Four Chiefs who need to step up in Week 2
By Scott Loring
Mecole Hardman
Mecole Hardman has been entrusted to start opposite Tyreek Hill in his third season with the Chiefs. Despite having traits similar to Hill, Hardman has yet to break out in a similar way under Head Coach Andy Reid’s tutelage.
Hardman failed to break out in his first game of the 2021 season, registering just 3 catches for 19 yards in Week 1 against the Browns. But there’s reason to predict an uptick in his production in Week 2. Historically, Hardman has owned the Ravens. In fact, two of the three most prolific games of his career have come against Baltimore. The Georgia product has racked up 178 yards on just six catches in those two games, to go along with a touchdown in each.
Even more tantalizing, the Ravens will be grossly shorthanded in their secondary. Cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Chris Westry are both out. Fellow corners Marlon Humphrey and Jimmy Smith have both been limited with injuries, and the Ravens are left scrambling to find defensive backs at the worst possible time: Chiefs week.
Hardman’s opportunities should be there in Week 2, as he should be able to exploit the Ravens’ defensive backfield while they focus the majority of their attention on superstars Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. Despite knowing those two will garner the lion’s share of touches for Kansas City, Chiefs Kingdom has Hardman under the microscope.
The Chiefs have pulled out all the stops in the first quarter in past games against the Ravens in an effort to diffuse the Baltimore rushing attack with an early deficit, so we could see Hardman getting involved early and often. We’re hoping the speedy Hardman gets some looks from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and that he can take advantage of some one-on-one matchups.