The Kansas City Chiefs have hit the jackpot on draft picks since Andy Reid became the head coach in 2013, with Tyreek Hill being one of their best selections to date. Since Hill was a fifth-round pick in 2016, he has been one of the top pass catchers in the NFL -- and arguably the best deep-ball wide receiver. Hill has 21 plays of 50+ yards since entering the league in 2016, averaging 14.7 yards per catch with 45 receiving touchdowns.
Hill has the most touchdowns since entering the league (55) with his 45 receiving touchdowns only second to Davante Adams. His 9.97 yards per target is tied with Julio Jones for first in the NFL. The Chiefs have a dynamic playmaker in Hill, a huge part of why their offense is second in the NFL in scoring (31.7) and first in pass yards per game (314.5) -- along with why Patrick Mahomes is the front-runner to win his second MVP award in three years.
In Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hill had one of the greatest first quarters for a wide receiver this century -- propelling the Chiefs' offense and paving the way for Patrick Mahomes' record-setting day. In this week's edition of "By The Numbers," we take a dive into Hill's historic first half against Tampa Bay and how dominant he's been over the last three seasons.
Most Receiving Yards in a First Quarter (Since 1990)
- Lee Evans (Bills) -- 205 (2006)
- Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) -- 203 (2020)
- Sammy Watkins -- 151 (2019)
- T.Y. Hilton (Colts) -- 143 (2014)
Most Receiving Yards in a First Half (Since 1990)
- Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) -- 210 (2020)
- George Kittle (49ers) -- 210 (2018)
- Kevin Curtis (Eagles) -- 205 (2007)
- Lee Evans (Bills) -- 205 (2006)
Hill finished with seven catches for 203 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter against the Buccaneers, which was his first 200-yard game of the season and second of his career (2018). Hill became just the third player since 1980 with at least 200 receiving yards in a single quarter, joining Qadry Ismail (210, third quarter, 1999) and Lee Evans (205, first quarter, 2006).
Only two players recorded 200 receiving yards in a game this season, but Hill accomplished the feat in the first quarter (Tyler Lockett had 200 yards in Week 7 against the Cardinals). Once Hill finished the first quarter, he had the most receiving yards in a game this season.
Hill's first quarter numbers: 7 catches, 203 yards, 2 TD.
Hill's first half numbers: 8 catches, 210 yards, 2 TD
Hill finished the game with 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns, becoming the first player since Jimmy Smith in 2000 with 260+ receiving yards and 3+ receiving touchdowns -- and the eighth player all-time. Hill became the sixth player in NFL history with two-career games of at least 10+ catches, 200+ receiving yards and 2+ touchdowns, joining Don Hutson, Jerry Rice, Amari Cooper, Chad Johnson, and Art Powell.
Hill recorded six catches of 20+ yards, setting a single-game franchise record. His 269 receiving yards are the second-most in franchise history, behind Stephone Paige's 309 in 1985. This was Hill's third-consecutive game with 100+ receiving yards, tying for the third-longest streak of 100-yard receiving games in team history. If Hill has 100+ receiving yards this week, he'll tie Travis Kelce (2016) and Tony Gonzalez (2000) for the franchise record.
This performance against the Buccaneers put Hill amongst the league leaders in receiving yards this season. Hill was already amongst the top pass catchers in 2020 in touchdown receptions, but he's near the top of the league in many receiving categories. Here's where Hill ranks amongst all receivers in 2020:
Receiving Yards Leaders (2020)
- DK Metcalf (Seahawks) -- 1,039
- Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) -- 1,021
- Travis Kelce (Chiefs) -- 978
- DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals) -- 967
- Terry McLaurin (Washington) -- 963
Receiving TD Leaders (2020)
- Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) -- 13
- Davante Adams (Packers) -- 11
- Adam Thielen (Vikings) -- 11
- Make Evans (Buccaneers) -- 11
- DK Metcalf (Seahawks) -- 9
Hill's 68 receptions are tied for 12th in the NFL and his 44 first-down catches are sixth in the league. Patrick Mahomes has a 139.9 passer rating when targeting Hill, the highest in the league for players that have been targeted over 50 times (Hill has been targeted 101 times). He has a touchdown catch in five straight games, tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history, and two shy of matching the franchise record (Dwayne Bowe, 2010).
Finally, let's take a look at where Hill ranks in several receiving categories over the last four seasons:
Yards Per Catch Leaders (Since 2017)
- Mike Evans (Buccaneers) -- 15.79
- Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) -- 15.77
- Julio Jones (Falcons) -- 15.05
- Brandin Cooks (Texans) -- 15.01
- T.Y. Hilton (Colts) -- 14.91
Receiving Yards Leaders (Since 2017)
- Julio Jones (Falcons) -- 5,192
- DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals) -- 5,082
- Keenan Allen (Chargers) -- 4,663
- Michael Thomas (Saints) -- 4,624
- Travis Kelce (Chiefs) -- 4,581
- Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) -- 4,543
Receiving TD Leaders (Since 2017)
- Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) -- 39
- Davante Adams (Packers) -- 39
- DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals) -- 35
- Mike Evans (Buccaneers) -- 32
- Travis Kelce (Chiefs) -- 30
- Adam Thielen (Vikings) -- 30
Yards Per Target Leaders (Since 2017)
- Tyreek Hill (Chiefs) -- 10.52
- Chris Godwin (Buccaneers) -- 9.85
- Tyler Lockett (Seahawks) -- 9.76
- Julio Jones (Falcons) -- 9.74
- George Kittle (49ers) -- 9.63
Hill has easily established himself as a top-three wide receiver in football over the past four seasons, and certainly one of the best deep threats in the game, His 25 touchdown catches of 40+ yards are the most in the NFL since his rookie season, 15 more than Amari Cooper, Derrick Henry, Tyler Lockett, and Tyrell Williams (each has 10). Hill's 24 receiving touchdowns of 25+ yards are the most in the NFL since 2017.
Hill has 19 touchdowns of 50+ yards, just 17 behind Jerry Rice for the most in NFL history. His 15 touchdown catches of 60+ yards are tied for the 13th-most in NFL history, just nine behind DeSean Jackson (24). At just 26 years old, Hill will have plenty of time to catch Rice at the rate he's making plays.
Hill is clearly one of the most entertaining players in the NFL, even with his talent being overshadowed by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. He has been just as vital to the Chiefs' success over the past three seasons.
