JuJu Smith-Schuster on First TD With Chiefs: ‘It’s a Great Feeling'
Six games into the 2022 season, the Kansas City Chiefs are still trying to figure out who their top non-Travis Kelce receiving target is. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has put his name in the hat for that title as of late but in Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills, it was JuJu Smith-Schuster who led the position group in production by a healthy margin.
Targeted five times against Buffalo, Smith-Schuster converted with five receptions for a season-high 113 receiving yards. Not only did he become the first Chiefs wideout to cross the 100-yard threshold in 2022, but he also scored his first touchdown of the season on a 42-yard play in the first half:
Because last season was one filled with missed time due to injuries, Smith-Schuster's touchdown was his first since the 2020-21 campaign. The former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver is no stranger to getting into the end zone, but finding paydirt has been a rare occurrence for him in recent years. After Sunday's game, he described his first epic moment as a member of the Chiefs:
"Yeah, so with that play, obviously I had an under route," Smith-Schuster said. "So they were clearing it out and I knew that the middle linebacker was going to get out, so I knew that I had the middle of the field to work. Obviously, I've been here for quite some time now and working with Pat (Patrick Mahomes), I know a play never ends basically. Running across the field, Pat sees me wide open, throws me the ball and me just being the physical player I am, just spun out of it and took it to the house."
Brought in this offseason following the team's trade of star pass-catcher Tyreek Hill, Smith-Schuster was expected to bring a new dynamic to the Chiefs' offense. Known as a "big slot" type of wideout with a proclivity for getting open with quality route-running in the short and intermediate areas of the field, the former USC standout is also known for his ability to generate additional yards after the catch and break tackles. He had those strengths on full display on Sunday, even though it resulted in a losing effort for the team.
When asked about his ever-changing on-field relationship with Mahomes, Smith-Schuster said things are still developing to where he — and others — want them to be at the end of the year.
"Honestly, I feel like I've been building that chemistry with him," Smith-Schuster said of Mahomes. "I've seen that with him and Trav (Travis Kelce) and how they work. Every single day, I'm trying to get to that point — we're all trying to get to that point — where the ball is being thrown in the air and he trusts us."
Still just six games into the season, the 4-2 Chiefs will continue relying on different players to do their scoring for them on offense. Everything starts and ends with Mahomes and Kelce, but others will also play critical roles throughout the year. Smith-Schuster is arguably the third most important cog in that machine, and getting the proverbial monkey off his back by scoring touchdown No. 1 in Kansas City is a major step in the right direction. After all, it's his job to do what he can to help the team win.
"It felt amazing," Smith-Schuster said of his first score as a Chief. "It's a great feeling, running to the end zone in this uniform and in this atmosphere. Scoring touchdowns is what I came here to do."
