Graney: Rashee Rice stepped up when Chiefs needed him most
The mantra came from his wide receivers coach at Southern Methodist, the letters standing for what makes Rashee Rice the player he is: DBS.
Don’t. Be. Soft.
“It’s a mentality I walk around with,” Rice said. “Sort of like the Mamba mentality. DBS. You can take it anywhere in life, especially when you face adversity. Just keep your head up no matter what’s going on around you.”
From an inconsistent position for the Kansas City Chiefs this season emerged the sort of reliable talent quarterback Patrick Mahomes desperately needed.
And so as the Chiefs prepare to meet San Francisco in Super Bowl 58 on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, one of the best rookie wide receivers in Andy Reid’s coaching career seems more than prepared to face such a dazzling spotlight. We’ll see if he can.
Search for No. 1
It had been a laborious process, the Chiefs trying to discover their next No.1 receiver since the lightning fast Tyreek Hill departed via trade before the 2022 season. Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Skyy Moore. Kadarius Toney. All had their down times. Their drops. Their not-so-shining moments.
So attention turned to a second-round draft pick, born in North Philadelphia before growing up in Texas, to calm the storm of constant worry regarding who in the world Mahomes could trust when scanning a field and aiming passes.
It didn’t take long to understand Rice was the obvious pick.
He instantly became comfortable with his all-everything quarterback. If a big play was needed, there was no doubt where Mahomes would glance first after tight end Travis Kelce.
“It was the first game of the season, and I ran the wrong route because I had a good feel for the field,” Rice said. “Myself and Pat were on the same page.
“I wasn’t going to let anyone predict what my season would look like. I knew being picked in the second round would give me a chance to have an impact. Obviously, the Chiefs saw in me all I believe in myself. Now, I’m here.”
Numbers prove it: He finished the regular season with 79 catches for 938 yards and seven scores. He has 20 receptions for 223 yards in the playoffs.
You might remember the play he made against the Raiders this season in Allegiant Stadium, a third-and-6 call with Kansas City ahead by four points. Rice found himself open on a crossing route and took it 39 yards for a fourth-quarter score.
“I’m not surprised by any of it,” Valdes-Scantling said. “He’s a heck of a player who will continue to grow in this league for a very long time. He has the skill set and mindset to be one of those guys who can set himself and his family up for eternity.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to take him under my wing and teach him all the stuff I was taught as a rookie. Give the knowledge to him about how to be a pro. He has embraced all of it.”
But this is the Super Bowl. The biggest of big games. And we’re talking about a rookie wide receiver. How he might react is anyone’s guess. Some thrive. Others wilt.
His teammates are confident it will prove the former, that as much as Rice still needs to learn — and it’s a lot — he’s now savvy enough to understand how massive a time this really is.
He stepped up when needed most, when a usually potent offense was being held back by poor play at wide receiver.
Now, he gets his shot in the ultimate of games.
The same guy
“Don’t get overwhelmed,” Rice said. “Don’t let the football stuff overwhelm you. You’ve been playing football your whole life. I know I’m in the Super Bowl as a rookie. But what I’ve done best is not let the big moments overpower me or take away my goal. I just continue to work and be dedicated and show up as the same guy every day.”
His just continues to preach a DBS mentality.
Because, well, soft won’t work in a Super Bowl.
Not against the oh-so-physical 49ers. Not for a second.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.