Tyreek Hill Continues To Be a Human Cheat Code for the Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs had a ton of bright spots in their Week 4 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, but none of them shined brighter than wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The three-time All-Pro was in prime form on Sunday, terrorizing a Philadelphia defense that simply had no answers for him.
A statement game from Hill was overdue, as he had 14 yards in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens and 56 the following week versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Hill, who hauled in 15 touchdown catches last season, is as dangerous of a threat as anyone in the NFL. He showed why against the Eagles, and Mark Van Sickle of Arrowhead Report joined me on today's Roughing the Kicker podcast to discuss just how elite Hill is.
A quick glance at Hill's stat line — 12 targets and 11 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns — paints the picture of a player who ran wild on the opposing defense. That's an accurate depiction, but it doesn't speak to just how many ways in which Hill was successful. Whenever the Chiefs needed him, he was there.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes' most trusted target is normally tight end and future Hall of Famer, Travis Kelce. On Sunday, it was Hill, as the two were completely in sync. At the line of scrimmage, Hill used his lightning-fast, choppy footwork to gain separation. He ran a variety of routes with precision to keep opposing defenders honest. He closed on highlight-reel catches downfield. He won at all levels of the field. Overall, Hill's performance was one of the best wideout games the league has seen thus far in the (still relatively young) 2021 season.
Keeping so many talented mouths fed is a difficult task for the Chiefs, although it's a good problem to have. Hill had the hot hand in Week 4, and he reminded everyone of just how much he's grown over the years. He came into the NFL as a project who needed to undergo significant improvements in order to become what he's been for the past few seasons. He's now one of the top three receivers in football, and there's a legitimate argument to be made that he should claim the top spot.
For the Chiefs' purposes, at least, Hill is No. 1. His blend of game-breaking acceleration, top-end speed, ball-tracking, hands and football IQ cannot be found in any other athlete. He's one of one, and his dominant performance against the Eagles' secondary was a perfect reminder of that. Defenses may be able to bottle Hill up for a couple of weeks but at some point, his breakout game is inevitable.
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