The legendary quarterbacks in the NFL have overcome many hurdles to etch their names in history as one of the league’s greatest players. Despite the many accomplishments already recorded, things can still be criticized and questioned regarding a legacy.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes enters his first road postseason game this Sunday against the rival Buffalo Bills. He’s heard the critics and pundits question his mindset ahead of the game and not having the support inside Arrowhead Stadium he’s commonly enjoyed this time of year. He addressed the topic in his Wednesday press conference.
“I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot of games at home at Arrowhead Stadium, but now we have a great opportunity to go on the road, play in a hostile environment, one where I haven’t been able to play with fans in the stands,” Mahomes told reporters on Wednesday. “Even though I know it’s going to be hostile and there are going to be people talking trash, I’m excited for it because it’s one of the best environments in football, and you want to do that when you grow up watching these games, play in the best environment and see what it’s like.”
Mahomes is no stranger to playing Buffalo, as he mentioned his 2020 regular-season victory at Highmark Stadium. The game was played during the COVID-19 pandemic, so no fans were allowed at the stadium.
“I go into every game with the same mindset, and that’s to go out there and win,” Mahomes said. “We understand it’s going to be a great challenge, we understand it’s going to be a hostile environment, and we’re playing a great football team. We know it’s going to be a great challenge for us, but our mindset is we’re going to prepare ourselves this week to go out there to win the football game, and that never changes.”
The Chiefs are playing their first road postseason game as a franchise since 2015. The Chiefs won a road game against the Houston Texans and lost in the divisional round to the New England Patriots, while Mahomes was a student-athlete at Texas Tech.