It has been a difficult few weeks for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. On this week’s More Than Football podcast, PFN’s Chief NFL Analyst Trey Wingo and host Brett Yarris are joined by Super Bowl winner Trent Dilfer to discuss the star quarterback’s struggles.
To watch this episode of the More Than Football podcast, tune in to the video player above. You can also listen to the podcast in the player at the end of the article or on your favorite podcast platform, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Patrick Mahomes is trying to do too much
In the wake of a string of tough games, there have been several hot takes about Patrick Mahomes. Someone Wingo knows even suggested that Mahomes “has the worst mechanics in football.”
Dilfer thinks that is ridiculous, and he instead compares Mahomes’ recent struggles to a trap elite professional golfers sometimes fall into — “they fall in love with pin-hunting.”
They are so talented that there is no shot they can’t hit. When they swing the club, it just looks and feels different. And when the shots are falling, they look absolutely unstoppable. But sometimes, things get slightly off, and those incredible shots turn into misses.
That’s what is happening to Mahomes right now.
This problem has a simple solution
Fortunately, the solution to Mahomes’ problem is fairly simple — stop trying to hit impossible shots and take what the defense gives you. Wingo references a quote from golfer Jack Nicklaus, who once said: “Just because they put a flag on the green doesn’t mean you have to aim at it.”
Dilfer discusses the strategy Mahomes should be taking instead: “You want to go to the line of scrimmage with an assassin’s approach … and when the ball is snapped, you got to have the discretion of a doctor.”
If the defense gives you the big play, you take it. If they don’t, you still win by taking the smaller gain. Dilfer compares it to using a machete versus using a scalpel. Either way, the opponent ends up bleeding. At the moment, though, “Patrick just has the machete, and he’s just slicing away.”
He notes that head coach Andy Reid has dealt with this before, with Donovan McNabb and Brett Favre. He likes pin-seekers because “when they’re hot, you’re unbeatable.” He should know exactly how to get Mahomes back on track. Ultimately, Dilfer believes Reid and Mahomes will turn their fortunes around and that “we’re going to be talking about him in the AFC Championship Game.” Then, all those hot takes will look foolish.