ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes II faced his first true NFL training-camp moment on Saturday when the rookie quarterback went on the Kansas City Chiefs practice field for a two-minute drill. He passed the test with plenty of room to spare.
Mahomes needed just four plays — one a long pass to tight end Ross Travis that got the 75-yard drive started — to get the touchdown. He scored the touchdown himself on a run and used just 1:05 of his allotted 1:58.
They were just four plays in a long training camp, but they happened in an important game situation. That’s what stood out to the Chiefs and co-offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
Patrick Mahomes II performed like a veteran in a two-minute drive Saturday. Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports
“You want to get off [on] the right foot,” Nagy said. “[Something] that happens in these two-minute drills, when you have to go 75 yards and you need a touchdown to do it, that first play, it’s nice when you get a big chunk [to start].”
Mahomes made a veteran move on the first play of the drive by looking off the safety in the middle of the field. He then threw a dart to Travis.
“I tell everybody from his very first practice that he had when he came in and was screaming in the huddle what the play was — and didn’t realize he was talking to the defense — to where he is right now, looking off safeties, it’s a huge leap,” Nagy said.
“It was phenomenal. It was a great throw. He’s used to that two-minute stuff. It helps him out and he’s throwing with confidence.”
Two-minute situations are nothing new to Mahomes, the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick. He played in college at Texas Tech, where the offense played at a continuous fast pace. The hurry-up offense was the norm.
“When he gets to play fast, play quick … You see a lot of his tape, he’s out of the pocket, they’re scrambling, there are tense moments, tight throws,” Nagy said. “[Those are] some of his strengths.
“He’s very calm and you can’t break him down. Coach [Andy Reid] gets after him now. Every once in a while I’ll be looking out of the corner of my eye to see if he’s breaking down, but he’s doing great. As of now, he’s pretty unbreakable. But we’ll see how that goes as the test goes on.”
Courtesy: Reuters’ Jason Cairnduff, Sergio Perez, Michaela Rehle
Every footballer on the planet has blemishes, weaknesses in their game they wish didn’t exist. But what if they didn’t? What would the ideal player look like in every position? Plucking specific traits from various superstars, theScore is diving into the lab to build the perfect footballer.
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In the sixth installment of our seven-part series, we’re assembling the perfect winger: frightening speed paired with the ability both to put defenders on skates and then make the perfect final pass to tee up a striker.
Pace: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)
Sane took some time to acclimate to life in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola, but once he did, there was no stopping the 21-year-old speed demon. The German, whose upright running style mirrors that of Cristiano Ronaldo, is a sight to behold when he gets his legs pumping in fifth gear. Raw pace like Sane’s can’t be taught.
Power: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
When his troublesome calves aren’t keeping him on the shelf, Welsh powerhouse Bale is the epitome of a modern winger; fast, technically excellent, and boasting a rocket of a left foot when he cuts in from the right side, his greatest quality is arguably his physicality. Real Madrid’s top-knotted No. 11 is built like a superhero, his combination of lower-body strength and broad shoulders making him a handful against (typically) smaller full-backs both in the air and on the ground.
Dribbling: Ousmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund)
Dembele’s shot-fake is a work of art. The French international, 20, can beat opposing defenders in his sleep, gliding past them with ease thanks to his superlative ball control, quick burst of speed, and ability to use both feet. Just ask John Stones, whom Dembele sent back to the Stone Age with this move in a recent friendly. Borussia Dortmund’s young winger is one of the most prolific dribblers in European football, completing 4.5 take-ons per 90 minutes last season; among players who made at least 20 appearances, that total was good enough for fourth across Europe’s top five leagues.
Flair: Neymar (Barcelona)
Wingers are supposed to be fun. Theirs is the only position on the pitch where there’s enough space to line up your prey and pull off some electrifying bit of skill that puts them on a poster and gets the crowd oohing. Nobody does this better than Neymar. He’s the most disrespectful player in the game (this is a compliment) because he’s willing to try things that are more commonly found in FIFA Street. His incredible Santos highlight reel was basically a crash course in how to humiliate defenders, and while the 25-year-old doesn’t toy with the opposition in the same way anymore, he still has more fun than anybody else in the game when he laces up his boots.
Shooting: Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Robben’s tombstone will read as follows: “He dribbles down the right wing. He cuts inside onto his left foot. He curls home a gorgeous effort to the far post. Rinse. Repeat.” Everybody knows that sweet left-footed effort is coming, and nobody can do a damn thing about it.
Work rate: Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain)
That Di Maria is often saddled with the “Premier League bust” label stemming from his brief spell at Manchester United is a shame, seeing as how the lithe Argentine is one of the world’s best wingers; history will likely be kind to him, as people will realize how unfortunate he was to arrive at Old Trafford during a time of disarray for the club. The 29-year-old is an uber-versatile footballer who doesn’t get enough credit for his willingness to put in the lung-busting, dirty defensive work that has been a hallmark of his game going back to his Real Madrid days.
Final pass: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Salah is going to light up Anfield this season. The speedy Egyptian winger, who racked up 17 Serie A assists for Roma over the last two seasons, has developed into one of the most consistently devastating wingers throughout Europe, pairing an ability to finish moves himself with a penchant for setting up teammates – it’s no coincidence Edin Dzeko enjoyed the best scoring season of his career last year. Salah’s 2.6 key passes per 90 minutes was among Europe’s best marks for wingers, and that number should have Reds fans salivating heading into the new campaign.
