Patrick Mahomes plays quarterback like an amalgamation of Warren Moon, Russell Wilson, John Elway and Bobby Layne.
But, mostly, the Chiefs’ quarterback and the NFL’s chief quarterback reminds me of Pete Maravich at LSU and Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas.
Pistol Patrick-Young Hazel Eyes makes his fourth appearance in Denver on Sunday.
Has Mick Jagger returned from his 2019 Rolling Stones tour for an encore?
It’s a shame that 75,000 fanatics can’t be there in the snow and cold to cheer the Broncos and jeer Mahomes and the Chiefs.
The pairing of Mahomes and Drew Lock certainly is worthy of a performance even if you’re home in front of the fireplace with the family dog.
One has a new contract for 10 years and $503 million. The other is amid a four-season deal for $7,010,817.
Shortly after Mahomes received the highest monetary number in sports history, I asked Lock on a Zoom conference if that agreement gave him something special to aspire to, and he answered rather politely and briefly about the present, not the future.
However, because Drew was a second-round choice, he didn’t rate a potential five-year pact. So, assuming he starts, stars and succeeds through 2022, he’ll get big money, considering that the top 10 paid quarterbacks each own contracts for $125 million or more, and salaries for quarterbacks will continue to escalate precipitously.
Mahomes has set a bar, though, few will ever reach in any sport outside soccer.
But Patrick has proven since his NFL debut Dec. 31, 2017, that he is deserving of riches and fame after becoming regular-season MVP, then Super Bowl MVP.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are 5-1 this season, with one loss at home to another division rival — the Raiders. He has a 33-9 overall regular and postseason record. The 25-year-old Mahomes has thrown 15 touchdowns with a sole interception in 2020 and already has passed for 104 scores in his career.
He is a joy to behold.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio is amazed, saying that with Mahomes and the array of Chiefs offensive talent, “nobody has broken that code yet.’’
Alan Turing finally figured out the code to Engima in World War II.
NFL teams can’t beat on garage cans to stop Mahomes.
“The definition of a great quarterback to me — one of the definitions — is that there’s no one way to play them,” Fangio said. “You can’t go pressure heavy. You can’t just void yourself of pressure. You can’t play all man. You can’t play all zone. You’ve got to mix it up because the great quarterbacks are too good, and this quarterback (Mahomes) is definitely great.”
Mahomes already has more greatest hits albums than Adele, and one of his best and brightest passes happened late in the fourth quarter Oct. 1, 2018, at Mile High. Being chased by Von Miller on the Chiefs’ final drive, Mahomes sprinted left toward the sideline. Just as Miller was dragging him down, Patrick shifted the football from his business hand to his left and shot-putted a 12-yard pass to convert third down and put the Chiefs in position to beat the Broncos.
He has flung a no-look pass back across his body and the field. Earlier this season he tossed an underhanded shovel pass. He throws from overhead and sidearm and like a submarine-pitching reliever. He hurls while on the run, when he is circling back or on the edge of crossing the scrimmage line, in traffic and out of synch, short, deep, middle range and whatever angle you want.
In the offseason Mahomes added a behind-the-back pass.
I saw Maravich for three years in college when he was the preeminent entertainer and most proficient scorer/dribbler/passer ever in college basketball. Just imagine if he’d had a 3-point line.
I saw Sinatra in Vegas and Denver, and he was the paramount entertainer and smoothest singer of all time.
Mahomes is in that class.
He has the Elway way. Elway, by the way, was four different times the highest-paid player in the NFL.
According to my late friend and distinguished running back Doak Walker, who lived in Steamboat Springs for many years, Layne, his teammate and closest pal in the NFL, was unsurpassed as a quarterback.
Doak would have loved Patrick Mahomes.
The Broncos must become cryptologists Sunday.
More from The Woody Paige Sports Network:
- Woody Paige: That time I played blackjack with Michael Jordan in Monte Carlo
- ‘Most losses in 2020’ prop bet offers NFL bettors huge value
- It’s time for the NFL to go to a limited bubble approach
- In new world, there’s nothing wrong with knowing point spreads and rewarding your backers
- Ignore the Polls – ranking college football teams this season is pointless
- Woody Paige: Broncos need Drew Lock to prove he’s THE guy
