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Who needs Tyreek Hill? Well, to achieve their goal of winning the organization's first Super Bowl since 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs almost definitely will require the services of football's most dangerous player. But if Sammy Watkins plays like he did in the Chiefs' season-opening victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they'll certainly be able to keep putting up points on the board as Hill recovers from a shoulder injury primed to sideline him for a few weeks.
After finishing with nine catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns in Kansas City's 40-26 win over Jacksonville on Sunday, Watkins was asked about his first score, a scintillating 68-yard catch-and-run that recalled his dominant college career at Clemson.
“Just playing fast,” he said, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “It was like the third play, but Pat made eye-contact with me and I knew it was coming. After I caught the ball, I’m like, ‘Yeah, this is what I do. I’m gonna finish this play.’ That’s something I worked on: my focus in the offseason. The same things I was doing in high school and college, I think I got that mojo back. That confidence to go out there and make plays and make moves.”
Watkins signed a three-year, $48 million deal with the Chiefs in the spring of 2018, but failed to live up to that contract last season, once again beset by injuries. Fully healthy after what he calls the best offseason of his career, though, Watkins – at least if Week 1 is any indication – seems poised to finally fulfill pre-draft expectations as one of the league's most dynamic receivers.
Kansas City, obviously, is better with Hill in the fold. But with Watkins playing near his peak, the best offense in football may not miss a beat as its top receiver works toward gaining a clean bill of health.
