Well, the Chiefs have a shiny new toy to play with. They wasted no time figuring out how to get the ball into the hands of speedy rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy. Worthy had just three touches in Kansas City’s 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. But he converted them into two long touchdowns, running a blazing 4.21 40-yard dash that made him the fastest man in NFL combine history. Three touches, 68 yards and two touchdowns in a debut isn’t bad by any means, but the manner in which Worthy has racked up the scores shows that his place in the Chiefs offense is still being worked out.
The first touchdown was mind-boggling. Seriously. Worthy got the ball on an end-around handoff from Patrick Mahomes, had a crease set up in front of him by incredible blocks from teammates, and just explodes into the end zone. On a field filled with some of the most physically gifted people in the world, Worthy’s speed really stood out. Ravens defenders could do nothing but grab air and pieces of jerseys as the rookie flew past them at warp speed. Sure, it’s only the first game of the entire regular season, but that speed in that confined space is absolutely breathtaking — and possibly one of the coolest plays produced all season.
The second score for Worthy was just a complete collapse of the Ravens defense, but a strong reminder to teams on the schedule that Worthy is not a player you can afford to miss on the back end. There was a miscommunication between the cornerbacks and safeties and Worthy found himself untouched deep in Ravens territory. Mahomes threw it, he caught it, and nobody can catch him from behind. Once he comes onto the field with open grass, forget it.
That’s exactly the kind of speed the Chiefs lacked in their offense last year, but seeing how they’re willing to deploy Worthy and get the ball in his hands will be a crucial development for this team. Right now, Worthy is clearly still finding his way inside. The end-around was more of a gadget play, and Mahomes is clearly more comfortable throwing to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who led the Chiefs with nine targets in the season opener. The end-around and the broken coverage were reminders of how fast Worthy is, but they’re not exactly consistently repeatable things.
Not to be a Debbie Downer or a hater, but Worthy is going to have to win as a true receiver going forward. The gadget plays will likely still work, since no one has the speed that Worthy has, but it will be important to monitor his progress as a true wide receiver. The Chiefs will get a boost when Hollywood Brown returns from injury, but whatever Worthy can give them in terms of real, repeatable football plays will continue to raise their ceiling as they chase three straight Super Bowl wins.
Worthy is here. His presence was much needed for the Chiefs as they struggled to consistently produce explosive plays last season. While there is still plenty of room for improvement, it is important to remember that this is the floor for Worthy — a player who can score when the defense is imperfect. Thursday was a strong start for Worthy, but there is So There is still a lot of room for improvement, which should be scary for the rest of the AFC.
