Winners and Losers from the KC Chiefs' Week 10 Victory Over the Denver Broncos

In the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 10 win over the Denver Broncos, multiple players stood out for good and bad reasons alike.

Jordan Foote | Nov 11, 2024

Nov 10, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) catches a touchdown pass against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

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Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the winner's circle once again and this time, their victory came over a bitter division rival.

In Kansas City's 16-14 triumph over the Denver Broncos, the reigning Super Bowl champions certainly didn't bring their best. Despite that, Dave Toub's special teams unit bailed the team out as time expired with a blocked field goal attempt by linebacker Leo Chenal. The result is a ninth win in a row to open the season, keeping the Chiefs atop the NFL as football's last undefeated squad.

With that in mind, let's point out some of the Chiefs' biggest winners and losers from the 10th week of the regular season.

WINNER: Leo Chenal

The man of the hour – or the week – is Chenal following his clutch play to win Sunday's game. The third-year linebacker made perhaps the most improbable play of his young career and deserves plenty of praise for doing so. On top of that, he had a handful of tackles on defense and made the most of his snaps. Chenal might never be a full-time player who dominates in terms of workload, but his presence on the field is felt just about every time he's out there. That normally applies to defense but in Week 10, he flashed his special teams prowess as well.

LOSER: Kingsley Suamataia

When Wanya Morris went down with an injury early in the game, rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia was thrust back into the starting lineup and given a chance to showcase his growth. In the span of 40-plus snaps, however, he did the exact opposite. The second-round pick lost on quick wins multiple times, also giving up pressure too often in general. It's becoming more and more apparent that Suamataia isn't ready to be a starter at this point, which makes Morris seemingly avoiding a major injury a big-time plus. The Chiefs don't need above-average left tackle play, although they need much better than what Suamataia offered in Week 10.

WINNER: Chamarri Conner

The best way to describe Chamarri Conner both on Sunday and this season in general is a heat-seeking missile. The second-year defensive back is adjusting to life as the slot option for Kansas City and when he's decisive, he flies down the field to make plays. A couple of significant tackles, a third-and-15 stop on Marvin Mims and a chip-in on a run stop of Audric Estime, stood out. Conner was far from perfect in coverage but for the most part, he was a net positive against Denver.

LOSER: Trent McDuffie

It's very rare that Trent McDuffie sees himself in the "loser" section of this weekly article. Nonetheless, the star cornerback had maybe his worst game of the season on Sunday. Courtland Sutton gave him serious trouble, first on a 32-yard touchdown deep down the field and then on the ensuing possession for 10 yards. Sutton also beat him later in the game. This is quite easily the exception instead of the rule for McDuffie, as he's won against tougher matchups in the recent past. This game was one to forget for him, though.

WINNER: Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce continues to turn in productive performances for the Chiefs with several other top weapons out of the lineup. The future Hall of Fame man had at least 12 targets for the third straight game this weekend, hauling in eight passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. In the process, he tied Tony Gonzalez for the most receiving scores in franchise history. Kelce led the team in receptions in Week 10 and was just one away from tying Kareem Hunt in yards, and his touchdown was the only one the team got on the afternoon. The 35-year-old is still on top of his game.

LOSER: Xavier Worthy

Since getting eight targets in back-to-back games in Weeks 7 and 8, rookie wideout Xavier Worthy has combined for six in his last two outings and has just one reception to show for it. To make matters worse, he has just one net yard thanks to an 11-yard catch and a 10-yard loss on a run. The first-round pick committed a false start penalty on Sunday's opening drive and didn't come back to a ball later in the same possession. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes missed him for a would-be touchdown, so that isn't his fault, but the overwhelming results are trending in the wrong direction. Following Kansas City praising Worthy and indicating that he could make a Rashee Rice-esque leap, it's been tough sledding.