Great team win tonight ✅ 🔥 #ChiefsKingdom
Individually I gotta be better. I will be. #NoExcuses— Flash (@JOSH_GORDONXII) November 8, 2021
A few days ago, the Kansas City Chiefs were one of the teams mentioned as a possible landing spot for then free agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr., but the former Cleveland Browns receiver has since joined the Los Angeles Rams. It’s a disappointing outcome for a team looking to improve the offense, but the Chiefs still have underutilized free agent signee Josh Gordon to figure out.
Gordon has been a non-factor since signing with Kansas City ahead of Week 5. The former Pro Bowler has only one catch for eleven yards this season. Though he’s seen increased time on the field in recent weeks, it hasn’t turned into targets and receptions. The puzzling start for Gordon hasn’t been lost on quarterback Patrick Mahomes who addressed the situation with reporters on Wednesday.
”Yeah, I think stuff just hasn’t worked out his way,” said Mahomes. “I think that’s been the entire offense, so he came into a situation where we’ve been stalling out, starting with me. So, I think he’ll get incorporated more and more as we keep going. We’ll try to find ways to get him the football, try to find ways to get him some easier completions where he’s not having to make a tough catch over the middle with a guy on his back, the first completion target for him in the game. He has the talent, he works his tail off, and I know he’ll be a big part of this offense here soon.”
Gordon was a notorious deep threat in Cleveland, New England, and Seattle. He was expected to fulfill the same type of role in Kansas City but has yet to materialize. Mahomes spoke about the Chiefs’ lack of deep passing plays this season, disrupting their typical game plan.
“I think just in general, even when we’re not connecting on them, it still kind of tells the defense that they have to back up, and it opens up stuff underneath,” Mahomes said of the deep passing game. “Taking those shots during the game and not connecting kind of puts a little bit of fear on the defense that they can’t start coming up, they can’t start jumping some of our routes, so obviously, it’s going to be nice when we complete one of these. We haven’t completed one in a couple of weeks here, but either way, taking those shots and those opportunities, at the right time and the right place, will continue to open the offense more and more as the game goes on.”
The Chiefs may have missed out on Beckham Jr., but they are still well equipped at receiver. With continued work and practice, Mahomes can hopefully get on the same page with Gordon before the season is over.
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