Maverick Mahomes: Traditional rules don’t apply to Chiefs’ quarterback

DENVER — Forget the rules that guide most NFL quarterbacks. They don’t apply to Patrick Mahomes.

Don’t throw across your body? He’s done it — and gained nearly 30 yards on a third-and-long conversion.

Only throw with your dominant hand? That’s for beginners.

Throw the ball away under threat of imminent sack? Nah.

Mahomes knows all the rules, and then he breaks them, rewriting the accepted norms of being an NFL signal caller week after week. In Monday night’s 27-23 win in Denver, Mahomes’ knack for being a maverick was on full display in front of the highest-rated Monday Night Football audience since Dallas-Arizona on Sept. 27, 2017.

“You saw it in college, and you’re hoping you see it here,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We saw a little bit of it in Denver last year when we put him back in.

“(This) was a Monday night game. You’re the only show going. To be able to perform like that when needed, that’s good. He’s got a ton of things he’s got to clean up. He’s got a lot of room to improve, but his improv there got a 10.”

Of course, there’s the left-handed throw, the one that he “shot-putted” to Tyreek Hill to convert a crucial third down on the game-winning drive. Mahomes has a 91.7 passer rating with his left hand, according to ESPN’s Adam Teicher, better than the season passer ratings for Ben Roethlisberger, Jimmy Garoppolo, Derek Carr, Dak Prescott and Baker Mayfield, among others. And all of those guys are throwing with their dominant hands.

“When it came out of his hand I went, ‘Oh, wow,’ “ fullback Anthony Sherman said, his eyes growing wide. “And then he completes it.

“I think at this point, we should just trust him and know that he won’t put us in a bad situation. He’ll just find a way to get the ball to an open receiver.”

From his view on the sideline, linebacker Justin Houston has learned not to be surprised by anything Mahomes does. But even that throw made him shake his head in disbelief.

“It’s not shocking to me because of Pat Mahomes, but it is amazing to me to make a throw like that under pressure,” Houston said. “Game on the line and you’re rolling out to your right and you decide to make a left-handed pass and it’s on the money. That’s something special. That shows how great he is.”

An NFL quarterback for 11 seasons, Chad Henne has only seen one other quarterback make a throw with his non-dominant hand in a game.