Can Patrick Mahomes Succeed without Tyreek Hill?
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Comments made recently by Indiana Pacers first round pick, Ben Mathurin saying LeBron James has to prove to him that he’s better — is what sparked this topic because I think, if you read in between the lines, this is what Tyreek Hill is saying to Patrick Mahomes: prove to me that you’re a better quarterback without me or that you can succeed without me. So, can Patrick succeed without Tyreek? I’ll answer that later.
In my opinion, Patrick Mahomes is currently the best quarterback in the NFL. The man has accomplished more in a five-year career than most quarterbacks have in their entire career: Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, and league MVP. I don’t get too much into comparisons, but you can see shades of (Green Bay Packers quarterback) Aaron Rodgers in terms of his unique way of torquing his body and still delivering an accurate throw, but overall, I think this dude is in a league of his own.
If there’s anyone I would compare him to, I’ve said of Mahomes’ game for the past few years is like watching (Golden State Warriors guard) Stephen Curry play quarterback. He does unorthodox, unconventional things that would drive most coaches crazy if they saw their quarterback trying it, but Mahomes gets away with it because he does it successfully and consistently. Same thing with Curry. He does things — such as consistently pull up from 50 feet and drain the shot — that would get most players benched and perhaps out of the rotation, if they tried it, but he consistently makes these plays, so he gets the green light. I’ve seen him cross up someone from the sideline corner. Do you know how hard that is to do? Mahomes does similar things, except in football as a quarterback.
When you look at his tape, there’s nothing not to like. He’s accurate; even with the improvising, he’s usually smart with the ball, he can make all the throws, he can make plays with his feet. While I think his pocket game is good, he’s better off being able to move around in the pocket where he usually makes unscripted plays and unorthodox but accurate throws, versus being a traditional drop-back passer. Of course, making unscripted plays doesn’t come without risks, and this has gotten him into trouble at times, but as I mentioned earlier, more often than not, he’s successful.
As far as weapons, he still has one of, if not the best tight end in the league in Travis Kelce — although I lost respect for him after he shoved (Chiefs offensive coordinator) Eric Bieniemy, but I digress. They brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster, and although he has struggled with injuries the past few seasons, he has been successful coming from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Although this isn’t a “superstar” move, they signed former Packers receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who has loads of potential, but is streaky, if nothing else gives them a deep threat, where he’s at his best.
They have Mecole Hardman, who’s coming off a career year, and they drafted Skyy Moore, whom I view as an under-the-radar talent. So, do I think Patrick Mahomes can succeed without “The Cheetah”? Realistically, only time will tell. Personally, I think he will.
