Patrick Mahomes gets a new weapon as Josh Downs’ arrival forces the Chiefs to rethink their wide receiver depth chart (Getty Images)
The 25-year-old has 33 catches for 354 yards and a touchdown this season. That is modest for a player who averaged 66 catches and roughly 713 yards in his first three years. Without Pierce, Indianapolis’ top receiver, defenses focused on Downs, and his catch rate sank to a career-low 57.9 percent. In Week 2 he caught seven of nine targets for 72 yards against them.
The Chiefs have already had their bye, which means he can play every remaining game. Downs fits inside. Rice works the perimeter at X, Worthy at Z when healthy, and Downs takes the slot, where he is best known. Part of the drop came from his old team’s situation. Worthy’s hamstring sharpens the timing. He was listed as questionable, and if he sits, Downs moves into a bigger role next to Rice right away. Downs also knows the Chiefs from the other side. Downs is in the final year of his contract, so Kansas City is renting him unless it re-signs him in the spring. Two straight road losses to Seattle and Denver, followed by the Jets win, showed how much the offense needed another dependable pass catcher. Worthy’s status for the next game will show quickly how the snaps divide.