During the 2022 NFL offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs overhauled the wide receiver position. The biggest move they made was trading star Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. In free agency, they brought in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to help fill the void.
Known for his downfield prowess, Valdes-Scantling made some ing plays in his first season with the Chiefs, putting together one of the more productive seasons of his career. Smith-Schuster also found a lot of success, which he parlayed into a multi-year contract in free agency in 2023.
With Smith-Schuster moving on, there was some pressure on Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney to step up their performance to fill the void. Unfortunately, none of that trio was able to answer the call during the regular season.
NFL News & Rumors: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Updates
Playing in 16 games, Valdes-Scantling had the least productive regular season of his career. He caught only 21 passes for 315 yards and one touchdown and was part of the overall struggles the team had in the passing game.
It was rookie Rashee Rice who emerged as Patrick Mahomes’ go-to receiver as everyone else failed to answer the call. However, the confidence Mahomes had in Valdes-Scantling never subsided, which has resulted in some huge plays in the postseason.
The biggest came during the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs had a chance to put the game away on the final play ahead of the two-minute warning. It was third-and-9 as the offensive players huddled on the sideline in a timeout.
“Pat was like, ‘Put the ball in my hands,’” Valdes-Scantling said. Head coach Andy Reid agreed and the rest is history. The Ravens’ alignment provided Mahomes the knowledge that he would have one of two throws to make on the play.
“I looked at (rookie receiver) Rashee (Rice) first and the safety cut him (off) and gave MVS the free lane and I just put it up and let him make a play,” Mahomes said. “He did that. He made a heck of a great catch.”
Needing to make a play in the worst way, Valdes-Scantling came up with one. He burned past Ravens’ cornerback Arthur Maulet, making a diving play that sealed the victory for the Chiefs, who are heading to their fourth Super Bowl in five years.
NFL News & Rumors: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs Updates
“I blacked out everything else around me,” Valdes-Scantling said. “I didn’t see the defender, I didn’t see the fans and I didn’t see any of the other players. I just saw the ball. That was it. There was no pressure on my end.”
It was an incredible play by Valdes-Scantling, who has essentially erased a brutal regular season with his postseason performance. Each time the Chiefs have needed someone to step up and make a play, they have called his number and he has responded.
It was a 32-yard reception against the Ravens that clinched that game. Oddly enough, he also had a 32-yard reception against the Buffalo Bills during the Divisional Round that helped clinch that matchup.
Does Valdes-Scantling have another 32-yard reception in the works for the Super Bowl? The Chiefs can only hope so as they will need a total team effort to take down the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch from the Super Bowl four years ago.
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