As training camp progresses, Kansas City Chiefs Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy has been much talked about. The fastest player in the history of the NFL Scouting Combine made one flashy play after another in training camp, and his speed combined with Patrick Mahomes' right arm made for a dangerous combination.
But Worthy This summer, it went viral for a different reason.That's when video of a practice was released showing the rookie wide receiver struggling with media coverage.
Part of the learning curve for any young receiver is adjusting to the physical nature of NFL cornerbacking. Kansas City has two young receivers who are going through that process in Worthy and second-year WR Ruchy Rice. That adjustment is even tougher for an undersized receiver like Worthy, who is 5-foot-11 and weighs 165 pounds.
But in the opening match Baltimore RavensBoth young players put up big numbers: Worthy caught two passes for 47 yards and a touchdown and also added a rushing touchdown on an end-around, while Rice caught a team-high seven passes for 103 yards.
Part of the reason for their success is that Kansas City head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy have worked to pair their two receivers together and allow them to release the ball freely off the line of scrimmage.
Take a look at Mahomes' first pass of the year, an 11-yard pass on a slant route to Rice University.
Rice is lined up at the top of the screen, overlapping Worthy. Worthy is on the line of scrimmage, while Rice is off the line, just outside his teammates' line-up. Lined up across from Worthy is veteran cornerback Marlon Humphrey, one of the best players in the game.
Worthy and Rice run a switch slant/flat concept with Worthy breaking to the outside and Rice slicing inside. Humphrey is tasked with covering Rice on the route breaking inside, but Worthy's positioning and release creates traffic that prevents Humphrey from catching Rice off the line, giving the second-year WR an immediate advantage.
Here's another example from Thursday night: This time, Rice starts the play as one of three receivers, lining up inside with Worthy and Justin Watson. But just before the snap, Rice signals to line up on the outside.
As the play begins, Worthy and Watson both release vertically and create a kind of “shield” for Rice on a shallow cross as he cuts in from underneath. He's matched up against Roquan Smith, but the linebacker is more athletic, giving Rice a free release and a head start that's a huge advantage for the receiver.
Kansas City used a similar design on Worthy's pass catch, a 12-yard pass on a shallow crossing route in the second quarter. He started alongside Watson and Rice on the outside and crossed down the field as they released vertically.
Baltimore had defensive back Brandon Stevens covering Rice, but the traffic created by Watson and Rice allowed Worthy to sprint across the field and gain a big advantage as Stevens tried his best to close the gap.
This concept was also reflected in Mahomes' pass to Rice in the fourth quarter, as the second-year receiver lined up inside the group of three receivers on the right side of the formation and made a short move toward the right tackle before turning around and returning to the outside.
Worthy and Watson again create congestion for him and Rice breaks into the right flat, the congestion again creates problems for Stevens and he weaves between bodies to close the gap but before that there is an 8 yard gain.
Finding ways to generate traffic for receivers and give them an advantageous release off the line of scrimmage is certainly not a new concept in the NFL. Teams have been finding ways to give receivers an advantage in this way for years, but the most recent development in this area is perhaps the “cheat motion.” Miami Dolphins The deals were announced for Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle under head coach Mike McDaniel.
But when can you combine such a favorable release with a quarterback like Mahomes?
You will give defensive coordinators nightmares.
