Patrick Mahomes' Heart Rate and Strain Data from Historic Playoff Win

We break down Patrick Mahomes’ WHOOP data from one of the most amazing football games ever played.

In what has already been dubbed by many an all-time great playoff game, Kansas City knocked off Buffalo 42-36 in a spectacular overtime thriller. Below we take a look at Patrick Mahomes’ strain and heart rate during the defining moments of his club’s miraculous victory.  

A Record-Setting 2 Minutes

With 2 minutes remaining in the game, Kansas City led Buffalo by the score of 26-21. In the final 1:54 of regulation there were 3 lead changes and a tie, including a playoff-record 25 points scored after the 2-minute warning. At 8:27 pm local time, Mahomes and Kansas City suddenly found themselves trailing 29-26. For the entire game, Mahomes’ average heart rate was 146 beats per minute (peaking at 191 bpm during his rushing TD in the first quarter, and dipping as low as 79). However, for the next 28 minutes, it stayed above 146 the entire time (more on this to follow).

Mahomes' heart rate peaked at 191 bpm after his rushing touchdown in the first quarter.

Four minutes after falling behind (52 seconds on the game clock), Mahomes threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to retake the lead 33-29. At that moment, his heart rate hit 171 bpm, spiking with the excitement of the go-ahead score after staying fairly steady during the drive. Then, in only 49 seconds of game time, Buffalo went back on top 36-33. Now with just 13 seconds remaining on the clock, Mahomes incredibly took his team 44 yards in 2 plays to set up the game-tying field goal. As the kick sailed through the uprights, knotting the score at 36-36 with time expiring, Mahomes’ HR shot up to 162.

Mahomes heart rate jumped while watching his teammate kick the game-tying field goal.

Overtime Victory

In overtime, Mahomes and Kansas City immediately marched 75 yards down the field in 8 plays to score the winning touchdown. Mahomes completed all 6 passes he threw for a total of 69 yards, including the game winner just before 8:55 pm. While Kansas City pulled off its epic victory, Mahomes' HR climbed from 150 to 169. Once again, it was the thrill of winning that led to his HR rising after calmly orchestrating yet another masterful drive.

After throwing the winning touchdown pass, Mahomes' heart rate rose to 169 bpm while celebrating the amazing victory.  

Heart Rate, Strain & Calories Burned

In total, Mahomes’ activity strain during the game was 18.8 with 2,347 calories burned, and his day strain was 20.4 (on a 0-21 scale). Over the 28 minutes of real time spanning the frantic end of regulation and OT, his average heart rate was nearly 160 bpm. Below is Mahomes’ heart rate data for the entire game.

Many of Mahomes’ highest HR spikes occurred early in the game and when Buffalo had the ball.

As noted by his trainer Bobby Stroupe, the HR spikes didn’t come during pressure-packed situations, but rather following game-changing plays by both teams, often when Mahomes wasn’t even on the field. And in the game's waning moments, those plays came so frequently that his heart rate rarely had a chance to drop.   READ MORE: Patrick Mahomes’ WHOOP Data: Quantifying the Strain of an NFL Season