Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff Writer 5y

Reserve receivers for Chiefs reeling in big plays from Patrick Mahomes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lost amid the fourth-quarter heroics of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during Monday night's comeback win over the Denver Broncos was this: The two biggest plays on the winning touchdown drive were made by backups.

Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson made a diving catch for 23 yards on second-and-30, giving the Chiefs a realistic hope of extending the drive. Tight end Demetrius Harris got open on the next play, catching a 35-yard pass that put the Chiefs at the Denver 11.

Mahomes and the Chiefs' leading receivers, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, are getting most of the attention -- and for good reason. They're the biggest reasons the Chiefs are 4-0 heading into Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium.

But their supporting pass-catchers are also producing. Chris Conley has two touchdowns, Robinson and De'Anthony Thomas one apiece.

"We have so much depth that guys step in and make plays," fullback Anthony Sherman said. "That's another element we have."

The Chiefs have done a remarkable job of finding talented pass-catchers and then developing them into productive NFL players. Of their six wideouts and two tight ends, only Sammy Watkins, a first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2014, was selected in the first two rounds.

The other seven have been with the Chiefs their entire careers. Kelce and Conley were picked in the third round, Robinson and Thomas in the fourth and Hill in the fifth. Harris, who played basketball but not football in college, and Marcus Kemp were undrafted free agents.

"A lot of it is we look for guys that can handle different positions, good run-after-the-catch [ability] and have that combination of quickness and speed," coach Andy Reid said. "It's one thing to be fast, but if you can't get in and out of breaks that doesn't help you much.

"We've got a good blend of that, taking it all the way through [the depth chart]. You're talking about smart guys that can do a lot of things for you."

Conley and Robinson stepped into significant roles against the Broncos after Watkins departed the game for good in the first half with a sore hamstring. Conley had four catches, third on the team behind Hill and Kelce.

Robinson had two catches, but one wound up being one of the game's biggest plays. He had a chance at a touchdown earlier in the game, but he couldn't make a difficult catch in the end zone on a low throw from Mahomes.

Robinson played only 23 offensive snaps in the Chiefs' first three games and his only catch until the Denver game was a 3-yard touchdown reception in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But he still was able to help against the Broncos when the Chiefs needed him.

"He didn't have a ton of reps at it," Reid said. "But we rotate him in enough to where he was able to step in and go."

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