Patrick Mahomes minimiza primeiro jogo da NFL dentro de casa

Patrick Mahomesand theKansas City Chiefsprepareto head to Detroit to facethe undefeatedLionsat Ford Field. The tilt will mark the first time in the MVP’s career he’ll play a regular season NFL game indoors.

On Wednesday, Mahomes downplayed playing in a climate-controlled environment.

“I think other than like if it’s raining or snowing outside, then I don’t think it makes too big of a difference,” Mahomes said,via Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star. “I know when you get out there, you still have to play football. You still have to make the throws.

“I’ve played (indoors) a couple of times, and, I mean, it feels just like any other football game.”

With no dome-teams in the AFC West it’s not all that surprising that Mahomes would go 19 starts without playing indoors. But it’s an interesting factoid, and given the fast track inside could lead to an even more explosiveChiefsoffense.

The small sample size of Mahomes playing on an indoor track lends itself to intrigue. There was one preseason tilt against theFalconsin Atlanta. TheChiefsQB played just 24 snaps, but did unfurl a 69-yard TD heave toTyreek Hill. Mahomes also played four games inside as a college QB, his last coming Nov. 25, 2016, and all of them in Texas.

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— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) September 25, 2019

Given how explosive certain teams are indoors, the expectations for what Mahomes and all that speed in Andy Reid’s offense could do at Ford Field is ratcheted up even further, if that’s possible. The reigning MVP, however, isn’t thinking about the venue of his theatrics.

“We practice inside and I’ve played a few games inside before and we played the preseason last year inside,” Mahomes said. “So, you just prepare like it’s any other football game. I think that’s how you do regardless if you’re in a dome and it’s snowing or raining — you just kind of make sure that you’re ready to have success whatever the elements or circumstances are.”

More important that the location of the tilt is the opponent. Matt Patricia’s defense will have a tough assignment of slowing down Mahomes and a red-hotChiefsoffense. How theLions‘ D disrupts the QB will tell the real story Sunday.

According to Next Gen Stats, Mahomes has destroyed teams that haven’t sent pressure his way. Since 2018, against non-blitzes (four or fewer rushers), the K.C. QB ranks first in passer rating (116.3), first in TDs (46) and second in yards per attempt (9.1), among 34 qualifying quarterbacks. Through two weeks, theLionshaven’t brought pressure, blitzing on just 15.6 percent of dropbacks this season (second-lowest in the NFL).

If Patricia’s D can’t discombobulate Mahomes, the QB could have a field day in Martha Ford’s building.