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Patrick Mahomes’ deep-ball struggles spark concern after Chiefs’ loss

Patrick Mahomes has made a career out of torching defenses with highlight deep throws, but a new stat has Chiefs fans raising eyebrows.

The stat no one saw coming

After Kansas City’s 27-21 opening night loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in São Paulo, a troubling trend about Mahomes’ downfield passing spread quickly across social media.

Over the last two seasons, Mahomes has thrown just five touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions on passes traveling 20 yards or more. That ranks him near the very bottom of all qualified quarterbacks, a shocking fall for a player once considered the NFL’s best deep passer.

What changed in Kansas City

During his first five years as a starter, defenses feared Mahomes’ arm any time the ball left his hand on a deep shot. From 2018 to 2022, he led the league in efficiency on those throws, regularly flipping games with one big strike.

Now, Kansas City’s offense looks different. Since Tyreek Hill’s departure in 2022, Andy Reid and Matt Nagy have leaned heavily on shorter throws and quick reads. It’s safer, but it also removes the very element that made Mahomes nearly impossible to defend.

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Injuries, suspensions, and limited options

The receiving group isn’t doing him any favors either. Xavier Worthy, last year’s first-round pick, left Week 1 with a dislocated shoulder and is day-to-day. Rashee Rice is still serving a six-game suspension, taking another deep threat off the field. That leaves Mahomes throwing to veterans like Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster, who are better suited for possession routes than game-breaking bombs.

With the Philadelphia Eagles up next, the question is simple: can the Chiefs rediscover their vertical threat, or will Mahomes continue to look like a different quarterback when pushing the ball downfield?