NFL Rumors: 3 Chiefs who saved their jobs in Week 2, 1 on the hot seat

Kadarius Toney still has a short leash, but didn't drop everything

Kadarius Toney couldn't complete four of the five targets he got last Thursday night in Week 1, but the extra time to sit and think about what he needs to prove moving forward appears to have gotten him on track.

Of the five balls thrown his way on Sunday afternoon, he caught all of them for 35 yards, averaging seven per catch. He was also used once in the running game, totaling three yards.

What the Chiefs need to say is his presence in the passing game, though, since using him as a rusher is a playbook wrinkle at best. While he didn't show explosive, play-making ability in Week 2, he did prove he is ready to be a steady contributor and wasn't a complete deficiency as he was in Week 1.

Fans will remember one pass deflected right off his hands and into the possession of a Lions defender last Thursday. The box score will say no such errors this week with him grabbing everything thrown his way, but he did fumble one of his passes. He was able to retain possession but it stunted a Chiefs drive.

While none of his passes were all that exotic looking specifically at catch difficulty, he was able to keep his hands on all of them, save for the recovered fumble.

Importantly, though, Toney flashed his savvy rushing ability in yards-after-catch scenarios, none more exemplary than this in the first quarter:

This is the precise example of why the Chiefs traded for Toney last year. He ran the play perfectly, making easy work for Mahomes who only had to create a few air yards on the pass. Toney did the rest, with 20 yards added after completion, 13 more than the expected seven. The blockers helped, but Toney's shiftiness did a great deal of work, too.

That's a callback to his experience as a special teams punt returner, another area the Chiefs might look to use him at some point this season.

Off the field and before the game, Toney accepted responsibility for the poor play in Week 1, a necessary step considering how firmly he was in the lowlight.

It wasn't a perfect week, but it was far better than what he showed in Week 1.