That answered any questions about his arm strength.What wasn't answered during all those years with the Red Raiders was whether that rocket arm could deliver the ball consistently on point.Yes, Mahomes threw far fewer interceptions than most folks recall, especially given the number of pass plays Texas Tech calls each game, but most cynics
figured he would toss about as many picks as touchdown passes once he arrived in
the NFL.He answered that question last week against the Chargers, when he threw for 256 yards and four TDs without an interception in his first game as the Chiefs'
full-time starting quarterback."He did a nice job, and now you have to back it up," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday. "He understands that. He's wired that way. Plenty of room to
improve and he knows it. He's working at it."Such as sliding when he's under pressure, rather than taking a big hit. Mahomes absorbed far too many of those against the Chargers, and the Pittsburgh
Steelers' ferocious defense no doubt is licking its chops at the thought of
delivering another crunching blow on Sunday.But when it comes to throwing passes into double coverage, or taking a gamble that results in a costly turnover Authentic Melvin Gordon Jersey , at least for one week Mahomes was perfect.And it's hard to get much better than perfect."Good and bad, you lean from both of those. But he made some nice decisions," Reid said. "There's some things he can go back and look at and say, 'I should
have gone there.' That's in the memory bank and he's building that file. I
thought he did a good job of not throwing it to them, but there are some things
he could do better against certain looks."Reid wouldn't go into details, of course, lest he gives the Steelers any unnecessary advantage. But whether it was a quick-flip pass to Tyreek Hill that
resulted in a long touchdown, or a touch throw down the sideline to Anthony
Sherman for another score, Mahomes never put the ball in too much danger.More than all those throws he made, it was the throws he didn't make in the 38-28 victory that helped Mahomes win this season's first AFC offensive player
of the week award."It helped that I had a lot of guys that played well for us in the offense," Mahomes said. "Tyreek had a great game Youth Ben Roethlisberger Jersey , the offensive line played really well. I'm glad I got the honor, but it was kind of an offensive unit honor."It's hard to gauge the growth in Mahomes from last year to this year, given how little he played as a rookie. But offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz said
it's evident in all aspects of his game, whether it was the way Mahomes
approached offseason workouts or the way he operates in the classroom."There's definitely a comfortability with everything," Schwartz said. "There's been a huge progression from him and it's been cool to see."Just as Reid said, though, now Mahomes needs to back up his Week 1 performance.The Steelers present a much more complex test for Mahomes with a variety of disguised blitzes that have frustrated Chiefs quarterbacks for years.Even the cerebral Alex Smith, the consummate game-manager quarterback, struggled to have much success against Pittsburgh during his years in Kansas
City."I feel like I get better and better with blitz protections every week. It helps that we have good game plans," Mahomes said. "I know Pittsburgh does a ton
of that stuff, that's kind of their thing Womens Ezekiel Elliott Jersey , but we've played them a lot the last few years, so we kind of know what to expect."Notes: Eric Berry remained out of practice Wednesday. The team had described his injury as a heel issue in training camp, but Reid clarified that it is
Berry's Achilles tendon causing issues. The star safety tore his Achilles tendon
last season. "Just being cautious with it," Reid said. "We have full trust in
him. He's always very honest with us. We want him there for the long haul. We're
trying to make sure everything is right there." ... LB Ben Niemann (hamstring)
also did not practice Wednesday.CLEVELAND (AP) — Jim Brown has spent much of his post-NFL career fighting for social justice and change.However, the Hall of Fame running back would never kneel during the national anthem.The 82-year-old Brown, who championed civil rights during his playing career and became an activist in retirement, said Tuesday night that he respects
players’ rights to do what they want but his preference is they would stand
during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”“I’ll never kneel and I will always respect the flag,” said Brown, who spoke before an HBO premiere of “Hard Knocks,” which is chronicling the Cleveland
Browns in training camp.Brown was asked how he would resolve the anthem issue, which has plagued the league for two years.“Well Authentic Eli Manning Jersey , if you take the bottom line, what are we talking about? We’re talking about freedom to express one’s self, and if you don’t break
any rules then you have that particular right,” he said.“I am not going to denigrate my flag and I’m going to stand for the national anthem. I’m fighting with all of my strength to make it a better country, but I
don’t think that’s the issue. Because what is the top side? Are you not going to
stand up? This is our country, man.“We work hard to make it better and that’s my attitude, so I don’t relate to this issue because it’s newsworthy because where are your superstars? And where
are they at? Aren’t they making comments?”Protests during the anthem have enveloped the league since former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee to protest social
injustice.The NFL modified its anthem protocol in May, prohibiting demonstrations for 2018, but allowing players to remain in the locker room during the anthem.The players’ union filed a grievance, and the change has been tabled while the NFL and NFLPA work on a resolution. New England Patriots Customized Jerseys
