Five Chiefs players who helped their stock against the Cardinals
By Matt Conner
Rashee Rice
Let's be honest from the outset: Rashee Rice forced Chiefs coaches to experience the full range of emotions on Saturday. But the excitement of watching what he can do as an offensive weapon overshadows the rookie mistakes he made at State Farm Stadium on Saturday.
The Chiefs submitted Rice's name on the draft card in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft this spring, and expectations for him have been fairly muted knowing how crowded the position is with other young players as well as the history of rookies in Andy Reid's offense. However, through two games, it's easy to see how his physical skill set could be an immediate boost for an offense searching for playmakers at wideout.
On Saturday, Rice had 8 catches for 96 yards, 85 in the first half, on a memorable night that showcased the Chiefs using him in a variety of ways. Most importantly, Rice came up with that much production on only 9 targets. He was efficient, physical, aggressive, elusive.
Now, was there a downside? Yes, there was one miscue via a first-quarter drop that simply cannot happen against better competition. He also recovered his own fumble on a long pass play. The good news, however, is that he put such mistakes behind him very quickly and went on to lead the team in receiving yards.