KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes want just about everyone — fans, analysts and NFL defensive coordinators — to come to the same conclusion after the Kansas City Chiefs’ season opener Thursday night: “Oh no, the Chiefs’ deep ball is back!”
While Thursday’s game is a marquee matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, a rematch of the AFC Championship Game, one of the main objectives for the Chiefs is to generate explosive highlights on offense, deep passes that Mahomes completes to lead the team to victory. For the first time in two years, one of Mahomes’ teammates should be the fastest player on the field. The Chiefs moved up in the first round of the NFL Draft to select receiver Xavier Worthy, who ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in a record-setting 4.21 seconds.
“What I’ve seen is that they have a pretty good thing going, and we’ll just see how it goes when things are flying here fast and furious,” Reid said Friday of Mahomes’ growing connection with Worthy. Reid later added of Worthy: “He spends a lot of time with Pat and the other receivers, the veteran guys, just figuring out what Pat’s expecting. Whether it’s an inside route, one of those intermediate routes or long routes, he’s been very willing to get in there and mix it up. I like what I’ve seen.”
A perfect scenario for Thursday’s game is if Mahomes and Worthy can replicate what they did in the opening practice of training camp.
GET USED TO IT 🔥
Mahomes scrambles to find Xavier Worthy DEEP for the touchdown pic.twitter.com/qqEQrwSuyO
— KC Sports Network (@KCSportsNetwork) July 21, 2024
In the team period, Mahomes rolled to his left after executing a play-action fake. Throwing the ball across his body and off platform, Mahomes’ deep pass — with the ball traveling more than 60 yards in the air — was perfect. Worthy, in a one-on-one matchup against safety Bryan Cook, tracked the ball and made a diving catch in the back of the end zone.
Similar plays were rare last season. In 16 games, Mahomes threw 60 passes with the ball traveling 20 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage, according to TruMedia. But just 17 of those passes were completed, an indication of just how poor his long-distance connection was with his receivers.
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In the preseason, the Chiefs’ first offensive snap was a play-action pass designed for Mahomes to roll to his right for a deep pass to Worthy. But the Jacksonville Jaguars blitzed, forcing Mahomes to complete a pass to veteran receiver Marquise Brown, a newcomer who sustained a sternoclavicular dislocation after being tackled, an injury that will force him to miss Thursday’s game.
Worthy was impressive in the Chiefs’ exhibition against the Detroit Lions. He led the team before halftime with three receptions on six targets for 62 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown catch. Worthy also showed his speed on a jet sweep for an 11-yard gain. Late in the first quarter, backup quarterback Carson Wentz beat a Lions blitz by throwing an intermediate pass to a wide-open Worthy, who used a stutter step at the top of his post route to help sprint past nickel cornerback Amik Robertson.
WENTZ FINDS WORTHY FOR 6‼️ pic.twitter.com/bFmoVUBNIz
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 17, 2024
The Chiefs are optimistic Worthy can have a similar highlight against the Ravens’ secondary, a group led by cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Kyle Hamilton.
“Once you hit him over the top with that speed, it helps open up the entire field,” Mahomes said of Worthy earlier this month. “It’s going to help everyone in the entire offense having him, having (Brown), having (receiver) Rashee (Rice) being able to break loose. I think it will be big for us this year.”
Here’s what else I’m seeing from the Chiefs ahead of the season opener.
Suamataia won the left tackle battle
The Chiefs selected Kingsley Suamataia in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft, hoping he would be the starting left tackle throughout the prime of Mahomes’ career. Suamataia, 6-foot-4 and 326 pounds, won the position battle over second-year player Wanya Morris by showing his above-average athleticism and pass-blocking ability during camp and the preseason.
In limited preseason snaps, Suamataia earned an 82.8 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest of any rookie tackle.
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The preseason, though, is not the regular season. The first test for Suamataia, who will be responsible for protecting Mahomes’ blind side, will likely be one-on-one matchups against Ravens defensive end Justin Madubuike and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. Suamataia should receive schematic help from Reid to not be on an island every passing snap and he should also benefit from playing alongside Joe Thuney, one of the league’s best left guards.
“I got to showcase my athleticism and we had a couple end-arounds,” Suamataia said earlier this month. “It was fun and we showed we can be a running offense. I just went out there and played ball. As long as I stay between my guy and Patrick, that’s the goal.”
WORTHY WIDE OPEN 🙌 pic.twitter.com/QTOZDtN8md
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 17, 2024
Two new veterans should contribute immediately
Last week, the Chiefs signed receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, a seven-year veteran, and running back Samaje Perine, a seven-year veteran, to be quality backup contributors. Both players are expected to be in uniform for Thursday’s game.
New England released Smith-Schuster, 27, earlier this month. In 11 games last season for the Patriots, he had 29 receptions for 260 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs, though, know exactly how to use Smith-Schuster, in their offense as a possession receiver who can devour zone coverages with Mahomes and run routes alongside tight end Travis Kelce. The question, though, is this: Can Smith-Schuster be as reliable as he was with the Chiefs in 2022? Reid is expected to manage Smith-Schuster’s snaps, but his transition back to the playbook should be pretty smooth
“(Aug. 26) was my first practice and being able to see Worthy run, that was pretty impressive,” Smith-Schuster said. “He was just floating across the field. It’s pretty cool that (we have) a guy like him who can open up the offense.”
Perine’s primary role will be the one that Jerick McKinnon had the past two seasons, an additional pass protector who can be effective as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Last season, Perine generated 693 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in 17 games for the Denver Broncos, who released him last week.
“He’s been a phenomenal third-down back, but he’s also a good runner,” Reid said of Perine. “He’s a good well-rounded player that’s extremely intelligent. That’s a great addition that (general manager) Brett (Veach) added to the team.”
He’s shifty. 💨#DENvsCHI | 📺: CBS or @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/EYmbvX0Y2W
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 1, 2023
A question still lingers with secondary
One positive for the Chiefs is that, other than Brown, everyone on the roster should be healthy and available for Thursday’s game.
The biggest problem ahead of kickoff for defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is that he still might not know who will be his second starting cornerback alongside Trent McDuffie. In the offseason, the Chiefs traded L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans. But none of the Chiefs’ three-year players at the position — Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson — has performed well enough in the preseason to win the position battle outright.
“It’s making it really difficult to decide,” Spagnuolo said last month. “We can’t say there is a starting other corner right now, in all honesty.”
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Hicks might be Chiefs’ latest draft steal
Safety Jaden Hicks, who was selected in the fourth round, appears to be the Chiefs’ best rookie defender. In three preseason games, Hicks demonstrated his quickness, intelligence and strong tackling ability in the open field, as he produced two pass breakups, a fumble recovery and 12 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage.
“He’s on track to have a special career here,” Veach said of Hicks, who projects to be the Chiefs’ third rotational safety this season. “I think he is going to have a big role on this defense.”
Highest Graded Rookie Safety from Preseason Week 3:
🔴 Jaden Hicks, KC: 83.8@WSUCougarFB pic.twitter.com/C5o9xorjYE
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 26, 2024
Late last month, Veach shared that, via text messages, New Orleans safety Tyrann Mathieu, who played three seasons for the Chiefs, was impressed with Hicks while watching the rookie’s film.
“I was at home watching some preseason games after we got done playing one night and I randomly texted Tyrann Mathieu just to check in and say hi,” Veach said. “We were exchanging texts and he kind of ended it with, ‘and (No.) 21 is a stud.’ When he mentions it, I think it’s kind of taken the same way by the rest of the league.
“He’s done a great job. We are excited for him and where his future can go.”
(Photo of Patrick Mahomes: Denny Medley / USA Today)
