Patrick Mahomes’s prowess as a star athlete was on full display during the season opener game when he saved the Chiefs from a turnover. He caught the ball in the air at a crucial point in the game, with the Ravens’ defense on his back. The play had fans marveling at the QB’s talent.
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In the 4th quarter, Mahomes threw the ball towards Rashee Rice but Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson’s blocking attempt deflected the ball in the air. Mahomes was quick to react and jumped over two Ravens players to grab the ball back and prevent a turnover with a little over two minutes on the clock.
The Ravens were starting to make a comeback in the 4th quarter after scoring an early touchdown which brought the score to 17-20 but the Chiefs returned the favor with Worthy’s second touchdown of the day.
In the final minutes, the Ravens aggressively tried to gain the ball back to try a hail mary but Mahomes’ athleticism denied them an interception chance. Eventually, they were able to take the ball and score a last-second touchdown but it was overturned by the referees.
If it wasn’t for Mahomes, they would have had an extra 30 seconds in their final attempt and might have scored that touchdown. Fans were shocked by Mahomes’s pass to himself and thanked his ‘basketball’ skills for saving the game for the Chiefs.
He did play basketball
— fatty patty (@theonlydyl_) September 6, 2024
Another fan compared Mahomes’ catch to a rebound jump by WNBA star Angel Reese.
Looking like that rebound merchant angle Reese
— Jeremy Berman (@_SportsTruther) September 6, 2024
However, not everyone was impressed with the pass as some fans claimed that the Commanders’ new QB Marcus Mariota did it years before Mahomes:
mariota did it for a td
— Chris Mooney (@Moontang_69) September 6, 2024
In 2020, the then Titans’ quarterback Mariota threw a pass that was deflected and caught it himself to score the team’s game-changing touchdown.
Regardless of the fans’ opinions, the save helped the Chiefs maintain control over the game and registered a strong win against one of their biggest threats.