Use Pre-snap Disguises to Confuse Him

Patrick Mahomes has had it rather easy, in terms of defensive coordinators faced. Robert Saleh will be his first real challenge so far this season. Through two games, Saleh has actually done a good job with the defense considering the lack of overall talent. His schemes and play calling has been able to mask a lot of their deficiencies. That is why using pre-snap disguises is a key factor to minimizing Mahomes. Pre-snap disguises can help hide a defense’s weakness or at the very least delay the exposure of that weakness.

For Saleh, the hope is that the disguise will help expose a weakness of Mahomes. He hasn’t had to face any complex defenses. The San Francisco 49ers aren’t so much on that level, but Saleh is sure to have some tricks up his sleeve. It’s all about causing Mahomes to think twice, which hopefully results in a mistake. Pre-snap disguises are like a jam on a receiver. It’ll throw off/disrupt the timing of Mahomes reads because now he has to scan the defense again, while keeping in mind of the routes being ran. That’s asking a lot for a guy who’s been gifted a lot of easy completions.

What I mean by gifted is that the defenses he’s faced have had a lot of blown assignments, especially against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He hasn’t had to make too many tough reads through his progressions. It doesn’t matter when his receivers are wide open. The 49ers defense has to be mentally strong in this game. Know your assignment and make a break on the ball. Hopefully utilizing a lot of pre-snap disguises will allow the players to be more comfortable. It may even lead to a potential turnover too, so execution is a key. If they tip their hand too early, then Mahomes will have no hinderance.