長,指導者s' Mahomes leads way with his 脚s, not just his arm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Patrick Mahomes was just trying to run out of bounds, not make the 肉親,親類d of shake-your-長,率いる, what-did-he-just-do play that will be shown on 最高潮の場面 reels for as long as the Kansas City 長,指導者s are in 存在.

It was late in the second 4半期/4分の1 of the AFC 選手権 game, and the 長,指導者s were 追跡するing Tennessee 17-14. Mahomes had already marched them nearly the length of the field, giving Kansas City at worst a chance for a tying field goal, when he 緊急発進するd from the pocket and 長,率いるd toward the sideline with every 意向 of 避けるing any 肉親,親類d of 攻撃する,衝突する.

Then he made a defender 行方不明になる and saw nobody in 前線 of him, so he turned upfield instead. Mahomes バーレル/樽d toward the goal line and 権利 over one defender, then spun away from two more, and 衝突,墜落d into the end zone for the go-ahead 得点する/非難する/20.

The 勢い of his TD run would 刺激(する) the 長,指導者s to two more fourth-4半期/4分の1 touchdowns and a 35-24 victory, and into their first 最高の Bowl in 50 years. And the play itself showcased why defending Mahomes is so difficult: Even when his pass catchers are covered, the young quarterback can still (警官の)巡回区域,受持ち区域 対抗者s on the ground.

"They have the ultimate 尊敬(する)・点 for him," 長,指導者s coach Andy Reid said of 弁護s, "and they're 二塁打ing our guys. You're not just getting one guy 二塁打 but two, and the 防御の line is trying to 解雇(する) him. So if he makes one guy 行方不明になる, it's over. He has all this running space. We've seen that the last couple weeks. For him to be able to see it, decipher it and go - it's just part of the game for him. You don't have to tell him anything that he doesn't already know."

Except maybe to slide. That has been a work in 進歩, and Mahomes has been much more savvy about getting 負かす/撃墜する before taking a big 攻撃する,衝突する. But he wasn't going to do that last Sunday, when a trio of 巨人s were all that stood between Mahomes and the end zone after a 27-yard 最高潮の場面-reel 緊急発進する.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes participates in a drill at NFL football practice Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 at in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City 長,指導者s quarterback Patrick Mahomes 参加するs in a 演習 at NFL football practice Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020 at in Kansas City, Mo. The 長,指導者s will 直面する the San Francisco 49ers in 最高の Bowl 54. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

"As I got to the sideline," he 解任するd last week, "I realized I could 削減(する) up. I was running 負かす/撃墜する the sideline and I knew we had two timeouts, so I might 同様に try to 削減(する) it 支援する. I 削減(する) it 支援する, and luckily I was able to 持つ/拘留する on to the ball and get into the end zone."

It was the 肉親,親類d of improvisational play that could come in handy against the San Francisco 49ers' stingy 弁護 in the 最高の Bowl, and the 肉親,親類d of play that Mahomes might not have been able to make for much of this season.

The 統治するing league 最高殊勲選手 sprained his ankle in a season-開始 勝利,勝つ at Jacksonville, and that 原因(となる)d him to hobble a bit for the next few weeks. Then in Week 7, on a benign quarterback こそこそ動く, Mahomes dislocated his kneecap and 行方不明になるd the 残り/休憩(する) of that gam e and the next two. And when he returned, he still wasn't の近くに to 100%.

But the 長,指導者s' bye this season didn't come until Week 12, and that turned out to be fortuitous. Mahomes got a chance to more fully 回復する, and he (機の)カム 支援する for the stretch run the healthiest he'd been all season.

It has shown in the プレーオフs, too. Mahomes has led the 長,指導者s in 急ぐing in each of their two 勝利,勝つs, setting career highs each time. The big run against the 巨人s was about half of his 53-yard total, and his total was just 16 yards shy of what bruising 巨人s 星/主役にする Derrick Henry managed against the 改造するd Kansas City 急ぐ 弁護.

"I think his running ability 追加するs a lot," 長,指導者s 不快な/攻撃 調整者/コーディネーター Eric Bieniemy said. "First of all, it tells a lot about how Pat sees things. I know Pat 認めるs the ニュース報道s that teams are playing, and 二塁打ing (Travis) Kelce and (Tyreek) Hill, and the thing he 認めるs is nobody is on him, so he takes off and runs."

Bieniemy did pull Mahomes aside after his TD run against Tennessee, but it wasn't to admonish him for 辞退するing to slide or step out of bounds. Instead, it was to 供給する the 肉親,親類d of advice one would 推定する/予想する from a former 走者 支援する: "I just said, `Hey, if you're going to keep running for us, let's talk a bit about ball 安全.'"

The 長,指導者s certainly would prefer their running 支援するs - Damien Williams, Darwin Thompson and LeSean McCoy - did most of the 激しい 解除するing in the ground game against San Francisco. But they aren't about to curtail Mahomes' 競争の激しい 解雇する/砲火/射撃, even when it manifests itself in running the ball - and 特に when it seems to be working.

"His understanding of space and understanding of ニュース報道 is incredible," 不快な/攻撃 取り組む Mitchell Schwartz said. "Most guys look at a play, `Oh, that's good. Let's do that.' But he understands ニュース報道s and, `We can do this because this guy is here and we can 偉業/利用する him.´ It's pretty awesome."

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes addresses the media at a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City 長,指導者s quarterback Patrick Mahomes 演説(する)/住所s the マスコミ at a news 会議/協議会 Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The 長,指導者s will 直面する the San Francisco 49ers in 最高の Bowl 54. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes celebrates after the NFL AFC Championship football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, in Kansas City, MO. The Chiefs won 35-24 to advance to Super Bowl 54. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Kansas City 長,指導者s' Patrick Mahomes celebrates after the NFL AFC 選手権 football game against the Tennessee 巨人s Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, in Kansas City, MO. The 長,指導者s won 35-24 to 前進する to 最高の Bowl 54. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates with Tyreek Hill (10) and Demarcus Robinson after running for a touchdown during the first half of the NFL AFC Championship football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, in Kansas City, MO. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Kansas City 長,指導者s' Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates with Tyreek Hill (10) and Demarcus Robinson after running for a touchdown during the first half of the NFL AFC 選手権 football game against the Tennessee 巨人s Sunday, Jan. 19, 20 20, in Kansas City, MO. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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