Patrick Mahomes did not put up eye-popping stats last year and there were, at times, concerns the Kansas City Chiefs were in danger of surrendering their AFC supremacy. Yet once again he was under center in the Super Bowl, though things didn't go too well as the Chiefs were waxed by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mahomes is looking to avoid going two years in a row without capturing the sport's ultimate prize as Kansas City ramps up for the 2025 campaign. He also admits that last year was a bit different than the ones that came before in his already storied career.
"There's stuff we've got to get better at," Mahomes told USA Today. "Especially myself. There's plays on the football field that I didn't make last year, that I've made in previous years. At the end of the day, I'm going to do whatever it takes to win, whether that's passing for a lot of yards, not passing for a lot of yards. But I think if I play better, that's going to make it better for the team. So, I've got to be better at executing whenever the shots are there, making those throws. Because that's going to alleviate pressure on our defense and make them play more free and make the team play more free."
Mahomes's words reflect some introspection on what turned out to be a disappointing campaign by the organization's high standards. They also help explain how he's approaches his role leading the offense and how it fits into the greater project of winning games. It doesn't sound like individual stats are of much concern as long as he executes the plays he needs to, when he needs to, at a greater rate than last season.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patrick Mahomes Makes Honest Admission About Last Year's Performance.