So much went proper for the Kansas Town Chiefs throughout their Divisional Spherical victory in opposition to the Buffalo Expenses. They rushed for 146 yards on 6.1 yards in line with elevate. As a unit, their cross catchers averaged 12.6 yards in line with reception. In line with Subsequent Gen Stats, Patrick Mahomes finished 3 deep passes in a recreation for the primary time this season. Sunday night time used to be now not a 2018 Chiefs efficiency, then again, it used to be one among their highest showings in weeks. KC’s cross catchers have been forged all recreation lengthy, together with the much-maligned Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
He did his task in opposition to the Expenses. Valdes-Scantling used to be introduced in to be a big-play risk for the Chiefs. He stuck most effective two passes on Sunday, however they have been each for a minimum of 30 yards. His group used to be down by means of 4 issues initially of the 3rd quarter. The Expenses hustled their means down the sector on the finish of the primary part to take a 17-13 lead. Valdes-Scantling opened the second one part with a 30-yard, back-shoulder reception. The Chiefs took the lead 5 performs later.
The Expenses replied with an extended landing pressure. They ran greater than 8 mins off the clock on a 75-yard pressure that ended in some other lead exchange. When the Chiefs were given the ball again, Valdes-Scantling had yet one more huge play left in him. Mahomes side-stepped a blitz close to midfield and tossed him some other rainbow that put the Chiefs within the pink zone. A landing 3 performs later gave them a 27-24 lead, which ended up being the general ranking of the sport.
When the Chiefs signed Valdes-Scantling to a three-year, $30 million deal in 2022, the objective used to be to interchange Tyreek Hill by means of committee. Nobody participant may give all of that velocity and ball monitoring talent, so Valdes-Scantling used to be introduced in for his jets. In 4 seasons with the Inexperienced Bay Packers he most effective averaged lower than 16 yards in line with receptions as a rookie. Even that 12 months he totaled just about 600 receiving yards.
A obvious flaw in Valdes-Scantling’s recreation is that he can most effective be relied upon to haul in about part of his goals. Whether or not he’s centered 40 or 20 instances, the share of passes catches goes to be kind of the similar. The issue for the 2023 Chiefs is that he used to be most effective centered 42 instances. On the conclusion of the common season, he totaled 21 receptions for 315 yards, one landing, and in addition some of the notorious drops in franchise historical past.
That drop used to be a possible game-winning landing past due within the fourth quarter of a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. A loss that and then public self assurance within the Chiefs took an important slide. Had Valdes-Scantling stuck that game-winning landing, the ones back-to-back losses to the Expenses and Packers should not have regarded so unhealthy.
It’s not as though he used to be the principle perpetrator within the Chiefs dropped passes drawback throughout the common season. Of the group’s league-leading 44 drops at the season, most effective 3 have been on Valdes-Scantling. On the other hand, he’s the highest-paid participant in that younger large receiver room. Fail to remember the drops, what maximum indubitably must now not be is an afterthought within the passing recreation with lower than 50 goals throughout the common season.
Valdes-Scantling didn’t play like a No. 1 large receiver on Sunday, however he did turn out to be a risk. He made two of the most important performs of the sport. Mahomes did a large number of the leg and arm paintings on each, however the group’s best receiver — by means of wage — put himself in place not to most effective warrant the objective, but in addition convert in some way that put his group within the place to win.
On one hand, the Chiefs’ Divisional Spherical victory in opposition to the Expenses used to be a standard day for Valdes-Scantling. He stuck 50 p.c of the balls that have been thrown his means. On the other hand, the receptions that he did make, stored the Chiefs’ season.
