All of Chiefs Kingdom is able to rejoice! The season has been saved — and the team is back on track — with the Kansas City Chiefs’ 22-9 win over the New York Giants!
Well… if anyone has this take, I haven’t seen it yet.
But the Chiefs did outclass the Giants in a stinker of a “Sunday Night Football” matchup. Kansas City’s familiar problems — penalties, struggles in the running game and a shortage of open receivers — were still evident.
Still, there were glimpses of what this team is supposed to be — and plenty to build upon going into the Week 4 showdown with the Baltimore Ravens. The Chiefs’ passing defense smothered the Giants, while the offense had a couple of good drives to keep this game just out of reach.
Here are a few who stood out on Sunday night.
EDGE George Karlaftis: One of the main targets for fan frustration after the last couple of weeks, Karlaftis restarted his season on Sunday night. He furiously logged ten tackles — three for a loss — plus a batted pass, a sack and four quarterback hits. The pass rush was enough to frustrate Russell Wilson and make him impatient, which led directly to turnovers and under 10 points allowed. This performance is one that Karlaftis can build upon.
Linebacker Nick Bolton: Kansas City’s other highly-paid defender who has some clear limitations was also an impact player. Bolton was everywhere, racking up 14 tackles — including two for a loss — and a key batted pass. Sure… Cam Skattebo had a great performance bouncing off defenders, but the Chiefs held a team that scored 37 in Week 2 to only nine on Sunday night. Bolton’s steady leadership and lane-clogging ability was a significant factor.
Cornerback Jaylen Watson: When Watson plays well, the secondary is hard to beat. From his role in completely shutting down Malik Nabers — one of the NFL’s best young receivers — to an absolutely crucial, game-changing interception in the end zone, Watson was great. That interception was the difference between going into halftime down 13-6 and hitting intermission with a 9-6 lead. When Kansas City scored on its first third-quarter drive, the game felt like it was finally in hand.
Wide Receiver Tyquan Thornton: If at first you don’t succeed? “Ty, Ty again.” If the trend continues, this wideout’s picture should be in the dictionary next to “resilience.” His career wasn’t in a great place when the New England Patriots jettisoned him, but after signing with the Kansas City practice squad, he did everything he could to earn a job — and now, with the wide receiver room depleted, Thornton has stepped up. He led all of Sunday’s receivers with 71 yards (and a touchdown) on five catches. When he was unable to hold onto another one, Mahomes went right back to him in the same spot. Thornton was not going to let that second one go, which resulted in a 33-yard gain — and a Kareem Hunt touchdown run.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: He’s still doing whatever it takes to drag this team forward. Once again, his stats weren’t spectacular, but he did the spectacular stuff he’s known to do. The sack-avoiding, deep-passing, shoulder-lowering plays that Mahomes has made have somehow been overshadowed by the mediocrity of the first three weeks. But we shouldn’t soon forget the scrambling 52-yard bomb that drew a pass interference penalty and set up a field goal at the end of the first half, or the back-to-back passes to Thornton when the first one was ruled incomplete.
Kicker Harrison Butker: It was an off night for Butker, whose missed field goal and missed 48-yard extra point came after the bank-shot that went through the uprights. Luckily it wasn’t a factor in this game, but let’s hope it isn’t a pattern that continues.
Tight End Travis Kelce: The league’s most visible tight end seems to be among those who are most frustrated about the team’s offensive struggles. His production is down, drops and misses are up and the broadcast cameras have caught him yelling at coaches and teammates each week. He’s still a valuable player, but it feels like he hasn’t yet settled into a lesser role.
Right Tackle Jawaan Taylor: Same questions. Same story. Same results. This team doesn’t get enough offensive drives in a game to lose a couple of them from Taylor’s mistakes.
The Chiefs’ screen game: They ran the ball a little better and completed some passes when they had to, but head coach Andy Reid’s signature screen plays were maddening to watch. Twice, Mahomes threw backward passes to running back Isiah Pacheco that nearly resulted in turnovers. On the second, he had to take it back from the Giants himself. More than once, 35-year-old Kelce was targeted on screens that were doomed from the start. In practice this week, you can bet that Reid will be hammering on the offense’s poor execution — and maybe his own play-calling.
Running Back Isiah Pacheco: He’s not on this list due to lack of production — he recorded 55 total yards against New York — but the near-turnovers from Mahomes’ difficult-to-explain backward passes were embarrassing. The Chiefs need Pacheco to get on track. Otherwise, they’ll eventually have to make a change.
Note: The labels “winners” and “losers” are not judgments on the talent or character of these individuals. They’re simply a way to grade performance in a single game. No disrespect is intended.
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