Kadarius Toney’s first TD catch with Chiefs was unlike any in Next Gen Stats history
Receiver Kadarius Toney was so wide open Sunday on his first touchdown reception with the Chiefs that he literally had time to hop into the end zone.
Not that Toney did that on purpose. He was trying not to step out of bounds.
“The reason I (was) hopping was because I was too close to the sideline when I caught it and I just was excited,” Toney told reporters after the game. “I saw the sideline (and I said), ‘Oh I got to hop. I get in there somehow some way.’”
Not that he realized it at the time, but Toney could have stopped after catching the ball, got his balance back, then walked into the end zone.
Yes, he was that wide open.
The NFL’s Next Gen Stats said Toney was 20.4 yards away from the nearest defender when he caught the pass. That’s “the most target separation on a TD reception in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016),” Next Gen Stats tweeted.
The reason for Toney being so open? Seven Jaguars defenders were on four pass-catchers in the end zone.
One other cool note about Toney came Monday morning. The NFL shared a video clip that showed Toney adjusting his gloves ... while the ball was in the air and headed toward him.
This is crazy, and he made a tough catch.
This story was originally published November 14, 2022 at 10:15 AM.
