Coming off an ugly loss in Jacksonville, the Kansas City Chiefs needed this one. They recorded a comfortable 30-17 win over the Detroit Lions — one of the best teams in the league — and got back to 0.500 on the season.
The offense looked competent and surgical — and this week, they’ll get one of their best players back. The defense held Detroit to under 100 yards rushing and 200 yards passing. They got big stops to end drives and avoided costly mistakes.
It’s not easy to find fault with the Chiefs’
performance in this game, so I hope you’ll forgive a lopsided recap.
Here are just a few Kansas City players who stood out.
Winners
Wide receivers Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster: Combined, these two caught all seven targets for 102 yards and two scores. Neither is likely to be the team’s No. 1 receiver any time soon — in fact, with Rashee Rice returning next week, their opportunities may shrink — but on this night, they made big plays. Brown had a 20-yard catch and Smith-Schuster grabbed a 30-yarder. Both served as efficient, reliable targets for quarterback Patrick Mahomes — especially when he was improvising.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones: His statistics weren’t gaudy, but don’t be fooled: Jones is still changing games. Whether he reaches the quarterback or not, his pressure and chaos were evident on nearly every big defensive stop. Jones has that rare ability to beat an interior lineman cleanly and force a hurried throw that ends a drive.
Left tackle Jaylon Moore: Before examining advanced stats and coaches’ film, it looks like Moore’s debut went very well. He showed strength in run blocking, mobility getting downfield and pushing elite pass rushers wide around the pocket. It might have been one of the best days of his life. Early on Sunday morning, he welcomed his third child before earning his first Kansas City start. It was encouraging to see the Chiefs’ offensive line depth shine when Josh Simmons — its fantastic rookie starter — had to miss the game.
Tight end Travis Kelce: The sharp cuts? The energy? The reliable hands? There was the player we’ve grown accustomed to seeing! He caught six of seven targets for 78 yards and nearly scored before landing awkwardly near the goal line. With wideout Rashee Rice returning this week, it’ll be interesting to see how the targets shake out — but it’s reassuring to know that when the team needs him, Kelce can still be the guy.
Safety Bryan Cook and defensive back Chamarri Conner: These two were tackling machines against the Lions — a huge reason Detroit was held to just 17 points. They combined for 21 tackles — many of them near the line of scrimmage. The Lions went just 5-for-11 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. Cook and Conner’s aggressive tackling and closing speed were key factors in getting the Chiefs’ defense off the field.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: Nobody has been better this season. You can see the comfort and confidence he’s built behind this offensive line — and the rapport he’s developed with his veteran receivers. When he scrambles, they know where to go — and good things usually happen. Mahomes hit eight different receivers on Sunday night — including all three running backs. He completed more than 73% of his passes and totaled 257 yards through the air. It wasn’t flashy, but it was efficient and confident. In other words: it was exactly what the Chiefs needed.
Head coach Andy Reid: All the talk about the Chiefs’ struggles this season — the sloppy play, the lack of adjustments — might have been a bit premature. Reid has his team rounding into form. The Chiefs looked dominant against one of the league’s top teams, executing on both sides of the ball. Kansas City went for it on fourth down three times and converted twice. And much to everyone’s delight, the Chiefs committed zero penalties. (Okay, technically there was one declined offsides call on Chris Jones — but still!) It was a solid game plan that was executed cleanly. Reid deserves plenty of credit.
Losers
Kicker Harrison Butker: Another week, another missed kick. This one was ugly: a extra point pulled wide left. The Lions may have gotten a hand on it — but either way, it’s not good to see the well-paid kicker sitting at 78% on field goals and 82% on extra points.
Please Note: The labels “winners” and “losers” are not judgments of talent or character. They simply reflect single-game performance. No disrespect is intended.
