Watch: Neighbors give Chiefs WR Rashee Rice an epic Super Bowl send-off
Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice has great neighbors.
In a video posted to his Instagram story, Rice drove through his neighborhood, where he saw several Chiefs fans giving him an epic Super Bowl send-off before he headed to Las Vegas, Nevada. As he cruised by, the 23-year-old waved.
The Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday. Rice — a second-round pick out of SMU — will be a player to watch for Kansas City. In the postseason, he's recorded 20 receptions for 223 yards and one TD. San Francisco's defense is susceptible to the pass. It's 13th in the league in passing yards allowed (213.6).
Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes took note of Rice's massive improvement this season and believes he's scratching the surface of his potential.
"He listens and he learns as much as he can and tries to take that in. I think that's why he's gotten better and better as the season's gone on," Mahomes recently told ESPN's Adam Teicher. "Some of those guys hit that rookie wall, and it seems like he just kind of pushed right through it and continues to get better and better."
Rice's emergence was key for K.C. as its offense sputtered throughout the season due in part to a receiving corps that led the league in drops (44). In the postseason, however, the unit has regained its mojo, averaging 23.3 points per game in the playoffs compared to 21.8 in the regular season.
This bodes well for the Chiefs, who are trying to pull off the upset and win their third title in five years. As of Monday, FanDuel lists Kansas City as a 2.5-point underdog.
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