The Kansas City Chiefs had their best offensive performance of the season during their 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.
A specific aspect where the Chiefs had success, which was a sight for sore eyes, was the deep passing game. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with wide receiver Justin Watson on a 49-yard completion deep down the middle of the field during the first quarter, setting Kansas City up in the redzone.
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Too often this season the long passing game has been out of whack, whether it’s the offensive line not blocking well long enough, Mahomes misfiring, or a receiver dropping the ball. However, it all came together on Wednesday when Mahomes hit Watson, and it came against a very good Pittsburgh defense.
After the game, Mahomes broke down the deep completion to Watson that set up the touchdown, explaining that Watson was actually the third option on the play, and he was open because of the respect the Steelers’ defense had for receivers Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown.
“The play was actually called to those two guys [Worthy and Brown],” Mahomes said. “Trav [Travis Kelce] made a great block against the nickel across the formation. The offensive line protected well, I stepped up. I was looking at Xavier and Hollywood. You could feel the safety push. I was giving a peek out to [Watson] wide. He stacked his corner. I put it out there, let him make a play. I’m happy for him. This is home for him. To be able to make a couple plays, get a touchdown, it’s always special to get a touchdown in your home state.”
Mahomes found Watson again three plays later, this time in the endzone for an 11-yard touchdown pass. Watson had a step against his defender, and Mahomes threw a perfect strike.
It made for a nice homecoming for Watson, who grew up just about 10 miles outside of Pittsburgh and played his college ball for the Penn Quakers. In four years at Penn, Watson set the school record for most receptions, receiving yards, all-purpose yards, and receiving touchdowns.
His performance against Pittsburgh was also satisfying since he dropped a deep pass from Mahomes last week against the Houston Texans for what would have been an easy touchdown. Bouncing back with a momentous play will give Watson a nice confidence boost as the Chiefs head into the postseason.
He’s not among the top receiving options in K.C.’s offense, but he’s a smart player who is always in the right position and has underrated big play ability. As Mahomes stated, the fear that defenses have for Worthy, Brown, and others could continue to open things up for Watson.
