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Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes has never been shy about throwing deep passes, particularly at training camp. But his intent on seeing that the Kansas City Chiefs get more big plays has not been more evident than in this camp.
On Friday alone, Mahomes went deep for Xavier Worthy twice in the first four plays of practice. Neither one was complete, but for now that’s not the point. The plays continued Mahomes’ camp-long practice of often pushing the ball downfield, many times to Worthy or another new Chiefs receiver, Marquise Brown.
“We missed on some today (but) we’ve hit on some earlier in camp,” Mahomes said. “That’s what we’re doing it for. We’re out here to practice trying to shoot the ball down the field by going against one of not the best defenses in the National Football League … Guys have done a great job of building and we’ll continue to get better and better with building chemistry as the camp goes on.”
The Chiefs uncharacteristically with Mahomes at quarterback were unable to throw successfully down the field much last season. So they drafted in the first round one fast wide receiver, Worthy, and signed as a free agent another, Brown, in the hope of opening up their passing game.
Mahomes’ emphasis on the deep ball in camp has been clear.
“He’s going to throw to the guy that’s open,” coach Andy Reid said. “We’re calling kind of the same plays but he’s got guys that that’s a part of their game. The best part of their game is going down field so he’s utilizing that right now and testing it out, seeing how it works and so far he’s had some good connections there.”
No connection was more heartening to the Chiefs than a post pattern for a touchdown that Mahomes threw to Worthy in the first full-squad practice of camp. From the snap Mahomes appeared determined to get the ball to Worthy.
He was flushed to his left by defensive pressure but found enough time to get the ball to Worthy, who was downfield and behind the coverage.
The play was what the Chiefs envisioned when they made their offseason moves, so much so that it moved the usually business-like offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to pump his first emphatically.
“I definitely got too excited for that play,” Nagy said. “I’ve got to contain my emotions a little bit. But the throw, the play, the execution, it’s exciting because it was really the first time that we’ve had that type of play with Xavier. You get a guy that wants it so bad and Pat wants it to be able to connect with him. When that happens, especially early in practice, it’s a good feeling.
“It was exciting to see and feel the speed, but also the tracking of the football. The timing element of staying on time with press (coverage) that we’re getting … It was really great to see and I think that’s why we all got so excited, especially with Xavier.”
Mahomes has passed to Brown in a variety of spots on the field. He’s been able to get more than one big play by running after the catch.
“He can run those over the middle routes, he can run really good (shorter) routes and he can run deep,” Mahomes said. “It’s not like fast is the only thing that he can do and you’ve seen that kind of really kind of transpire over these last few days of practice and he keeps getting better and better.
“You just see the speed that we have and how it’s opening up everybody and then even seeing Rashee (Rice) and how he’s taken that next step. It is a great group that all mesh well together and so I’m excited for their future. The sky is the limit.”
Brown had at least one catch of 40 yards or more in each of his five NFL seasons, the first three with the Baltimore Ravens and the last two with the Arizona Cardinals. He said the Chiefs are emphasizing the deep ball and so far throwing it more than his team at either of his first two NFL stops.
“Oh yeah, definitely,” Brown said. “We’ve got the guys to do it. Coach is putting us in great position to do it and Pat puts it on the money every time, so we’ve been lighting it up. It has been fun.”
The Chiefs struggled last season to get the big pass play to the point where Mahomes at the start of camp said he wasn’t having fun even though the Chiefs were on their way to a second straight Super Bowl championship.
He looks like he’s having more fun at camp, though that will change if the Chiefs can’t continue getting deep balls during the regular season. For now, at least, he’s encouraged.
“Coach Reid likes to go deep,” Nagy said. “So we’re going to try to go deep as much as we can and then play off of what we have or what they give us.”