Patrick Mahomes and double-digit deficits seem to go hand in hand. When the Kansas City Chiefs trail by 10 points at any point during the game, there's rarely reason to panic because of Mahomes' rare ability to play at a high level when the deck is stacked against him.
The Chiefs trailed by 10 points to the San Francisco 49ers midway through the first quarter, yet outscored San Francisco, 44-13, the rest of the way in the 44-23 victory. Mahomes improved to 13-9 in games in which his team trailed by 10-plus points. That .591 win percentage is the best in NFL history in those situations (minimum 10 games).
Mahomes doesn't get out of his comfort zone in those situations, even after an early interception led to that 10-0 deficit.
"After the pick, we needed to go down there and get the points on that next drive. You don't want them to get too far ahead because of how efficient and good their run game is," Mahomes said. "We were able to move the ball down the field that next drive and get it into the end zone. We knew that we needed to get points on the board, but I saw early that their safeties were playing a little closer than teams usually play us.
"I knew we'd have opportunities. It was just gonna take us protecting, which our offensive line did a terrific job of against a great defensive line. And guys winning down the field, which they did."
After the interception, Mahomes finished 23 of 32 for 422 yards with three touchdowns over Kansas City's next eight possessions. Mahomes had his eighth career game with 400 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, the fifth-most in NFL history (he's only made 70 starts).
Mahomes is the only starting quarterback with a winning record when trailing by double digits (minimum 10 games). His winning percentage in games he's trailed by 10-plus points (.591) is just ahead of Kurt Warner's career winning percentage (.589).
| Starting QB | Record | Win Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Patrick Mahomes | 13-9 | .591 |
5-6 | .455 | |
Otto Graham | 7-10-1 | .412 |
39-64 | .379 | |
Joe Montana | 17-29 | .370 |
"It's having done it, and there's so much time left in the game," Mahomes said about his comebacks. "I'm going to compete until the final whistle, until coach takes me off that football field.
"And so whenever you get down in these games, all you can do is think how you can effect and go out there and have a positive next play. And you continue to do that, for the next play and the next play. EB (Eric Bieniemy) preaches that. The most important play is the next play. We go out there and execute that play. Continue to make the drives happen, and then once you get in the end zone and it gets a little bit closer, you keep that same mentality going."
