Lake Show: Chiefs Offense Has Worthy, Kareem and ‘Magic’

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Patrick Mahomes and his trademark magic are back this season, thanks to much better protection and a penchant for deep, tight-window passes. But just like Johnson on a vintage fast break, Mahomes has dropped jaws with no-look passes.

He hit another one in the 31-0 win over the Raiders. Just before the two-minute warning in the first half, facing second-and-10, Mahomes used Worthy – Xavier Worthy – as a decoy, then fooled everyone and connected with Rashee Rice for 12 yards.

“The no-look one,” the quarterback said after the game, “I wanted to throw it to Rashee the whole time but Xavier was holding that flat defender with his release. So, the corner was in between and so just holding and putting it in the spot at the right time. But obviously he catches the ball and gets up and gets the first down.”

Rice got the first down, but unlike Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he wasn’t exactly expecting the ball.

“How confident was I?” Rice clarified after the game. “Zero percent, honestly. I kept telling him, he threw me off with that. He no-looked the whole team, to be honest. And luckily, I was just ready for the ball.”

And afterward, the gesture Rice made toward his quarterback, pointing at his eyes? It was more a sigh of relief than a high five.

“Kind of saying, like, ‘I didn't know you was gonna do that!’ But I'm glad we were on the same page.”

Speaking of Worthy

If defenses don’t listen, they can’t blame Mahomes. For months, the quarterback has told the world that his wide receiver is much more than a simple deep threat.

Exhibit A was early in the second half Sunday. On first-and-10 from the Raiders’ 27-yard line, Mahomes rolled to his right and – making quarterbacks coaches cringe – threw back against his body toward Worthy. But it was by design, because Mahomes knew he had a free play.

“I saw the flag,” Mahomes said. “I was going to throw to Xavier anyways and then he got tackled. I started to run, and I saw the flag come in and seeing him get tackled, and then I just gave him a chance to make a play.”

He made a play with his vertical leap, wrestling Darnay Holmes in mid-air. Two plays after the penalty on Holmes, the Chiefs were in the end zone. And Mahomes obviously wasn’t surprised.

“You’ve seen – Xavier might be skinny, I guess, and fast -- but he makes contested catches,” the quarterback said. “He’s more than just a fast receiver that runs down the field. He can do everything. Like the AFC Championship Game against the Bills, you throw the ball up there, he can go up there and make plays.”

Kareem

He doesn’t have a Sky Hook, but Kareem Hunt owns a devastating sixth sense for moving chains on short yardage.

So far this season, Hunt is 12 of 14 when carrying on third- or fourth-and-1, including a 3-for-4 effort on Sunday against the Raiders. No wonder Mahomes was first to help him off the field after he appeared to injure his ankle on the Chiefs’ first touchdown.

Head coach Andy Reid, who also knows the value Hunt brings to his offense, was glad to see him return.

“Kareem has got a real knack for that,” Reid said Monday afternoon. “He’s got great vision, and he’s always been good at that part of it. Having him back there, that’s a great thing. Having him on our roster is a great thing because he brings this veteran leadership, a confidence to that group, which I appreciate.

“He’s seen a lot of things and been through a lot of things and does a great job of handling himself.”

It’s nothing new, either.

Last year on short-yardage attempts (2 yards or fewer to go), he converted 15 of 18 opportunities (83.3 percent) in his first season back with Kansas City. The year before, he was 15 of 20 (75 percent) in Cleveland.