5 winners and losers The Chiefs beat the Seahawks

This week’s Kansas City Chiefs game was a great gift for Christmas fans. They got an early lead and the match was never in doubt. The defense was able to hold off an inferior offense, bringing them up to 10 points. The Chiefs’ offense wasn’t great, but it did enough to keep this guy comfortable in the winning column, and they got away without any major hits.

At this point in the season, it’s a good day at the office. Here are just a few that stood out during Saturday’s 24-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks:

Noticeable: Submission labels “winn“Losers” and “Losers” are not intended to be a judgment on the talent or character of any of these players. It’s just a simple way to rate their performance in a single game. No disrespect intended.

winners

Tight end Travis Kelsey: It’s almost every week. Every season, Kelce goes for over 100 yards. Against Seattle, most of them came on one drive in the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs essentially put the game out of reach with a touchdown drive. Sure, Kelce had an early chance that he left on the field, and seemed to blame himself, but that was quickly forgotten as Kelce led all receivers in this game.

Wide receiver Toni Cadarius: The stats weren’t eye-catching, but Tony was felt on the court this week. Running and snapping was evidence of a player who could be an important factor in the long run. He scored the first touchdown of the game this week on a small “pop lane” while slashing through traffic on his way to the end zone. This is an item that has lost bosses.

Defensive Tackle Chris Jones: Jones looked like himself after a quiet Week 15, and was once again the best defensive player on the field. He was nearly unblockable with four quarterback hits on the day, and again featured heavily in clutch situations. Seattle had the ball late in the fourth quarter as time ran out, and Jones sent everyone home with his 11th sack of the season.

Midfielder Nick Bolton: This week, Bolton was snubbed for the Pro Bowl, and some thought it would lead him to play with an extra edge this week. Well, maybe it was, as the Chiefs linebacker was ubiquitous on Saturday, notching 17 total tackles. It was Bolton’s open tackle that sealed Seattle’s opening drive, and he didn’t stop there. Bolton also had a pick on a pass hit on the drive that ended in the Seahawks’ only touchdown. When attacking and closing in, this defensive unit is able to successfully exit the field.

EDGE George Karlaftis: The rookie added to his NFL-leading career passing total when he helped shut out the Seahawks to fourth in the first inning. Then he sacked Gino Smith to end another campaign. If he can play solid football (as he has all season) and make a couple of big games like that, it will end up being a stellar rookie season for Karlaftis.

losers

Denny Medley, USA Today Sports

Wide receiver Justin Watson: The Chiefs’ passing game was a bit out of sync today, and many of us have noticed many times when the problem seemed to be at least in part with Watson. Watson was unable to capture any of his four targets, which were… less than ideal. Both of his shortcomings were in a flight that ended in a flight or a spin in a descent. Watson has been a valuable player in depth this season, but on this day he was a powerful killer of the Chiefs’ pass offense.

Cornerback Joshua Williams: Williams had errors on both of Seattle’s scoring drives this week. At the end of the first half, Williams had not one but two penalty kicks which extended the way. His holding call nullified a Mike Dana sack on third down, and his pass interference put it within field goal range. Then, he gave up a fourth down pass to Treadwell for the Seahawks’ only touchdown run. This was definitely a file teaching moment For the novice who was Solid but not amazing in coverage. If he can clean up the mistakes that lead to big accomplishments and costly penalties, he’ll have a bright future ahead of him.