Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce get major PFF validation for Chiefs connection (Getty Images)
Their mark is 158.3, the highest score a rating can hit, and Darnold and Smith-Njigba match it. The Chiefs come off a Week 5 bye and face the Chargers on Sunday, possibly without Rashee Rice. Kelce, 37, leads Kansas City with 16 catches and 246 yards, and Mahomes sits first in PFF’s quarterback rankings heading into Week 6, a spot he has held for most of the year. A 158.3 rating is a perfect score, so there is no room left above it. The next three pairs trail: Bryce to Chuba at 152.7, Geno to Garrett at 151.9, and Lawrence to Meyers at 146.4.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have the best passer rating under pressure in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Mahomes and Kelce share the top spot with Darnold and Smith-Njigba. The context around them has changed. Kansas City now leans on Kenneth Walker III and runs more from under center, which gives the passing game a different shape. Defenses have to respect the run first. That may leave Kelce more room to find a soft spot when the pocket collapses. The deep ball is where Walker’s impact shows. Mahomes is hitting shots downfield off play-action, and a real running game has brought some life back to his passing. Working from under center more often has helped too. The number to watch is Kelce’s target share, not the passer rating. A rating built on a small sample can fade fast. A game against the Chargers in which he draws eight or nine looks, with Rice sidelined, would tell us whether this connection is a quirk of the early schedule or the new backbone of the Chiefs’ offense.