The Kansas City Chiefs have been waiting for a wide receiver to step up and establish himself as a go-to option for MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the passing game. Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice may have finally separated himself from the pack after his performance against the Raiders on Sunday.
Rice commanded 10 targets, catching eight passes for 107 yards and one long touchdown reception. While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Mahomes was asked how the 23-year-old receiver is becoming “Patrick-friendly” and told reporters what the term entails.
“[It is about] how you work, I think that’s the biggest thing,” Mahomes explained. “If guys continue to work and continue to practice, and I get a feel for how they run routes and a feel for how they’re seeing stuff on the football field, it just makes my job easier.
“Guys have done that throughout my career, and [Rice] has done a great job of that in year one, which doesn’t happen a lot of times with receivers. The goal for him now is to keep working, keep getting better, don’t be satisfied with where he’s at, and hopefully get him more bigger games as his career goes on.”
Mahomes also feels that Rice is starting to adjust to zone coverage more smoothly, and that has greatly improved Rice’s production and role on the offense.
“He is, he’s getting a lot better. He doesn’t make the same mistakes. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Mahomes said. “There are little things here and there where we might not be on the same page, but once we talk about it on the sideline, he doesn’t make that mistake again.
“That’s why you see he’s getting better and better throughout the season. It’s one thing to be able to beat man coverage when you come into the NFL because that’s played everywhere, but the zones are so much more complex than college. Sometimes they have to recognize it on the fly, so it’s just about getting better and better throughout the season.”
Rice may be Kansas City’s top receiver in the not-so-distant future, and if he can be reliable in the meantime, the team’s investment in him will pay dividends in the playoffs.