Just before midnight Central Time on Monday, October 7, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took to social media to send a message to his followers after KC’s 26-13 win over the New Orleans Saints.
“Unc Still Got it Mane,” Smith-Schuster wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The caption was accompanied by two pictures and a video of Smith-Schuster’s Week 5 performance.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Deployed in Former Role vs. Saints
Smith-Schuster had a team-high 130 receiving yards on seven catches against New Orleans on Monday Night Football. His biggest play of the night came a 2nd-and-6 play early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with Smith-Schuster over the middle of the field, and Smith-Schuster took the pass for 50 yards and put the Chiefs offense inside the Saints’ red zone.
It could have been an even bigger night for Smith-Schuster had he not bobbled a pass right into the hands of Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who intercepted Mahomes’s pass in the end zone and returned it 37 yards late in the third quarter.
Though he is a little bit older now, the Chiefs deployed Smith-Schuster in the role he held with the team during the 2022 season when he had 933 receiving yards. It was the same role Rashee Rice held during the 2023 season after Smith-Schuster left to sign with the New England Patriots during the 2023 offseason.
Smith-Schuster, who was cut by the Patriots this summer after injuries impacted his production in New England, isn’t as explosive as he was during his first stint with the Chiefs. However, he proved in Week 5 that he still has some juice left in the tank and can be a serviceable short-term option for the offense as Kansas City continues to weigh its options in terms of adding receiver talent.
JuJu Smith-Schuster Emphasizes Team Effort
Speaking to the media after the Week 5 win, Smith-Schuster emphasized how a team effort led to his 130-yard performance against a stingy Saints defense.
“First I have to give it up to the man above. Without Him and my faith in Him, he’s been guiding me through all this,” Smith-Schuster said. “Coming back here, a place I’m very familiar with, playing with a great quarterback — I’ve had great chemistry in the past playing under Andy Reid. The guys on the field, from my tight ends to the o-line, running backs and receivers, this is a team sport, it takes all 11 guys for us to make one play happen.”
Smith-Schuster also made sure to give credit to fellow wideout Justin Watson, who he says does a lot behind the scenes that goes unnoticed. Watson played the most snaps among the receivers in Week 6 (59) but wasn’t targeted at all in the game.
“Another person I would love to give the spotlight to that you guys don’t understand is Justin Watson,” Smith-Schuster said. “He’s another great dude who has been here for quite some time. When I got here, he was the guy who I was leaning on the most. Coming back, obviously I’m familiar with the plays, but seeing new faces and seeing a guy like him – he’s a great leader. Don’t give it up to me, he is a guy who helps out a lot.”
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