Xavier Worthy's exciting debut with the Chiefs showed everything the opponents should fear

Welp, the Kansas City Chiefs have a great new toy to play with.

No time was wasted figuring out how to get the ball into the hands of speedy rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy. He had just three touches in Kansas City's 27-20 season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. But he turned them into two long touchdowns, showing off his blistering 4.21-second 40-yard dash that made him the fastest man in NFL Scouting Combine history. Three touches, 68 yards and two touchdowns in a debut isn't bad, but the way Worthy scored his points shows his place in the Chiefs' offense still needs to be worked out.

The first touchdown was breathtaking. Seriously. Worthy received the ball on an end-around handoff from Patrick Mahomes, had a line in front of him thanks to incredible blocks from his teammates and exploded to the end zone.

“I said coach [Matt] “Nagy, I think this play is going to lead to a point,” Worthy said of a conversation he had with his offensive coordinator during the team's pregame meeting.

On a field filled with some of the most physically gifted players in the world, Worthy's speed stood out. Ravens defenders couldn't help but grab at air and pieces of jersey as the rookie flew past them at warp speed. Sure, it's the first game of the regular season, but that speed in that confined space is breathtaking – and possibly one of the coolest plays of the entire season.

The second point for Worthy was a complete collapse of the Ravens defense.

“Marlon Humphrey just let me go,” Worthy said.

But it is a strong Reminder to the teams that will soon be on the schedule that Worthy is not a player you can lose track of on the back end. There was a miscommunication between the cornerbacks and the safeties, and Worthy found himself untouched deep in Ravens territory. Mahomes threw him, he caught him and no one will be able to catch him from behind. As soon as he starts moving on open grass, forget about it.

That's the kind of speed the Chiefs lacked on offense last year, and how they utilize Worthy and pass him the ball will be critical to the development of this team.

“Just having him out there just opens up opportunities,” Mahomes said after the game. “You saw that when he's out there, they play shell coverage, there are guys like Trav [Travis Kelce] and it gets guys like Rashee [Rice] openly underneath. And that's the great thing about this offense. We're able to do all of that and that's when we're at our best.”

Right now, Worthy is clearly still working on his game. The end-around was more of a gadget play and Mahomes is clearly more comfortable throwing to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who led the Chiefs with nine targets in the season opener. The end-around and the broken coverage were reminders of how fast Worthy is, but they aren't always repeatable.

Not to be a spoiler or a hater, but Worthy will have to prove himself as a true receiver going forward. The gadget plays will probably work anyway because nobody has Worthy's speed, but it's important to follow his development as a true wide receiver. The Chiefs will get a boost when Hollywood Brown returns from injury, something Mahomes emphasized after Thursday's win, but what Worthy can offer them in terms of real, repeatable plays will continue to raise their ceiling as they hunt for three straight Super Bowl victories.

Worthy is here. His presence was much needed for the Chiefs as they struggled to produce consistently explosive plays last season. As much room for improvement as there is, it is important to remember that this is the Floor for Worthy – a player who can score whenever the defense is not perfect. Thursday was a strong start for Worthy, but there are So a lot of room for improvement, which should scare the rest of the AFC.