Chiefs vs. Chargers Grades: Defenders Star, Surprise DB Earns Top Marks

The Chiefs' defense stole the show in Los Angeles, but it was more than just Chris Jones moving the needle for Kansas City.

Sep 29, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) and Los Angeles Chargers center Sam Mustipher (62) battle at the line in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Kansas City Chiefs are the lone undefeated team left standing in the AFC, rising to 4-0 after defeating the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Which Chiefs players performed best in LA? This week's Pro Football Focus grades provide some insight into who stood out, for better or for worse.

Jaylen Watson and Chris Jones dominate on defense

It's no surprise that do-it-all defensive lineman Chris Jones earned KC's second-highest grade (82.4) as he terrorized Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and the LA running game. Jones was, as is his standard, exceptional once again. KC's top-graded player, however, is a pleasant surprise.

Jaylen Watson — now KC's clear-cut No. 2 cornerback behind Trent McDuffie — earned the team's best grade with an 84.6 from PFF. Watson and McDuffie were the only two Chiefs defenders to play every defensive snap of Sunday's game, though several Chiefs starters weren't far behind. McDuffie received a good-but-not-great 73.2 grade despite what appeared to be another excellent performance as the Chiefs' top defensive back. Watson has been more than reliable since taking a clear hold of KC's No. 2 cornerback job this season, providing a massive boon to Steve Spagnuolo's secondary.

Creed Humphrey is in his usual place, rest of interior O-line is not

PFF graders routinely award high marks to the Chiefs' interior offensive line, composed of left guard Joe Thuney, center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith. In Week 2, Humphrey, Smith and Thuney ranked first, second, and fourth on the team in their respective PFF grades. In Week 3, Smith and Humphrey ranked second and third, while Thuney landed at No. 7. The grades weren't as kind to the guards in Week 4.

While Humphrey was KC's third-highest-graded player with an 81.9, Smith's 68.9 grade landed him as the 13th-highest graded Chief in LA. Joe Thuney, at No. 18 with a 61.7, still graded out better than KC's starting tackles, but not by much. There's no reason to overreact to a poorly graded day for the entire O-line outside of Humphrey (and PFF grades are something short of gospel), but it's an interesting note regarding how the unit performed through PFF's eyes.

Kareem Hunt steals the show among Chiefs running backs

After Carson Steele's second fumble of his rookie season, the Chiefs gave returning running back Kareem Hunt a chance to take over against the Chargers, and the 29-year-old Hunt looked explosive in his return. PFF agreed, awarding Hunt a 78.1 grade, good for the sixth-best mark on the roster. Meanwhile, Samaje Perine earned a middle-of-the-pack 63.9 on his 25 snaps.

Chiefs PFF grades vs the Chargers pic.twitter.com/fh6UZSsCEM

— Shaun Newkirk (@Shauncore) September 30, 2024

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