The Kansas City Chiefs kept their perfect season alive in week four by taking down the Los Angeles Chargers. Kansas City stole a 17-10 win over the home team en route to a 4-0 start. While not many analysts are surprised the Chiefs are 4-0, many are surprised with how they’ve gotten there.
Travis Kelce had been nearly obsolete through the first three games while Rashee Rice became Patrick Mahomes’ number one option. However, Rice’s injury has changed things once again for the offense.
Chiefs’ HC Andy Reid Announces Significant Change After Rashee Rice Injury (Report)
According to Alex Hoegler of Total Pro Sports:
Rashee Rice suffered the knee injury after being accidentally hit by Patrick Mahomes during a tackle attempt following an interception. Rice was quickly ruled out for the game, and soon after, it was reported that the Chiefs feared he suffered a season-ending ACL tear.
Per ESPN’s Adam Teicher, coach Reid told reporters that the Chiefs plan to “spread the ball around” in Rice’s absence.
“We’ve got guys here that have experience of playing in the game. It’s not that he’s the only one, doesn’t have to be the only one. We’ve got a good group of guys there that we can utilize, and we normally spread the ball around and that’s what we’ll continue to strive to do.”
The Chiefs were dealt a tough blow last month when it was announced that Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown would likely miss the entire 2024 regular season. Starting running back Isiah Pacheco is still out for several more weeks with a fractured fibula, but losing their No. 1 receiver in Rashee Rice further complicates matters.
The Chiefs’ thin WR depth was compensated for by Rice and tight end Travis Kelce, who were consistently productive wide receivers last season. In the absence of Rice, Kelce, rookie Xavier Worthy, and veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster will need to step up significantly.
Last season, Rick caught 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. In the Chiefs’ first four games in 2024, Rashee Rice had 24 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
