Winners and Losers From the KC Chiefs' Week 5 Win Over the Minnesota Vikings

In the Chiefs' fourth victory of the 2023 campaign, there were multiple players and elements that stood out for various reasons.

The Kansas City Chiefs are victors of four games in a row, capping off their Week 5 with a seven-point road win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Facing one of the lseague's more potent offenses and a defense that is gaining a reputation for being extremely aggressive, Kansas City handled both sides of the ball well and had a solid performance on Sunday afternoon. Multiple players on offense and defense stepped up, with the special teams operation also being mostly sound. The 4-1 Chiefs had yet another team-oriented win, as it took everyone to get the job done. 

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

Winner: Justin Watson

Outside of tight end Travis Kelce, no Chiefs pass catcher has logged more yards this season than wideout Justin Watson. The veteran came through with a pair of critical catches on Sunday against the Vikings, including a third-and-18 conversion on an improbable 33-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Watson continues to play respectable football for Kansas City and considering how much general disdain there was for him as recently as a month ago, the collective 180-degree turn on him has been well-deserved and interesting to watch unfold. 

Loser: Marquez Valdes-Scantling

As Watson has stepped up as a seasoned vet in the wide receiver room, Marquez Valdes-Scantling has faded into the background. He logged just one catch in Week 5 and while he did manage to draw a defensive pass interference penalty on Harrison Smith, it was still another very quiet game for 'MVS' in what's been a near-silent season. With just seven catches and 115 yards on his resume for 2023, the 28-year-old has been a far cry from the version of himself the Chiefs had just one season ago. 

Winner: Patrick Mahomes

Not often does Mahomes have a bad game, but he certainly didn't play up to snuff against the New York Jets in Week 4. Even with Kelce in and out of the lineup (more on that later) and the offensive line allowing some pressure, the superstar quarterback delivered with a 281-yard, two-touchdown, interception-less performance in Minneapolis. It was a pretty clean game from Mahomes in hostile territory, and one that was much more in line with what the team has grown to expect. He's back in the winner's circle after a rough game the week prior. 

Loser: Skyy Moore

Coming into this season, many anticipated a breakout sophomore campaign from Skyy Moore. Five weeks into the year, he's gotten plenty of chances to separate from the pack — both literally and figuratively — and hasn't done much with those opportunities. The Chiefs' 2022 second-round pick converted on both of his targets on Sunday, but he had just 11 yards and seven of them came on one reception. Moore isn't capitalizing on an increased workload and while the team hasn't thrown in the towel on his development, something's got to give soon. 

Winners: L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie

Steve Spagnuolo's defense held Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson to three catches and 28 yards, and the cornerback duo of L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie was the main reason why. Sneed, specifically, was excellent in coverage and displayed a near-perfect blend of anticipation, reaction and physicality that he's done all season long. McDuffie had multiple positive reps in his own right and helped lock down Minnesota's receiving corps. Kansas City has one of the better one-two defensive back punches in the entire league, with Week 5 serving as the best example of it yet. 

Losers: Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire

A week after Isiah Pacheco had perhaps the best game of his young career, he responded on Sunday by averaging just 3.4 yards per carry en route to a 55-yard rushing performance in Minnesota. For the second game in a row, Clyde Edwards-Helaire had just three carries and didn't do much with them. It was an underwhelming afternoon for Kansas City's running back stable, even with Pacheco scoring a touchdown early in the game. The production will fluctuate, surely, although this was more of a dip than a spike.

Winner: Travis Kelce

Kelce is one of the biggest winners here, as he suffered what was essentially a non-contact injury but was still able to return to the game later on. He wasn't just a decoy, either, as he scored a touchdown and had five receptions in one drive once he got back into the swing of things. The Chiefs are at their best when their veteran tight end is firing on all cylinders, and they're still dangerous even when he isn't at his best. He displayed quite a bit of toughness on Sunday, enjoying a productive outing while clearly being hurt.

Loser: Tershawn Wharton

Now pretty much a full calendar year removed from a torn ACL suffered early last season, Tershawn Wharton hasn't resembled his pre-injury self along the Chiefs' defensive line. The former Missouri S&T standout is garnering serious snaps on defense but has two tackles and limited pass-rushing production to show for it. A defensive holding penalty on Sunday didn't help his case, nor will the eventual return of Charles Omenihu after this next game. Wharton needs to have a breakout game, and soon. 

Read More: Travis Kelce Praised for Gritty Performance in Chiefs’ Week 5 Win