The Kansas City Chiefs made big news around the NFL when they acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans before the NFL trade deadline. Hopkins had a quiet year in Tennessee while managing a terrible quarterback situation, catching just 15 balls in six games.
As it turns out, playing with Patrick Mahomes is a great way to break out of a slump. After playing a very limited role in his debut with the Chiefs, Hopkins had a monster game in a dramatic overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. Mahomes constantly found his new target, and Hopkins caught eight out of his nine targets for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Former Cincinnati Bengals legend Chad Johnson knows a thing or two about an elite receiver. Johnson expressed his optimism about dropping Hopkins into the Chiefs offense on a recent episode of Nightcap.
“You're trading for a player, if you put him in the right situation, he can give you what we're used to seeing when he was considered a top three, top five player in the league,” Johnson said. “Now you put him in a situation in Kansas City, I guarantee you that's his best game. And he's only been there for three business days! If and when they do go, D-Hop is gonna play a big part in that. He's gonna play a damn big part in that.”
DeAndre Hopkins adds a new dimension to Chiefs offense
The Chiefs offense, and specifically their passing game, looked like a completely different beast on Monday night with DeAndre Hopkins in full flow. While the unit has been an efficient, balanced one for the entire season, it has lacked explosiveness.
The Chiefs had no such problems on Monday night, as they moved the ball up and down the field when they needed to in the second half. Hopkins made a huge catch down the field to set up a touchdown and was also a huge threat in the red zone, where he scored both of his touchdowns.
The Chiefs were using Hopkins in a similar role to the one that Rashee Rice was in before his season-ending knee injury, and it worked like a charm. He is a big-bodied weapon with elite hands that Mahomes can trust on the outside, which is something that the star quarterback hasn't had since Rice went out.
Add Hopkins' contributions to the slow emergence of Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs have a formula that can really work in the passing game. Kelce is starting to get more involved in the offense and play better in recent weeks and caught 14 balls for 100 yards on Monday night.
With the Chiefs sitting at 8-0 and Hopkins just getting comfortable in Kansas City, they look like the clear team to beat in the AFC. They have addressed their biggest weakness, and look as unstoppable ever at the season's halfway point.
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