How the Chiefs’ wide receiver rotation should shake out

Going into the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos, it was currently clear that the group required to reassess how to disperse its offending snaps amongst its pass receivers.

But throughout the video game, wideout Justin Watson went down with an elbow injury that might keep him out for the next couple of weeks.

Up to that point, Watson had actually produced more lawns than any other Chiefs pass receiver, balancing 21.9 lawns per reception through 5 video games — and moving the chains more frequently than anybody other than tight end Travis Kelce and fellow wideout Rashee Rice.

An injury to the receiver who has actually played the group’s third-most snaps will even more make complex things for a group that the training personnel is currently figuring out, attempting to identify who can optimize their chances from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Over the last couple of video games, Rice has actually revealed the most guarantee because regard — which was shown in his increased breeze rely on Thursday night.

But it’s going to take more than simply getting the second-round novice (and others) more included. The group can likewise fine-tune how receivers are being utilized.

Here’s how I think the rotation will ultimately clean:

Slot receiver

Rice is the group’s only wideout who plays most of his snaps in the slot, lining up there on 62% of his passing snaps. The exact same portion of his targets have actually begun paths that have actually started there. It’s where he’s at his finest — and where the group desires him the most — so he needs to continue to be the group’s main slot receiver.

Of course, other gamers (like Travis Kelce) might likewise line up in the slot. The point is that Rice must be the very first pass receiver in line to be utilized there.

As we can see here, this is since Rice is so excellent with the ball in his hands. No other Kansas City receiver has actually revealed comparable velocity into the open field — or has actually optimized yardage after the catch — as regularly as Rice has actually done.

The Chiefs acknowledge this. That’s why the group offered him chances on slants and fast screens versus the Broncos — and in previous video games. While these plays aren’t created to strike huge each time, the group desires somebody who can optimize the lawns offered to them when small creases open in between protectors in area. Rice has actually revealed he can do that.

Rice is likewise getting targets throughout the middle of the field, which is a location where Mahomes has actually thought twice to target wideouts. Unless he was tossing to Kelce, Mahomes has actually appeared uneasy entering tight windows throughout the middle. In the last 2 weeks, nevertheless, he has actually revealed a determination to go to Rice in those scenarios.

The bottom line is that the Chiefs rely greatly on their slot receiver to make plays. Among his slot choices, Mahomes has actually leaned on Rice the most — so Rice requires to be the receiver ranging from there usually. This choice is simplified by the disparity Kadarius Toney has actually displayed in both his route-running and decision-making.

Downfield targets

Watson’s injury will mainly affect the group’s downfield passing attack. He has actually made 8 of the group’s 11 receptions on tosses made a minimum of 20 lawns downfield, building up 153 of the 278 lawns the group has actually gotten on those plays.

This most likely methods that Marquez Valdes-Scantling will get more deep targets — although he and Mahomes have actually never ever shown to have an outstanding connection on those sort of passes.

But second-year wideout Justyn Ross likewise requires to be infiltrated the downfield death video game. He might not have the long speed revealed by either Watson or Valdes-Scantling, however he does have the contested-catch capability that can in some cases offset that — much like we saw in the catch he made versus the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5.

Opposing defenses are doing a sound task of keeping a cover on Kansas City’s vertical passing attack. Using Ross for deep tosses might open that alternative for Mahomes — however without requiring the separation that Watson or Valdes-Scantling usually require.

Skyy Moore

Moore discovers himself in an intriguing location within the position group. The second-year wideout has actually flashed in both favorable and unfavorable methods — and it’s now as much as the Chiefs to use him to the very best of his capability.

So far, Moore has actually not shown to be much of a playmaker after the catch — and this play from the Vikings video game is a fantastic example.

Moore gets the ball on a bubble screen in area. There’s simply one protector in between him and what might be a substantial play. But Instead of attempting to make a relocation to shake the protector, Moore continues to the sideline for a four-yard gain.

It’s not that we must anticipate Moore to turn this into a huge play — however gamers like Rice (and even Toney) are most likely to do so. That’s why they — rather of Moore — must be getting these sort of targets.

But Moore hasn’t gotten adequate chances downfield. His strengths consist of the methods he launches into his paths — and how rapidly he can break off at the top of those paths. He flaunted those tools versus Denver, developing separation on a deep out path and capturing a pass to assist seal the win.

This is how Moore must be utilized — instead of on jet sweeps or paths over the middle. He must be utilized outdoors — more like a standard pass receiver. With Watson’s injury, that chance has actually opened.

The bottom line

Everything else about this Kansas City group looks prepared to go defend another Super Bowl — consisting of the defense and the running video game. But it’s clear that the offense requires to determine its passing video game — and a shake-up in how the group’s pass receivers are utilized must assist.