What do Travis Kelce and Kansas City Chiefs newbie DeAndre Hopkins have in common? Well, both of them are the apples of Patrick Mahomes’ eyes. No, we’re not the ones saying it but the QB himself, as he just gave a promising statement regarding his two players.

In a media addressal recently, Mahomes talked about the team’s game plan and what might have pushed the team to a blistering 7-0 this season, and a potential three-peat in the near future.“Whenever you got two guys like DeAndre and Trav working in that medium-type range of the football field, it opens up the deeper throws because teams have to account for that,” the 29-year-old said. Let’s be honest, we already know what Travis Kelce is capable of. But for a newbie like Hopkins to be appreciated so early in his days with the team speaks volumes.

Hence, it didn’t take long for Andy Reid to throw D-Hop into the mix. Just a week after signing, the 32-year-old WR suited up red and gold to complete his debut in the 27-20 win over the Raiders. Cherry on the cake? Mahomes targeted D-Hop three times, with Hopkins snagging two catches for 29 yards on 23 snaps after just two practices with the team last week. Sure, the numbers aren’t jaw-dropping. But Pat was pumped with the “high level” play he saw, calling it “a great start.”

“I thought he did a great job…Honestly, it’s high-level stuff, just because it was zone coverage, they were in the right spot, he pulled up in the right window, stuff you see Trav do a lot, you see JuJu (Smith-Schuster) do a lot..,” Mahomes said, before adding:

“I was able to throw the ball, and I’ve talked about it a little bit; he has good body language when he runs routes, so you can tell what he’s going to do before he does it. We had only practiced that play, I think, once, maybe twice. For third down in that situation, for him to run it and be in the right position, it shows that he’s going to fit in perfectly in this offense,” he further said. Notably, the wide receiver also made a 16-yard catch in his team’s final offensive play of the first half, putting his QB at a historic 30,000 passing yards—Mahomes is the fastest quarterback to do that in the NFL in just his 103rd game. Having said that, even the team’s head coach Andy Reid was more than happy…

“It was good to get DeAndre in there…“He’s diligent with all that stuff. He asks great questions. I haven’t been worried about that at all. He’s very astute. He’ll get more chances the next game,” Reid said, with the Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo taking it a notch higher! “(He)catches everything. I’m glad he’s on our team now.”

And then there’s Travis Kelce. But this season, the Chiefsdom has been unsure. They have been left clueless as to which Kelce they’re getting. Thankfully, against the Raiders, it was the classy one.

We saw him haul in 10 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown (first of the season). By far, this was his biggest game yet this season. Mahomes didn’t hesitate to praise him: “If you asked anyone on the team they’d want Travis to score a touchdown more than he’d want to score a touchdown. That’s just the type of guy he is. He was able to score the touchdown there. It was a tight window throw, he made a big-time catch. He had a good game…He’s just all about winning at the end of the day, and that’s what makes him such a special player.” Kelce’s on-and-off show has him pacing for 92 catches, 813 yards, and two TDs, but can he keep that momentum rolling?

And if the caller under center is happy, you know it’s a smooth run. At least, Pat would want him to if they are to get a dub against the Bucs. Another battle he’d like to win would be against his counterpart, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield.

Patrick Mahomes versus Baker Mayfield, the battle of in-form QBs

“In critical games like this … you go back to the trying-to-end-every-drive-in-a-kick type mentality,” Baker Mayfield said. And you know he’s coming into this week 9 showdown with Patrick Mahomes, ready to put that into practice.

Two QBs, both hot off mixed starts, facing off under the big lights—this could get interesting. Mahomes has his usual swagger. But it hasn’t been a cakewalk this season. And Mayfield? He’s proving he’s got the chops to go head-to-head with one of the NFL’s elite.The Chiefs with Mahomes at the helm are rolling in with a defense ranked top-5 in total and scoring stats. So, KC’s game plan here? Probably to keep it simple—Pat doesn’t need to go for the highlight reel when he’s got the defense holding down the fort. Still, those interceptions are stacking up, and Mahomes would love to keep them in check.

Now, let’s talk stats. The Chiefs’ #15 has thrown for 1,651 passing yards but is walking a fine line with 8 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. As far as the Bucs’ #6 is concerned, he is showing some better numbers with 2,189 yards, 9 TDs, and 7 interceptions. The Chiefs look like they have the upper hand, but both QBs are on notice.

But the Bucs have the pressure of keeping it above .500. Another loss, their record goes to 4-5 and boom, the morale goes too. Not a good look, especially with the 49ers looming in Week 10. As for the Chiefs, they can keep doing what they have been doing and that should do it. So for Patrick Mahomes and Co., it’s all about not trying anything extra.

Who do you think will next week? Tell us your predictions in the comments below!

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