Winners and Losers From KC Chiefs' Week 14 Game vs. Buffalo Bills

In the Chiefs' fifth loss of the 2023 campaign, multiple players stood out for good and bad reasons alike.

The Kansas City Chiefs are reeling after Week 14, dropping to 8-5 on the season with a Sunday loss to the Buffalo Bills. The home team had plenty of chances to complete its comeback and secure a victory, although it came up just short in the end.

A look at the box score indeed paints the picture of a close game. Kansas City outgained Buffalo by 19 total net yards, averaged over a full yard more per play, gained the same amount of first downs and was more efficient in third-down scenarios. Despite that, a pair of turnovers and a dramatic late-game sequence proved to factor into the difference in a three-point game. The outing once again proved that the Chiefs are a good team yet at the same time, it highlighted some of the same shortcomings that have existed all season. 

With that in mind, let's point out some of the Chiefs' biggest winners and losers from the 14th week of the NFL season.

Winner: Chamarri Conner

Some members of the Chiefs' rookie class have been coming on strong in recent weeks, with defensive back Chamarri Conner being one of them. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub recently hinted at more eventually being asked of him on defense, which is exactly what happened on Sunday. With Bryan Cook out due to injury and Justin Reid getting banged up in-game, the fourth-round pick was an active contributor in the secondary and came away with his first career interception. Conner still has a lot left to learn but in Week 14, he was an obvious winner. 

Loser: Nick Bolton

To be fair to Nick Bolton, this was his first game back since Week 7 and he did make some nice plays on Sunday. Specifically, a batted pass to close the first half and a stop against Ty Johnson stood out. Outside of that, however, the veteran linebacker looked hesitant in the run game and got washed out of the action too often. Appearing gassed in the first half, Bolton was clearly working his way back into tip-top shape after being out of the lineup for so long. It was a rough afternoon and early evening for him, albeit a somewhat expected one. 

Winner: Jerick McKinnon

Speaking of someone getting back from an injury, Jerick McKinnon's return to the lineup gave the Chiefs a much-needed boost on offense. The 31-year-old toted the ball four times for 19 yards on the ground and also hauled in three passes for 18 yards. Scoring his first touchdown in over a month, McKinnon came back with a vengeance and should continue to be a minor focal point moving forward. This was a good get-right game for him. 

Loser: Kadarius Toney

The Chiefs made a concerted effort to get Kadarius Toney on the field in Week 14, although it didn't necessarily pay off how they hoped it would. In addition to dropping a pass, the third-year man lining up offsides ended up wiping away what was a go-ahead and potentially game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. It seems that every time Toney takes one step forward, he takes at least one or two back. Sunday was another unfortunate example of that. 

Winner: L'Jarius Sneed

There isn't much to be said about L'Jarius Sneed that hasn't already been uttered this season. In the final year of his rookie contract, the 26-year-old is emerging as a star-level cornerback for Kansas City. That play continued in Week 14 when Sneed shadowed Stefon Diggs on 23 of his 35 routes and surrendered just one reception for three yards. Sneed keeps turning in quality performances, with literally the only downside being that his stock continues to rise ahead of a potential free agency stint in the spring. 

Losers: Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (again)

Coming into the year, many expected the worst-case scenario for Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to be the former taking only a small step forward and the latter remaining the same player he was a year ago. Somehow, both of them have regressed from their 2022 forms and simply aren't producing on offense. Moore went catch-less for the third time this season, and Valdes-Scantling hauled in just 50% of his targets and gained 22 yards. In a year that's been extremely underwhelming for Kansas City wideouts, these two players had another rough week. 

Winner: Wanya Morris

One silver lining of the Chiefs' poor injury situation in recent weeks is the rise of rookie offensive tackle Wanya Morris. Not only is the third-round pick performing at a high level in relief, but he's doing so on the left side of the line. Morris appears to be a natural on run plays, and he held his own in the passing game for the most part. Even when Donovan Smith gets back to full strength, there's ample reason to question whether he's the best option on the team now. 

Loser: Jack Cochrane

Because Drue Tranquill was out due to injury and Bolton was dipping his toes back into the water, second-year linebacker Jack Cochrane played a larger role than he's accustomed to over the weekend. As opposed to his Week 13 performance, though, the former undrafted free agent signing didn't have a good outing. He gets a partial pass due to seemingly punching above his weight class. With that said, Kansas City desperately needs one of its two leading linebackers to step back into a full-capacity role and succeed as soon as possible. 

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