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Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla
What did you mean by "reverted to 2018 mode"? I honestly don't GAF what definition you use, assuming it makes sense.
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We saw Mahomes try to do too much on multiple occasions in 2018. I never really minded this, because it was nice to see a QB slinging it in crunch time rather than going fetal. Still, it did cost us in some pretty critical moments in 2018. In some, Mahomes neglected his checkdown or chose not to scramble and opted to force the ball deep. Some of these interceptions were particularly critical in a couple of key games.
I could bore you with an overly wordy analysis about how Mahomes' mistakes like this were costly @Patriots, Ravens, @Rams, and in the 2018 AFCCG, but I don't want to clutter this gorgeous thread with past Mahomes mistakes, so let's just refer to Keysor here - who is quite complementary of Mahomes work in Q4 of the Super bowl.
https://theathletic.com/1824004/2020...s-last-season/
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This is the area that is most noticeable statistically, as Mahomes’ interception percentage dropped from 2.1 percent in 2018 to 1.0 percent in 2019. This is worth noting in part because after the 2018 season, it became widely circulated that Mahomes benefited in terms of how many potential interceptions were dropped by defenders. The implication was that his interception percentage would rise as his luck faded. Instead, the opposite occurred and he became one of the “safest” quarterbacks in the league.
Here, the Chiefs have a 2nd-and-7 yards while trailing 20-10 with less than 9 minutes remaining in the Super Bowl. They need to move the ball badly here. When Mahomes drops back, his first two reads are well covered (it’s off the screen, but both Travis Kelce and Sammy Watkins are bracketed well in the middle of the field). In the meantime, defensive end Nick Bosa is able to come screaming around the edge and a well-executed stunt on the other side is starting to cause some problems. So Mahomes takes off to the left, where there’s a great deal of open space.
In 2018, Mahomes likely would have continued to scan the field and tried to make a big play with his arm here. However, that’s not the safest play to get a first down, and he knows it. So rather than trying to force something, he instead uses the threat of his passing outside the pocket to hold the secondary in place, then scrambles for 7 yards. There’s no risk taken, and the Chiefs get a fresh set of downs to work with.
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So when I say Mahomes reverted to a 2018 tendency, it's referring to him trying to force a pass similarly as he did in some big moments in 2018 instead of taking what the defense gave him or choosing to throw the ball away. Is that fair?