After Xavier Worthy's dazzling debut at Arrowhead and Kingsley Suamataia's solid first outing, the Kansas City Chiefs' rookies hit a bit of a speed bump against the Bengals.
Worthy, coming off his explosive start, had a quieter Week 2. He managed just 5 rushing yards and 2 catches for 17 yards on 4 targets. Mahomes also threw a couple of picks when aiming his way (though one got wiped out by a Bengals penalty). Don't get me wrong, Worthy wasn't terrible, but Chiefs fans might want to dial back the hype machine a notch. He'll be a key player, sure, but expect some ups and downs.
Now, let's talk Carson Steele. After barely seeing the field against Baltimore (5 snaps, 3 yards on 2 carries), he got more action versus Cincinnati. The undrafted rookie put up 24 rushing yards on 7 carries, including some clutch fourth-down conversions. He even got the rock on back-to-back plays during the game-winning drive.
The Chiefs' most heralded rookies turned in some humble performances in Week 2.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Steele coughed up the ball near the end of the first half, though the Bengals only squeezed a field goal out of it. With Pacheco nursing an injury, expect to see more of Steele, but don't count on him being the team's workhorse just yet.
As for left tackle Kingsley Suamataia... well, there's no sugar-coating it. Sunday was rough. Trey Hendrickson gave him fits all day, and Suamataia got flagged twice for holding in the second half. It got so bad that the Chiefs had to swap him out for Wanya Morris in the final quarter. The stats aren't pretty: 2 sacks, 1 QB hit, and another hurry allowed in just 31 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF ($).
But let's pump the brakes on the panic. Suamataia's a 21-year-old second-rounder out of BYU. Growing pains against a stud like Hendrickson? Not exactly shocking. The real question is what the Chiefs do next. Reid was non-committal about Suamataia starting against Atlanta. Will they give Morris a shot? Maybe ring up Donovan Smith for old times' sake? Or do they ride it out, betting on Suamataia to find his footing before the playoffs?
The bottom line: Worthy's speed is legit, and his role should grow à la Rashee Rice last year. Steele's proving to be a solid UDFA find, despite some rookie moments. Suamataia's struggling, but the potential's there, and the Chiefs knew he'd need time to develop.
Remember, all three of these offensive rookies are just 21. They'll likely improve as the season progresses. There might be more bumps in the road, but don't be surprised if they all end up playing big roles in the Chiefs' quest for a three-peat.
