While discussing Rashee Rice’s injury, Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy used a famous NFL mantra.
“In our receiving room,” Worthy said, “it’s next man up.”
That’s easier said than done.
Entering Week Four — when Rice suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury while colliding with Patrick Mahomes on an interception return just 6:16 into the game — Rice was second in the NFL in receiving yards with 288 and first in receptions with 24.
He also led all NFL players in yards after catch (YAC) with 200 and all wide receivers in missed tackles forced (nine), per Zebra Technologies.
“He’s a hard guy to tackle,” Mahomes said. “I’ve obviously built confidence with him that I can go to him in these big moments — third downs, red zones.”
Yes, the Chiefs obviously have the best quarterback in the game in Mahomes and one of the best offensive minds of all time in Andy Reid, but they’ve already endured long-term injuries to two of their other best skillplayers.
The Chiefs’ most noteworthy offseason free-agent signing was receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, who Kansas City signed to a one-year, $7 million contract. He likely would’ve started, but he hasn’t played this season since dislocating his SC joint during the first preseason game and could miss the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery to repair it.
No. 1 running back Isiah Pacheco is on injured reserve with a fractured fibula, and his return is also in doubt.
And the offense already had been scuffling before Rice’s injury.
Mahomes has more interceptions (five) than he’s ever had through the first four weeks of the season, and the Chiefs offense is averaging just 328.25 yards per game. If the season ended today, that would represent the worst mark since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018.
Rice had been one of the bright spots of the offense.
Already good against man in coverage, the second-year receiver had improved both his understanding of how to find the holes in zone defenses and his route running. He uses his physicality to overpower defenders.
We all know what he can do after he catches the ball,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said. “He’s violent. He likes to get hit. That’s rare sometimes at the wide receiver position.”
One positive is that in Rice’s absence superstar tight end Travis Kelce had his best game, recording 89 yards, which outpaced his entire output through the first three games, on seven catches against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Obviously with Rashee Rice going out,” Mahomes said, “you’ve got to put Kelce back in that situation where he is getting a high volume of catches.”
To give Mahomes more help in addition to Kelce, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, who’s always aggressive at the trade deadline, could acquire another receiving target.
Brett’s done a phenomenal job with the personnel,” Reid said.
Another positive is last year’s Chiefs offense averaged just 21.8 points, but they still won the Super Bowl behind a great defense and kicking game.
The defense is playing at an elite level despite losing shutdown cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract after getting traded to the Tennessee Titans.
They’ve stifled offenses in key goal-line stands the past two games and locked down opposing No. 1 running backs, including limiting Derrick Henry and J.K. Dobbins to season lows in rushing yards.
