Just when you think Patrick Mahomes has nothing more to achieve in football, he goes behind your back and wows again.
After years of practice, Mahomes finally attempted and completed a behind-the-back pass Saturday in the first quarter of Kansas City's 24-23 preseason loss to Detroit. The third-and-3 attempt, caught by Travis Kelce, traveled 7.2 yards in the air, moved at 11.27 mph and had a completion probability of 86.8 percent, according to Next Gen Stats. The play went eight yards for a first down and extended Kansas City's second drive, which ended in a field goal.
Mahomes started in shotgun and rolled right, drawing the attention of Lions pass rusher Joshua Paschal. Meanwhile, Kelce, who was lined up to the right side of the offensive line after a pre-snap motion, leaked downfield and was wide open.
The Chiefs quarterback, however, says he didn't plan to throw it to Kelce that way and break the internet on Saturday.
"Long story short: Travis (Kelce) didn't run the route he was supposed to run, and then it was kind of a behind-the-back pass kinda 'cause I was mad, I was pissed off at Travis," Mahomes told Trent Green during a mid-game broadcast interview. "He was supposed to run a flat route -- I don't know if you could hear me on the broadcast, I'm yelling at him -- and then he doesn't run it. So, out of spite, I threw a behind-the-back pass, but now it's gonna be a highlight."
Mahomes confirmed the play was not drawn up for him to reverse-toss to his tight end.
"100 percent," the Chiefs QB said when asked if the viral throw was improvised. "That's what I've been trying to say to everybody. It can't be planned. It's gotta be just naturally happening, kind of in the groove of things. I actually forgot about it until halftime; someone actually brought it up to me. It wasn't like I planned that at all, it wasn't a called play. It just kinda happened. ...
"We had a kind-of RPO-type thing going and he was the guy I was supposed to throw it to, and then I got stuck with the football in my hand, and I was like, 'Gosh darn it, Travis.' Then I threw it behind my back, and it worked out for us."
The never-before-seen play drew an array of shocked reactions from around the league, including from the pass recipient's recently retired brother:
Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, left the game soon after, having completed eight of 14 pass attempts for 93 yards on two field-goal drives.
The next step in Mahomes' journey to becoming the most exciting football player of all time is for the Chiefs QB to attempt the feat in a regular-season game. The K.C. okey-doke will be something fans -- and now, defenses -- will be looking for in future Chiefs contests.
