The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 26-7 in the AFC Wild Card Round in the frigid Missouri temperatures. Patrick Mahomes and company didn’t get the victory by pounding the ball in the freezing cold. The Chiefs threw the ball 41 times, and many of those went to rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice.

Rice, a second-round pick out of SMU, had a career game in his first postseason appearance, catching eight passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. And even though he was a hero in the Chiefs AFC Wild Card win over the Dolphins, he downplayed the moment after the game.

“I feel like, to be honest, it was another game,” Rice told reporters, according to ESPN. “Everybody out here was playing for each other, so it was just like we just put the weather to the side and knew that our opponents didn't want to be out here in this cold as much as we didn't.”

It wasn’t just another game, though, and Rice’s coach and QB were more than happy to say that.

Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid heaped praise on Rashee Rice

Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid will try to get the Chiefs back on track against the Patriots.
12/15/23

While Rashee Rice may not have wanted to bask in a ton of attention after his big game, his quarterback and coach had no problem piling on the praise.

“Some of those guys hit that rookie wall, and it seems like he just kind of pushed right through it and he's just continued to get better and better and he's a great player,” Patrick Mahomes said of Rice. “He has that right mentality. He comes to work every single day, and he made a lot of great plays for us today that helped us win the football game.”

Mahomes finished the game 23-of-41 for 262 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, with Rice being his favorite target. Tight end Travis Kelce had seven grabs for 71 yards, Justin Watson had two for 20, and no other pass-catcher had more than one.

Reid also noted that Rice is not like most rookies.

“It's hard to believe that he's a rookie,” Andy Reid. “The best part about him is he just keeps working. He's relentless with that, and he's got a good relationship [with Mahomes]. He's got Pat's respect, and he wants to do it the right way.

“He's getting better every week, and so I think we've seen that the last four games, five games.”

Now the Chiefs move on to either face the Buffalo Bills or Houston Texans depending on the outcome of the rescheduled Bills-Pittsburgh Steelers game Monday.