Patrick Mahomes appeared to question his number four ranking in the NFL's Top 100 list during the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, but he claimed that is not what he was referring to.
After looping a two-yard touchdown pass to left tackle Eric Fisher in the fourth quarter on Monday, 2018 NFL MVP Mahomes counted to four on his right hand before shrugging as he jogged to the sidelines.
It was the fourth touchdown the Chiefs quarterback had thrown for and it sealed a 34-20 triumph over reigning MVP Lamar Jackson's Ravens.
Mahomes finished the game 31-of-42 for 385 yards passing, making him the fastest to reach 10,000 career passing yards.
After leading Kansas City to their first Super Bowl title in 50 years in February, Mahomes placed lower than expected in the NFL's Top 100 list last offseason.
Asked if his gesture after Fisher's touchdown was a reference to his ranking, he said with a smile: "I think it was like four touchdowns in the game, I think, at that point."
How many touchdowns for Mahomes? pic.twitter.com/5yzB0EwNfB
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 29, 2020
Mahomes was 17-of-21 for 219 yards and three touchdowns against the blitz versus Baltimore and he praised his offensive line and his route runners for helping him achieve such success.
"They definitely had a blitz package that we weren't necessarily prepared for, but at the same time we had talked about stuff that they could do," he said.
"So, I mean, obviously we had some un-scouted looks, but I thought the o-line did a great job of picking those up, even though they were getting in gaps they hadn't hit so far this season. It's about communication throughout the game and making adjustments. I thought we did a good job of that."
He added: "With our defense, when you go in training camp against coach Spags [defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo], you're getting a heavy dose of blitzes from everywhere.
"I thought guys accepted that challenge in training camp and it paid off today. We may not have seen some of the exact blitzes, but we've seen blitzes with fire-zone pressures and cover zeros. Guys sped up their routes, and the offensive line gave me enough time."