Don't look now, but Xavier Worthy is finding a role
Even without the deep ball connecting, the Chiefs' speedy rookie is becoming an important part of Kansas City's offense... with room to grow.
I was wrong about Xavier Worthy’s role in year one. Of course, I was also right about Xavier Worthy’s role in year one.
It’s complicated. I’ll explain how I was right AND wrong in a bit.
Quietly, as we’ve all wrung our hands over the Chiefs continuing to be inconsistent on offense and oddly annoying overall on gamedays (even as they rack up win after win), Kansas City’s first round pick has quietly become more important to the offense. The speedy WR is seeing less of the “gimmicky” looks that he saw early in the year and become a significantly larger part of the overall passing offense, particularly over the last four weeks.
Xavier Worthy’s first 9 game average
Targets per game- 4.8
Receptions per game- 2.2
Yards per game- 27.3
Yards per target- 5.7
Xavier Worthy last 4 week average
Targets per game- 6
Receptions per game- 4.5
Yards per game- 50.5
Yards per target- 8.4
Worthy hasn’t been lighting the world on fire the last four weeks, but he’s been consistently a much larger part of the offense than he was early. For example, in the first 9 weeks of the season Worthy only had two games in which he went over 40 yards (Week 1 and Week 4, with a 55-yard TD against the Chargers pumping up his numbers). In the last four weeks? He’s gone over 40 every game, and has seen his “efficiency” numbers (yards per target) take a huge jump even as his volume of targets has increased.
This is all good news, the best part being that he’s been able to up the efficiency with an added role and volume. That wasn’t the case earlier this season (remember when they tried to force him the ball more against SF and LV, with poor results?), and it’s a very encouraging sign in terms of his development within the offense.
The biggest thing, though, is the way that Worthy has been productive. Because despite the deep ball not being a heavy part of his production (only one of his catches was a legit “down the field” ball, a nice catch against Buffalo), he’s managed to grow his role and expand the ways Andy Reid is using him. And during that time, he’s earned Mahomes’ trust in key situations.
This 3rd and 10 conversion on the game-winning drive against Los Angeles was an incredible play, and the heroics of Patrick Mahomes (as well as Samaje Perine, who made a terrific block on Derwin James) got most of the attention. But Worthy’s role here should not be ignored. Not just that he was targeted on such an important down, but the nuance with which he got open down the field in order to earn that target.
Let’s talk about how Worthy’s role/routes have increased, and how he’s shown the ability to separate and be a reliable target in multiple ways that makes me think his role will only continue to expand not only down the stretch this season, but in years to come.