NFL Analysis
12/26/24
6 min read
Xavier Worthy Finally Found His Place in Kansas City Chiefs' Offense
After months of NFL fans criticizing the Kansas City Chiefs offense, rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy's ascension has potentially unlocked the passing game for Patrick Mahomes and company.
The Chiefs took care of business on Christmas, coming away with a statement 29-10 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have a formidable defense, but Mahomes carved them up for his best game of the year, throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns.
It was also one of the busiest games of Worthy's early career. He caught a career-high eight passes on nine targets, going for 79 yards and a touchdown. The first-round pick's usage has skyrocketed in recent weeks, and his ascension after such a slow start could be making the Chiefs legitimate Super Bowl contenders once again.
A Slow Start
The Chiefs took a big swing on Worthy by taking him with the 28th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, there was a moment when it looked like general manager Brett Veach had whiffed on his first-round pick.
Worthy was an electric playmaker in college at Texas, then turned heads after breaking the 40-yard dash record at the NFL Scouting Combine, running the drill in 4.21 seconds.
4.22u
— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2024
XAVIER WORTHY.
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/IrXf3WyemB
That track speed showed up immediately for Worthy, who had a receiving and rushing touchdown in his NFL debut against the Baltimore Ravens.
Unfortunately, that breakout first game felt like a distant memory in the following weeks. During the next eight games, he caught just 18 passes for 199 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Breakout wideout Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury just a few weeks into the season, opening the door for a larger role for Worthy. Instead, he struggled to handle the physicality of the NFL game, and opposing defenses started to shut down the 165-pound receiver by pressing him at the line of scrimmage.
This play against the San Francisco 49ers, where Worthy is lined up closest inside on the wider side of the field. Watch how the 49ers DB disrupts Worthy's route, causing him to lose balance and leading to an interception.
I know Patrick Mahomes missed him for a touchdown on the play before but these are the plays that make Xavier Worthy exasperating. Put hands on him and the play is instantly over pic.twitter.com/LOtwvxvrax
— Derrik Klassen (@QBKlass) October 22, 2024
Even after Worthy started to handle press coverage a bit better, he was still inches away from generating explosive plays. Whether it was passes off of fingertips or failing to get both feet in bounds on deep shots, something was just slightly off to prevent Worthy from realizing his full potential.
Worthy had a pair of those near-misses in Week 16 against the Houston Texans.
Xavier Worthy with two more near-miss touchdowns in Week 16. Has had roughly 30 this season. Sheesh. pic.twitter.com/MiT287xyf9
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) December 23, 2024
That smaller frame was understandably a concern for scouts, and the lack of finishing on his big-play opportunities started leading to concerns about whether or not he'd bring any value to the offense in time for a playoff run.
However, Worthy is finally starting to find his footing.
A Late-Season Surge
After so many weeks of being an afterthought in the Chiefs offense, Worthy is starting to become a real mismatch against opposing defenses.
Since Week 11, Worthy has become a much more reliable option when targeted. According to TruMedia, he's generated 0.35 EPA per target, while Mahomes has posted a 109.1 passer rating while throwing the rookie's way.
Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy talked about Worthy's ascension in recent weeks following the team's Christmas win, even comparing him to Rashee Rice and how he experienced a late-year breakout as a rookie in 2023.
"It was a little slow for the first four or five, six weeks, and then weeks 7, 8, 9, 10, you could sense it,'' Nagy told reporters. "You might not see it in the stat book, but you could sense it as a coach. You could sense it from watching tape, and now, all of a sudden, you naturally see more targets, you see more touches, you see more production.
"It's exactly what happened with Rashee, and I'm telling you, it's crazy how similar it is, and it's exciting because you see how Rashee came into this year, what he did early on, and I think that's the path for [Worthy].''
One of the more interesting developments in Worthy's game was his utilization in the win against the Texans in Week 16. According to Pro Football Focus, he saw a season-high rate of slot usage, playing 61.9 percent of his snaps in the slot.
The return of Hollywood Brown, along with the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins, means that Worthy doesn't have to be relied on as much by splitting out wide. Instead, Nagy can start to move his first-round rookie speedster around the offense.
Nagy got creative with Worthy again on Wednesday, using Worthy out of the backfield or in motion to find ways to get the ball to him in space.
Xavier Worthy’s receptions against the Steelers. #Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/zJoCYCVYNV
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) December 26, 2024
Now that Nagy and Reid have had enough time to evaluate Worthy internally, they're starting to figure out where his strengths are on the field, allowing them to utilize him more properly. Thanks to the arrival of two established veterans, Brown and Hopkins, he doesn't feel the pressure of being a top outside weapon.
Are the Chiefs Super Bowl Contenders?
For a team that had so many "flukey" wins this season, it's hard to deny that the Chiefs are having an impressive year.
With a 15-1 record, the Chiefs officially clinched the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage with a game still left to play. That doesn't happen with just dumb luck.
The Chiefs had the No. 7 team in total DVOA heading into Week 7, ranking eight in offense and 12th in defensive DVOA. Those rankings will likely bump up after such a dominant win on Christmas against the Steelers after playing a complete game on both sides of the football.
Mahomes now has a healthy and established group of weapons, while Isiah Pacheco is finally healthy in the backfield. Defensively, the team still has plenty of talent and ranks in the top half of the league in pass rush win rate and run stop win rate, according to ESPN.
Even if this isn't the best Chiefs team, a first-round bye and home-field advantage are massive edges for a roster filled with veterans who have been here before. That's a huge advantage compared to other teams who haven't had to deal with the pressure of making a Super Bowl run.
Other teams might be more talented, but the Chiefs are right back in a position where they can try to win their fourth Super Bowl of the Mahomes era.
