13 hours ago
Chiefs' Joe Bleymaier on QB Patrick Mahomes under pressure: ‘Stood in there and delivered'
Chiefs' Joe Bleymaier on QB Patrick Mahomes under pressure: 'Stood in there and delivered'
During his press conference last Wednesday, Kansas City Chiefs pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier reflected on the pressure Patrick Mahomes faced in the pocket from opposing defenses.
'(Patrick Mahomes) stood in there and delivered a ton of passes that, I think when we went back and looked throughout the whole season of the pass game, your respect and admiration for him really grew because of what he was willing to do and how he was willing to stand in there,' said Bleymaier. 'It all ties in together. Sometimes it's the protection upfront that gets a lot of the highlighted attention; it's all three levels that really can have an impact on going deep and completing some of those passes.'
Mahomes was sacked 36 times last season, the most in his career, as the team struggled with consistency at left tackle. Bleymaier believes OTAs are crucial for getting everyone on the same page, including wide receivers, to adjust downfield in pressure situations.
'This time of year, it helps with just the chemistry everyone runs, especially the deeper the routes,' said Bleymaier, 'Everybody's angle, as far as the pass catchers and their speed and coming out of the breaks, is just a little bit different. So, the quarterback's getting the timing with those guys, getting a feel for how they run it, and then just utilizing them, continuing to stress to go top down and to let those guys run and really utilize their talents.'
The Philadelphia Eagles consistently pressured Mahomes throughout Super Bowl LIX, which led to his uncharacteristic performance. He was sacked six times in the game and threw two interceptions.
