Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert commerce absurd throws in the course of the Chiefs’ win over the Chargers

Earlier this season, we made the case that Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had been football-throwing aliens placed on Earth to dazzle and amuse us all.

That argument may need acquired some pushback from readers, who thought it was somewhat an excessive amount of, and maybe over-the-top.

But after watching these two throughout ‘Sunday Night Football,’ maybe that case is even stronger.

Herbert and Mahomes placed on a present Sunday evening, with every seemingly attempting to one-up-the different in a battle of who can throw the soccer the perfect, and dazzle us essentially the most. The first massive throw got here from Herbert, as he linked with Josh Palmer on a deep shot alongside the left facet of the sector to open the scoring. But as you watch this play, take into account the design of the route idea. Herbert is rolling out to his proper, and Palmer is operating a nook route working in direction of the left sideline:

As you may see from the “dots” from Next Gen Stats, it is a twist on the “burner” idea, in Kyle Shanahan’s terminology. This seems to be like an ordinary submit/over mixture, that groups run on each single NFL Sunday, however as an alternative of Palmer operating the deep submit route, he truly runs a nook route, working away from Herbert’s roll. The thought of the idea is that the post-safety in single-high protection will decide to what he expects shall be a submit route, giving the receiver the leverage benefit as he breaks again in direction of the sideline.

However, the Chiefs are in two-deep on this play, but it surely doesn’t matter:

Here is the “burner” design from Shanahan:

As famous by Next Gen Stats, this play had a completion likelihood of simply 29.8%, and it was the second-longest completion in opposition to Cover 2 thus far this season.

An spectacular throw to make sure, however quickly it was time for Mahomes’ first entry.

And it was a doozy:

This throw is an absolute cannon shot, a line drive ripped some 30+ yards up the seam to Jody Fortson for a 40-yard acquire. It is difficult to inform from this angle, but it surely looks as if this ball from Mahomes will get possibly 10 or 15 toes off the bottom on the most.

Just an absurd throw.

Also notable about this play, past the truth that Mahomes throws a frozen rope right into a shoebox? It comes out of 13 offensive personnel. The Chiefs are in 13 offensive personnel for the play, with tight ends Fortson, Travis Kelce and Noah Grey within the sport.

Recently, we outlined how the Chiefs had been beginning to create explosive performs within the vertical passing sport utilizing this bundle, and this play is the latest instance. Fortson is available in movement and runs vertically up the correct facet, whereas Kelce runs a deep nook path to that facet of the sector. Wide receiver Justin Watson, the one WR on the sector for this play, runs a deep submit route.

But Mahomes targets Fortson who will get a step on the protection, which is all of the quarterback wants. Watch this throw from a replay angle:

Honestly, I’m unsure Mahomes might have put this in a greater spot if he handed it to him.

Now consider it or not, in keeping with Next Gen Stats the throw from Herbert was more durable, when it comes to completion likelihood:

Herbert and the Chargers took a 20-13 lead into the halftime break, however there have been nonetheless some throws left to be made within the second half.

The third quarter — together with the beginning of the fourth — had been all concerning the Chiefs. Kansas City put a discipline purpose on the board to chop the Chargers’ result in 20-16. Then the Chiefs put collectively a protracted drive, after changing a third and 17 on their very own 7-yard line, that they capped off with a landing go from Mahomes to Kelce.

And whereas the landing go to Kelce was nowhere close to as troublesome as his first-half throw to Forston, there was some talent wanted to make the connection. On this replay angle, you may see how Mahomes takes somewhat off the go, to ensure it’s in a spot the place solely Kelce could make the reception:

From there, Kelce does the remaining, shining after the catch has he has achieved so many occasions earlier than.

On the Chargers’ following possession, Herbert pulled off somewhat short-range magic of his personal. With stress bearing down on him, the quarterback resorts to a fast chest go, discovering Austin Ekeler to keep away from the sack, and decide up optimistic yardage:

Here’s one other have a look at the flip from Herbert:

After the groups traded turnovers, the Chargers took over possession on their very own 36-yard line. They would face a third and 18 after a sack of Herbert, the place it was time for the subsequent unimaginable throw within the sport.

This time from the Chargers passer:

Herbert fires a rocket up the correct sideline, that Keenan Allen extends for and manages to safe, giving the Chargers an enormous acquire at a important second within the contest.

They would capitalize with one other landing from Palmer … and on one other spectacular throw from Herbert:

With stress coming off each edges, Herbert rips a throw off his again foot that drills Palmer within the chest, giving the Chargers the lead.

But there was actually a way of impending doom for Chargers followers, within the type of the worry that Los Angeles left an excessive amount of time on the clock for Mahomes and firm.

They had been precisely proper.

Mahomes and the Chiefs offense drove proper down the sector, and would rating the go-ahead landing with below 30 seconds left within the sport, approaching a throw from Mahomes to who else, however Kelce:

Herbert and the Chargers would have one last-gasp try at tying the sport, however a desperation heave from the quarterback could be tipped and intercepted by linebacker Nick Bolton, ending the risk and giving the Chiefs the victory.

Still, the evening was stuffed with spectacular quarterback play from each Mahomes and Herbert, who could possibly be growing one of many sport’s new quarterback rivalries. They made performs early, and late, and to all ranges of the sector. Impressive throws that just a few different individuals on the planet could make.

You would possibly say … alien-like throws.