Four stats show how Patrick Mahomes’ high ankle sprain could impact AFC Championship vs. Bengals

How much Mahomes is able to get around on his right ankle could determine what the Chiefs’ offense looks like during the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Bettors have already seen how the MVP finalist’s ailment is impacting the Super Bowl odds this winter, and if he’s heavily compromised in Sunday’s game, it’ll certainly increase the chances of the Bengals eliminating the Chiefs for the second straight year in the AFC title game. While Mahomes doesn’t have the wheels of fellow star quarterbacks like Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts, running has always been a significant part of his game.

His work outside of the pocket and his magic in escaping pressure makes him that much more dangerous of a downfield passer and is a huge part of the Kansas City offense. When Mahomes is called for a designed quarterback run or ends up scampering past the line of scrimmage as a result of good work in the opposing secondary, good things frequently happen for head coach Andy Reid’s crew too.

The 2018 MVP finished the regular season as the team’s second-leading rusher with 358 yards on the ground, despite having the fourth-most carries (61). Mahomes was also second on the team with his four rushing touchdowns and picked up 25 first downs via his legs as well.

Kickoff to the Bengals-Chiefs game on Sunday is still nearly 100 hours away, so the next few days should clear up some questions surrounding Mahomes’ ankle’s strength and how mobile he’ll be.