Even in defeat, the QB Mahomes is showing courage

FOXBORO, Mass. – We did not learn anything about Tom Brady in the Patriots 43-40 win over the Chiefs on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium. Brady is Brady, one of the best players to have ever played. He was almost expected to lead New England to points on all four of his fourth-quarter possessions when the result was questionable, with his 16- and 19-yard consecutive passes setting the goalkeeper's goal placement at the end of the fourth quarter. time and giving 43rd quarter / return in overtime of his 19-year career.

What we did not know was how Patrick Mahomes, the co-star of the game, would behave in the face of adversity. Until then, the race had been pretty sweet for the 23-year-old, who had turned the NFL into a personal playground in the first five weeks. He had crushed everyone, breaking records one by one and providing enough strengths to fill several Play day shows. But on Sunday night, in prime time, he pitched interceptions in the first and second quarter, led 24-9 at the half and was against Bill Belichick, the Patriots' coach and defensive genius who had a record of 23- 0 at home against quarterbacks under 25 years old. Questions arose as to how he would handle the moment.

Then, he threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to attacking halfback Kareem Hunt for the third game after a half-time pass, taking advantage of over attacks. That's the game that sent the snowball down the hill, while Kansas City scored five of its last six possessions, including a 75-yard offense at Tyreek Hill to tie it at 40 with a score from 3:03 to play.

Mahomes has shown that it is true in advertising, if not better. He turned the first fights into heroes at the end of the match, matching Brady Hymaker for Hymaker. As the final seconds passed, he was standing on the sideline and tugging inside his shoulder pads while Brady placed the Patriots in position for Stephen Gostkowski's 28-yard victory. . The expression on his face hinted at irritation, if not at anger. He was anxious to change places with his iconic counterpart, saying later: "As a competitor, you always want an opportunity."

I learned more about Mahomes' defeat than any of his five opening season wins, including the first two weeks when he set a league record with 10 touchdowns. It's easy to succeed when you know in advance the answers to the test, which almost seemed to be the case while he was muffling the defenses with his wit, his talent for the arm and his ability to throw. But the patriots confused him early. As at his first interception, by linebacker Who's Hightower.

"He had entered the line of scrimmage and I thought he was in blitz," said Mahomes. "I've kind of just lost it. [Tight end Travis Kelce] had beaten his man so I tried to give him the ball as soon as possible to let him work. He had fallen into the blanket and I just did not see him. He made an excellent game. "

There were other struggles, which gave the impression that it would be one of those nights when you fear that things will not happen the way you want them. The Chiefs crossed the 25-yard line in New England four times in the first half and scored just three goals. The other possession ended with an interception of the Duron Harmon half-angle in the end zone.

"It's just a little too greedy," says Mahomes.

At half-time, he was calm and collected. He knew that they had sometimes moved the ball at will and that he would start it the third quarter. The key would be to finish the readers; and, in reality, what is a 15-point deficit for a team that has scored 30 goals or more in all but one game?

"When you have the guys I have in this team, with the weapons I have, I know I have to keep throwing it," he said. "I have to keep throwing the ball, the offensive line really blocked their lineup and really gave me the time to give those guys the chance to play, and they played games all the second half. "

After a total of 164 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions in the first half, Mahomes earned 9 of 13 points for 188 yards and four touchdowns with no INT in the second half. He had 4 out of 5 points for 79 yards and two points in the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs overcame a four-point deficit to lead 33-30 at 23:38, and then tied the match at Hill's third reception with a little more than three minutes to go. Without Brady's greatness, Sunday night would have figured prominently in the early days of Mahomes' history.

"He's going to be special," said Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty. "We are looking for a rookie quarterback (actually second year) who is coming out in the first half of the match, throws two choices and does not blink." He came out and played his game and was able to continue several times and make great plays, it was all we saw in the film. "

The victory was crucial for the Patriots, who know that the road to another Super Bowl appearance is much easier if it passes through Gillette Stadium. A defeat would have left them three games behind the Chiefs in the losing round and would have given Kansas City the advantage in the event of a tie if the clubs finished with the same record. But I feel a little uncomfortable if I am in New England, because Mahomes will only improve. The mistakes that he made in the first half, he will probably not do next time. It is known to be a quick study, which partly explains its performance in the second half. In addition, the leaders were deprived of two of their best defensive players: linebacker Justin Houston and security Eric Berry, which should fill some of the holes that were screaming Sunday night.

The presence of Mahomes is the reason why he's the best coach of the Andy Reid team since joining the Chiefs. Their recent history shows that they start fast and weaken in playoffs, but it's less likely if you have a special young quarterback who, in his seventh start alone, almost lost control of the best quarterback in history. the league. More impressive, he is wise enough to know that he can learn more for a moment like Sunday night than he can win a dazzling victory.

"You learn a ton," he says. "First of all, you play a great opponent in a good atmosphere and so, to face the best, you want to face them every day." We fell to the ground, we put ourselves in a huge hole and I am just proud of my team and the way we fought to get back into the game. We had the lead at one point and we ended up not winning, but just this fight, it's something something that you can continue until the rest of this season. "

And beyond.