Tag: Xavier Worthy

Chiefs rookies learned a lesson from their first regular season loss: ‘You have to dig in’

Kansas City #Chiefs rookies learned a lesson from their first regular season loss: ‘You have to dig in’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas Chiefs won’t go undefeated this season, and for many in the organization, that was never the goal. Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills highlighted some things to work on and served as a teachable moment for the rookies.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid held his weekly Zoom press conference with reporters on Monday. He opened up about the lesson his rookie class will learn from the loss to the Bills.

“You have to dig in, man. These things – these should hurt. You spend a lot of time and preparation for these games and effort and so you have to reach inside as coaches and players, not just players here. You have to figure out the problems and then work to solve them.” said Reid. “I know I have that kind of locker room, so I know the guys will do that. I know the coaches will do that, too, but you can’t just say everything’s going to be okay. That’s not how this works. You have to dig in, and it has to be – there has to be some – you have to check the ego at the door and do some self-evaluation there.”

Sunday’s game marked rookie receiver Xavier Worthy’s first score since Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders. It marked the fourth receiving touchdown and sixth total touchdown of the season. Worthy tallied four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown, with his four receptions tied for a single-game career-high and his 61 yards as his second-highest single-game output this season.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid reveals lesson learned from loss to Bills: ‘We’ve got to take care of business’

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reveals lesson learned from loss to the Buffalo #Bills: ‘We’ve got to take care of business’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs won’t go undefeated this year as they suffered their first loss on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Head coach Andy Reid spoke with reporters after the game, describing the first loss as a learning experience.

“Things you can learn, the main thing is that they’re a good team and, if you have a few mistakes in there, they can capitalize on them, but you keep battling, and normally good things will happen,” said Reid. “They did a nice job on that last drive, so we’ve got to take care of business on those.”

Reid pointed out another miscue on the sidelines from Xavier Worthy, which eliminated a big play from the stat sheet.

“Yeah, he’ll (Worthy) get better at those,” said Reid. “Then we’ll give the ball a little quicker as we go, so I’ve got to see it and look at it on tape and see exactly if, if he was able to drag his foot, if that was possible, if that’s the case, then he can learn from.”

Worthy was the team’s leading receiver on Sunday, so there were positives; however, Reid believes he still should have called more running plays.

“I probably could call some more runs; when it was all said and done, we had opportunities,” said Reid. “We did a pretty nice job with it, with the exception of the short yardage.”

Leading rusher Kareem Hunt had 60 yards on 14 carries, a far less workload than he’s become used to since signing with the team.

Chiefs vs Bills: Patrick Mahomes, Xavier Worthy connect for early touchdown

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes connected with rookie WR Xavier Worthy for a touchdown against the Buffalo #Bills in Week 11.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy wasted no time making his mark in the defending Super Bowl champions’ Week 11 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

After Patrick Mahomes threw an early interception that led to a Bills touchdown, the veteran quarterback marched the Chiefs’ offense downfield with the help of Worthy.

Mahomes struggled to find open receivers early in the game, but when he started looking the rookie’s way, momentum shifted in Kansas City’s favor.

The reigning Super Bowl MVP eventually found Worthy for a touchdown that gave the Chiefs a second-quarter lead over Buffalo.

Take a look at Worthy’s go-ahead touchdown, which was posted by the Chiefs’ official Twitter account:

Worthy racked up 61 of the 88 yards of Kansas City’s touchdown drive, and has been the Chiefs’ most explosive offensive weapon.

Expect Mahomes to continue to find Worthy in today’s game as the Chiefs look to keep their perfect season intact.

Chiefs DeAndre Hopkins embraces mentor role in receivers room: ‘Here to be that big brother’

Kansas City #Chiefs DeAndre Hopkins embraces mentor role in receivers room: ‘Here to be that big brother’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has immediately impacted the team since being acquired weeks ago. He has already caught two touchdown passes and made highlight-reel plays on the field, but it’s his role off the field that is garnering extra attention.

Hopkins spoke with the media on Wednesday shortly before the start of practice, addressing his role as a mentor to the younger receivers on the roster.

“I tell those guys to go out and be themselves. They mess up, make a mistake, go out, just be yourself,” said Hopkins. “Put it behind you. They do good; I’m the first person to try to be there for them when they do (bad) as well. But they’ve definitely been asking me a lot of questions. Just about football and life. That’s why I’m here to be that big brother.”

During last week’s press conference, Rookie Xavier Worthy mentioned being all ears to anything Hopkins offered advice regarding his journey in the league. The talented speedster has shown flashes of greatness in games this season while having rookie moments to match. Worthy and Hopkins’ combination will continue to be crucial to the Chiefs’ success as the season’s second half takes shape.

Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy describes learning from DeAndre Hopkins: ‘I try to pick his brain’

Kansas City #Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy describes learning from DeAndre Hopkins: ‘I try to pick his brain’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy spoke to reporters on Friday about DeAndre Hopkins’s influence on his development since arriving a few weeks ago.

“I try to pick his brain as much as possible without being super annoying,” said Worthy. “Ask him, like, little questions, like, How’d you go about this when you’re this age, and stuff like that, just little things. Just make sure I stay tuned with everything he went through.”

Since being traded to the Chiefs, Hopkins has made an immediate splash. His breakout performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Monday adds to his legacy. Worthy described Hopkins’ presence in the locker room as the veteran mentor.

“Just as calm and poised through times like in the game, he was super calm, chill, relaxed,” said Worthy. “So when somebody’s like dad in your room, and he’s a vet, he’s been there, made plays, it just makes everything easier.”

Worthy had a miscue in the Week 9 victory but has played well overall this season. He will pick up even better habits from one of the best receivers of his generation as the postseason push gets underway.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid reflects on Xavier Worthy stepping out of bounds: ‘He’ll learn from it’

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reflects on Xavier Worthy stepping out of bounds: ‘He’ll learn from it’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has led his team to a second 8-0 start since being hired by the franchise 12 years ago. During his tenure, he’s seen many things, including rookie mishaps during games.

Reid spoke with reporters on Wednesday before practice, sharing his thoughts on Xavier Worthy’s incompletion on a big pass play because he accidentally stepped out of bounds.

“Yeah, he’s doing a good job. He just had that look of stepping out of bounds there. I mean, but what a great route. That was an adjustment he made to put himself in that position off of the route.” Reid said. “He’s doing a good job. He didn’t have his number dialed up as much as he did the weeks in the past. I mean, most of the stuff going to (Travis) Kelce and “Eight” (DeAndre Hopkins). But there’ll be weeks like that; his numbers called up more. That just says how it goes in these games.”

Worthy remains valuable to the Chiefs offense, although his targets have dipped since Hopkins’ arrival. Reid continued to explain that the talented fest round pick will learn from the mistake and do better moving forward.

“They plotted that side. He adjusted back outside and was able to escape where you get yourself forced wide. He was able to keep himself in bounds and escape that corner, not force him wider than the play normally brings you to so. But I thought he did a great job on that part.” said Reid. “He’ll learn from that, young guy. He’ll learn from it. You won’t see him step out of bounds very often. It was good, he can take something positive out of it, and then he could take something he can learn from out of it, too.”

Reid knows Worthy is an offensive weapon that can be utilized in different ways now that Hopkins is on the team.

Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy shares story of a team hanging up on him during the NFL Draft

Kansas City #Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy shares story of a team hanging up on him during the NFL Draft | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs have gotten plenty of needed production from rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy. He has stepped into the starter’s role due to injuries to veterans throughout the winning streak.

The Chiefs’ first-round draft pick recently appeared as a guest on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ to share an interesting story about his draft night experience. A phone call could have changed things considerably between two AFC franchises.

“The (Indianapolis) Colts hung up in my face. It was a little crazy,” said Worthy. “The Colts called my phone on draft day and hung up the phone. They said, ‘Hello, this is so and so with the Colts.’ And then they stopped talking and hung up.”

The Chiefs would eventually move up in the first round to select the speedy receiver after a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Worthy confirmed that general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid spoke with him over the phone before the pick was announced.

Indianapolis selected Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick and ironically picked Worthy’s Texas Longhorns teammate, Adonai Mitchell, 52nd overall in the second round. Worthy has performed well in Kansas City, with 19 catches for 235 yards and three touchdowns through seven games.

Chiefs vs. Raiders: Patrick Mahomes finds Xavier Worthy for touchdown

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes found rookie WR Xavier Worthy for a fourth-quarter touchdown against the #Raiders in Week 8.

The Kansas City Chiefs entered Week 8 as the NFL’s only undefeated team, and the Las Vegas Raiders have done their best to give the defending Super Bowl champions a run for their money in the fourth quarter of an AFC West showdown at Allegiant Stadium.

After three-quarters of back-and-forth football, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was able to lead a potentially game-sealing drive late in the game to extend Kansas City’s lead in a crucial situation.

With just under five minutes left in regulation, Mahomes hit rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy for a much-needed touchdown in crunch time.

Take a look at this video of Worthy’s touchdown against Las Vegas, which was posted by the Chiefs’ official Twitter account:

 

Expect Mahomes to continue looking Worthy’s way in the coming weeks as Kansas City’s offense does its best to keep the Chiefs’ perfect season alive through the middle part of their schedule.

Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins could play an influential role for younger receivers

Kansas City #Chiefs WR DeAndre Hopkins could play an influential role for younger receivers | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has the opportunity to coach DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best wide receivers of his era. The 32-year-old has earned many accolades over the years and has experience that he can use to help his younger teammates.

“The biggest thing is probably going to show up on game day,” said Nagy during his press conference last Thursday. “I think once he (DeAndre Hopkins) gets in there and he starts seeing the connection of understanding the routes that we call, the concepts that we call, and then how the timing works with the guy in front of him – playing man, understanding zone and how to figure out different ways in zone to get open.”

Hopkins is seeking a Super Bowl title, playing meaningful games for the first time in years. He understands the Chiefs’ lack of depth due to injuries and is one of the few active veteran players who can help bring along a rookie like Xavier Worthy.

“With that is us also making sure that he understands our practice tempo Monday through – or really, Wednesday through Saturday. Then, those guys bonding together in that room – (I’m) talking about the wide receivers – and growing together and then building that core of confidence and the ability to play fast and make it work with Pat (Patrick Mahomes).”

The Chiefs could get JuJu Smith-Schuster back at some point this season to add more experience on the field. The next few weeks will be crucial for Worthy, who will likely start alongside Hopkins.

Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy dons Georgia shirt after losing bet with Mecole Hardman

#Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy had to wear a Georgia shirt after the Texas #Longhorns lost to the #Bulldogs last week.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the only undefeated team remaining in the NFL this season and vibes in the locker room appear to be at an all-time high.

Though Kansas City’s players are squarely focused on bringing the Chiefs another Super Bowl title, two of the team’s wide receivers made time for a fun wager on their alma maters’ football programs.

Last weekend, Mecole Hardman’s Georgia Bulldogs and Xavier Worthy’s Texas Longhorns met in a highly-anticipated SEC matchup.

After Hardman’s Bulldogs bested Worthy’s Longhorns on Saturday, the rookie wideout had to wear a Georgia shirt to get even on the friendly bet.

Check out this video, which was originally posted by Mecole Hardman on Instagram, but was circulated Twitter by FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz:

 

Stay tuned to see Hardman and Worthy back in action this weekend when the Chiefs travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on October 27.