Kansas City Chiefs electrifying rookie Xavier Worthy turned heads inside and out of the NFL in the regular season opener, but Rashee Rice may have made an even bigger statement in Thursday night’s victory.
While Worthy’s 21-yard touchdown run through the heart of the Ravens’ defense was both an opening salvo on what has the potential to be an explosive career, as well as Thursday’s 27-20 win for the defending Super Bowl champions, Rice’s versatility may signal big trouble ahead for NFL defenses.
Pro Football Focus points out that not only did Rice make a major impact by catching seven passes for 103 yards but his usage in one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses could be a tell for what’s to come in the season ahead.
“While Rice’s 4.69 receiving yards per route run from the slot is not a sustainable number,” Zoltàn Buday writes for PFF. “It stacks up well against individual games from last season. In 2023, there were 177 instances of a receiver seeing at least five targets from the slot in a game — Rice had six targets against the Ravens — and the former SMU receiver’s 4.69 receiving yards per route run would have ranked 14th among those performances. His 18.8 receiving yards per catch would have ranked 16th last season. Yet, Rice’s average depth of target of 7.2 yards would have ranked just 100th last season, highlighting how well he did after the catch in the middle of the field against Baltimore.”
Inside Rashee Rice’s Value to Kansas City Chiefs
RIce as an after the catch weapon will serve Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense well.
It is worth noting that Rice was so effective not only from the slot but on the perimeter against the Ravens, without the benefit of sidelined deep threat Marquise “Hollywood” Brown commanding attention of safeties over the top of the field.
If Thursday night’s version of the Chiefs’ offense is what takes the field each week, Kansas City just might have the pieces in place to make a legitimate run at a historic third consecutive Super Bowl title.
