It’s not easy for a rookie to quickly pick up the pieces and play a big role in an Andy Reid offense, and even though the Kansas City Chiefs struggled to find consistency at receiver last season, it wasn’t until the second half of the season that Rushe Rice really came into his own.
Xavier Worthy may be the exception.
Worthy, a first-round draft pick who drew praise after setting a 40-yard dash record at the NFL Scouting Combine, made some big plays in the Chiefs’ second preseason game on Saturday. His speed and playmaking ability could make him an instant fit with Patrick Mahomes and see him assume a key role right away.
On Kansas City’s first drive against the Detroit Lions, Worthy broke free and Mahomes passed to him for a 39-yard gain. Later in the first quarter, Worthy got behind the defense and broke free again for a 22-yard score.
In the first quarter against the Lions (a late field goal gave the Lions a 24-23 win), Worthy had three catches for 62 yards and ran for 11 yards — all against Lions reserves — but it showed the Chiefs aren’t afraid to use Worthy right away, even if they might not roll him out over time.
Worthy will tell you he wasn’t just a speedy receiver at Texas — he has the ability to be an impact receiver right away, and with Reid designing plays that utilize his talents and Mahomes throwing the ball to him, that’s a plus for any receiver.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) celebrates with teammate Kingsley Suamataia (76) after a touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
The Chiefs haven’t heard anything about Rice’s potential suspension yet, but he could miss some time this season. Marquise Brown suffered a dislocated sternoclavicular joint in the Chiefs’ preseason opener and is out four to six weeks. The Chiefs may need Worthy to be a bigger part of the offense right away. He’s already flashed his potential.
The Commanders gave Jayden Daniels a few chances in just his second preseason start, and the results were positive.
Daniels caught just three passes in his preseason debut last week but started well in a 13-6 win over the Miami Dolphins. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 46 yards on Washington’s first drive but missed a field goal attempt. Daniels is quick to get the ball out, but with a weak offensive line this season, he may have to do so often.
On the second drive, Daniels used his speed to get to the edge on a read-option play and ran 13 yards for a first down. This would be a big part of Washington’s offense. The Commanders would utilize Daniels’ impressive running ability on most plays.
Daniels was efficient, completing 10 of 12 passes for 78 yards on just one play in the second quarter. It wasn’t the flashiest play like last week’s 42-yarder, but the rookie quarterback looked composed throughout the game.
The Commanders are a completely new team with Daniels at quarterback and Dan Quinn as head coach. There has been a lot of turnover. The Commanders need to get healthy and answer some questions, such as the offensive line, before the season starts, but Daniels could help the team be more competitive than expected this season.
Player to watch: New York Giants WR Malik Neighbors
Neighbors started the day poorly, with a pass intended for him nearly being intercepted by Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who outmaneuvered Neighbors on a route. Neighbors’ second pass fell incomplete after he missed a deep pass that he probably should have caught.
Then Neighbors, the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft, settled in. He caught his next four passes for 54 yards, all in the first half, and also had a 5-yard run, including a highlight catch along the sideline.
As profiled on “Hard Knocks,” the Giants were excited to draft Neighbors. What we saw in the first half of the Giants’ 28-10 loss to the Texans was pretty much everything we can expect from him this season. While six targets in each half is a bit much, he’ll get as much attention as he can on offense. He’ll be the focal point of a talent-poor offensive line and be able to make big plays like he did in the second quarter on Saturday.
Marvin Harrison Jr. was the first receiver selected, and rightly so, but Neighbors has a chance to have a monster rookie season, as he got a preview of against Houston.
Other Games
Baltimore Ravens 13, Atlanta Falcons 12: Both the Ravens and Falcons benched their starters, including Atlanta rookie quarterback Michael Pennis Jr., meaning the spot will be a battle between Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke and Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson. It was surprising the Falcons didn’t use Pennis, the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft, but Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Pennis performed well enough in the season opener that the team doesn’t need to use him for the rest of the preseason. Johnson finished 11-of-11 for 120 yards, giving the Ravens confidence in their backup QB position heading into the season.
Chicago Bears 27, Cincinnati Bengals 3: The two highlights from Caleb Williams were the standouts in this game, but Khalil Herbert also had a strong performance. The Bears’ No. 2 running back saw most of the action in D’Andre Swift’s absence and looked strong in the first half, gaining 31 yards on five carries. He’ll be a big factor in Chicago’s backfield.
Minnesota Vikings 27, Cleveland Browns 12: The Vikings didn’t take a risk using Sam Darnold this week with rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy sidelined with a knee injury after last week’s preseason game. Nick Mullens started at quarterback for the Vikings. Deshaun Watson is a week away from making his preseason debut, as the Browns also were without a starting quarterback. Watson could play in next week’s final preseason game. The Browns benched nearly every notable player on Saturday, leaving them with 39 players sidelined.
New York Jets 15, Carolina Panthers 12: The Panthers and Jets held a joint practice and benched their starters for Saturday’s game. The Panthers suspended 38 players, including quarterback Bryce Young. For the Jets, rookie running back Braylon Allen had a strong debut with just 27 yards on eight carries, with a long run of just four yards, but then it was a disappointment.
Indianapolis Colts 21, Arizona Cardinals 13: Again, neither team was playing without starters. Both teams worked out in joint practices this week, meaning starters like quarterback Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson were absent. The Cardinals got the most out of rookie running back Trey Benson, likely to be James Conner’s backup, who finished with 43 yards on nine carries.
Tennessee Titans 16, Seattle Seahawks 15: Both the Seahawks and Titans rested most of their starters. Sam Howell again played a lot and performed well, completing 11 of 14 passes for 153 yards, one touchdown and a passing rating of 136. He will start the season as the backup to Geno Smith. Tennessee won the game on a field goal with time running out.
Buffalo Bills 9, Pittsburgh Steelers 3: The Bills pulled a surprise. Josh Allen was scheduled to play, but the team changed their mind because Mitchell Trubisky was starting for Pittsburgh. Steelers fans booed when Trubisky, who played for Pittsburgh in 2022 and 2023, was announced. The Steelers also did not play several players, most notably TJ Watt. There was a rainstorm in Pittsburgh a few hours before the game, and the weather was likely the reason why both teams did not play key players. Russell Wilson started for the Steelers but did not play a good game.
Los Angeles Rams 13, Los Angeles Chargers 9: It wasn’t a surprise that the Rams and Chargers didn’t play any high-profile players. Sean McVay has never taken the preseason too seriously (he had assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasant lead the team on Saturday), and new Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh appears to be taking the same approach. Chargers receiver Quentin Johnston, a 2023 first-round draft pick who has had a disappointing season this season, did play and had one catch for 19 yards.
Jacksonville Jaguars 20, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7: With both the Buccaneers and Jaguars benching their starters, the Jaguars gave former Patriots starting quarterback Mac Jones a chance to shine. Jones took over as the starter and flourished, completing 16 of 23 attempts for 210 yards and two touchdowns. Jones is competing with CJ Beatard for the No. 2 quarterback spot on the team.
Dallas Cowboys 27, Las Vegas Raiders 12: The Cowboys said before the game they would bench their starting back, but the Raiders had incentive to use their starting back. The Raiders are in a quarterback battle, with Gardner Minshew II starting in place of Aidan O’Connell this week. O’Connell played better than Minshew, but he fumbled an interception six at the end of the game, which may affect Las Vegas’ decision. Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey also made a 66-yard field goal, and quarterback Trey Lance looked a little better than last week. Lance completed 15 of 23 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown.
lastly
• Early this season, the Texans will be hindered by sunlight filtering through a broken panel on their roof. The roof was damaged by Hurricane Beryl, and light will filter onto the field during daytime games early in the season. You can see it in Nico Collins’ highlight reel.
According to a report from Houston’s NBC affiliate, the panels are expected to be repaired within a month of the start of the regular season.
• Speaking of the Texans, the starters played a bit and Stefon Diggs made his first catch for Houston wearing No. 1. Diggs was acquired by the Texans in a blockbuster trade with the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.
• Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is in the middle of a strong season. He had a great play early on Saturday when he nearly intercepted Daniel Jones’ first pass and then had a great interception on a deep pass late in the first quarter. While all the attention will be on Jones and his two missed interceptions in the first quarter, credit goes to Stingley for his big play. The No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft is emerging as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks.
• Receiver Trishton Jackson has made his case for being on the field for the Vikings this season. Last week he had four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, and on Saturday he made another touchdown, this time with a nice catch near the sideline in the end zone. Minnesota’s receiving corps is in disarray with the departures of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jackson went undrafted in 2020 and played just seven NFL games last season, all with Minnesota, but he has made his case for playing time.
• With Nick Chubb yet to return from a serious knee injury, Donta Foreman could be added to the Browns’ running back corps early in the season. Foreman had some action on Saturday, including a touchdown run and five catches for 46 yards. He also had a short catch for 22 yards and looked healthy. Jerome Ford should lead the backfield until Chubb returns, but the Browns need Foreman to back him up.
• The Steelers suffered a major injury. Jalen Warren injured his hamstring early in the game, which could be a big talking point for a team that wants to rely heavily on the run, and that may be necessary if Russell Wilson’s poor performance in his preseason debut carries over into the regular season. Warren’s status in Week 1 is a big talking point for Pittsburgh.
• Jets first-round draft pick Olu Fashanu continues to perform well, playing at left tackle last week and performing well, then switching to right tackle for the team’s second preseason game. He was penalized for holding, but is quickly becoming a valuable asset for the Jets as they search for a role behind some veteran tackles.
• The Colts have an unexpected problem. Kicker Matt Gay is out for the preseason. He missed field goal attempts from 53 and 44 yards on Saturday and missed a kick from 54 yards last week. Missing a kick from 50 yards or more is nothing to be concerned about, but the Colts are not happy that Gay has already missed three kicks. Gay is normally a reliable veteran, so Indianapolis will hope that this is just a blip during the preseason.
