Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes praised Rashee Rice for his TD route vs. Chargers. Here’s why
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes says Rashee Rice wasn’t supposed to be a viable target when he caught a touchdown on Sunday.
This was in the second quarter of KC’s 31-17 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and Mahomes said because LA showed a certain defensive look pre-snap, he looked receiver Kadarius Toney’s way first before seeing the Chargers had covered that side well.
Mahomes then reset to his left while looking for a check-down option. Instead, he spotted Rice free in the back of the end zone, hitting him for a six-yard strike.
“Just saw him pull up in that window perfectly,” Mahomes said. “So yeah, he definitely wasn’t supposed to be open. But he did a good job recognizing the coverage, knowing where to be at — at the right time.”
The catch was part of another strong effort for Rice, who had five receptions for 60 yards against the Chargers while logging a season-high 40 snaps.
Rice said Sunday after the game he was initially supposed to run a post-corner route on the play, which would have had him ending up in the back corner of the end zone.
Once Rice saw a defender staying outside and low, however, he decided to adjust his route and settle up.
“I just played football and knew that Pat would find a window,” Rice said after the game. “Even if he scrambled, he would eventually see me. So I just kind of sat back where no defenders would see me and Pat would.”
Mahomes says Rice is understanding defensive coverages better as the season progresses. That’s a more challenging task in the NFL than in college, as the defensive schemes have greater complexity.
“You can tell as he’s starting to learn more and more, he’s getting himself open,” Mahomes said. “And so I think we’ll continue to work with that, and he’ll continue to find ways to get himself open whenever maybe the necessary route is not going to be (open).”
Mahomes’ trust only appears to be building in Rice, whom the Chiefs selected in the second round of this year’s draft. Rice ranks second on the team in targets (34), receptions (26) and receiving yards (305), trailing only tight end Travis Kelce in each of those categories.
On Wednesday, Mahomes praised Rice for having a “great feel” for the game.
“Obviously, you see how explosive he is. And you see the physical talent,” Mahomes said. “But he has a good understanding of when he’s open and how to stay open.”
While securing the touchdown, Rice also took a big hit from Chargers cornerback Michael Davis on the end zone’s back line. Rice downplayed that part of his reception Sunday, saying concentration was part of playing the position.
“We’ve got pads for a reason. I’m not afraid of no type of contact,” Rice said. “So as long as I’ve got my feet down, that’s all that matters for the team.”
Rice said he’s attempting to add to his knowledge by talking often to veterans around him. That includes Mecole Hardman, who previously played four years with the Chiefs before returning to the team last week via a trade with the New York Jets.
Though Rice admitted things were a bit overwhelming for him with the offense early, he kept high expectations for himself all along.
“I heard that a lot of rookies don’t do too well in Coach (Andy) Reid’s offense right away, so I was real determined about that,” Rice said. “And then I got Pat, so I knew I was coming in here ... they didn’t get me to sit on the bench. They got me to have an impact on the team.”
