Lisa Foxx
The Kansas City Chiefs lost a heartbreaker on Monday Night Football. The game was billed as the Super Bowl LVII rematch when the Philadelphia Eagles came to Kansas City to face off against the reigning SB Champions. The Eagles had a chip on their shoulder after losing 38-35 in SB LVII in February and they showed up at Arrowhead Stadium looking for revenge.
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The Chiefs dominated the game in every aspect, from defensive stops to sacks, from the number of first downs to the number of yards gained. The Chiefs seemed to be back to their old selves, with one exception. The Chiefs wide receivers have a problem with catching and holding onto the football, and that came through loud and clear in front of a national television audience Monday night.
To be fair, the dropped passes weren’t the only problem facing the Chiefs, but it’s one that has been an issue since the start of the season. Although there were multiple drops and miscues by Chiefs wide receivers and other players, there was one receiver and one play that stood out above the rest. That is due, in large part, to it happening near the end of the game, and that play could have changed the outcome of the game had the ball been caught (0:20).
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Yes, a dropped pass sealed the loss for the Chiefs against the Eagles after quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a perfect pass to Marquez Valdez-Scantling with 1:50 left in the game.
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Valdez-Scantling, or MVS as he’s affectionately referred to, is a wide receiver whom the Chiefs acquired as a free agent to help the WR room after trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in 2021. The 29-year-old was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 179th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. MVS is familiar with great quarterback play, having only played with one other QB as a professional: future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. MVS hasn’t ever been regarded as a number one receiver in the NFL, but he was productive while in Green Bay.
In 2019 MVS finished his rookie campaign in Green Bay with 26 receptions for 452 yards and 2 touchdowns. MVS played all 17 games in 2020 and finished the season with 687 receiving yards and 42 receptions. The year before coming to the Chiefs MVS was injured late in the season. He was placed on injured reserve on October 2, 2021, but was able to come back a month later to complete the season with 26 total receptions for 430 yards and 3 TDs.
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MVS never had a 1,000-yard receiving season with Green Bay and it appears he won’t reach that milestone in Kansas City, either. In 2022 he signed a 3-year $30 million contract with the Chiefs during the off-season. MVS came to KC as a deep downfield threat. With his 6-foot 4-inch 206 lb frame he gives Mahomes a taller receiver who can ideally challenge defenders for 50/50 balls, particularly in the endzone. Although he has had his moments during his time with the Chiefs, his production is sporadic and oftentimes the veteran WR completely disappears in games. With the offensive struggles the team is experiencing, it is imperative MVS step up and make plays in every game moving forward. He is currently the highest paid wide receiver on the team, but his play on the field hasn’t lived up to his salary.
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MVS has come up big in some games, like in week 7 of the 2022 season in San Francisco when he caught three passes for 111 yards in a 44-23 win game against the 49ers. He was also instrumental in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs lost four of their top receivers in that game and MVS came through big for the team with his best performance of the year. He caught six passes for 116 yards and a touchdown that led the team to a 38-35 win and helped propel the them to Super Bowl LVII. MVS ended 2022 with 42 receptions for 687 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 16.6 yards per catch.
That all sounds great, but let’s go back to something mentioned earlier in this article: oftentimes the veteran WR completely disappears in games.
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MVS is a starter for the Chiefs and has been targeted in every game in 2023 and has caught at least 3 passes only once this season. Those three catches went for 84 yards in a winning effort against the Los Angeles Chargers. That’s been his best game of the season leading into week 12.
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MVS’s overall NFL catch percentage is 50.5%, having caught 179 passes in 355 targets in his career. Last season, he caught 42 of the 81 balls thrown his way. This season he has 14 receptions out of 27 targets, giving him a catch percentage of 50.9%. Compare that to KC’s top receiver, tight end Travis Kelce at 79%, and it is evident why Chiefs fans are disgruntled with MVS’s on-field performance. (Kansas City’s highest catch percentage so far this season goes to running back Isaiah Pacheco with 86%.)
In the loss to the Eagles on Monday night, MVS was targeted three times and had zero receptions.
MVS is a veteran WR and his leadership is needed in the Chiefs WR room, both on the field and off the field. As the highest paid receiver, the most senior receiver, and the most known and celebrated receiver in the room, more is expected of MVS. Has he done enough in the eyes of Chiefs Kingdom?
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KC’s young WRs seem to be struggling and it makes Chiefs fans wonder where the leadership is among the players in that room. The team and fans alike were expecting the young wideouts to progress as the season went on, like the Chiefs defensive backs did a year ago. That just hasn’t happened to date. The talent is abundant in that WR room, but the group’s growth has been stunted and the question remains: why?
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MVS’s lack of consistency is also frustrating for Chiefs fans because he is the highest paid wide receiver in the room, making $11 million this season in the second year of a three-year contract., MVS has not lived up to his salary or his position. It is frustrating for Chiefs fans to see this scenario play out in a year that KC has one of the best defenses in the league.
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Windows in sports can close quickly due to roster turnover and aging players, etc. The Chiefs cannot afford to squander this opportunity. Monday night’s loss put Kansas City at 8-3 on the season and drops them to second place in the AFC behind the 8-3 Baltimore Ravens. The good news is the Chiefs only having one conference loss, compared the Ravens’ three conference losses.
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Next on the Chiefs schedule is a division rival. The team will travel to Las Vegas to take on the 5-6 Raiders Sunday at 3:25 CT on CBS. The Raiders have had a mini resurgence, winning two of their last three after firing head coach Josh McDaniels mid-season and benching QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Also, seeing the Denver Broncos defeat the Chiefs after losing to them 16 straight times, and considering the Chiefs offensive struggles, the Raiders should feel more confident than ever heading into Sunday’s game.
Kansas City’s defense will show up, as it has all season. Now, it’s time for the offense to buckle down, play disciplined football, and start clicking on all cylinders.
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The Chiefs are fortunate to have Mahomes as the X-factor on the offensive side of the ball, but he can’t do it alone. He needs help from his WRs because Coach Andy Reid’s offense is a pass-heavy offense and the team can’t succeed if receivers can’t catch the ball. It’s time for MVS to step up and lead by example. It’s time for him to be present in every game and it’s time for him to become a difference maker this the team. All eyes will be on the Chiefs receivers and MVS going into the remaining games to see if he’s able to face the challenge that Chiefs Kingdom has set before him.
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Lisa Foxx – ArrowheadOne
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