The Kansas City Chiefs got a hard fought 30-27 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
However, it came at a cost with a pair of wide receiver injuries. Late in the game, Tyquan Thornton sustained a gruesome ankle injury in which he had to be carted off the field for. On the Chiefs’ second drive, Rashee Rice also exited the game.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice ‘Tweaked’ His Hamstring vs. Raiders
During his postgame press conference, coach Andy Reid told reporters that Rice “tweaked” his hamstring. It was serious enough that it prevented Rice from returning to the game. However, it was encouraging that he remained standing on the sidelines for the remainder of the contest.
Reid using the term “tweaked” seems to indicate the hamstring injury may not be serious, but we’ll likely know more tomorrow. Rice will have two weeks to recover as the Chiefs go on their bye week.
Heading into the Raiders matchup, Rice had 13 catches for 190 yards and one touchdown on the season. Kansas City will take the field again in Week 6 on October 18 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rashee Rice Has Embraced Being a Run Blocker
Part of why Rice doesn’t have gaudier stats is because Kansas City is running the ball in dominant fashion. He has quietly been apart of that, as he has embraced being a run blocker. That should open things up more for him to start posting bigger numbers.
Rice was coming off his best game of the season in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, which he recorded seven catches for 88 yards. He is in the final year of his rookie contract, and needs to prove he can stay healthy and produce like a top receiver if he wants to earn a lucrative long-term deal during the offseason.
Xavier Worthy Steps up in Rice’s Absence
With Rice essentially missing the entire game against Las Vegas, Worthy answered the call, recording four receptions for a season-high 70 yards. Worthy has been under fire as of late given his slow start to the season. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy went to bat for Worthy this past week while speaking to the media.
“Xavier does a great job in his mental and physical preparation each and every week,” Bieniemy said. “We got stuff for him. Sometimes things are taken away, and that’s when you got to give hats off to the defense. Obviously, we got to find a way to get a little bit more creative with him, But I’ll say this, he’s actually doing a heck of a job in the running game. He’s blocking.”
Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides Rashee Rice injury update