(11-02-2020, 04:20 PM)mikesez Wrote:

(11-02-2020, 04:10 PM)NeptuneBeachBum Wrote: I think what your perspective is failing to realize here is the quarterback is the straw the stirs the drink.  In other words, an elite QB makes everyone around them better.  I have no doubt Mahomes would do that with this group, although definitely not to the extent that he has with the talent in KC.  Mahomes' ability to either release the ball on time, or scramble to avoid sacks, makes his O-Line look statistically better than they are.  That same ability to buy time with his feet gives his receivers more of an opportunity to get open and look better.  The threat of the passing game in general forces defenses to call plays that can make them more vulnerable to the running attack, and make KC look better in their ground game.  Minshew is not elite and and does not have those abilities to make those around him look better; NO CHANCE the Chiefs win the Super Bowl with him at QB.  Chark has regressed and is openly frustrated when Minshew misses him on routine plays when he's open; same with our other receivers.  Eifert was a real threat in Cincy (when he was healthy) and had 13 TD's in one season there, but has done little here.  Our O-line was looking very good early with the running game, but looks worse now because teams are loading up against the run and daring us to throw it.  Our  O-Line also looks worse against the pass because Minshew holds the ball too long.

Peyton Manning was another guy that made people around him better.  Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker were All Pros / Pro Bowlers with Peyton but could not replicate any success they had without him.  We know all too well that Julius Thomas (a multi-year Pro Bowl TE in Denver) was not the same player with us as he was with Peyton.  The O-Line rankings in Denver deteriorated rapidly after Peyton left because he always made quick decisions where the football would go and rarely took a sack, but the same guys were "Pro Bowlers" when Peyton was there.  My point is, Minshew is not a franchise guy because he is not capable of making the guys around him better.  We need to stop making excuses for him... he's not getting it done.  Now the kid in Cincinnati... that kid is going to be good, and has that ability; and you can see it getting better every week.   We need to find someone like that in the next draft.

Mahomes has some physical skills that Manning and Brady could only dream of, but it remains to be seen if he can make mediocre players look great the way those two did.  Mahomes came in to a stacked team.

The KC team has talent, but none of those guys were producing even close the level they are now before Mahomes got there.  You put Tyreek Hill into the Chicago offense (which is the exact same scheme as KC, btw) and you will see a speed guy become mediocre pretty quick with their QB situation.  Same with Sammy Watkins.  Kelce was a solid Tight End before, but his production has increased over 30% since Mahomes became the starter.  So I would say, he has already proven that.

---