Chiefs are 7-0 however not fairly good. Right here’s the way to unleash classic Mahomes: Sando’s Choose Six

The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ successful machine powered by one other opponent Sunday with the inevitable effectivity we’ve come to count on.

Consecutive victory No. 13 — which matched the franchise document — was hard-fought, like so many Chiefs victories nowadays: 27-20 over Gardner Minshew and the Las Vegas Raiders.

In some methods, Kansas Metropolis’s second 13-game successful streak of the Patrick Mahomes period is much more spectacular than the 2019-20 model, merely for the stylistic transformation the Chiefs have made. They’re scoring a lot fewer factors per recreation throughout this streak (30.8 then to 23.5 now), and so they have been favored by a lot much less (-6.6 common unfold then to -1.7 now). Sustained successful is hard.

“The nice coaches evolve to regardless of the second is, and that’s what Andy Reid has completed,” an exec from a rival crew mentioned.

The Choose Six column dares to ask a query that has lingered now that we will now not decide Mahomes’ passer score out of a lineup (it’s 84.9). What must occur for the Chiefs to have all of it — the roaring, big-play offense that Mahomes fueled to nice heights upon changing into a starter in 2018 and the tough-as-nails Steve Spagnuolo protection that has backed the offense extra just lately?

The reply lies not within the document books, however within the historical past books. Whereas the Chiefs have impressively constructed the protection that Dan Marino by no means loved, these outdated Miami Dolphins groups did repair what ailed their offense after Marino, like Mahomes, flashed onto the scene spectacularly, solely to see his manufacturing settle on the identical level Mahomes finds himself in 2024. The complete menu this week:

• Mahomes, Marino and key to resurgence
• Commanders future, enabled by Bears?
• Takeaways from Tua Tagovailoa’s return
• Rams–Vikings fallout past officiating
• The adventures of Anthony Richardson
• Two-minute drill: Browns defending Watson

1. What can Marino’s profession manufacturing arc inform us in regards to the state of Mahomes? Time to discover a bookend sort out in Kansas Metropolis.

Marino shattered the NFL document with 48 landing passes in his first full season because the Dolphins’ quarterback. It was no fluke. Marino, a part of the 1983 quarterback draft class that includes fellow Corridor of Famers John Elway and Jim Kelly, led the league in passing yards and touchdowns in every of his first three full seasons as a starter.

Mahomes started his profession with comparable audacity. He handed for five,097 yards with 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first full season because the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs’ starter. His first three seasons as a starter had been the trendy equal to Marino’s, with Mahomes throwing practically 5 landing passes for each interception, a 114-23 ratio from 2018-20 (see desk beneath).

The relative slide in manufacturing for Mahomes extra just lately, punctuated by his unrecognizable stat line this season (eight touchdowns with 9 interceptions), tracks with Marino’s profession manufacturing timeline. Supporting casts change. Opposing defenses modify. Even the very best should recalibrate.

The chart beneath illustrates the Marino-Mahomes parallel by displaying every participant’s passing yardage per recreation in relation to league averages.

Mahomes’ Chiefs have clearly received greater than Marino’s Dolphins ever did, with a 3-0 lead in Lombardi Trophies. Marino’s expertise nonetheless may present a blueprint for the Chiefs in a single particular space.

Whereas these Dolphins offenses fell off as receivers Mark Clayton and Mark Duper aged, the offensive line was the larger downside. Corridor of Fame heart Dwight Stephenson suffered a career-ending damage in Marino’s fifth season. Accidents restricted Marino’s left sort out by the late Nineteen Eighties.

Marino’s fast launch helped, identical as Mahomes’ scrambling bails out the Chiefs’ issues at sort out. However do the Chiefs actually need Mahomes’ scramble charge to proceed growing at its present charge?

Whereas Aaron Rodgers’ scramble charge fell with every of his 4 MVP seasons, from 7.5 % in 2011 to three.0 % in 2021, Mahomes is more and more utilizing his legs to flee bother as his thirtieth birthday approaches subsequent season. It’s working, however is the development sustainable?

“It takes lots of effort to get everybody on the identical web page for the scramble drill,” a veteran coach mentioned of the present Chiefs. “The one guys who can do it if you want it in a pinch are the veterans. They get gradual and worn out. Mahomes is a gladiator within the Coliseum and the lions are proper on him.”

Marino’s manufacturing spiked within the early Nineteen Nineties after the Dolphins solidified their left sort out scenario through the use of a first-round decide on Richmond Webb, who started his profession with seven consecutive Professional Bowls (Marino suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in 1993 and struggled to keep up elite manufacturing thereafter).

The Chiefs used first- or second-round picks on receivers Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy over the previous three drafts. They spent a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder on veteran DeAndre Hopkins final week.

These strikes had been all comprehensible, however is the repair for Mahomes the identical because it was for Marino? The Chiefs opened the season with third-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia at left sort out, then changed him with 2023 third-rounder Wanya Morris. On the correct aspect, Jawaan Taylor has a league-high 26 penalties for the reason that begin of final season. What if these conditions don’t stabilize?

“I’d discover a strategy to get an actual sort out, a legit one-side-or-the-other sort out, and solidify that for the subsequent 5 years to guard the quarterback so he isn’t operating for his life and having to make all of the performs,” a longtime personnel govt mentioned.

Maybe the Chiefs stay assured Suamataia or Morris will develop. The commerce deadline (Nov. 5) supplies an unlikely avenue for upgrading. Free company or the draft are the extra probably sources (Kansas Metropolis holds Tennessee’s decide within the third spherical from the L’Jarius Sneed commerce, along with its personal third-rounder, so there’s capital accessible to maneuver).

The Chiefs’ capacity to win each week beneath altering circumstances virtually it doesn’t matter what is outstanding. They rank ninth in offensive EPA per play and first in offensive success charge (the protection ranks sixth and seventeenth, respectively, in these classes, per TruMedia). And so they have Mahomes to drag out the shut video games virtually each time.

However because the desk beneath exhibits, the Chiefs’ 23.5-point scoring common throughout their 13-game successful streak ranks final among the many 12 successful streaks of 13 video games or longer since 2000.

With some diminished weaponry and instability at sort out, Mahomes has thrown a league-high 23 interceptions over his final 23 regular-season video games (for the reason that begin of 2023). He has the fifth-lowest sack charge however has taken the second-most hits amongst quarterbacks (136). He ranks twenty fourth in passer score over that span, thirteenth in EPA per go play and eighth in passing touchdowns. He’s nonetheless a unanimous Tier 1 quarterback — in the course of this uneven stretch, he received his third Tremendous Bowl MVP — however the abrupt change in statistical profile is difficult to disregard.

Mahomes accomplished 27 of 38 passes for 262 yards and two touchdowns in opposition to Las Vegas. It was a little bit of an journey.

The Chiefs’ lead was 17-13 within the third quarter when back-to-back holding penalties in opposition to Morris, the left sort out, pressured Kansas Metropolis into first-and-16 from its personal 2-yard line. Mahomes threw over the center for Travis Kelce, solely to have the Raiders tip the ball and intercept it, giving them possession on the Kansas Metropolis 3-yard line. The Chiefs’ protection turned over the ball on downs.

Does successful masks all?

“Andy Reid doesn’t miss something,” the opposing coach mentioned. “He is aware of there are lots of methods to win a recreation. He has completed it with Tyreek Hill and he’s seen it work simply high quality in a two-back offense with Edgar Bennett (in Inexperienced Bay three a long time in the past). He drafts Mahomes, watches all the school tape and that’s the place we’re proper now. However he’s an offensive lineman at coronary heart, and he doesn’t miss that (the sort out place wants assist). Andy doesn’t win 300 video games as a result of he appears like he’s in a consolation zone. That’s not the best way it’s, even if you win (13) in a row.”

2. There’s apparently no karma like post-Dan Snyder Commanders karma.

Earlier than ceding the ultimate fateful Hail Mary, the Chicago Bears had put the Washington Commanders in a virtually inconceivable place. The Bears had drained the fourth-quarter recreation clock from 4:21 to 0:25 earlier than scoring a landing and two-point conversion for a three-point lead. They kicked off to the aim line, forcing Washington to bleed one other six seconds off the clock throughout a return to the 24-yard line.

The setup was practically good. Washington wanted all however the closing two seconds to achieve its personal 48-yard line, too far for a shot on the tying area aim. The sport was seemingly over.

HAIL NOAH!!!!!!!!!!

📺 #CHIvsWAS CBS pic.twitter.com/nRr3sIF17K

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 27, 2024

The Commanders had been the forty eighth crew since 2000 to take over possession in an analogous scenario: down three, a minimum of 75 yards from the opponent’s aim line, between 15-25 seconds remaining on the sport clock when the ball was kicked off to them. 5 of the earlier 47 made tying area targets. Two others missed.

Not one of the earlier 47 had scored a landing. With Washington 52 yards away, its quarterback enjoying by sore ribs, the Bears felt assured sufficient for one in all their cornerbacks, Tyrique Stevenson, to taunt the Washington followers even after Commanders heart Tyler Biadasz snapped the ball on the ultimate play. (Stevenson apologized on social media after the sport.)

Stevenson taunting the group through the play then runs over to tip the ball to Brown for the win. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/nDS7zvIWhR

— Stuckey (@Stuckey2) October 28, 2024

The remainder is a part of the Commanders’ new historical past, which now not feels linked to the 23 seasons Snyder owned the crew.

Jayden Daniels holding the ball for practically 13 seconds earlier than launching it in need of the aim line. The Bears’ Stevenson, realizing the play was underway, operating from close to the sideline again towards the motion, arriving in time to deflect the go. Receiver Noah Brown, lurking in the long run zone uncovered, behind the mass of our bodies, catching the ball on the rebound for the walk-off rating, quickly to be greeted by receiver Terry McLaurin and a wave of teammates. CBS’ Jim Nantz screaming, “It’s a miracle!” Coach Dan Quinn exulting with linebacker Frankie Luvu earlier than throwing his headset to the bottom in what needed to be disbelief.

A month in the past, we puzzled how the Commanders may prime the assertion of a landing go Daniels delivered to McLaurin to assist win a shootout at Cincinnati. Now we all know.

3. The Dolphins’ offense returned to life with Tua Tagovailoa again within the lineup. Right here’s what we’ve realized.

Two tales performed out in Florida as Arizona pulled out a 28-27 victory over the Dolphins.

The Cardinals stacked back-to-back victories for the primary time since they began 7-0 in 2021. This was massive for Arizona to maintain tempo in an underwhelming NFC West. It was massive for normal supervisor Monti Ossenfort and coach Jonathan Gannon as they attempt to present progress on the sector of their second season collectively. It was additionally massive for Kyler Murray and rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. to attach persistently (six receptions for 111 yards and a landing on seven targets).

Tagovailoa’s return was the larger story given all of the implications for him and the crew. My prime three takeaways from Tagovailoa and the Dolphins:

• Tua’s worth enhanced: Tagovailoa comes out wanting higher than the Dolphins’ roster building and offensive teaching.

Tagovailoa is seen by coaches and executives as a Tier 3 quarterback unable to hold a crew, so it’s hanging to see how completely different the Dolphins’ offense has been with and with out him. The proof suggests the personnel division ought to have had higher choices behind him, understanding Tagovailoa’s well being was fragile. Even then, it was stunning that coach Mike McDaniel couldn’t get extra from the offense when Tagovailoa was sidelined.

“I believe there’s blame to go round,” an exec mentioned. “No person has completed much less with a few of the finest perimeter assist in the league, however did they actually suppose Skylar Thompson was going to be the reply? There’s fault for the entrance workplace, for the coach and for executing. Not even having the ability to perform.”

The Dolphins had been down to 3rd quarterback Tyler Huntley after Thompson lasted just one begin. That could be a massive mitigating issue for McDaniel and the teaching employees. Miami is the one crew this season to begin a real No. 3 quarterback (I’m excluding Jameis Winston, who technically was No. 3 for Cleveland in Week 7 earlier than beginning Sunday).

Miami went 5 consecutive video games with out surpassing 15 factors, beginning with the Week 2 recreation Tagovailoa failed to complete following his concussion. This was the Dolphins’ longest such streak since 2004 and tied for the third-longest in franchise historical past, per Professional Soccer Reference.

With Tagovailoa within the lineup Sunday, the Dolphins hit season highs on offense in factors (27) and EPA (10.6).

• Tua’s motives pure: Tagovailoa’s love for the sport seems to be the driving pressure behind his determination to threat future concussions. I don’t purchase the concept he’s financially conflicted after signing a $212 million contract within the offseason.

Tagovailoa has already earned $70 million. He’s not hurting financially. Whereas the Dolphins may attempt to reclaim bonus cash if Tagovailoa retired, I don’t suppose they’d take a cutthroat method to such a scenario. When Andrew Luck retired from the Indianapolis Colts in 2019, the crew let him hold $19 million in bonus cash it may have reclaimed.

“I agree one hundred pc,” the exec mentioned. “I believe he has love for the sport and he’s past even deciding if he’s going to play. The query for me is, what if he has one other one?”

• Week 9 is massive: The Dolphins would fall to 2-5 in the event that they lose at Buffalo subsequent week. That document may flip some groups into sellers on the commerce deadline, which passes two days after Miami’s recreation in opposition to the Payments. This season is perhaps too essential for the Dolphins to suppose alongside these traces if Tagovailoa stays wholesome on the deadline.

One exec doubted Dolphins possession would have the persistence at this stage to begin promoting. The long run in Miami may change into difficult for a crew that carried the NFL’s oldest snap-weighted roster into Week 8.

4. Vikings-Rams fallout trifecta: officiating, recreation administration and suspected trade-talk agenda

• On an officiating repair: The referee and umpire had been the one on-field officers with eyes in Minnesota’s offensive backfield when Rams defensive lineman Byron Younger grabbed quarterback Sam Darnold’s facemask because the Vikings mounted a determined drive within the closing minute Thursday night time. Neither noticed the foul, which was apparent to anybody watching the Amazon Prime video feed.

Why couldn’t the league implement a replay mechanism permitting officers to make the proper name, overturning what turned a drive-ending security?

Replay tends to end in flags being picked up, not put down. The league beforehand empowered replay to catch defensive pass-interference penalties that the on-field officers missed. The experiment was a catastrophe.

“They will’t educate the replay officers judgment,” a crew exec mentioned. “Move-interference replay was completed after one yr. Nobody even introduced it as much as re-vote it in. That is the kind of blatant missed name that occurs a few times a yr in nevertheless many thousand performs, the place two guys miss what everybody watching on TV can see.”

• Whether or not O’Connell endangered Darrisaw: Coach Kevin O’Connell’s determination to name a operating play as an alternative of a quarterback kneel with 35 seconds left within the second quarter opened him to questions when offensive sort out Christian Darrisaw suffered a season-ending knee damage on the play.

Minnesota confronted first-and-10 from its personal 3-yard line. The Rams had just one timeout remaining, stopping Los Angeles from forcing Minnesota into punting from its personal finish zone if the Vikings repeatedly knelt. Did the danger outweigh the reward?

An exec and a coach provided differing views.

“I belief the coach there, so I in all probability wouldn’t even second-guess it,” the exec mentioned. “That coach has constructed up sufficient chips so the place if I used to be the GM, ‘No matter you need to do, coach.’”

That’s the view from 30,000 ft. The view from the bottom will be completely different.

Per TruMedia, this was the fourth time since 2000 {that a} crew took over possession from its personal 3-yard-line to its personal 5-yard-line with 32-38 seconds left earlier than halftime and the protection possessing fewer than two timeouts. The opposite three groups knelt. Minnesota was the one crew to run a play in that scenario. Groups rushed thrice in 5 performs when the protection had two timeouts, and one time in a single play when the protection held all three timeouts.

“Let’s say you pop a 10-yard run there,” a coach mentioned. “Who’s taking timeout from the minus-13 with lower than 30 seconds?”

O’Connell recommended he favored the look in opposition to the Rams’ dime protection.

I’d count on O’Connell to kneel if he encounters an analogous scenario sooner or later.

• Not shopping for Rams as sellers: Executives from two NFC groups made unsolicited factors questioning whether or not the Rams had been ever critical about buying and selling Cooper Kupp, not to mention quarterback Matthew Stafford. Each noticed experiences of Kupp’s availability as probably motivational ploys to place gamers and/or coaches on discover. It’s tough to fathom any crew absorbing Kupp’s contract in its present type.

“I wasn’t shopping for that Cooper Kupp is getting traded in any respect,” one of many execs mentioned. “The specter of a fireplace sale possibly lit the hearth.”

5. Anthony Richardson accomplished 2 of 15 passes within the first half for Indianapolis in a key divisional matchup at Houston. That was solely the start.

The Colts knew there can be a studying curve once they used the fourth decide of the 2023 draft on Anthony Richardson, a quarterback with 13 faculty begins. May they’ve anticipated the training curve can be this … adventuresome?

Each play appears like a roll of the cube. His efficiency in a 23-20 defeat at Houston included:

• Finishing 2 of 15 passes within the first half
• Scoring a 69-yard landing on a type of completions
• Throwing an interception (-4.8 EPA) deep in Colts territory lower than 30 seconds earlier than halftime, organising a Texans landing
• Taking himself out of the sport for a play as a result of he was drained
• Fumbling a handoff alternate on third down, taking the crew out of area aim vary
• Failing to get out of bounds to cease the clock with lower than a minute remaining and Indy out of timeouts

When was the final time a quarterback tapped out as a result of he was drained?

#Colts QB Anthony Richardson on leaving the sport for one play within the 3Q:

“Drained, I ain’t gonna lie. That was lots of operating proper there that I did, and I didn’t suppose I used to be gonna have the ability to go that subsequent play. So, I simply instructed (HC Shane Steichen) I wanted a break proper there.” pic.twitter.com/EMUtiSLIvm

— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) October 27, 2024

Richardson accomplished 10 of 32 passes for 174 yards. He had a second potential landing go dropped.

That the Colts virtually received the sport is outstanding. At 4-4, they seem dedicated to using out the turbulence as an alternative of turning to backup Joe Flacco for the stretch run. That’s comprehensible when contemplating what number of Flacco varieties they’ve cycled by lately.

Because the Richardson incompletions piled up Sunday, I dove into the archives to see how the 2-for-15 passing half in contrast with Colts quarterbacks from the crew’s latest previous. The larger revelation: Richardson is the seventh Indy quarterback to begin a Week 8 recreation previously seven seasons (see desk above).

This can be a franchise determined for stability on the place.

“We gotta simply hold working by it,” coach Shane Steichen mentioned. “He has a superb work ethic. He grinds by these items. It’s a course of. We do it collectively. It’s not about one man.”

6. Two-minute drill: What the Browns received’t say about their quarterbacks

The Cleveland Browns set season highs on offense Sunday in factors (29), whole yards (401), passing yards (321), first downs (22), EPA (7.4), success charge (46.5 %), go performs gaining greater than 15 yards (9), EPA per go play (+0.3) and doubtless a bunch of different classes.

One thing in regards to the offense appeared completely different throughout this 29-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. I’d think about some theories may emerge to elucidate the in a single day change as soon as analysts have time to review the sport tape.

May it have been the change from Deshaun Watson to Jameis Winston at quarterback?

“I perceive the query,” coach Kevin Stefanski mentioned in his postgame information convention. “I don’t actually get wrapped up in it truthfully. I need to ensure we’re doing all the pieces in our energy to attain factors on offense to assist this soccer crew. That’s an incredible crew win there. I believe all three phases did their job.”

The offense did greater than its half statistically, ending with +7.4 EPA, in comparison with -5.9 on protection and +3.5 on particular groups. However apparently, as a result of the group stays financially tethered to Watson, who suffered a season-ending damage final week, nobody in a management capability with the crew appears prepared to say something that even remotely suggests Watson might need been holding again the offense. Even the reward for Winston appears tempered. It’s fairly a factor.

• The Lions’ 52-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans was a one-off by so many measures. Per Professional Soccer Reference, this was the primary time a crew has received by greater than 25 factors whereas getting outgained by 175 or extra yards; the primary time since 1941 {that a} crew scored greater than 45 factors whereas gaining 225 or fewer yards; the fourth time a crew has scored greater than 50 factors whereas operating fewer than 50 performs (second time since 1966); and the sixteenth time a crew has completed with extra factors than performs run.

• Will the Titans, having already traded DeAndre Hopkins and Ernest Jones IV, hold promoting earlier than the commerce deadline? They don’t have a 2025 third-round decide. Can they get one?

• The Jets dropping three consecutive video games since firing coach Robert Saleh, together with two in a row since buying and selling a third-round decide to Las Vegas for Davante Adams, leaves them fifteenth within the AFC, forward of solely Tennessee. 4 different 2-6 groups within the convention maintain tiebreakers over the Jets, together with Adams’ former crew, the Raiders.

“It simply feels just like the proprietor mentioned, ‘I’m entrusting our future with Aaron Rodgers,’ and take a look at the outcomes,” an exec mentioned. “That’s tough.”

That is loopy: #Jets had 0 turnovers, held the Patriots to 247 yards — and nonetheless misplaced. They’re the primary crew to lose a recreation through which they didn’t flip the ball over and held their opponent beneath 250 yards since Week 3 of 2012.

In 2012, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers misplaced,…

— Wealthy Cimini (@RichCimini) October 27, 2024

• Kirk Cousins finishing 65 of 87 passes (75 %) for 785 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception in two victories over Tampa Bay is gorgeous. Cousins now has 14 landing passes with two interceptions in 5 profession video games in opposition to Tampa Bay, the primary of which spawned Cousins’ “You want that?!” catchphrase.

Kirk Cousins is the fourth participant in NFL historical past with 750 passing yards and eight go TDs in opposition to a single opponent in a season. The others: Dan Marino, Joe Montana and YA Tittle. Per @ESPNStatsInfo. #Falcons

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) October 27, 2024

• The Philadelphia Eagles successful three in a row with usually stable performances on each side of the ball has calmed the waters across the crew. In beating Cincinnati 37-17, the Philly offense posted its finest EPA recreation (+17.5) since a divisional-round playoff victory over the Giants following the 2022 season. Up subsequent: Jacksonville, which ranks thirty second in defensive EPA per play.

(Photograph of Patrick Mahomes: Candice Ward / Getty Pictures)