System QB? The Patrick Mahomes stats reveal the benefits of playing in the Chiefs offense

The Kansas City Chiefs are probably the most fraudulent 9-0 team in recent memory. At least that’s how we’d talk about them if not for the two straight Super Bowl wins and the lifetime supply of benefit of the doubt that comes with such accomplishments.

We know Patrick Mahomes is great. He’s on track to challenge Tom Brady for GOAT status one day if all goes according to plan. The Chiefs are, of course, a Super Bowl contender as the last undefeated team standing. In pursuit of the first-ever NFL three-peat, the Chiefs could very well end this season making history.

That said, the Chiefs have only won by more than one score twice this season. Their biggest margin of victory to date was a 26-13 victory over the lowly New Orleans Saints, in a game in which Derek Carr was injured. It’s been a series of rousing comebacks and mediocre squeakers to achieve this 9-0 start. A win is a win, but the Chiefs certainly haven’t felt as dominant as their perfect record suggests.

The same can be said for Mahomes individually. He’s just not as sharp as we’re used to, coughing up nine interceptions through nine starts. His current 2.9 interception rate would blow his previous career-worst 2.3 percent (from last season) out of the water.

There have been countless criticisms of his footwork and decision-making, but it’s all been easily swept under the rug when the Chiefs keep winning games and Mahomes has three Super Bowl MVPs to fall back on.

Still, it’s safe to say Mahomes has relied more on Andy Reid’s scheme than usual this season.

Is Patrick Mahomes a system quarterback? Wellllllllll… no. Of course not. We cannot attribute that mark to such a prolific and skilled player. It’s bound to age like the ones the ‘Tom Brady System QB’ takes after he ditched Bill Belichick and won a ring in Tampa.

That said, Mahomes has taken advantage of Reid in profound ways in what can accurately be described as a “weak” season. According to NFL Next Gen statistics, Kansas City’s wide receivers average a target separation of 4.2 meterswhich is the second highest in the NFL. Meanwhile, just 6.8 percent of Mahomes’ throws this season qualify as “tight window” throws.

So, in short, Mahomes is consistently throwing to open receivers, despite the well-documented lack of talent in the Kansas City WR room. Two of the fastest wideouts on the team, Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice, have largely missed the entire season. The arrival of DeAndre Hopkins has made a noticeable impact, but he didn’t exactly leave defenders in the dust with Tennessee before the trade deadline.

Reid has a special ability to open up his wide receivers and put Mahomes in a position to succeed. Not all of this is out of Mahomes’ control, of course. The QB’s ability to extend plays outside the pocket can lead to unconventional routes and unexpectedly open targets. Mahomes also processes the field quicker than most, which could help Kansas City strike before the defense buckles down.

That said, much of the Chiefs’ offensive success this season can be traced back to Reid. It always does. Mahomes has been excellent by any normal quarterback metric, but he hasn’t lived up to his lofty standards, and most importantly, his mild “struggles” have come while operating in a near-perfect environment. As such, it’s fair to wonder what exactly is wrong with Mahomes this season and whether it will affect the Chiefs when the games really start to count and history is on the line.