The Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the Los Angeles Chargers in its second matchup of the 2-game divisional series, and star safety Eric Berry stood out.
Welcome to the Week 15 edition of our Kansas City Chiefs weekly player awards, where we focus on which players are on the rise and the top performers of the game on both sides of the ball.
The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Chiefs with a last second two-point conversion by a final of 29-28, but there were still some positives to the game for K.C. The defense played decently in the first half, and if I was a betting man, I’d put money on it being mainly because of the impact safety Eric Berry has.
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The Chiefs faltered in the second half, however, and played horrendously without Berry on the field. His leadership and overall skill shine a light on the defense. It makes the defense play better as an entire unit. The offense should not go without being recognized as well, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes had yet another nice night along with the unit’s running backs.
Player on the Rise: Offense
Rookie running back Darrel Williams’ name has not been called on much throughout this season. Most of that is due to him being deep in the corps of running backs, but with fellow back Spencer Ware inactive on Thursday night against the Chargers dealing with injuries, Williams came into the game as the Chiefs’ No. 2 running back.
Williams started the game hot, rushing for 5 yards and notching two receptions along with it, as well as a touchdown. He and running back Damien Williams complimented each other quite well, with the former enjoying the biggest game thus far of his young career.
- Carries: 2
- Rushing Yards: 13
- Receptions: 2
- Receiving Yards: 19
- Receiving Touchdowns: 1
RUNNER-UP: Kelvin Benjamin (1 reception, 17 yards)
Player on the Rise: Defense
Outside linebacker Justin Houston hasn’t had a spectacular season after struggling with injury, but he’s finally returned to his dominant form. After having a big game last week, one that included a game-saving strip-sack of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, he kept the momentum rolling into Week 15 against the Chargers.
Houston shared a moment with Berry before the game, one that was absolutely momentous. While the defense definitely plays better with Berry on the field (notwithstanding hiccups), Houston loved having his defensive leader back. I personally think it fueled him to play at a high level, and he showcased it against Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and his offense.
- Total Tackles: 5
- Solo: 2
- Assisted: 3
- Sacks: 1.5
RUNNER-UP: Kendall Fuller (2 tackles, 1 interception)
Player of the Week: Offense
Running back Damien Williams stepped up in a big way after it was announced that Spencer Ware was out. Although he didn’t score any touchdowns in the first half, he notched 100 yards from scrimmage—pretty impressive for a back who had 16 carries through the first 13 games.
On the Chiefs’ first possession of the second half, Williams rushed for a 2-yard touchdown, one that ultimately put the Chiefs up 21-7. He would go on for another. It was a rather exceptional performance with Damien’s first start as a Chief, and one that I’m sure will lead to him seeing more action as the season progresses.
- Carries: 10
- Rushing Yards: 49
- Rushing Touchdowns: 2
- Receptions: 6
- Receiving Yards: 74
- Receiving Touchdowns: 0
RUNNER-UP: Travis Kelce (7 receptions, 61 yards)
Player of the Week: Defense
We knew that star safety Eric Berry was one of the best defensive backs in the league. Coming into this important Week 15 matchup, there were a few doubters who questioned whether or not he could come back and play at the same elite level after not playing in a game in over a year. Any and all of those doubters were silenced as Berry had an electric night. I’ll go ahead and say it: this defense just felt different tonight when he was on the field.
Berry was a force against the Chargers’ run game and pass game, with several spectacular plays coming in numerous ways. He showed no signs of slowing down and looked good while keeping the pace up. Although the defensive MVP for the Chiefs in Week 15 was a tossup between Berry and defensive end Chris Jones, Berry took home our imaginary trophy.
- Total Tackles: 6
- Solo: 4
- Assisted: 2
RUNNER-UP: Chris Jones (3 total tackles, 2.5 sacks)
Biggest Disappointment of the Week: Defense
We haven’t featured a disappointment on defense in a few weeks, but unfortunately, it’s time to do so. Safety Ron Parker, although he typically plays better with Berry on the field, played at a rather subpar level. He just looked uneasy on the field, making poor decisions. While he didn’t play terrible, he didn’t play great as well.
The Wrap
It was an impressive first half for the offense and defense, and the latter was led by the star safety Eric Berry for the first time in more than a year. He’s always fun to watch and brings the level of play up for the entire defense. Defensive end Chris Jones had a spectacular game as well with 8 total hits on the quarterback.
It was a blast to watch this defense in the first half, even if they had some occasional hiccups. The defense began to seem rather sluggish and lackluster in the second half, but that is (in my opinion) mainly due to Berry not in the game, which caused the defensive unit to return to its struggling ways. The defensive and offensive struggles ultimately cost the Chiefs a loss.