CARSON, Calif. — Patrick Mahomes served notice in his one and only start as a rookie last season he had the ability to be a high-quality NFL quarterback.
He served notice on Sunday that it was no fluke. Mahomes threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns in leading the Chiefs to a 38-28 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Mahomes’ favorite target was Tyreek Hill, who caught seven passes for 169 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown on Kansas City’s third pass of the game.
That play put the Chiefs ahead 14-3. While Mahomes would go on to throw three more TD passes, one each to Hill, De’Anthony Thomas and Anthony Sherman, perhaps the best part of his game over the final three quarters was to avoid the game-altering mistake that plague so many young quarterbacks.
Mahomes threw no interceptions. The Chiefs scored first less than two minutes into the game and led the rest of the way, in part because Kansas City committed no turnovers.
Mahomes showed a rhythm with Hill all throughout training camp and the preseason. It was never as evident as it was on Sunday, when he caught almost as many passes as the rest of the Kansas City receivers combined.
Hill also returned a punt 91 yards for Kansas City’s first touchdown. He has nine touchdowns of at least 50 yards since Week 15 of the 2016 season. No other NFL player has more than four in that span.
Four of Hill’s long TDs have come against the Chargers.