The Kansas City Chiefs returned to winning ways in Week 9, securing a team-wide victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the overtime thriller, a handful of players were up to the challenge, but not many were as effective as wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Ironically, this was only Hopkins' second game against Kansas City. The 32-year-old looked solid in his Chiefs debut in Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes optimistic about the future. They only had to wait eight days to see noticeable improvement as Hopkins delivered a top-notch performance Monday Night Football stage with eight receptions, 86 yards and two touchdowns.

After the win, Reid was asked what the key to Hopkins' rapid integration was. He believes it's partly because of his coaching staff, but mostly because the player is one of the best in the business.

“First of all, he’s smart,” Reid said. “And he has a lot of experience. We used him more this week and Connor (Embree) is doing a good job with these guys getting them ready to go. DeAndre is an experienced player who is a smart guy, so the best part of that right there.

Hopkins credits everyone around him for always staying on top of things and making him feel at home over time.

“Much more comfortable,” Hopkins said. “Coaches prepare me great. I think it's not just Connor's fault, but everyone's offense. Everyone is constantly testing me, asking me questions and just seeing how well I know the offense.”

Most of the damage Hopkins did came in the first half of the game. On Kansas City's second possession of the game, he had three catches for 29 yards and helped put the team within field goal range. On the ensuing drive, he answered a prayer from Mahomes with a throw (seen above) for a 35-yard conversion to the 3-yard line. Just three plays later he scored a touchdown.

Don't get it twisted: Hopkins still made his presence felt down the stretch. His five-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was a score-goal situation at a crucial point in the contest, as was his 15-yard play on the game-winning drive in overtime. As far as confidence goes, the Chiefs showed a lot of it on Monday night. They already feel comfortable giving Hopkins opportunities to influence the outcome of close games.

Mahomes, known for his unique connection with tight end Travis Kelce, believes a similar mindset will help him establish the same thing at Hopkins.

“He’s just so good at winning one-on-one,” Mahomes said. “For him to be able to put it in the red zone (and) third-down situations, he does a good job of feeling and finding those windows, similar to what Travis does. I think as he figures out the whole offense, he's going to get even better because there are times where he goes somewhere and I'm like, 'Man, there's a time and a place for that.' That's what makes him great makes – you give him a chance on the field and he makes a play that goes from a play that might have been a bad decision to a big catch.

In the days leading up to the Week 9 appearance, Reid made it clear that he was comfortable with expanding his new wideout's role. The immediate returns from this ever-growing investment are enormous. Even after a two-point game, keep in mind that Hopkins is still in the onboarding phase of his Chiefs tenure. The ceiling for the overall impact he is capable of is likely higher, even if the box score production has already occurred.

With nine games left in the regular season, that might be a scary thought.

Read more: Four takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs' 30-24 win over the TB Buccaneers