When the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany, they’ll be doing so with a severe deep passing deficit. Through the first eight weeks of the season, Patrick Mahomes has completed just 10 of 31 passes of 20 or more air yards for 351 yards, one touchdown, five interceptions, and a league-high eight turnover-worthy throws. That likes up for a passer rating of 44.1, and that’s a stark drop from last season, when Mahomes completed 28 of 66 deep targets for 931 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 104.7. Mahomes had just three turnover-worthy deep throws in the entire 2022 season, and that included the entire postseason, including the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win.
Mahomes’ receivers have taken a large share of the blame for this, and based on the tape, that’s legitimate. Justin Watson has been Mahomes’ only reliable deep target, with six deep catches on 12 targets for 180 yards, Other than that? Crickets. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has caught just three deep targets this season, and he was supposed to be Mahomes’ primary deep target post-Tyreek Hill (who Kansas City’s defense will have to deal with, of course).
