Patrick Mahomes says he improvised behind-the-back pass to Travis Kelce ‘out of spite’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While the fans at Arrowhead Stadium roared, producing a collective sound of amazement, Patrick Mahomes simply jogged back to the huddle as if he hadn’t just pulled off one of his greatest tricks.

Unlike most of his best highlights, Mahomes wasn’t as thrilled by what he accomplished as everyone watching him, whether from the stands or on national TV, during the Kansas City Chiefs’ preseason game Saturday afternoon against the Detroit Lions.

Less than two weeks after executing his trick in practice, the Chiefs quarterback threw and completed his first behind-the-back pass in a game during the opening quarter. Mahomes, who is known for his creative playstyle and rare arm strength, explained after the game that he was forced by his favorite teammate, tight end Travis Kelce, to use his improvisational skills.

On a third-and-3 snap in Lions territory, Mahomes executed a play-action fake to fullback Carson Steele for a run-pass option play. However, Kelce, the primary pass catcher on the play, didn’t run the route designed for him.

“I didn’t do it to look cool,” Mahomes said, smiling. “I literally did it as I was, like, pissed. I was like, ‘Why didn’t you run that route like that?’ It just worked out.”

During the game, Mahomes told color analyst Trent Green on the NFL Network telecast: “I was pissed off at Travis. He was supposed to run a flat route. … 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.”

One reason Kelce didn’t run his intended route, and out route into the flat, was because edge rusher Josh Paschal engaged him near the line of scrimmage. Once Kelce realized Paschal pushed him in the opposite direction, he stopped and turned around in the middle of the field.

“We had the leverage we wanted,” Mahomes said. “I should’ve known because (Kelce) asked me what (route) he had as he was motioning over. You can kind of see him look back at me. But I thought I told him and it was going to be open, so I pulled (the ball after the play-action fake) and then he wasn’t out there, so I was going to run for it.

“Of course, he was blocking and then he just turned around and I threw it to him.”

After pushing Kelce, Paschal began chasing Mahomes. By rolling to his right and swinging his right arm around his back, Mahomes created the ideal angle for the behind-the-back pass. Kelce caught the ball and ran for an 8-yard gain. He celebrated during the fans’ ovation by standing up and pointing at Mahomes.

Later in the game — which ended in a 24-23 win for the Lions — Kelce shared his perspective while on the Chiefs’ sideline during a short interview on the NFL Network broadcast, joking that he wasn’t at fault.

“You know he’s got the voice thing,” Kelce said, ribbing Mahomes and imitating his distinctive voice. “He kind of mumbled out the play and I couldn’t hear it. I was walking up to the line and I was trying to decipher what he was saying. Before I knew it, he snapped the ball and then I kind of saw him out of my peripheral run to the sideline, so I was trying to go help my guy out.

“By the time I looked over there, he was already in mid-form, like a photo on a sports card, throwing the ball to me, so I guess right place at the right time.”

Throughout his 12-year career, Kelce has often executed daring things that most tight ends or receivers cannot. He can recognize the opposing defense’s coverage, alter his route — oftentimes deciding to run a completely different route in the middle of the play — and still be available and in rhythm with Mahomes before the ball is passed to him.

One of Kelce’s touchdowns last season came because he improvised his route. Near the goal line, the Chiefs started their third-and-goal play against the Chicago Bears with Kelce in a bunch formation next to tight end Noah Gray and receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. When Kelce heard the play call from Mahomes, his assignment was to run a corner route to the back pylon. But just before the ball was snapped, Kelce anticipated and visualized himself ending the play in the back of the end zone near the goal post. The Bears were in zone coverage, matching Kelce with safety Elijah Hicks. Kelce started his route running directly at Hicks, making the defender commit to covering the perimeter of the end zone. But after planting his right foot, Kelce ran a corner-post route, double move to create plenty of space for him to get open for a 3-yard touchdown reception.

Kelce ended his interview Saturday smiling and promising fans he didn’t ad-lib his part of the play.

“Don’t let Pat trick you guys into me doing the wrong thing,” Kelce said.

Coach Andy Reid’s response to the highlight was a simple one: He was just glad Mahomes’ behind-the-back pass ended as a completion.

“I heard he blamed it on Kelce, but that’s all right,” Reid said. “(Mahomes) does it in practice, so I’m all right with it as long as it’s a completion. They do it in basketball (almost) every game, so it’s not that big of a deal.”

But in NFL history, there appears to be no video of a quarterback even attempting a behind-the-back pass in a regular-season game. The last NFL quarterback to achieve the feat was Sonny Jurgensen, who dazzled fans out of necessity when he avoided a sack by completing a short behind-the-back pass to tight end Pete Retzlaff in a 1961 exhibition game in Chicago between the Philadelphia Eagles and the College All-Stars.

A week ago, in one of the Chiefs’ last training camp practices, Mahomes perfectly executed a nifty behind-the-back pass to running back Isiah Pacheco during a red zone team period, the rep ending in a short-yardage touchdown. One of the reasons Mahomes attempted the behind-the-back pass was because the Chiefs’ defense blitzed. Safety Chamarri Conner attacked from the edge to take away Mahomes’ option of running with the ball on the perimeter. Mahomes responded by jumping to give him the proper angle for his creative pass. Pacheco expected the pass, too. He caught the ball, spun to his right and ran untouched to the end zone.

“It was cool that I completed it,” Mahomes said after Thursday’s practice. “You want to get it in a live-type of atmosphere — and that’s as live as you’re going to get in practice.”

Mahomes first started experimenting with a behind-the-back pass during the 2018 season, when he attempted the feat in practices closed to fans and during team periods that were not observed by reporters.

“The first thing he said was, ‘I’ve been telling you to do that for a while; that’s one of the plays I’ve been telling you that you can do it,’” Mahomes said Thursday of Reid’s reaction. “He’s all for it. It’s me who’s the one that’s hesitant to do it in a game.”

After successful execution of his trick in a game, Mahomes knows he might be in a similar situation when he can use his unorthodox throwing motion — especially if the play involves improvising with Kelce — in the regular season, perhaps as early as the season opener on Sept. 5 against the Baltimore Ravens.

“I always told you that if it’s going to happen, it’s going to have to happen naturally,” Mahomes said after Saturday’s game. “I can’t force it. It probably looked pretty cool. It’s not something I want to try to major in.

“It might be something that just kind of happens every once in a while.”

Chiefs’ top rookies excel

Receiver Xavier Worthy and left tackle Kingsley Suamataia, the Chiefs’ top two rookies, had encouraging performances in the first half Saturday.

Worthy, the first-round pick, led the Chiefs before halftime with three receptions on six targets for 62 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown catch. He also showed his speed on a jet sweep that resulted in an 11-yard gain. Late in the first quarter, backup quarterback Carson Wentz beat a Lions blitz by throwing an intermediate pass to a wide-open Worthy, who used a stutter step at the top of his post route to help sprint past nickel cornerback Amik Robertson.

“It was amazing,” Worthy said of his touchdown. “It was good to just have that first catch and first touchdown. Everybody is going to be nervous until they get their first catch. The wide-open ones are always the hardest because you relax so much and you’re like, ‘Oh, shoot, all I need to do is just secure it.’ It was big to focus and secure the ball.”

As the projected starting left tackle, Suamataia, the second-round pick, did well in one-on-one, pass-blocking matchups against rookie edge rusher Isaac Ukwu. Suamataia’s lone mistake Saturday was early in the second quarter when he committed a false-start penalty.

“I got to showcase my athleticism and we had a couple end-arounds,” Suamataia said. “It was fun and we showed we can be a running offense. I just went out there and played ball. As long as I stay between my guy and Patrick, that’s the goal.”

Beyond his performance, Suamataia’s favorite moments came when he chatted with his cousin, Lions left tackle Penei Sewell, before and after the game.

“It’s still surreal just seeing him on the other side of the field,” Suamataia said of Sewell. “This is my job and seeing him in our profession is amazing and a blessing just to see how far I’ve come. My cousin is one of the best in the league. He said I did (well).”