KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The instincts and belief between Patrick Mahomes and new Chiefs receiver DeAndre Hopkins had been already on show in Monday evening’s 30-24 extra time win towards the Bucs.
Just 11 days after Kansas City despatched the Titans a conditional fifth-round decide for the 32-year-old in response to a sequence of accidents, the Chiefs noticed a promising connection that led to 2 touchdowns that helped preserve them undefeated on the sector. season.
“Those two, you speak about being on the identical web page, they had been on the identical web page,” coach Andy Reid mentioned after Hopkins’ eight receptions for 86 yards.
Twice, Mahomes discovered Hopkins matched up towards second-year Bucs nook Josh Hayes, a particular groups participant pressured to play each down as a result of a number of accidents on the place. The first gave the Chiefs a 10-7 lead within the second quarter, whereas the second gave them the lead with lower than 5 minutes remaining.
“He’s so good at successful 1-on-1s,” Mahomes mentioned after the sport. “To be capable of have him within the pink zone, in third-down conditions, he does an excellent job of filling out and discovering these home windows, sort of like Travis (Kelce) does. I feel as he understands the entire offense, he will get even higher. … You give him an opportunity down the sector, and he makes a play and goes from a play the place it might have been a foul choice to a really profitable catch.
Hopkins’ first landing was arrange by simply such a throw. In the second quarter, Mahomes was forward and seemed as much as see Hopkins over the center however nicely lined. He threw the move regardless of three Bucs defenders converging, however Hopkins got here down with the ball for a 35-yard acquire.
Hopkins attributes his fast rapport with Mahomes to the time they spent collectively in lower than two weeks as teammates.
“Communication, speaking at follow, speaking within the locker room, speaking day-after-day in regards to the appears to be like we see and me simply choosing his mind, asking him what he likes,” Hopkins mentioned. “When I’m not on the market taking the popularity, I’m all the time studying and seeing how he does issues.”
Hopkins has been precisely what the Chiefs wanted, successful each week regardless of a sequence of accidents at receiver. Marquise Brown was misplaced to a season-ending shoulder harm earlier than the beginning of the season, Rashee Rice wanted season-ending knee surgical procedure after the fourth sport, Skyy Moore went on injured reserve with a core muscle harm and a veteran substitute, JuJu Smith-Schuster, was additionally sidelined with a hamstring harm.
The Chiefs are what Hopkins wants late in his prolific profession. He has 81 profession touchdowns, however solely two profession playoff wins in 10 years in Houston, Arizona and Tennessee. Two of his 4 playoff losses got here by the hands of the Chiefs and Mahomes. In the 2019 playoffs, Hopkins helped the Texans take a 24-0 lead, solely to see Kansas City come again to win 51-31.
Monday evening was a nostalgic throwback to when the Chiefs leaned closely on Mahomes and their offense, as a lot of their success this season, because the NFL’s final undefeated staff, has come on the defensive finish. Kansas City has gained 14 straight video games since final season and probably the most superb half is that of their first 13 video games they by no means scored greater than 28 factors, the one successful streak in NFL historical past.
But on Monday, after Mahomes and Hopkins gave the Chiefs a 24-17 lead with 4:17 left, the Bucs drove the sector towards Kansas City’s protection, tying the sport within the remaining minute. Tampa determined to kick an additional level to power extra time slightly than attempt to go for 2 and escape with a win in regulation — and the Bucs by no means received the ball again. On the primary possession of OT, Mahomes marched the Chiefs down the sector to win on a Kareem Hunt landing.
Hopkins’ influence will proceed to develop within the coming weeks. In his debut per week earlier, he had simply three targets for 2 receptions and 29 yards, however he was productive Monday evening, together with his eight receptions on 9 targets.
“First of all, he is good and has quite a lot of expertise,” Reid mentioned. “We put extra into him this week. (Receivers coach) Connor (Embree) does an excellent job with these guys getting them able to go. DeAndre is a veteran participant who’s a sensible man, so most of it’s proper there “
In Kansas City the bar is decidedly increased. As the Chiefs search their first NFL three-peat and fourth championship in six years, they’re additionally making historical past with a doubtlessly undefeated season. They’re not even midway by means of the common season portion but, however an addition like Hopkins makes all of it appear somewhat extra doable.
“A blessing. Grateful to be right here,” Hopkins mentioned of his first residence sport together with his new staff. “I’m nonetheless digesting it.”
Greg Auman is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He beforehand spent a decade overlaying the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and the Athletic. You can observe him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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