HENDERSON, Nev., Feb. 7 (UPI) — Dropped passes plagued Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers this season, proving costly in early-season games. But coach Andy Reid and his players say the miscues are in the past and they don’t care about outside perception.
“We had some drops and that’s really where it was related,” Reid said when asked Wednesday about the Chiefs’ early struggles, commenting during a media session at the Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Henderson Nev. “We were getting better, but we were a play away.”
Reid added: “It seemed like it came down to that catch for three or four games. In some cases, it was guys I’d seen make the play before who weren’t doing it at that particular time. But I knew they had the potential to make it. Those guys ended up picking it up and doing well.”
‘A play away’ has now turned into a win away from a third Super Bowl title for Reid and the Chiefs.
Pass catchers, including rookie Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, Kadarius Toney, Richie James and Justyn Ross, led the NFL with 44 drops this season, the most by an NFL team in more than five years, according to Pro Football Reference.
The database said Toney dropped 5 of 38 targets. His 13.2% drop percentage was the highest for any NFL wide receiver with at least 23 targets. Pro Football Focus listed the Chiefs and Cleveland Browns as league co-leaders in drops (37), which is a somewhat subjective statistic.
All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce once again led the Chiefs in targets (121), catches (93) and receiving yards (984). Rice, who emerged as a much greater threat later in the season, was second on the team in all of those categories, totaling 79 grabs for 938 yards and a team-high seven scores.
The Chiefs’ woes were magnified early on as they appeared in primetime TV games. Toney caught just one of five targets, dropping three throws from quarterback Patrick Mahomes in a Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Rice dropped four of the first 19 targets (21%) of his career.
Valdes-Scantling failed to reel in any of the five targets he received in a Nov. 20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles — another nationally televised broadcast. One of those looks was a drop of a 51-yard heave from Mahomes, which would have given the Chiefs a go-ahead touchdown.
“It’s not like anyone was down on me or I was down on myself,” Valdes-Scantling said Tuesday. “It was it was one drop and it’s not gonna alter my career in any way, shape of form.
“It’s one of those things where you obviously want to make every play, but it’s impossible in this league. And, you know, obviously that play wasn’t the reason why we lost, but it could have helped us win.”
Valdes-Scantling then made just one drop over his last nine games, including in the playoffs. Chiefs wide receivers totaled just two drops this postseason. Valdes-Scantling said he also took Rice “under his wing,” mentoring the young wide receiver throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
“We don’t really care about any of the misconceptions that people label us with,” Valdes-Scantling said. “We’re here to play a ball and we’re here for a reason. We got here and we earned it.”
While the Chiefs appear to have overcome the mental roadblock leading to the drops, a tough defense also will make catches more difficult Sunday in Las Vegas.
The 49ers had the No. 8 defense in the NFL this season, ranking No. 3 against the run and No. 14 against the pass. They allowed the third-fewest points.
Top 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward will lineup against the Chiefs pass catchers in Super Bowl LVIII. Ward, who previously played for the Chiefs, received the sixth-best defensive rating for cornerbacks from Pro Football Focus.
The Chiefs had the No. 1 offense in the NFL during last year’s Super Bowl winning run. They ranked No. 6 during their 2020 title run. Their offense ranked No. 9 this season, with the No. 6 passing game and leaned on the second-best defense in the league throughout this season.
The realities of the salary cap resulted in a makeover for Mahomes’ pass-catching arsenal, but the improved crew remains confident heading into Sunday.
“This team is special,” Valdes-Scantling said. “If we go out and seal this deal on Sunday, I think that’s what’s going to be the most memorable thing.
“We’re not going to remember the drops … the ups and downs and the bads. We’re going to remember hoisting the trophy up.”
