Rashee Rice had his coming out party against Miami Dolphins

Coming into the Wild Card round versus the Miami Dolphins Saturday night at Arrowhead, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice had just two games with over 100 yards receiving during the NFL season.

Despite that, Rice had been one of the few bright spots on offense as the Chiefs struggled all year long to get into a consistent rhythm. The receiver position hasn't exactly been a strength this year for Kansas City, but Rice has clearly possessed the most talent and potential of any pass-catcher on the Chiefs this year.

Throughout the season, Rice had shown tremendous ability to accelerate once the ball is in his hands, mow over defenders, and be physical when making catches over the middle of the field. However, many fans were unsure what Rice's ceiling would be, especially due to some issues with drops and ball security early on. Whether fair or unfair, the Chiefs needed Rice to step up and be their No. 1 option at receiver because of how desperate they were for production after disappointing seasons from Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

The flashes were clear and big plays were sprinkled throughout Rice's rookie season but again, the ceiling was still unknown as a lot of Rice's production came from gadget plays or quick hits where the work was done after the catch. Rice's first reception of 20+ air yards didn't even come until week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Rice looked like a really good wide receiver No. 2 for most of the year, but people wanted to see him play like the alpha wide receiver that many in the organization thought he could be when he was drafted coming out of SMU.

Rashee Rice had coming out party in Wild Card Vs Dolphins

When the Chiefs needed the offense to execute in the Wild Card round versus the Miami Dolphins, Rashee Rice became that guy for Kansas City. Rice had a coming-out party on the national stage (or a Peacock exclusive stage?) when he hauled in 8 catches for 130 yards and a TD, and he would've had two touchdowns if one were not called back due to a penalty.

Rice was getting open all night long against Miami's zone-heavy defense even despite an ankle injury suffered in the second half. It was the best Rice had looked all year long and he recorded a career-high in receiving yards in a game with those 130 yards when he only had two 100-yard games in the entire regular season.

What's even more impressive about Rice's performance is it occurred in his first career playoff game. That's typically a spot where a lot of rookies tend to hit a bump or get exposed due to lack of experience, but Rice looked like a star in the making even when the lights got brighter and the expectations got raised. That's a really good sign if you're a Chiefs fan concerned about the future of the receiver position on the Chiefs.

Kansas City will need Rice to continue his ascent as the postseason progresses, but the confidence and the proof that Rice can be your No. 1 target in a playoff game is there. We've now seen it and we saw Rice do things we didn't get to see in the regular season that unlocks a new dimension to the offense.

Rashee Rice looks to be a stud in the making for the Chiefs and Saturday night versus Miami gave us all a glimpse into the ceiling of what Rashee Rice can be. Regardless of how the rest of this season plays out, the Chiefs have something in Rice, and the idea of pairing him up with another good receiver this offseason whether through free agency or the draft is exciting for Chiefs fans.