Scouting the Opposition: Top Players Bucs Must Watch vs. Chiefs

We preview the Kansas City Chiefs' top players on offense and defense when they face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Oct 2, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) drops back to pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are reeling after back-to-back losses and now face the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. This iteration of the Chiefs isn't loaded with household names on either side of the ball but they are getting it done as a collective. The Bucs are without their top wideouts but have still been able to get points on the board — it's been their defense that has struggled to contain explosive plays which doesn't bode well when facing the returning back-to-back Super Bowl champions.

It's not going to be easy and the Bucs will need a clean effort all the way around if they want to knock off the Chiefs and avoid dipping under .500. Here are the top players on both sides of the ball on Kansas City's roster their need to watch on Monday.

Top Players On Offense

QB Patrick Mahomes

Mahomes is having a down year and that's a fact. However, he is still Patrick Mahomes. His arm strength and and accuracy when throwing the ball are among the NFL's best and his ability to read defenses and know where to attack is uncanny. He still possesses incredible mobility and escapability allowing routes to develop and extend drives. Mahomes has been taking off with the ball more this year and his 139 yards on the ground are the most he's had this early in a season. While he's not among the lead leaders in passing yards or touchdowns, he's found a way to get his offense in position to get points on the board. This isn't the Mahomes that won the MVP but he's taking what defenses are giving him and it's been enough to go undefeated so far on the season.

TE Travis Kelce

The down year Mahomes is having is also true for Kelce, who just recorded his first touchdown of the season in Week 8. However, like Mahomes, Kelce is still one of the best at what he does in the league and his presence on the field helps open everything up for everyone else. With the Chiefs running the ball a lot more this season, Kelce's presence as a blocker has been at the forefront and although he's known for his receiving skills he's done a great job in helping the offense move the ball down the field in other ways. He still leads the Chiefs in receptions and yards with 38 catches for 335 yards but his depth of target has decreased as the Chiefs operate a shorter passing game.

RB Kareem Hunt

Signed off the street, Hunt has done a great job leading the Kansas City backfield in the absence of starter Isaiah Pacheco. Hunt leads the team in rushing with 308 yards on the ground and has scored four touchdowns on the season. He's not the homerun hitter he used to be but isn't going to be a negative runner either. Hunt is operating more as an in-between-the-tackles rusher this season with not many outside runs but has made the most of them. He hasn't rushed for less than 59 yards in a game since joining the team in Week 4. He's still dangerous in short-yardage situations and with his vision has the ability to make something out of nothing.

Top Players On Defense

DL Chris Jones

Jones is the early favorite for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year award as he has been a force for the Chiefs this season. A dominant pass rusher from the interior, he has 33 pressures on the season with three sacks. Jones can win as quickly as defensive ends do on the inside, creating problems for the interior of the line and opening up opportunities for others. His run defense has traditionally been streaky as he's been more of a freelancer and not typically gap-sound, but this year he has helped anchor a run defense that is second in the league against the run only allowing 82.3 yards per game.

CB Trent McDuffie

After receiving All-Pro honors as a slot cornerback last season, McDuffie out of necessity has made the move to outside corner and has done so successfully. He's yet to allow a touchdown this season for the Chiefs and has been used all over the field including in the slot and in the box. McDuffie, like most of the Chiefs corners, is extremely physical at the line of scrimmage, jamming and rerouting receivers to get them off their mark. He excels in man-to-man coverage and is a key component in their run defense coming up to make stops with excellent tackling skills.

OLB George Karlaftis

Karlaftis went through a slump to start the season but has come on in recent weeks after a 10.5-sacks season last year. He has 28 pressures on the season and notched sacks in each of his last two games. The edge rusher has added 16 hurries and nine quarterback hits on the season and wins with speed and power off the edge. He has active hands to disengage blockers and has improved significantly in the run game. Under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs have used Karlfatis in a variety of ways including bumping him inside and moving Jones to the edge position.

Final Thoughts

The Chiefs boast a talented team, and while they might not be household names, they get the job done as a unit both on offense and defense. The Bucs will have their hands full with a powerful offensive line boasting stars along the interior in center Creed Humphrey and guards Joe Thuney and Trey Smith. They bolstered their receiving corps with the addition of Xavier Worthy in the draft and the recently traded for DeAndre Hopkins and use a variety of looks with three tight ends on the field. On defense, they have guys who can make plays at every level. Their linebackers can fly around to the football and they added Josh Uche via trade to bolster their pass rush. The Bucs will need to play 60 minutes of clean football if they want to leave Arrowhead Stadium with a victory.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

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