Getty Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes received quite the compliment (not really) from former NFL defender and ESPN analyst Ryan Clark following the Kansas City Chiefs’ 13-7 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 9. That’s when Clark went as far as to say Mahomes was “broken” on Monday, November 8.
Mahomes has been struggling for a better part of the season. However, he put Clark’s narrative to rest in Week 10.
Mahomes completed 35 passes for 406 yards and five touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 41-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, which also gave Kansas City the lead in the AFC West. This was the fourth time in his career that Mahomes threw for five or more touchdown passes in a single game, with the last time happening in Week 8 against the New York Jets in 2020 (5), per Pro Football Reference.
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The five touchdowns Mahomes threw in Week 10 were more than he had thrown over his previous four games combined (4). His passing yardage total was also his highest in a single game this season. After going seven straight games with at least one turnover, the Chiefs’ starting quarterback now has back-to-back outings with zero turnovers and has helped spark a three-game win streak for the defending AFC champions.
So, with Clark’s comments looking like a stale take a little over a week later, a couple of people close to Mahomes decided to clap back at the former safety of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
‘That’s What Broken Looks Like’
Bobby Stroupe — Mahomes’ personal trainer — took to Twitter to throw shade back at Clark, who hasn’t hesitated to pile on Mahomes during his struggles this season.
“8-9 with a TD. The incomplete pass was a perfect pass for a drop. That’s what broken looks like [Ryan Clark],” Stroupe wrote.
Mahomes’ fiancee — Brittany Matthews — also chimed in on Twitter to troll Clark.
Saying Patrick is broken is ignorant. Saying the chiefs offense is boring is comical.
Clark: Mahomes is Broken
During an episode of ESPN’s Morning Show, Get Up!, Clark bashed Mahomes after Kansas City’s Week 9 victory.
“He’s broken; Patrick Mahomes is broken, and he’s broken because he’s the same that he’s always been, and that’s no longer good enough,” Clark explained. “It’s time for Patrick Mahomes to pivot, it’s time for Patrick Mahomes to play football in a different way. But sometimes when you’ve been so successful doing one thing, it’s hard to do another, and they are asking the entire Kansas City Chiefs offense to do this.
“[Defenses are] saying ‘become a running football team, be committed to that,’ they’re saying ‘take the check-downs, be committed to that.’ They’re saying, ‘you know what, you will not have the big play against us, so we’re going to make you earn every blade of grass, and we believe you will make a mistake,’ and that’s what’s been happening. This is a boring offense that refuses to be boring to win football games.”
.@Realrclark25 sounds off on Patrick Mahomes this season 😳
“Patrick Mahomes is broken! … He’s the same as he’s always been, but that’s no longer good enough.”
With Mahomes seemingly back on track after a rough first half of the season, the Chiefs — now 6-4 — play host to the 7-2 Dallas Cowboys in Week 11 before they enter their bye week in Week 12. Dallas is coming off a 43-3 blowout win over the Atlanta Falcons.