Why Patrick Mahomes, Xavier Worthy Can't Connect on the Deep Ball and How to Fix It

The Chiefs' offense has found its rhythm as of late, but one thing it's still lacking is the deep ball connection between Patrick Mahomes and Xavier Worthy.

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) can’t make the catch on a pass against the Denver Broncos during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs have progressively improved their passing game throughout the season. One factor in that has been finding consistent usage for Xavier Worthy.

Over the last three weeks, Worthy has averaged 53.7 receiving yards per game with outputs of 61, 46 and 54 yards. Consistency in production is important. Kansas City has figured out how to have Worthy impact the offensive flow without the need for an explosive shot play. However, now that the Chiefs have found a stable usage for Worthy in the offense, the next step is to solve the mystery of the deep ball issues.

A deep target is any target 20 or more yards down the field. After reviewing every Patrick Mahomes deep target to Worthy, the stats are 4/14 completions (28.6%), two touchdowns and two interceptions. There are 26 players in the league with at least 14 deep targets this season, including Worthy. Only three have a lower completion rate on their deep targets than he does. While there have been two instances this season where Worthy couldn't get his feet down inbounds, the problems aren’t all on him.

Mahomes has no true weaknesses in his game but if there was one area to point out over the last two years, it'd be his deep accuracy. During his first few years as a starter, Mahomes was one of the best in the league in adjusted completion percentage on throws 20 or more yards downfield. Adjusted completion percentages add the completions and the drops and then divide them by the number of throws.

Patrick Mahomes Adj. Comp % on Deep Throws (20+ Yards):

2018 - 48.1% (7th/34)
2019 - 56.2% (2nd/35)
2020 - 39.5% (25th/35)
2021 - 50.0% (T6th/37)
2022 - 47.1% (8th/36)
2023 - 39.5% (27th/40)
2024 - 35.5% (32nd/39)

— Zack Eisen (@zackeisen21) December 4, 2024

Mahomes has to shoulder some responsibility for the struggles in the deep passing game, especially for Worthy. There have been plenty of times when Worthy has been open and the quarterback has missed him. There are a multitude of reasons for the inconsistency. The first – and probably biggest – culprit is Mahomes’s footwork on the throws.

There have been multiple plays where the footwork was either off or rushed while trying to throw deep. Mahomes is so exceptionally talented and gifted that he’s been able to play without always having the best mechanics and technique. With that said, it has also cost him and the Chiefs when it comes to hitting big plays.

RELATED: Grading Xavier Worthy's Rookie Season So Far – Numbers Don't Tell the True Story

Against the Denver Broncos, Mahomes missed Worthy streaking for a touchdown because he rushed his footwork and the ball sailed right on him. Another example is the Buffalo Bills game, where Worthy should have been able to get his feet down on the sideline but the ball should have never been that close to the boundary. Half of the field was green grass for Mahomes to throw the ball into, but his hips were open, causing the ball to go too far left.

Another reason for missteps is the trust and chemistry between Mahomes and Worthy. There have been times when Mahomes waits for Worthy to show him what angle he’s taking. This causes the ball to be late and allows the defender to break up the pass. Getting the break out of the route down is key, particularly when adjusted depending on the coverage look. If the quarterback and receiver aren’t on the same page, it can cause incompletions and prevent explosive plays from happening.

Lastly, some of the disconnect can be attributed to pass protection. When you are constantly getting hit in the pocket, a quarterback can begin to feel rushed, which causes other issues to occur. Mahomes probably rushed that throw against Denver because he was worried about the pressure getting to him off the left side. On the controversial late third down call against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs got what they wanted but Travis Kelce let the defender waltz into the backfield and hit Mahomes as he was throwing.

The good news for Kansas City is that these issues should be correctable through work and chemistry being built up. Having Worthy become a consistent factor in the offense is great. Now, it’d be excellent to see the Chiefs put his elite speed to use and start generating explosive plays on top of that.

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