The Chiefs are going to be without wide receiver Tyreek Hill for some time after he was injured against the Jaguars on Sunday and that prospect likely feels less daunting after seeing what Sammy Watkins did against Jacksonville.
Watkins caught nine passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns in the 40-26 Kansas City victory. That’s the same number of touchdowns as he had in 10 games for the Chiefs last season and he said after the game that the performance came after an offseason spent building up his confidence in himself.
“Just playing fast,” Watkins said, via Albert Breer of SI.com. “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 said he expects the Chiefs will be missing Hill for six or seven weeks, but feels the offense will keep rolling in the interim because they have “so many guys that can step up and play that position.” Watkins showed he’s at the top of that list on Sunday.
