vailpass
07-23-2018, 01:15 PM
This is a bite from The Athletic. I don't want to copy pasta any more from them as subscriptions are their only revenue stream. I'm very much liking their site, they have some great writers who seem happy to be able to just write about sports. They have Nate Taylor and Seth Keysor covering the Chiefs, they have a series of articles going. There is a free trial on their site if you want to read them. No I'm not affiliated with TA at all.
Patrick Mahomes confident Chiefs’ patience with him will pay off, says team could have ‘really special offense’
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes has been through this before.
The second-year player executed a veteran move when a group of Chiefs, including the quarterbacks, reported to training camp Sunday afternoon. He knew a large horde of reporters — all standing with accessories such as notebooks and their cell phone set to video mode — were lined up next to the front door of Scanlon Hall, a dormitory here at Missouri Western State University, where players will stay the next 24 days. So Mahomes slipped in through a back door and dropped off his luggage in his room before his first news conference of the season, a decision that surprised even some team officials, whom were expecting the traditional greeting.
Smiling, Mahomes went through the usual checklist for players returning to football: He is excited about being the franchise’s new starting quarterback, he plans to enjoy the grind of long practices in the heat, and he is anxious to build stronger chemistry with his teammates.
Mahomes, however, is also aware of his unique circumstances. The Chiefs essentially gave him 15 months to prepare for this season, one in which he hopes to successfully lead the team back to the postseason. As a rookie, Mahomes learned the Chiefs’ playbook and weekly game-plan preparations strictly as Alex Smith’s backup, which is a rarity in the modern NFL. Mahomes is the first quarterback in nine years to be selected in the first round of the draft and start one or zero games as a rookie before entering the second season as the projected starter.
When discussing last year, Mahomes tells reporters his preference was to be playing instead of being on the sideline. But he’s grateful that his career will be different from the previous 24 quarterbacks selected in the first round, young men who were thrust into a starting job, perhaps before many were truly ready, because of a team’s dire situation.
“As a competitor, you want to be in the game playing,” Mahomes told me. “But at the same time, now that I’m in the situation I’m in now, I know how much I appreciate the time of just learning and making sure I can prepare myself — and how much further ahead I am than I was at this point last year. Being in the organization I’m in, with how many great coaches we have, is another part that I feel has helped me progress a lot.”
The last player to start only one game as a rookie and then become the starter the next season was JaMarcus Russell. The Raiders selected Russell with the top pick in the 2007 draft. As a second-year player, Russell was a historic disappointment, as the Raiders went 5-10 with him as the starter. He was out of the league by 2010.
Most rookie quarterbacks, such as Teddy Bridgewater, Jared Goff and Mitchell Trubisky, began starting games early or at the midpoint of their rookie seasons, either to help save a coach’s job, appease the front office or to simply begin the team’s transition to the following season. Other rookie quarterbacks selected high in the first round, such as Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston and Ryan Tannehill, were starters almost from the moment training camp opened. No matter when rookie quarterbacks began starting, their teams usually don’t have much success that season.
“Just being on a team that’s had a lot of success, not a lot of young quarterbacks get that,” Mahomes said of the Chiefs’ roster. “They usually have to try to build the team through themselves and through their struggles. For me, (this is) a team that has had a ton of success and has a ton of weapons around me. It will make my job easier not having to make the huge, tremendous, great play every single time. I can make good plays, and those will (be successful) with the players we have around me.”
Given their patient approach, the Chiefs expect Mahomes to slot right into a unit they hope is immune to major failure. Surrounding Mahomes is a talent group of offensive skill players, such as running back Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing last year as a rookie. Mahomes’ primary throwing targets will be dynamic receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Sammy Watkins, all of whom have Pro Bowl talent.
“We have a ton of guys that have a lot of talent,” Mahomes said. “I feel we’re going to have a chance to be a really, really special offense.”
When looking for a comparison for Mahomes, perhaps the last quarterback to enter his second year with similar expectations was Daunte Culpepper, who the Vikings selected out of Central Florida with the 11th overall pick in the 1999 draft. In his second season, Culpepper led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and the NFC Championship Game. He threw for 3,937 yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and was supported by running back Robert Smith (1,521 yards), Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss (15 touchdowns) and Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter (nine touchdowns).
During training camp, Mahomes said he plans to emphasize his efficiency. Even with limited experience, Mahomes hopes to improve his accuracy without neglecting his play-making ability when scrambling out of the pocket. Mahomes said watching how Smith approached training camp last year will prove helpful for him.
“I know what to expect, so I’m excited to utilize that knowledge and get better,” he said. “I want to make sure I can get in and out of the huddle fast, we can make the right checks and just have a lot of positive plays.”
Coach Andy Reid put Mahomes through several tests during voluntary offseason practices and the team’s mandatory minicamp. Reid expects the next phase to be building and altering the offense to benefit Mahomes’ skills.
“Patrick’s got a running start,” Reid said. “He knows the verbiage and knows all the stuff. Are there going to be growing pains? Sure. He’s a young guy who’s learning the game. We’re here to teach him. He’s here to learn and then go play.”
Reid tends to remain calm when discussing the future of the team, but even he allowed himself to be enthralled with eagerness when considering the best ways to harness Mahomes’ potential.
“There’s more new on both sides of the ball, maybe more so than we’ve had maybe since my first year here,” said Reid, who was hired by the Chiefs in 2013. “Some of the old guys that have been here aren’t here. Whether it’s the quarterback position, the inside linebacker position, you’re missing a few of those guys, and you have new guys coming in that you have an opportunity to see perform. That’s exciting. I’m looking forward to that.”
(cont'd.)
https://theathletic.com/441693/2018/07/22/mahomes-confident-chiefs-patience-with-him-will-pay-off-says-team-could-have-really-special-offense/
Patrick Mahomes confident Chiefs’ patience with him will pay off, says team could have ‘really special offense’
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes has been through this before.
The second-year player executed a veteran move when a group of Chiefs, including the quarterbacks, reported to training camp Sunday afternoon. He knew a large horde of reporters — all standing with accessories such as notebooks and their cell phone set to video mode — were lined up next to the front door of Scanlon Hall, a dormitory here at Missouri Western State University, where players will stay the next 24 days. So Mahomes slipped in through a back door and dropped off his luggage in his room before his first news conference of the season, a decision that surprised even some team officials, whom were expecting the traditional greeting.
Smiling, Mahomes went through the usual checklist for players returning to football: He is excited about being the franchise’s new starting quarterback, he plans to enjoy the grind of long practices in the heat, and he is anxious to build stronger chemistry with his teammates.
Mahomes, however, is also aware of his unique circumstances. The Chiefs essentially gave him 15 months to prepare for this season, one in which he hopes to successfully lead the team back to the postseason. As a rookie, Mahomes learned the Chiefs’ playbook and weekly game-plan preparations strictly as Alex Smith’s backup, which is a rarity in the modern NFL. Mahomes is the first quarterback in nine years to be selected in the first round of the draft and start one or zero games as a rookie before entering the second season as the projected starter.
When discussing last year, Mahomes tells reporters his preference was to be playing instead of being on the sideline. But he’s grateful that his career will be different from the previous 24 quarterbacks selected in the first round, young men who were thrust into a starting job, perhaps before many were truly ready, because of a team’s dire situation.
“As a competitor, you want to be in the game playing,” Mahomes told me. “But at the same time, now that I’m in the situation I’m in now, I know how much I appreciate the time of just learning and making sure I can prepare myself — and how much further ahead I am than I was at this point last year. Being in the organization I’m in, with how many great coaches we have, is another part that I feel has helped me progress a lot.”
The last player to start only one game as a rookie and then become the starter the next season was JaMarcus Russell. The Raiders selected Russell with the top pick in the 2007 draft. As a second-year player, Russell was a historic disappointment, as the Raiders went 5-10 with him as the starter. He was out of the league by 2010.
Most rookie quarterbacks, such as Teddy Bridgewater, Jared Goff and Mitchell Trubisky, began starting games early or at the midpoint of their rookie seasons, either to help save a coach’s job, appease the front office or to simply begin the team’s transition to the following season. Other rookie quarterbacks selected high in the first round, such as Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston and Ryan Tannehill, were starters almost from the moment training camp opened. No matter when rookie quarterbacks began starting, their teams usually don’t have much success that season.
“Just being on a team that’s had a lot of success, not a lot of young quarterbacks get that,” Mahomes said of the Chiefs’ roster. “They usually have to try to build the team through themselves and through their struggles. For me, (this is) a team that has had a ton of success and has a ton of weapons around me. It will make my job easier not having to make the huge, tremendous, great play every single time. I can make good plays, and those will (be successful) with the players we have around me.”
Given their patient approach, the Chiefs expect Mahomes to slot right into a unit they hope is immune to major failure. Surrounding Mahomes is a talent group of offensive skill players, such as running back Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing last year as a rookie. Mahomes’ primary throwing targets will be dynamic receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Sammy Watkins, all of whom have Pro Bowl talent.
“We have a ton of guys that have a lot of talent,” Mahomes said. “I feel we’re going to have a chance to be a really, really special offense.”
When looking for a comparison for Mahomes, perhaps the last quarterback to enter his second year with similar expectations was Daunte Culpepper, who the Vikings selected out of Central Florida with the 11th overall pick in the 1999 draft. In his second season, Culpepper led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and the NFC Championship Game. He threw for 3,937 yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and was supported by running back Robert Smith (1,521 yards), Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss (15 touchdowns) and Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter (nine touchdowns).
During training camp, Mahomes said he plans to emphasize his efficiency. Even with limited experience, Mahomes hopes to improve his accuracy without neglecting his play-making ability when scrambling out of the pocket. Mahomes said watching how Smith approached training camp last year will prove helpful for him.
“I know what to expect, so I’m excited to utilize that knowledge and get better,” he said. “I want to make sure I can get in and out of the huddle fast, we can make the right checks and just have a lot of positive plays.”
Coach Andy Reid put Mahomes through several tests during voluntary offseason practices and the team’s mandatory minicamp. Reid expects the next phase to be building and altering the offense to benefit Mahomes’ skills.
“Patrick’s got a running start,” Reid said. “He knows the verbiage and knows all the stuff. Are there going to be growing pains? Sure. He’s a young guy who’s learning the game. We’re here to teach him. He’s here to learn and then go play.”
Reid tends to remain calm when discussing the future of the team, but even he allowed himself to be enthralled with eagerness when considering the best ways to harness Mahomes’ potential.
“There’s more new on both sides of the ball, maybe more so than we’ve had maybe since my first year here,” said Reid, who was hired by the Chiefs in 2013. “Some of the old guys that have been here aren’t here. Whether it’s the quarterback position, the inside linebacker position, you’re missing a few of those guys, and you have new guys coming in that you have an opportunity to see perform. That’s exciting. I’m looking forward to that.”
(cont'd.)
https://theathletic.com/441693/2018/07/22/mahomes-confident-chiefs-patience-with-him-will-pay-off-says-team-could-have-really-special-offense/