Thursday, 4 a.m.
It is his league now. His ball. His show.
Few players have ever taken over football the way that Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs has. He is young, he is talented and he is charismatic. He rides possibilities, salvaging one victory after another, refusing to look at the scoreboard until he is finished.
And if the Tampa Bay Bucs want to be considered as an essential team once again, well, he can make it possible.
Not many players have been as good, as fast, as the 25-year-old Mahomes. He has started 41 games, and he has won 33 of them. Six of the wins -- almost 20 percent -- have been via the comeback. He is creative, he is athletic, he is intelligent.
He is the Package. He is the Chosen One.
He is Mahomes.
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"He has great weapons around him, and I think keeping those guys around him and keeping that offense intact – especially next year with the cap – it’s going to be harder and harder. He’s a great, great player – I knew he would be great. He’s so smart and so talented.”
Arians raves about the workout that Mahomes had. However, he wasn't taken until 10th in the draft, a full eight slots behind Mitch Trubisky of the Bears.
How does one become a legend by age 25? How about spending an entire post-season on the comeback. Last season, the Chiefs trailed Houston 24-0, Tennessee 28-10 and San Francisco 20-10...and won all three games. Mahomes passed for 901 yards in the victories. He ran for 135 more yards.
“I think he’s a very unique individual," Arians said. "You teach young guys to never throw it back across the field, but he does it in a ridiculous manner – sidearm, underhand – and he’s very accurate. I think most guys cannot do that. He has a different skillset than other people as far as throwing back across the field. But, you’ve still got to chase him around [and] you’ve got to plaster down the field. He also does a great job of running and getting first downs himself. It’s a different, unique challenge when you start chasing him around.”
Can the beleaguered Bucs' pass defense match up? They've been carved up lately.
This year, the Chiefs are 9-1 and looking like they might be one of the rare Super Bowl teams to repeat.
“I think they have an advantage this year," Arians said. "In years past, that lingers all the way through spring. That Super Bowl hangover lasts a long time. But, in this year with no offseason and them having everybody back, I think it was over quickly with the pandemic.
"Unlike other years where you’re getting accolades all the way through training camp, you’re getting rings, you’re getting this and you’re getting that [and] you’re getting invited to everything – sometimes it can become a distraction for that team [and] sometimes the injury bug hits you, too, because guys didn’t workout quite as hard as they had in the past. I think this year is totally different and they’re obviously a power in the AFC right now.”
The Bucs play the Chiefs at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.