The Chiefs made wide receiver an offseason priority, acquiring Marquise Brown and using their first-round draft pick on Xavier Worthy .
Brown was out with an injury for the opener against the Baltimore Ravens, and Worthy made a splash with a receiving and rushing touchdown in the 27-20 triumph on Thursday.
But it was a returning talent who carried the biggest workload and delivered the numbers.
Rashee Rice finished with seven receptions on nine targets for 103 yards, the fourth 100-yard game of his two-year career, including the playoffs.
The production occurred primarily between the hash marks with Rice starting in the slot and cutting in on a slant for a reception often against a linebacker in coverage. Four of his catches went for at least 15 yards. Five went for a first down.
Rice believes the threat of Worthy’s speed and attention tight end Travis Kelce attracts open opportunities in the short-middle of the field.
“It feels great, being able to maneuver in the middle because we’ve got guys who can take the top off on the outside,” Rice said. “And when Trav takes it over the top, I can go under him.”
But Rice brings his own set of skills. He’s sure-handed, finds space with precise routes and is good after the catch.
Although he caught a touchdowns pass in his NFL debut last season, Rice, like most rookies, needed a few weeks to develop. His three- and four-catch games became eight- and nine-catch games in the season’s final weeks, and Rice trailed only Kelce in receptions among Chiefs with 79 a year ago.
“When you know the offense you can play faster because you can just play free,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “He might have been a little hesitant at the beginning of last year. (Now) he just goes and trusts his instincts.”
Mahomes showed trust in Rice from the outside. Rice caught an 11-yard slant on the Chiefs’ first snap. A couple of players later, Rice went for 16.
Last season, Rice averaged 11.9 yards per reception; Thursday, a more robust 14.7.
“No sophomore slump there,” Andy Reid said.
It was between his pro seasons that Rice experienced troubles. The offseason was filled with headlines about his involvement in a high-speed car crash. The case continues to run through the legal system. Rice faces eight charges, including multiple felony charges, stemming from the incident that resulted in injuries to other drivers.
He addressed the situation publicly for the first time in June.
“All I can do is grow and continue to mature from that,” Rice said at a football camp in Kansas City.
The NFL can suspend Rice regardless of the outcome of the legal case, but during a press conference last week, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said it was unlikely Rice would be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, a suspension with pay, “unless there is a material change in the case.”
Meanwhile, Rice will continue to be a primary target for Mahomes, who believes he can stand with the league’s best.
“I want to continue to make him push down the field more,” Mahomes said. “The (Ravens) defense wasn’t giving us that, but it he can continue to work on that, he can become one of the best receivers in the league.”
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