The Kansas City Chiefs added more game-breaking speed in the first round of last April's draft. Xavier Worthy entered the NFL as the new record holder for the 40-yard dash at the Combine, and in his first career game, he scored two touchdowns, providing an immediate spark against the Baltimore Ravens. Worthy was still forced to work through some rookie kinks, however.
Some routes were not as crisp as hoped. Communication with Patrick Mahomes was up and down throughout perimeter throws. Meanwhile, Worthy was generally used in more of a gadget role in the first half of the season.
But if you look at what Xavier Worthy has done in the latter stages of the regular season and in the playoffs, his improvements have been quite noticeable. Now with Kansas City facing another AFC Championship Game test, he is coming into his own at the perfect time.
Worthy has become a diverse pass-catcher
Arguably, the route running ability is the greatest improvement that Xavier Worthy has made late this season. His routes are more tight when making breaks and cuts. That is true when working both towards the outside perimeter and when working vertically. Worthy had struggled to avoid rounding his routes at the break points. As a result, the timing was off and the ball hit the turf far too often.
If you look at his last couple of regular season outings, and last week's playoff win, Mahomes and Worthy seemingly connected on every attempt outside the numbers. Worthy proved he was able to work back to the football more consistently. At the same time, Mahomes was able to hit him in stride at a higher clip.
Improvements are paying dividends
If you look deeper at Xavier Worthy winning on the outside more recently, it is boosting the Chiefs offense in various ways. For one, Worthy has been able to change gears and utilize that to add yards after the catch. He is now showing immense toughness at the catch point, too. This can show up on catches where he needs to go up and high-point it. Elsewhere, Worthy is proving he can play big, despite what his thresholds may indicate on everyone's program.
Beyond the individual opportunities, Worthy is still able to open up other opportunities for additional Chiefs pass catchers. Defensive backs are looking to maintain leverage towards the outside perimeter against Worthy. That is especially true in man coverage. As a result, the middle of the field has become more open, with a lighter threat in the center of the defense.
And if you look at the more recent red zone reps, defenders are being forced to make split-second decisions. Worthy challenges the eye discipline of multiple opponents in coverage, when used in motion or as eye candy. Additionally, the Kansas City rookie has helped to open up a wider array of attack plays through the air down in that spot of the field.
Worthy is an x-factor in the AFCCG
If you look back at the first meeting between the Chiefs and the Bills, Xavier Worthy was a rare bright spot in that game earlier this season. He had four receptions on five targets for 61 yards and a receiving touchdown. He had a catch down the field in between two defenders. On top of that, Worthy pushed the pace with quick hitters on routes up the field and in the slot.
Overall, the Texas product can still create headaches for the opponent with touches on quick passes. If you pair that along with the areas he has greatly improved in, Worthy can truly test the Bills' defense in their tackling and reactionary quickness. Buffalo is still a fairly effective secondary. Though, their defense finished 28th in opponent third down conversion percentage this season.
Worthy may not be the top read on some of those third down play calls. But if the Chiefs can create separation and give Mahomes time, the chance for explosive plays could be there against Buffalo. It could be important to get the rookie going early on. If that occurs, he and the rest of Kansas City's skill group can potentially get the Bills to sit back on their heels.