Patrick Mahomes re-injured his ankle last week against the Browns, aggravating the lingering issue that had bothered him for weeks. There were serious doubts about his availability today against the Texans. But being a warrior who is always hungry for success, he unsurprisingly, not only started today but the Chiefs also won again.
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Now, they are 14-1 and can afford to rest him but Chris Simms doesn’t believe Mahomes will sit out even one game.
During his appearance on the Dan LeBatard Show, the host asked Simms whether Mahomes should play in the upcoming Christmas game. Simms explained that, regardless of whether the team wants to rest him or not, it would be incredibly difficult to keep Mahomes off the field.
“It’s going to be hard not to play him. I’ve been around Mahomes too many times in my life. He’s a psycho. He’s the psycho you want in a good way. He’s a gym rat, he’s obsessed.”
According to Simms, even Andy Reid shares this characterization of Mahomes, calling him cutthroat when it comes to winning football games. Chris feels that the Chiefs should let him play if he can do it but they should make sure he doesn’t push too hard.
He believes Kansas City needs to exercise a bit of caution because getting the number one isn’t worth sacrificing the 2-time MVP before the playoffs.
So how is his Mahomes’ ankle looking right now? Can he play and finally seal the number-one seed for the Chiefs?
Mahomes talks about his ankle mobility after the Texans game
Despite dealing with an ankle injury for weeks, Mahomes took the field today and delivered a solid performance, throwing for 260 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 33 yards and scoring a rushing TD.
In the post-match press conference, Mahomes explained that he felt confident in his ability to run on the injured ankle. However, he admitted that stopping and sliding after starting a run remained challenging. He noted that he still struggles with sliding and making sharp cuts, so his focus was simply on running and making plays when opportunities arose.
“I knew I could run. It’s just the stopping that’s going to be hard. The slide looked pretty awkward in the game. It’s just stopping and cutting that isn’t great yet. Just trying to keep it on the run and keep moving and make the play happen.”
During practice, he ensured he could move well enough to make plays both inside and outside the pocket. The two-time MVP also expressed confidence in his offensive line, trusting them to provide the protection he needed.
The Chiefs are 14-1. This is their best start ever since Patrick Mahomes became their starting QB. They have now opened a three-game advantage over the Bills(11-3) for the first seed in the AFC. One more win will seal it.
Buffalo plays the Jets and the Pats (twice) in the last three games and will likely win all three. However, one loss will seal the top seed for the defending champions. If they lose the remaining two, Josh Allen and his men will gain the top seed.
