Why Patrick Mahomes’ ‘cautious’ play style has been key to Chiefs’ dominance

Is Patrick Mahomes’ caution one of the reasons why the Chiefs keep winning games?

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the best teams in the NFL once again. Kansas City is 11-1 heading into Week 14 and has already clinched a spot in the playoffs in the AFC. Now there is very little standing in the Chiefs’ way of completing a three-peat of Super Bowl wins.

It is no secret that Patrick Mahomes is arguably the best QB in the NFL. RG.org recently published some interesting data that hints at one of Mahomes’ most powerful traits. Their research suggests that QB caution is a significant factor that leads to team success in the NFL.

RG.org used a statistic called aggressiveness percentages, which tries to capture the frequency of tight-window throws. When that stat is compared to a variety of other player metrics, RG.org concluded that there is a clear trend between low aggressiveness percentages and greater team success.

Below are the top five QBs in the NFL when analyzed by their aggressiveness percentages.

1. Patrick Mahomes – 10.17%
2. Jared Goff – 12.31%
3. Lamar Jackson – 13.21%
4. Josh Allen – 13.64%
5. Derek Carr – 14.25%

Other top NFL QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, and Dak Prescott round out of the top 10 for lowest aggressiveness percentages.

It should be no surprise that Mahomes is number one. The Chiefs have drastically changed their play style on offense after trading away Tyreek Hill back in 2022. Instead of attacking teams deep down the field, the Chiefs are now content to control the clock and slowly advance towards the end zone.

Kansas City’s success is likely a combination of their offensive scheme and Patrick Mahomes making smart decisions with the football. Regardless of the why, Chiefs fans are certainly thrilled with the results on the field.

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