For years, Patrick Mahomes has teased unveiling his latest magic trick by throwing a behind-the-back pass in a game. He’s done it numerous times in practice, both on-camera and off, but has been hesitant to take the next step of throwing one in actual competition.
He and the Kansas City Chiefs finally took that next step in the team’s preseason game versus the Detroit Lions on Saturday. On the team’s second drive of the game and facing a 3rd-and-3 from Detroit’s 33-yard-line, Mahomes and Travis Kelce hooked up on a back-the-back throw and catch that resulted in an eight-yard gain and a first down.
The play started with a play action to rookie running back Carson Steele, with Mahomes then sprinting to his right with the ball. It appeared that he was going to run with the ball, but then the three-time Super Bowl MVP casually tossed it behind his back where Kelce scooped it up before it hit the ground. The tight end then rumbled to the 25-yard-line before the home fans at Arrowhead Stadium gave the play a standing ovation as they were anticipating this play finally happening more so than anyone.
That play was the highlight of the first-team offense for Kansas City as the drive would end in a field goal. The starters were then taken out of the game, which allowed Mahomes to conduct an in-game interview where he discussed the play and revealed that the behind-the-back throw wasn’t the intended plan.
Considering how much a behind-the-back pass has been discussed with Mahomes over the years, his admission came as a bit of a surprise, so much so that Chiefs broadcaster and former quarterback himself, Trent Green, asked Mahomes if the play was improvised.
“100 percent,” Mahomes replied. “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 it all, it wasn’t a called play. It just kinda happened.”
Whether planned or improvised, it finally happened, even if it was just a preseason game. Mahomes foreshadowed the event during Chiefs practice last week when he completed a behind-the-back pass in front of the media. Then afterward, Mahomes told the press that he wanted to complete it in a live atmosphere, and that practice was as close to that as he’d get.
The quarterback was then asked during that practice media session what his coach, Andy Reid, told him after throwing the behind-the-back pass.
Mahomes would finish the game by completing eight of 14 passes, with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was one of four quarterbacks to take snaps for the Chiefs but the only one to attempt a behind-the-back pass. The Lions would ultimately prevail in the second preseason game for both teams by a 24–23 score.
The two-time MVP winner is clearly happy with the state of his team’s offense after a trying season, even though it ended with another Super Bowl victory. Last year, the Chiefs ranked just 15th in scoring and ninth in yards gained, after ranking in the top six in both categories each of the prior five years, which coincides with Mahomes being the team’s starter. Kansas City upgraded its receiving core this year by signing Marquise Brown—who is currently sidelined with a shoulder injury—and by drafting wideout Xavier Worthy in the first round.
Outside of the behind-the-back pass, the next-biggest highlight for the first-team offense was Mahomes and Worthy hooking up for a big gain as on the third play of the game, Mahomes found the rookie streaking down the left side of the field as they connected on a 39-yard pass completion. For as great and novel a behind-the-back pass is, Chiefs fans would surely prefer to see more big gains like the one to Worthy, though the next progression for Mahomes would be completing a behind-the-back pass in a regular-season game.
The first opportunity will come when the Chiefs play in the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game on Thursday, Sept. 5 versus the Baltimore Ravens.
