Patrick Mahomes return keeps Kansas City Chiefs on Super Bowl track
Patrick Mahomes is set to return to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10 and him taking back over the offense puts them right in the Super Bowl mix again.
In the moment that Patrick Mahomes wasn’t getting off the turf in their Thursday Night Football matchup with the Broncos in Week 7, the collective breath of Kansas City Chiefs fans was being held, worrying that something truly catastrophic had happened. Of course, it turned out to be a dislocated kneecap and not the worst-case scenario but still an injury that most figured would keep the reigning NFL MVP out for some time.
“Some time” apparently translates to 24 days. Because when the Chiefs head to Nashville in Week 10 to face the Tennessee Titans, Patrick Mahomes will be starting at quarterback.
Head coach Andy Reid said in his post-practice press conference on Friday that, “barring a setback”, Mahomes will be back on Sunday against the Titans. The return represents a remarkable recovery time as many projected Mahomes to miss a minimum of three games and perhaps more if the team was ultra-cautious with their star quarterback.
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With Matt Moore filling in for Mahomes, the Chiefs went on to beat the Broncos, fought valiantly against the Packers in a loss and overcame the Vikings last week to move to 6-3 on the season. Reid presented perhaps his best case yet that he’s one of the greatest head coaches of the modern era with the job that he did over that two-week stretch, making Moore — who was working as a scout earlier this year — work as his starting quarterback.
In addition to crediting Reid with the job he did with the offense, though, the rest of the Chiefs have shown tremendous improvement with their leader out of the lineup. The defense, though still far from perfect, has made noted improvements over the past few weeks. Moreover, an offense that had been stumbling far more than expected seemed to hit on all cylinders with Moore at the helm.
The simple truth is that Mahomes is coming back to a team that, on the whole, is playing better than they were prior to his injury. It’s reasonable to say that his two full weeks on the sidelines galvanized this group to kick it into high gear. And if that mentality continues upon the MVP’s return, that’s a terrifying proposition for the rest of the league.
Entering the season, the Chiefs were pegged by many as one of the AFC favorites to make it to Miami for Super Bowl LIV. Mahomes joining a team that’s now healthier — namely with Tyreek Hill back — and performing better on both sides of the ball solidifies that fully.
He’s a superstar for a reason and his ability to elevate an already good offense makes that unit near unstoppable if they’re all in-sync. With that and a defense showing improvement, it’s hard to imagine most any team beating them on a given day.
If there’s one concern about Mahomes’ return that will be raised, it’s the possibility of him being rushed back before he’s ready. Given the win over the Vikings last week, though, it seems far-fetched that Kansas City would bring their quarterback back into the lineup if they weren’t 100 percent confident in his health.
Yes, putting Mahomes in the lineup now strengthens the chance at getting in position to make a Super Bowl run. However, the Super Bowl window with Reid and Mahomes is much larger than just this season. Thus, doing anything that would risk long-term success with the face of the franchise would be malpractice of the highest order.
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Subsequently, the Chiefs should be given the benefit of the doubt that Patrick Mahomes is at no risk and is ready to take over. And the team he’s taking over is better than the one he left when he had to leave in Week 7. If that’s not enough to revive belief that Kansas City could well be bound for the Super Bowl, I’m not sure what to tell you.