Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn't have his best stuff against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Until he did.
On what generally seemed like a not-so-great night for the 2018-19 MVP winner, Mahomes completed 31 of his 47 pass attempts for 410 yards and three touchdowns. prior to the last 10 minutes of the game, though, he was 21-for-34 with 213 yards, no touchdowns and a tipped-pass interception. It's what Mahomes did down the stretch that helped propel the Chiefs to victory, and that caught the attention of head coach Andy Reid. Reid spoke after the game and tipped his cap to Mahomes's never-quit mentality.
"Offensively, Pat (Mahomes)... he just keeps firing," Reid said. "That's the part you love about him. He's never out of it, mentally, of a game. He just keeps rolling — 400-plus yards."
After missing some relatively routine throws, not hitting open receivers and looking rattled for most of Thursday night's game, Mahomes locked in and was his best self when it mattered most. His passes were precise. His decision-making processes were efficient. He made plays with his arm, as well as his legs. No matter how you slice it, Mahomes was spectacular during that final timeframe. When Reid was asked whether he could consistently count on his star field general to make the right plays, he didn't hesitate one bit.
"Always," Reid said. "He's unique that way. You guys have been around him now for a few years and you've seen just about everything here. He's got to stick with it, trust himself, trust the guys around him, trust the calls. He doesn't ever question that stuff. He just goes and plays. There are so many little things that I appreciate from him. That's why he's one of the greatest."
With some late-game heroics against Los Angeles — in Los Angeles — Mahomes sent the rest of the NFL a clear message: He's still the best player in all of football. All truly great players are able to look adversity in the eyes and overcome it when things look bleak. Mahomes was a prime example of that in Week 15 and if you ask his head coach, everyone has grown to expect that from the 26-year-old megastar.
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