2. The New Receivers Hit The Ground Running
While we had to start the list of reasons for buying into the Chiefs hype with Patrick Mahomes, his pass catchers deserve their fair share of the credit as well. While Travis Kelce led the way with 8 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown, the new weapons played a huge role as well.
The trio of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Skyy Moore combined for 11 receptions for 153 yards. JuJu and MVS definitely played a bigger role in this first game than Moore, but the end result was that on any given drop back the defense had no idea where the ball was going. Kelce, the three new receivers, and Mecole Hardman each caught three passes, the running backs were involved in the passing game, and the backup tight ends were too with Jody Fortson contributing a touchdown catch.
Even if future opponents opt to sell out to stop Travis Kelce, this new offense has too many other weapons to choose from. Juju looks like a great go-to target. MVS was encouraging because he wasn’t just used as a deep threat but was a target on several different types of routes. Moore looks like someone that is going to be a monster threat after the catch. Hardman still has game-changing speed and Jody Fortson may end up being an absolute monster in the red zone.
The Cardinals may have had some struggles on defense, but the Chiefs have multiple pass-catching options to utilize this season regardless of who they are playing. If the Chiefs can spread the ball to that many targets, the offensive line stays healthy, and Patrick Mahomes continues to play at an elite level the Chiefs can beat absolutely anyone.
Now let’s talk about the running backs.