:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69483756/usa_today_15479939.0.jpg)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ comments about his offseason film review last Thursday caught the attention of some national analysts.
“Every time you watch it, you learn and you realize all the different stuff you left out there on the field and how you could’ve changed games with different completions and just taking what’s there or attacking at the right moments,” said Mahomes. “I think the best thing about it is that you learn and you learn from your mistakes, and then you try to improve those things the next year.
“We had a great offense last year, but I think we can get substantially better if we continue to evolve and I continue to get better and better at my decision making.”
The idea that the Chiefs — who led the league with 415.8 yards in 2020 — could be better in 2021 led to a topic of discussion for a panel on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“Winning multiple Super Bowls?” suggested ESPN contributor Kimberley Martin, as to how the Chiefs may be even better. “They’re pretty damn good, right? But to me, looking at last year’s Super Bowl, the Chiefs’ O-line was the biggest issue. That was the biggest factor, so Mahomes can say all he wants — ‘I have to make better decisions.’ But... Mahomes’ 29 pressures during the Super Bowl — most in Super Bowl history. 29 pressures. It’s all about the O-line, so they upgraded that, so the Chiefs, they should be ready to roll. But it’s interesting — he’s young, and he’s already been to two Super Bowls. That’s pretty damn impressive.”
What may be even more impressive than the Chiefs’ average yardage of 415.8 is that the next team in line was the Buffalo Bills at 396.4, meaning Kansas City was about 20 yards per game better than the rest of the league.
General manager Brett Veach and his staff overturned the offensive line during this offseason, and it will have at least three new starters when the team takes the field Week 1. Per the stats, the Chiefs were already in another league of their own, but a protected Mahomes should mean an opportunity to take on their own production number.