Arrowhead Pride
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...
