Texas Tech football alums: Looking back at laughable Pat Mahomes scouting reports
He was thought to be too eager to leave the pocket
Similarly, many people were concerned about Mahomes’ propensity for making plays outside the pocket. Now we know that teams would rather he stay planted between the tackles rather than break contain making that thought process from 2017 seem short-sighted and comical.
"“Mahomes also loves to scramble out of the pocket and make things happen on the run, but in the NFL, some teams will come at him with containment game plans that have frustrated him in the past – see his game against TCU. He is going to need to work more out of the pocket and be comfortable with staying there” Campbell wrote."
The next time an NFL team comes at Mahomes with a containment scheme that he can’t beat with relative ease, it will be the first time. Not even the best pass rush in the NFL, San Francisco, could corral him in the Super Bowl.
In fact, were it not for his ability to escape and make plays on the move, his team wouldn’t have won that game. It’s beyond funny to think about the Chiefs asking Mahomes to stay in the pocket as if he is cut from the mold of Tom Brady, Dan Marino, or Troy Aikman.
It would be like buying a Lamborghini and only driving it to the grocery store or owning a speed boat and never leaving the no-wake zone. But that’s what it sounded like scouts thought Mahomes needed to do.
"“Needs to play inside the offense and show more discipline,” wrote Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. “Too eager to go big game hunting. Ravenous appetite for the explosive play can also bring unwanted trouble. Willingness to default to playground style appears to limit his ability to get into a consistent rhythm.”"
How awful has that tendency to “go big game hunting” been for Mahomes’ effectiveness in the NFL? We need to look no further than the game-changing play of Super Bowl LIV.
On his 44-yard completion to Tyreek Hill in the 4th quarter, the QB who many thought couldn’t make plays from the pocket and who needed to learn not to go big-game hunting stood in the pocket while Joey Bosa was bearing down and instead of hitting his running back out of the backfield who was open near the sticks, he went “big game hunting” again and it changed the complexion of the entire game.
It’s funny to think that anyone would want to put chains on Mahomes and take away what makes him special. But that’s exactly what many scouts were saying needed to happen in order for him to become a productive QB in the NFL.