Bill Belichick knows a champion quarterback when he sees one. Belichick coached future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady to nine Super Bowl appearances, winning six with the New England Patriots. Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs improved to 3-0 on the season, beating the Atlanta Falcons 22-17, as the Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers are the only teams with a perfect 3-0 record heading into Week 4. After the ideal start, Belichick deemed Mahomes, who says he needs to play better, as having the attitude of a champion.
Despite the perfect record, Mahomes wants to play better for his team, which was something Belichick highlighted about the defending champion during his recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
“One of the things that really jumped out at me was last night when they interviewed Mahomes,” Belichick said. “They’re 3-0, and you could easily sit there and say they’re on course, and here we go again, a big win in Atlanta and all that, but Mahomes is talking about how bad they’re playing and how much harder they need to work and improve. That’s the attitude of a champion right there. It just jumps off the screen at you.”
Patrick Mahomes says he ‘hasn’t played well’ after Chiefs’ 3-0 start
Patrick Mahomes told reporters he doesn’t believe he’s played his best football yet after beating the Falcons 22-17, leading the champion Chiefs to a 3-0 start on the 2024 NFL season.
“We haven’t played well, in really, all three games,” Mahomes said. “We’ve been able to win, and that speaks to the character of the team, the grit, and how we’ve been in these situations before. But I’ll speak especially offensively. I feel like I haven’t played very well. That’s not a stats thing. I just feel like I’m missing opportunities whenever they’re out there and not throwing the ball in the exact spot I want it to be at. So, that’s about me getting back to my fundamentals, putting our guys in the right position, and then we got to execute at a higher level offensively.”
For this reason, seeing Mahomes take on responsibility, Bill Belichick says Mahomes’ words after a 3-0 start on the season speaks volumes about who he is as an NFL champion.
“They won a big game, and what he’s talking about is how much work they have to do, how much better they need to be, and how it all starts with him,” Belichick added. “I’d still take his performance over a lot of other guys in this league, but here he is putting it on his shoulders.”
The Chiefs lead the NFL in power rankings for Week 4, and they’ll prepare for the Los Angeles Chargers next week.
