendous Bowl for the primary time in 50 years, overhauled their protection throughout the offseason. They employed a principally new defensive teaching employees, led by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and put in a Four-Three base protection. They acquired as many as seven new defensive starters, most notably finish Frank Clark and security Tyrann Mathieu.

However it’s the offense, led by the league MVP in Mahomes, that may once more need to cleared the path if the Chiefs are going to win the championship. Can the third-year quarterback repeat final season’s gaudy numbers? It has by no means been achieved in back-to-back seasons. Plus, the Chiefs are with out star working again Kareem Hunt, who they launched late final season after video surfaced exhibiting him shoving and kicking a girl. In addition they could also be with out high huge receiver Tyreek Hill, who’s suspended because the NFL investigates his doable involvement in a toddler abuse case.

Even with out Hunt and probably Hill, the Chiefs expect the product to be pretty much as good or higher than it was final season, once they misplaced to the New England Patriots in time beyond regulation of the AFC Championship Sport.

“We all know that we’re shut and we’ve got a fairly good group,” Veach mentioned. “We aren’t attempting to construct for the longer term. We try to win now. We’re going to keep aggressive.”

They will want development from Mahomes, pretty much as good as he was final season, to get the place they wish to go. And he is aware of it.

“It’s a must to enhance your self each single yr,” Mahomes mentioned. “… As I am going into this season, I do know that I must even step it up much more, how I maintain physique, vitamin, however even the prehab and the rehab and all of the completely different stuff that it’s important to do with the intention to hold your self at that top-notch degree when the tip of the season comes.”

Mahomes mentioned he has began engaged on an offseason guidelines to make himself higher. He is taking a look at his errors from final season and attempting to enhance his footwork, particularly within the pocket.

“I really feel like at instances final yr I might get, I do not wish to say lazy however principally lazy with how I used to be dealing with my toes within the pocket,” Mahomes mentioned. “It might disrupt timing on throws, so hold engaged on these issues to allow them to be increasingly more constant as I am going on.”

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The Chiefs began follow this week, however started engaged on enhancements final month once they gathered for the beginning of their offseason program. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka started going by video with Mahomes from final season.

“He can have a look at each certainly one of [last season’s plays] and go, ‘I can do that higher proper right here,'” Reid mentioned. “[Kafka] and [Bieniemy] have gone by all these and so they’ll be capable to sit with him and go, ‘What do you suppose right here?’ after which, ‘That is what I believe.’ With that, development takes place in case you deal with it the best approach. He is wired the best strategy to deal with that. He needs to be an incredible participant and that is what you do. He is very open to issues.

“It’s a nice rising interval from 12 months 1 to 12 months 2. I believe he has dealt with that the best approach. A whole lot of guys do not. They get complacent. He will not try this.”

The Chiefs gained their third straight AFC West championship final yr but in addition broke by some playoff obstacles. They ended a six-game residence postseason shedding streak by beating the Indianapolis Colts within the divisional spherical at Arrowhead Stadium. That allowed them to advance to the AFC title sport for the primary time in 25 years.

They’re anticipating much more playoff obstacles to fall this yr.

“You perceive that the base-level expectation is final yr plus enchancment, and in order that’s a fairly excessive bar to recover from,” sort out Mitchell Schwartz mentioned.

“That is the cool factor about this group and the way we hold bettering. You’ve got quite a lot of guys who aren’t glad with what they do and everyone seems to be fairly aggressive throughout the board and Patrick particularly. He is more durable on himself than anybody might ever be, so he is by no means going to be complacent and he is by no means going to really feel like, ‘Oh, I bought this.’ When you will have that at that place it leads down to each different place.”