Welp, the Kansas City Chiefs have a shiny new toy to play with.
There was no time wasted figuring out how to get the ball into the hands of speedster rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy. He had only three touches in Kansas City’s season-opening 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. But he turned them into two long touchdowns, absolutely showing off the blazing 4.21 40-yard dash that made him the fastest man in the history of the NFL scouting combine. Three touches, 68 yards and two touchdowns in a debut ain’t bad but the way in which Worthy came across his scores shows his place in the Chiefs’ offense is still being worked out.
The first touchdown was jaw-dropping. Seriously. Worthy received the ball on an end-around handoff from Patrick Mahomes, had a crease lined up in front of him from incredible blocks by teammates and just exploded to the end zone.
“I told Coach [Matt] Nagy, I think this play is going to score,” Worthy said of a conversation he had with his offensive coordinator during the team’s pregame walkthrough.
On a field with some of the most physically gifted people in the world, Worthy’s speed stood out. Ravens defenders couldn’t do a thing but grasp at air and bits of jersey as the rookie flew by them at warp speed. Sure, it’s the first game of the regular season, but that speed in that confined space is breathtaking — and possibly one of the coolest plays that’s produced all season.
The second score for Worthy was a complete breakdown by the Ravens’ defense.
“Marlon Humphrey kind of just let me go,” Worthy said.
But it’s a strong reminder for teams coming up on the schedule that Worthy isn’t a player you can afford to lose track of on the backend. There was a miscommunication between the cornerbacks and safeties, and Worthy found himself untouched deep into Ravens territory. Mahomes threw it, he caught it and no one is going to be able to catch him from behind. Once he gets moving downfield with open grass, forget about it.
This is the kind of speed the Chiefs were missing last year on their offense. How they’ll deploy Worthy and get the ball into his hands will be a pivotal development for this team.
“Just having him out there, it just opens up stuff,” Mahomes said postgame. “You saw when he’s out there, they’re playing shell coverages, it’s getting guys like Trav [Travis Kelce] and it’s getting guys like Rashee [Rice] open underneath. And that’s what’s so great about this offense. We’re able to do all that, and that’s when we’re at our best.”
Right now, Worthy is obviously still working his way in. The end-around was more of a gadget play and Mahomes clearly is more comfortable throwing to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who led the Chiefs with nine targets in the season opener. The end-around and busted coverage were reminders of how fast Worthy is, but they’re not consistently repeatable things.
Not to be a Debbie Downer or a hater, but Worthy is going to have to win as a real receiver moving forward. The gadget plays will probably still work because no one has Worthy’s speed, but following his progress as a true wide receiver is important. The Chiefs will be getting a boost when Hollywood Brown returns from injury, something Mahomes made an emphasis on after Thursday’s win, but whatever Worthy can give them in terms of real, repeatable plays will increasingly raise their ceiling as they hunt three Super Bowl wins in a row.
Worthy is here. His presence on the Chiefs was sorely needed as they struggled to consistently produce explosive plays last season. As much room for improvement as there is, it’s important to remember this is the floor for Worthy — a player capable of scoring any time the defense isn’t perfect. Thursday was a strong start for Worthy, but there’s so much room to get better, which should be terrifying for the rest of the AFC.
