HE HAS THE FULL PACKAGE

[Smoulder 89]

Patrick Mahomes II is the full package.  His incredible arm talent is well known, and we are beginning to see that he is much more than just a precision howitzer.  Mahomes has uncanny vision, killer instincts, millisecond timing, focused aggression, a connection with his receivers, stones like a bull, confident leadership, and the ability to make players around him better - basically everything you want in a franchise quarterback, just more of it than anyone could realistically ask for from a guy with 3 NFL starts under his belt.  None of that is what I am here to talk about though - when I say that Patrick Mahomes has the full package, I mean the full package of Andy Reid's offense.

A couple weeks ago on the radio they played a clip of an interview with Mahomes by a former NFL player (can't remember who and didn't have any luck on Google, sorry) in which Patrick was talking about training camp wrap-up and dropped a line to the effect that "we just finished installing 13 packages" (maybe it was 18?).  Is that a lot for a first-year starter?  The interviewer seemed impressed, and the radio guys did too, and were also surprised he had dropped that nugget at all (trade secrets and such).

We recently learned that like Aaron Rodgers, PM2 has near photographic recall.  This opens up the possibility that Mahomes truly has absorbed Andy Reid's full playbook over the course of his red-shirt year and this off-season.  That's saying a lot, because Reid has one of the more expansive and intricate offenses in the league.  Yet it appears that Mahomes is already comfortable with most if not all of it.  If what we have seen in LA and Pittsburgh is any example, that means that Reid doesn't have to worry about spoon-feeding the concepts each week and inching the progression along, he can just get right down to game planning and work his magic. 

Reid can really open up the playbook with Patrick, at least in terms of the QB understanding the concepts of the play.  From this small sample size it appears Mahomes can execute, too.(!)  He can work within the play fluently and make the off-schedule play when called for.  He is the opposite of a check-down artist (check-up artist?  Patrick "House Call" Mahomes has a ring to it.) - his "safety valve" is apparently whoever is open the deepest.  PM2's Elway-esque gunslinger ability to make plays when the play breaks down is one of the qualities that made him a MUST HAVE for me in the '17 draft and I was elated when we actually got him, but I never expected he would be able to pick up the offense as quickly as he has.

Asked when he really started to learn/understand football, Patrick responded "When I met Andy Reid."  I don't think that he meant after the draft, either - rather, the first time Andy brought him in for the evaluation whiteboard session he began the teaching process.  These two were destined to be together, so the fact that WE GOT 'EM really goes back to when Clark Hunt went out and dragged Reid to KC to be our coach and QB-whisperer - good job Clark. 👍 

Now Mahomes has downloaded Reid's playbook like Neo in The Matrix ("I know kung fu!").  He still has much to learn, as he can only download as fast as Andy can teach and Andy says it will be another 2 years before he will call it a finished product.  But in the meantime he has high performance "training wheels" in the form of an elite group of weapons at every skill position.  So whatever Mahomes lacks in the finer points of execution can be made up for by the fact that no defense can cover all of these threats and Mahomes has the vision and instincts to find the open man paired with the arm talent and cojones to get the ball to him, anywhere on the field.

I thought I was laying it on pretty thick this offseason as a hopeless Mahomer, but 2 games in I feel like I was underestimating both Patrick and the Reid-Mahomes union.  It's easy to see why Andy has had such a pep in his step this season - he finally has the elite QB that only comes as a gift from the football gods, and he is going to ride him straight into Canton.

[xen 1,010,220]

Good job smolds.  Agreed.  I thought I was laying it on thick too.  I did everything but call him a football god prior to the draft (I assume he would be "football Thor"; you know, brash and throws lightning bolts).  Turns out I was underestimating him as well.  Shows what I know.

[dksww 484]

They year off was huge.

Teams that don't do this with their first round QBs are morons.

[Calichief 3,017]

Love the headline. Wasn’t sure where this was headed...

if this was the lockeroom ...

 

FULL PACKAGE

[xen 1,010,220]

10 minutes ago, dksww said:

They year off was huge.

Teams that don't do this with their first round QBs are morons.

Disagree.  Most teams don't draft a qb like Mahomes while they still have a good starter like Alex, especially investing that much draft capital.  And then most starters are not going to invest in the young guy like Alex did.  Let's not get it twisted.  There's a reason Andy says Mahomes owes Alex a mansion.  It's true.

[dksww 484]

42 minutes ago, xen said:

Disagree.  Most teams don't draft a qb like Mahomes while they still have a good starter like Alex, especially investing that much draft capital.  And then most starters are not going to invest in the young guy like Alex did.  Let's not get it twisted.  There's a reason Andy says Mahomes owes Alex a mansion.  It's true.

It's clear that the year behind Smith has helped Mahomes tremendously, however, Alex Smith isn't 100% responsible.  The coaching staff is as well.

I do agree that most teams weren't in position the Chiefs were, but that doesn't mean the  drafted QB can't develop from a year on the bench.

Let's look at the Bills for example.  They signed AJ McCarron  and then traded him to the Bills for a 5th round pick.

IMO, they were better off to let McCarron start this year, get a high draft pick in 2019 anyway and then go into 2019 with a high draft class and QB in Allen that's had a year to soak everything in.

Now, they're forced to play Allen and throwing him into the fire is very risky for his future development.

[West 6,714]

Mahomes stated after the Pittsburgh game that they "still had not opened up the full playbook".....

This is already a scary offense and the thoughts that they are not yet at full capacity should keep defensive coordinators up at night.

I think we all agree that there are no limits on the Chiefs Offense with Patrick Mahomes running the show.

It seems like the Chiefs fortunes are finally changing.

w

[xen 1,010,220]

45 minutes ago, West said:

Mahomes stated after the Pittsburgh game that they "still had not opened up the full playbook".....

This is already a scary offense and the thoughts that they are not yet at full capacity should keep defensive coordinators up at night.

I think we all agree that there are no limits on the Chiefs Offense with Patrick Mahomes running the show.

It seems like the Chiefs fortunes are finally changing.

w

lol Andy says he's 2 years away from getting it all down.  2020 is gonna be sick.  Let's hope Veach can fix the D.  Hopefully a new coordinator by then as well.  

[xen 1,010,220]

52 minutes ago, dksww said:

It's clear that the year behind Smith has helped Mahomes tremendously, however, Alex Smith isn't 100% responsible.  The coaching staff is as well.

I do agree that most teams weren't in position the Chiefs were, but that doesn't mean the  drafted QB can't develop from a year on the bench.

Let's look at the Bills for example.  They signed AJ McCarron  and then traded him to the Bills for a 5th round pick.

IMO, they were better off to let McCarron start this year, get a high draft pick in 2019 anyway and then go into 2019 with a high draft class and QB in Allen that's had a year to soak everything in.

Now, they're forced to play Allen and throwing him into the fire is very risky for his future development.

Oh I agree in an ideal world, yes that would be the way to do it.  I just think most teams don't have the luxury, the job security, the mentor or the planning to pull that off.

[West 6,714]

Xen,

CAUTION AHEAD!!!!

We may actually be able to become "optimistic" about the future....

w

 

[xen 1,010,220]

I'm just hoping he has the "full package". Otherwise my shrine might look funny with the signed jockstrap.

[West 6,714]

I was tempted to ask Smolds if he actually saw the "full package"...but cooler heads prevailed.

w

[Biggjliv4 1,292]

I just love how all the short horizontal pass plays and quick outs have disappeared. All these vertical routes and constantly stretching the field is a blast to watch. Now to get Hunt rolling.

[Calichief 3,017]

44 minutes ago, West said:

I was tempted to ask Smolds if he actually saw the "full package"...but cooler heads prevailed.

w

I thought it was a “my package is so big thread”

[Adamixoye 604]

12 hours ago, dksww said:

They year off was huge.

Teams that don't do this with their first round QBs are morons.

Some teams start their rookies right away and it's fine.  In other cases, sitting them is definitely the right decision.

It varies.

[dhitter 1,424]

Mahomes has been the beneficiary of an unusual situation. How many 1st round QB's are drafted by a team that won its division and still playing at a high level? Most teams picking QB's in the Top Ten are bottom dwellers looking for a savior. And he gets Andy Reid as his head coach. If Mahomes goes elsewhere is he just as good with say a HC that has a defensive background? And Alex Smith, unlike most starting QB's, takes young Mahomes under his wing and tutors him in the ways of preparation. Film study and protecting the ball and a host of other things Mahomes needed to have drilled into his brain. We are seeing all the elements of talent and coaching and tutoring coming together. He is a unique entity unto himself.

[qnet 1,150]

One of the things I like about all this is, the Chiefs were never in position to draft a QB like Mahomes in the past. The few times in recent history when they were really bad, no one was available or another team still picked ahead of them. I'm glad it worked out this way now. 

 

 

[sith13 1,746]

Now I understand the Bills owner firing his GM after trading away the pick that could have gotten them Mahomes. 

[dksww 484]

8 hours ago, qnet said:

One of the things I like about all this is, the Chiefs were never in position to draft a QB like Mahomes in the past. The few times in recent history when they were really bad, no one was available or another team still picked ahead of them. I'm glad it worked out this way now. 

 

 

and the best part is the compensation of draft picks has already been bought and paid for.  We can hit the ground running with a full draft each year, assuming no other trades.

[Evad 242]

Is there an article out there speaking to his "near photographic recall",  I would be interested in reading that

[xen 1,010,220]

4 minutes ago, Evad said:

Is there an article out there speaking to his "near photographic recall",  I would be interested in reading that

His dad and Andy Reid have both talked about it in interviews, but I don't remember seeing an article about it.  

That said, he probably has a somewhat eiditic memory.  Most people mean that when they say photographic memory.  Don't think a photographic memory has ever been proven but there is evidence of eiditic memory, however it's usually in kids.  More likely he just has a very good memory tied to things he sees.

[Evad 242]

2 minutes ago, xen said:

His dad and Andy Reid have both talked about it in interviews, but I don't remember seeing an article about it.  

That said, he probably has a somewhat eiditic memory.  Most people mean that when they say photographic memory.  Don't think a photographic memory has ever been proven but there is evidence of eiditic memory, however it's usually in kids.  More likely he just has a very good memory tied to things he sees.

Thanks, I had not heard that in interviews.  That obviously can speed up the process and explains why he is playing above his experience level.

[xen 1,010,220]

2 minutes ago, Evad said:

Thanks, I had not heard that in interviews.  That obviously can speed up the process and explains why he is playing above his experience level.

His dad has said, basically, he remembers everything he sees and can recall specifics on plays and break them down years later.  Andy has said he only needs to see something once to recall it and never seems to make the same mistake twice.

[Smoulder 89]

On 9/19/2018 at 8:54 AM, Calichief said:

Love the headline. Wasn’t sure where this was headed...

if this was the lockeroom ...

 

FULL PACKAGE

😂

[Smoulder 89]

On 9/19/2018 at 9:00 AM, xen said:

Disagree.  Most teams don't draft a qb like Mahomes while they still have a good starter like Alex, especially investing that much draft capital.  And then most starters are not going to invest in the young guy like Alex did.  Let's not get it twisted.  There's a reason Andy says Mahomes owes Alex a mansion.  It's true.

I had intended to include a paragraph about Mahomes "downloading Alex Smith" as well, but it was getting a bit lengthy and that was a bit of a side topic from the OP.  There is no question that Alex Smith is part of the nexus that has put Mahomes where he is at today.  Reid's teaching, Smith's tutelage, Patrick's elite recall and wild talent, the red-shirt year, and a division champion team upgraded to have an elite weapons across the board... these factors have combined into a situation that will never be duplicated. 

 

"At this rate" Mahomes could well set records that can never be broken, but the biggest deal to me is that Reid has a quarterback who can execute his full playbook at a level no QB has ever been able to before, and he can do it basically right out of the box.  And let's not forget Andy has revamped the playbook for Mahomes, and that work will continue.