Winners and Losers from the KC Chiefs' Week 15 Victory Over the Cleveland Browns

In the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 15 win over the Cleveland Browns, multiple players stood out for good and bad reasons alike.

Dec 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) tackles Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

After multiple close calls in a row, the Kansas City Chiefs took care of business in Week 15's win over the Cleveland Browns. While it wasn't a flawless performance, Andy Reid's squad got valuable contributions from both sides of the ball en route to a 14-point margin of victory. There's still plenty to improve on, however, heading into the final few weeks of the year.

With that in mind, let's point out some of the Chiefs' biggest winners and losers from the 15th week of the regular season.

WINNER: George Karlaftis

For the first time this season, George Karlaftis enjoyed a two-sack afternoon. The third-year man is now up to seven on the year and has warmed up after a slow start to the 2024-25 campaign. The context of when Karlaftis made his plays also mattered on Sunday. His first sack ended Cleveland's opening drive, then he added another on third down early in the second quarter. That, paired with a good third-down rush to force a sideline throw in the third frame, made for a rough afternoon for Jameis Winston.

LOSER: Isiah Pacheco

Isiah Pacheco did have a 15-yard reception in Week 15 but outside of that, he simply couldn't get going against the Browns. Toting the ball 13 times on the ground, he amassed just 32 yards, good for a 2.5-yard average. Several of his runs got sniffed out by the Cleveland defense. Additionally, he made mental mistakes by seemingly going the wrong way on one play and running out of bounds on another, thus stopping the clock with 3:36 left in the game. Pacheco, now weeks removed from his return from injury, has seen better days.

WINNER: Joe Thuney

With D.J. Humphries missing Sunday's game due to injury, the Chiefs opted to roll with left guard Joe Thuney to step in at left tackle. While he was credited with six pressures in 24 matchups against Myles Garrett, the veteran lineman did an admirable job all afternoon. Thuney handled the switch in responsibilities well, especially with someone new working alongside him and with Garrett switching up his alignments. Thuney isn't a long-term solution at left tackle, but he certainly showed that he can hold his own in a pinch.

LOSER: Harrison Butker

Following a four-game absence due to a meniscus injury, kicker Harrison Butker made his return to the lineup after Matthew Wright was waived on Saturday. Despite being a limited participant in practice during the week and carrying an initial "questionable" designation for the game, Kansas City deemed Butker good to go. With that said, safety Justin Reid handled kickoffs and Butker missed his only field goal attempt of the outing. Some pre-kick communication lapses likely factored into the pull, but there's no denying that Butker didn't make a great impression in his first game back.

WINNER: Trent McDuffie

Regardless of who is playing around him, Trent McDuffie keeps turning in quality performances in the Chiefs' secondary. Sunday was no different, as the third-year man made multiple good plays on the football and also delivered a huge hit on Jerome Ford for a loss of six yards in the fourth quarter. He came down with his first career interception, too, checking off a box everyone has waited quite a while for. McDuffie, playing his highest snap number in the slot since Week 5, had another good weekend.

LOSER: Patrick Mahomes

After a string of good performances, Patrick Mahomes was off from the beginning of Sunday's game. The two-time MVP completed just half of his 38 passing attempts and although he had a pair of touchdowns, his 159 yards marked his third-worst output of the season. Mahomes posted a -0.07 EPA/play average, per rbsdm.com, fueled by a run of bad drives, missed throws and poor decisions. To add insult to injury – or injury to insult, in this case – Mahomes left early with an ankle issue that leaves his Week 16 status in question. Mahomes has earned the benefit of the doubt countless times over, but this was a game to forget for him.

WINNERS: Christian Roland-Wallace and Samaje Perine

Cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and running back Samaje Perine may not be household names, but they stepped up as role players in Week 15. Roland-Wallace forced a fumble on the Browns' initial punt return, later subbing in for the injured Chamarri Conner and also collecting a run stop in the third quarter. Perine picked up where he's left off in recent weeks, playing his special teams role but also chipping in a couple of good plays on offense. His 23-yard reception on a screen and 11-yard run helped keep things going on a tumultuous afternoon for the Kansas City attack.

Read More: Patrick Mahomes on Ankle Injury Suffered vs. Browns, Next Steps on Short Week