Winners and Losers from the KC Chiefs' Week 9 Victory Over the TB Buccaneers

In the Kansas City Chiefs' Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, multiple players stood out for good and bad reasons alike.

Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (8) celebrates with quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after scoring against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Another week, another game that may not have been the prettiest but still saw the Kansas City Chiefs emerge with a victory anyway.

Monday Night Football saw the reigning Super Bowl champions trail on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter, yet Patrick Mahomes and company answered down the stretch. In a 30-24 overtime win, Kansas City rose to 8-0 on the season and kept its lead on the rest of their own conference with a triumph over a feisty NFC opponent. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers posed a serious threat yet in the end, the outcome was quite familiar.

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

WINNER: George Karlaftis

Make it three games in a row with a sack for defensive end George Karlaftis. The third-year man continues to play inspired football coming out of the bye week, rising as the season goes on. On the Buccaneers' opening drive of the game, he logged a run stop and a batted pass to help force a punt. He had another sack negated by a defensive holding penalty but on Tampa Bay's third possession, a Karlaftis sack on second down put them in a third-and-10 that was unable to be overcome. Karlaftis's ability to impact the game beyond first down is one of his most valuable traits, and it certainly shined on Monday night.

LOSER: Xavier Worthy

For the first time in his rookie season, Xavier Worthy was held without a single catch. The first-round pick was in fact a net negative in Week 9, failing to haul in a would-be touchdown from Mahomes and later losing 10 yards on a run play. This week was a notable step back for the No. 28 overall pick, who keeps struggling with spatial awareness and fighting through contact. Kansas City remains confident in his ability to grow down the stretch, but this wasn't a good impression.

WINNER: DeAndre Hopkins

Following his Chiefs debut in Week 8, much was made about how DeAndre Hopkins's impact went beyond the box score. Both the quality and quantity of his play aligned on Monday, seeing the 32-year-old go over 80 receiving yards and notch a couple of scores. His ability to offer shades of Travis Kelce and find soft spots in coverage, as well as his contested catch prowess, makes for a lethal combination. As Hopkins continues to build confidence and comfort in the offense, he'll be even more of a threat. Considering what he did against Tampa Bay, that's a tough proposition for defenses to account for.

LOSERS: Drue Tranquill and Nick Bolton

For as good as linebacker Leo Chenal has been this season, there are instances where his running mates have looked just as bad. Monday was another example, as Drue Tranquill was a shell of his 2023 form (after having a resurgence in Week 8!) and Nick Bolton got lost on several plays. The most obvious one was Trey Palmer's 19-yard reception late in the fourth quarter. Coming into the season, many were excited about Bolton's seemingly steady presence and the Tranquill-Chenal duo giving Kansas City one of football's most athletic linebacker tandems. Through nine weeks, not much of that has been true in pass coverage or in run defense.

WINNER: Patrick Mahomes

Mahomes had his first three-touchdown passing performance of the season, also posting his only game without an interception. The two-time NFL MVP certainly played like it under the bright lights, shining on third downs by going 11-for-13 with 126 yards and all of his scores. Despite not playing his best football overall this year, Mahomes continues to be absolute money in high-leverage downs and situations. Even after suffering a late-game ankle injury, he helped power Kansas City to its eighth win in as many games. He was great in Week 9.

Patrick Mahomes was at his best on third down in the Chiefs’ win over the Buccaneers, completing 11 of 13 attempts for 126 yards, 3 TDs and 10 first downs (+8.3% CPOE).

His two incompletions on third down came in the final three minutes of regulation.#TBvsKC | #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/m2ZlabRW0O

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 5, 2024

LOSER: Joshua Williams

With Jaylen Watson on the injured reserve list and Nazeeh Johnson failing to clear concussion protocol, the Chiefs' defense was set to rely on Joshua Williams against Tampa Bay. While a win was achieved, the third-year cornerback didn't contribute to it in a very positive way. He struggled to play tight coverage against his assignments on Monday night, also committing a horse collar tackle on a third down in the second half. That drive ended in a touchdown. Williams later whiffed on a short-yardage run play, only to get bailed out by his teammates. Should Johnson miss any additional time, Kansas City will need more consistent play from its former fourth-round pick in the secondary.

Read More: 'Hard to Stop' Travis Kelce is Back to Leading Chiefs and Beating Father Time