The Kansas City Chiefs improved their record to 4-0 with a 17-10 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, but that victory came at a steep price.
The Chiefs lost star wide receiver Rashee Rice to a knee injury. It’s the latest in a string of injuries that have cast doubt on the team’s hopes of becoming the first-ever team to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships.
However, there is reason for Kansas City fans to remain optimistic. Let’s take a closer look at the state of the team and why it’s too early to hit the panic button.
Chiefs receiver room has been decimated
The Chiefs’ season got off to a bad start when it was revealed that wide receiver Marquise Brown’s shoulder injury was more severe than initially thought and the receiver could possibly miss the entire season. Things only got worse after Rice was carted off with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
The extent of the injury still hasn’t been revealed, and it might not be quite as bad as the possible season-ending injury that was initially feared, but Rice will still likely miss significant time. He’ll be out at least the next four games after being placed on the injured reserve list.
Kansas City still has Patrick Mahomes
No matter what happens with the Chiefs regarding injuries, poor play, or anything else, the team will always have a shot so long as Patrick Mahomes is under center.
The 2017 first-round draft pick has blossomed into one of the undisputed top three quarterbacks in football, and he’s rapidly strengthening his case for a spot on the NFL’s all-time Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks. Mahomes is like Tom Brady in one key way, he can win with any group of wide receivers on the field.
This is incredibly important for a team that has had significant injury attrition at the receiver position.
Travis Kelce has yet to breakout
Travis Kelce has gotten off to a slow start this season, which on the surface should be troubling if you are a Chiefs fan. However, the reality is actually the opposite. There’s no reason to assume that Kelce has fallen off so suddenly, rapidly and drastically.
He can still be the same guy that he was last season, and while he might not be able to play quite as much, when he’s on the field he is still capable of being productive. The Chiefs may have gotten off to a rocky start, but at the end of the day, the record is the only thing that matters and they are 4-0 right now.
The Chiefs don’t need to dominate the regular season in order to have a shot at postseason success. They should be capable of managing Kelce’s workload while still winning at least 11 or 12 games, possibly even 13. That should get them into the postseason comfortably, and once they’re in the playoffs, Andy Reid can unleash Kelce to dynamic effect.
Kelce is still a mismatch against any team in football because of his rare combination of height, strength, speed, hands, and experience. He knows how to manipulate defenses and get open against any coverage. He’s also still a yards-after-the-catch machine who can break tackles and gain extra yardage.
Xavier Worthy has immense upside
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) is defended by Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton (7) as he hangs on to a touchdown pass in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Tyreek Hill was the best wide receiver that Mahomes worked with during his career, and the two achieved immense success together. After Hill left town and joined Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins, Mahomes has found success with other receivers.
He hasn’t quite matched the heights that he enjoyed with Hill on the team, though. Luckily for Mahomes and the Chiefs, Xavier Worthy appears to be a made-in-the-lab clone of Hill.
Worthy is blazing quick, and he might actually be even faster than Hill when it comes to pure straight-line speed. The rookie out of Texas hasn’t quite developed the same overall receiver skills such as route running that Hill possesses, but it’s still very early in his career and there’s no reason to believe he won’t get there.
Mahomes will be thrilled to have a player who mimics so many of the skills that made Tyreek Hill his favorite wide receiver in Kansas City. The sky is the limit on who Worthy can become and what he can accomplish in Kansas City with Mahomes throwing him the ball. Chiefs fans should be excited.
One of Mahomes’ greatest strings is his arm strength and ability to swing the ball all over the field. He is rare in that he combines immense throwing power, intelligent decision-making, and accuracy, which makes him a lethal downfield passer.
Worthy is one of the player archetypes who can actually help improve Mahomes’ game because he can unlock his quarterback’s, true downfield passing capability. Worthy can take the top off of a defense with ease on any given play, and Mahomes can hit him in stride from anywhere on the field. This adds an incredibly explosive dynamic to the Chiefs’ offense.
