Lisa Foxx
The Kansas City Chiefs need a veteran wide receiver. At least, that’s what a lot of people in Chiefs Kingdom and around the NFL are saying about the reigning Super Bowl Champions. That’s because the Chiefs offense, which is usually dynamic and explosive, is lacking those elements this season.
Questions have been swirling about the lack of a number one wide receiver on the squad, as well as a lack of trust that quarterback Patrick Mahomes may have in his young wide receivers. The Chiefs have experienced a number of problems so far this season including:
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- Dropped passes (15 drops lead the NFL plus KC only had 17 drops in all of 2022)
- The inability to separate
- Running incorrect routes
- Mahomes not connecting with his receivers
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These have all been problems this year. Truth be told, this year’s Chiefs offense is what everyone expected last year’s Chiefs offense to look like.
This past Sunday, KC looked like its old self, as the offense put up 31 points to defeat their division rival, the Los Angeles Charges at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes threw for 424 yards and four touchdowns plus he ran for 68 yards, leading all rushers on the team in yards per carry (7.3). Actually, that last stat is not very encouraging for Chiefs fans, considering none of those rushing yards actually came from designed QB runs.
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Another discouraging fact is that although the offense looked great against the Chargers and even the Bears… those teams rank in the bottom five for defenses in the NFL. The real test comes when the Chiefs face highly ranked defenses. Against good defenses, like the New York Jets, the Chiefs have been able to win… but it hasn’t been easy and it hasn’t been pretty. In fact, it’s been the defense that has stepped up and won those games for the team.
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Spag’s Defense
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has created a young, fast, physical and confident defense that is now ranked among the top five in the NFL. It’s time for the Chiefs wide receivers to follow suit!
Kansas City is 6-1 on the season, making them only one of two teams with the best record in the NFL going into week eight (the other team that is 6-and-1, is the Eagles). That seems great on the surface, but the Chiefs offensive struggles are blatantly clear. Kansas City dropped its first game of the season to the Detroit Lions. That game was also the Chiefs home opener and the first game of the 2023 NFL season. Seven drops by KC wide receivers in that game contributed to a 20-21 loss. Again.. Kansas City currently leads the league in dropped passes with 15.
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The Gamble
The Chiefs are betting on their reigning NFL and Super Bowl MVP quarterback, his All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce and a host of inexperienced wide receivers to help get the team back to the Super Bowl.
The average age of Kansas City’s WR room is 24.9 years. It’s not youthfulness that’s the problem, but rather, the lack of experience which seems to be hindering the Chiefs passing game. Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, and rookie Rashee Rice, all 23 years old, along with 24-year-old Kadarius Toney, have a combined total of 134 catches in the NFL. Now, compare that to 220 NFL catches between free agent acquisitions Justin Watson (age 27) and Marquez Valdez-Scantling (age 29) alone. Both are veteran receivers but neither have ever been known to be a WR1, or even WR2, on their previous teams. However, they have come through in clutch moments for Kansas City in the first 7 games.
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The Mecole Hardman Addition
The Chiefs also welcomed back WR Mecole Hardman, whom they drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Hardman signed with the New York Jets during the offseason as a free agent, but his play time was limited there. He was traded back to KC last week after Watson dislocated his elbow. Hardman’s presence adds experience and much-needed speed to the Chiefs WR room. He also brings a working knowledge of head coach Andy Reid’s scheme, but he is not considered a number one receiver, either.
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The Trade Gamble
Maybe that’s why trade rumors continue to swirl about a WR1 for the Chiefs. Most recently, Arizona Cardinals’ “Hollywood” Brown has been linked to Kansas City as a possible trade destination. To be fair, however, almost any quality wide receiver who has been available this season has been linked to the Chiefs. Whether General Manager Brett Veach decides to sign a veteran or to roll with the current roster remains to be seen. Either choice is a gamble in its own right, and the Chiefs are running out of time to figure things out.
Kansas City travels to Denver Sunday to take on the Broncos for a week eight divisional matchup. The Broncos’ defense is talented, despite their current ranking. They proved that, when the Chiefs played them just over a week ago at Arrowhead Stadium. KC was able to pull out a 27-24 win, but the offense was lackluster and the Broncos defense was defiant. This time around, the Broncos will be playing at home — at Empower Field at Mile High — and they will want to prove something in front of their anxious home crowd.
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Finally
As for the Chiefs — who are gunning for their 17th straight win over Denver — they now sit alone on top of the AFC conference standings. This team can’t afford to keep making the same offensive mistakes if they want to stay there. This Sunday’s game could be a test to see if they’ve solved their offensive woes. This game could also quite possibly determine the future of Kansas City’s wide receiving corps.
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Lisa Foxx — ArrowheadOne
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