Tyreek Hill made his highly anticipated return to Arrowhead Stadium. Rashee Rice dominated like Hill did during his Kansas City Chiefs days.
Rice, the second-round selection out of SMU, ended up leaving the Miami Dolphins on ice with his epic eight-catch, 130-yard outing to open the 2023 NFL postseason Saturday. Rice rewrote the Chiefs’ playoff record book with his yardage, then became the talk of Chiefs social media following their 26-7 Wild Card romp.
Rashee Rice Set the Tone for Ice Cold Chiefs Offense
Forget the fact it was -4 degrees by kickoff. Or even Andy Reid having a frozen mustache that became visible during the game. The biggest ice-cold takeaway from the contest was Rice’s performance against a talented Miami defense.
Right away, Rice started to crank up the temperatures for the Chiefs’ offense by scoring the first touchdown.
Patrick Mahomes finds Rashee Rice to cap off an impressive opening drive for the #Chiefs❗️#ChiefsKingdom
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) January 14, 2024
Rice, even for a moment, was slow to get up after taking this hit.
#Chiefs WR Rashee Rice was slow to get up and limped off the field after this play.
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) January 14, 2024
Yet, Rice was far from finished. He continued to feast on some Dolphins throughout the night.
#Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is EATING tonight 🍽️
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) January 14, 2024
Rice went “cheetah” on a team that now has the past beloved Super Bowl-winning WR who starred for KC from 2016 to 2021. And in the process, he got social media buzzing over his play.
Rice Nears Tyreek Hill’s Record
Turns out Rice came close to shattering a past mark held by Hill himself.
“Rashee Rice 130 yards is the most @Chiefs receiving yards in a playoff game since Tyreek’s 150 in the famed comeback/overtime win over the Bills in the 2021 Divisional round,” said NFL Network personality Rich Eisen on X (formerly known as Twitter).
ESPN personality and former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III believes Rice now gives the defending Super Bowl champs their new No. 1 WR, especially with this Chiefs team pivoting to a defensive identity as of late.
“The Kansas City Chiefs are a DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL TEAM. They have a Top five Defense, the best QB in the Galaxy and a No. 1 WR in Rashee Rice they can lean on when teams try to blanket Travis Kelce. This is the style of play they have to lean into to get them back to Super Bowl,” Griffin posted.
MORE: NFL Playoff Bracket
One other account that regularly follows the draft called the SMU Mustang one of the top yards after the catch targets from last season, which has clearly carried over for Rice.
Chiefs rookie Rashee Rice has been a complete game changer in this freezing cold playoff game. His hands have been really impressive.
The second-round pick out of SMU was one of the best YAC receivers in the NFL this season. pic.twitter.com/HWK1ZiJkBO
— Seven Rounds in Heaven (@7RoundsInHeaven) January 14, 2024
According to Next Gen Stats, Rice caught all of his passes while facing off coverage against the Dolphins. He racked up 80 yards with the cushion the Dolphins gave him.
Patrick Mahomes Shares Why He Knew Rice Was Ready
Patrick Mahomes let it be known that the “young buck” balled out on this night in turning him into a 100-yard option.
“He continued to work every single day to get better,” Mahomes told Kaylee Hartung after the game.
Mahomes included how Rice had been well-prepared for this moment by “asking the right questions” and putting in the work during practice.
But there’s one more aspect of Rice that convinced Mahomes he was prepared for the bright lights of the NFL playoffs.
“He played high school in Texas, so I knew he was a dog,” Mahomes said of the Dallas native, as Mahomes himself also starred at the prep level in the Lone Star State.
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