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Friday 27 September 2019
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes more comfortable with his emotions
By DAVE SKRETTA "We hold each other ac-
AP Sports Writer countable," Mahomes said.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — "It's not just me saying stuff
Patrick Mahomes was put to those guys. They will say
on his backside before he stuff right back to me if I do
had time to blink, a mix-up something wrong."
along his offensive leav- Mahomes said that is what
ing one of the Baltimore makes the Kansas City
Ravens' big defensive line- locker room unique.
men with a clear path to People may point fingers,
the quarterback. but it is always with the
A year ago, Mahomes greater good in mind, and
probably would have it is always followed by a
picked himself up, made high-five or a hug.
sure all his limbs were still at- Egos are checked at the
tached, then walked back door. Grudges are left to
to the Kansas City Chiefs die.
huddle to call another play. "I think we got the group of
That wasn't the case at all guys to play fast and have
last Sunday. fun and play through each
No, the record-setting other," Chiefs wide receiv-
league MVP went right af- er Sammy Watkins said. "It
ter Austin Reiter, pointing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates after completing a pass for a feels good to go out there
his finger directly at the first down during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Kansas and get a win."
young center in equal parts City, Mo., Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019. Even if it means having Ma-
instruction and admonish- Associated Press homes in your grill?
ment. "We see it all week during
It was the kind of move that practice. I think this is the
quarterbacks such as Tom time where people be like,
Brady and Aaron Rodg- 'Oh wow!'
ers, who have been in the But all week he goes
game long enough to earn through practice, tries
a certain measure of gravi- these hard throws, and he
tas, are likely to make more comes into the game and
so than a quarterback only literally he's on point. We
in his second year as a just looking like, 'Oh yeah,
starter. that's just Pat being Pat.'"
Mahomes' teammates will Rarely does a quarterback
say it's nothing new, that have the confidence to
he has always been a feisty take on such a leadership
one. role so early in his career.
But there is a marked dif- But in the case of Mahomes,
ference in his willingness the reason it has worked is
to put that emotion on dis- twofold: He has the unde-
play this season. niable talent to back up
"He's competitive. He's the whatever he might say to
leader of that bunch. He's anyone else on the field,
the one that's on the field," and he grew up around
Chiefs coach Andy Reid professional sports as the
said. son of big league ballplay-
"He wants certain things er Pat Mahomes — mean-
out of a play that as a play- ing any sense of awe went
er, you got to get those away long ago.
things done. That's where Mahomes also has the
my trust in him and the kind of magnetic personal-
other coaches' trust in him ity, Chiefs tight end Travis
comes in." Kelce said, that seems to
That's also why you'll see draw everybody in.
him giving his offensive line- It's the kind of charisma
men an occasional earful. that allows him to rip into
It isn't just when things have you one play, then put your
gone sour that the emotion body on the line to protect
flows, though. his blindside on the very
Mahomes is usually right in next play.
the middle of touchdown "Everything's about our
celebrations, or pumping quarterback," Robinson
his fist after a big play. said.
He's only bringing his own "He's our head coach
unique energy to the side- when we're on the field, he
line, engendering confi- makes all the calls and we
dence in everyone around go out and try to execute
him. for him."q
