Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to head to Detroit to face the undefeated Lions at 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 the fast track inside could lead to an even more explosive Chiefs offense.
The small sample size of Mahomes playing on an indoor track lends itself to intrigue. There was one preseason tilt against the Falcons in Atlanta. The Chiefs QB played just 24 snaps, but did unfurl a 69-yard TD heave to Tyreek Hill. Mahomes also played four games inside as a college QB, his last coming Nov. 25, 2016, and all of them in Texas.
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."
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, the Lions haven'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.
