ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — It’ll come as no surprise when I say Patrick Mahomes is darn good.
In fact, there’s an easy argument to be made he’s the best player in the most competitive and popular league in America. The argument is easy because he won the league’s Most Valuable Player award just last year.
“The guy is really, really special,” Vic Fangio said, simply agreeing on Monday as he prepares to face the reigning MVP on a short week.
But despite just being at the beginning of his third year in the league, Fangio believes Mahomes’ already profiles as an all-time legend.
“I think he’s like what John Elway was in the ‘80s and ‘90s—He’s that guy,” Fangio, the man of few ground-shaking compliments stated without hesitation. “Like Aaron Rodgers has been for the last 12-14 years, or however many years he’s been starting. He’s kind of that guy.”
The great John Elway, huh? The Hall of Fame gunslinger John Elway, eh? The greatest athlete the history of Colorado, is that really who you’re comparing the Broncos’ greatest rival to Vic?
To the dismay and depression of Broncos fans, early indications would say Fangio isn’t far off the mark one bit. In fact, in one season as the full-time starter, Mahomes already has the same number of league MVPs as Elway racked up during his 16-year career.
Statistically speaking, in Mahomes’ first year as a starter in 2018, he blew away Elway’s best season. Of course, the game is significantly different in terms of passing statistics, and Mahomes is five Super Bowl appearances and two rings shy of Elway, but the fact of the matter is his skill set isn’t too far from No. 7’s.
“He’s the great passer, the great improviser, plays with a lot of athletic arrogance, which is a compliment,” Fangio said, expounding on Mahomes’ abilities. “He’s very confident in his abilities. He’s very poised. Doesn’t get rattled. And he’s got an arm that’s really, really good.”
Great passer, check. Great improviser, check. Confidence, check. Poised, check. And, in the direct words of Fangio, a really, really good arm, check.
Sounds like No. 7 alright. And much like John, one of Mahomes’ greatest abilities is that the play is never over until the whistle blows.
“With a guy like this, you have to defend two plays. The one they’ve called and then the one he might create. And that makes it tough,” Fangio explained. “He can make all the throws they’re asking him to make and some that they’re not even asking him to make that just show up in his improvisation.”
This was on perfect display in the team’s Week 4 matchup in 2018. With Von Miller barreling down on him, the right-handed quarterback completed a pass to Tyreek Hill for a first down as he was sprinting to the sideline. He threw the ball with his left hand.
“He’s good in the pocket, has great pocket feel, you can tell he’s a gamer,” Fangio added.
Sitting at 2,104 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and only one interception, Mahomes is actually on pace to break Peyton Manning’s single-season record for passing yards set back in 2013 with Denver.
Compared to the rest of the league, the Broncos have actually had success against Mahomes, “limiting” him to 891 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in his three career games. However, the most recent game, Mahomes went for over 300 passing yards, four touchdowns and one interception for a 125 passer rating.
Oh, he’s undefeated about the Orange & Blue, too.
But all of that was before John Elway himself hired Vic Fangio to lead this defense. On Thursday night, in front of the entire country on primetime, Fangio will have an opportunity to shutdown a player that reminds him of his new boss.
