KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hollywood Brown made his presence felt on the opening drive of his Kansas City Chiefs career.
After a 12-yard Patrick Mahomes scramble put Kansas City’s offense in position to overcome a holding penalty two plays earlier, Brown dashed across the field on a shallow cross, hauled in Patrick Mahomes’ pass and turned it into his own 12-yard gain and an early fourth-down conversion.
“It felt good,” Brown said. “The juice I get from my teammates, everything felt good.”
The Chiefs signed Brown for the juice they hoped he’d bring to the deep passing game, which had largely disappeared from the offense since Tyreek Hill was traded away.
Brown spent the first 14 games of the season on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury — a sternoclavicular dislocation, which required surgery — on the first snap of the preseason.
There were fears he’d miss the entire season after signing a one-year deal in the offseason, but Brown said he always believed he would return this season.
“Once they told me there was a chance, I believed from that point on,” he said. “I felt pretty good for a while now.”
He felt great Saturday, catching five of eight targets for 45 yards in a 27-19 win against the Texans.
“Getting him in there and getting the football in his hands and getting where he can feel confident running through tackles and stuff like that, I thought he did a great job and we’ll get him involved more and more as the season goes on,” Mahomes said.
There also were signs that Mahomes and his new target will need more time to fully get on the same page, but he brings a sorely needed aspect to Kansas City’s offense — the ability to separate.
“I missed him here and there on a couple throws, but I thought he was getting open,” Mahomes said. “He was winning against man coverage, which is huge. He’s a couple throws away from having a really, really big game.”
Brown’s return had a ripple effect throughout the offense.
“I enjoyed having him out there,” right guard Trey Smith said. “Hollywood’s awesome, man. It’s been a pleasure getting to know him — great dude, hard worker and definitely a guy you want to make on your team.”
Rookie Xavier Worthy also had a big game with Brown on the field. His seven catches, including an 8-yard touchdown, were a career high and his 65 yards were the second-most in a Chiefs uniform.
“Hollywood’s like a big brother to me,” Worthy said. “... It was amazing to have him back out there today. They’ve got to prepare for both of us now.”
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