Travis Kelce earns Chiefs MVP for Week 14 win over Dolphins
Travis Kelce is among the Chiefs players who earn our highest grades from Week 14’s win over the Miami Dolphins.
The Kansas City Chiefs sandwiched two good quarters in between two of the worst they’ve played all season. From Patrick Mahomes uncharacteristically throwing 3 interceptions to the Chiefs finally getting sacks, this game was a bit different. Yet the result, a Chiefs win, was ultimately the same.
A few guys stood out in this 33-27 win over the Dolphins which means it is time to hand out the Week 14 player grades and name this week’s MVP.
Tyreek Hill: B+
Hill might be the only player in the history of the NFL who scores on that 32-yard run that first put the Chiefs on the board. It wasn’t just his speed that was ridiculous on that play; it was also his ability (and agility) to stay in bounds. He is a cheat code given how quickly he accelerates to top speed. Not only was his run unbelievable, he ran past a double team for a 44 yard touchdown that left the Dolphins reeling for a bit.
It wasn’t all great this game, however, as he had a huge drop on third down that would have picked up a 3rd and 15. Yes, it was a relatively tough catch but it’s one that a top 5 receiver in the NFL should make. He only reeled in 3 out of his 7 targets but the ones he was able to catch resulted in big gains. He showcases week in and week out an explosiveness that is unparalleled in the NFL.
Chiefs Defensive Line: A-
The Chiefs line finally got to the quarterback and recorded 4 sacks in this game, but the only pushback was that they were going up against three rookies on the offensive line and another at quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa. It almost left you wanting a little more pressure considering the circumstances, but it’s tough to complain when this is the best they’ve looked in a while.
Frank Clark had one of the best moves I’ve seen from him all season, as he utilized a spin move to get in Tua’s face and force an incompletion. He even held up to make sure he didn’t draw a penalty. Smart play there and he got a sack in the game. Let’s hope this is him heating up.
The interior of Chris Jones, Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi, and Mike Pennel were very effective in this one as they stopped up the middle and gave up only 3.3 yard/carry. Jones and Wharton both got a sack and forced a safety and seemingly were too much for Miami’s interior linemen to handle. Wharton really looks like gem and a great find for the Chiefs.
Finally, Mike Danna. What a season for a guy that almost everybody expected to not even make the roster. He is proving that motor and work ethic can really pay off, and he is showing some good moves, too. He really set the edge well a few times in this game and chipped in a sack and 3 tackles for loss. His improvement has been noticeable and him and Tanoh Kpassagnon stepped up on the other side of Clark in this one.
Chiefs Secondary: C-
This was tough for me to grade. There were some amazing plays in this game, like Rashad Fenton running one-on-one and getting his hand in the receiver’s chest to knock the ball up to Tyrann Mathieu without getting pass interference. Yet, there were plays when Dan Sorensen got handled by Mike Gesicki or Juan Thornhill came over to help way late. It was truly a mixed bag for the Chiefs secondary this week.
For starters, they gave up 316 yards through the air to a Dolphins position group that doesn’t have much talent outside of Gesicki and DeVante Parker. Tight ends did most of the damage, as the Chiefs did a great job bottling up Parker. L’Jarius Sneed led the team with 7 tackles and a pass deflected yet he also had a a few plays where he was beat and looked like a rookie. He is still growing and his development has been fun to watch.
Bashaud Breeland had a good game for the most part, with 3 passes batted down and 5 tackles including one huge knock down stop on third down that forced a field goal that was missed.
Sorensen struggled most of this game after playing great the previous game. There was the bad pass interference in the back of the end zone, and he also got beat by Gesicki a few times and missed tackle on Adam Shaheen. He has had better games.
Sorensen did have a great open field tackle that unfortunately resulted in an injury for Gesicki. He just ends up one-on-one too much for my liking, although I believe he is an solid and versatile third safety.
At the end of the day, for as many solid plays as this group made, they gave up 316 yards and 2 touchdowns to a fairly average group of playmakers.
Special Teams: A
Returner Mecole Hardman made this grade jump from around a B to an A with his house call that gave the Chiefs a commanding lead—for a bit. His elite speed was on full display as well as some great vision following some blocks that sprung him for a 67-yard punt return. He has been hit and miss throughout his young career as a punt returner—we all know he was selected as a Pro Bowl returner last season which surprised some people—but his big-play ability cannot be questioned.
Harrison Butker again came up clutch as he drilled a 46-yarder to not only force the Dolphins to score twice, but if he would have missed, it would have put the Dolphins in good field position with a chance to win. He has come up clutch in so many games this season and he seems to have that “clutch” gene that is rare in kickers. He is a huge weapon for K.C..
Quick shoutout to Demarcus Robinson for recovering the onside kick and showing great hands. Tommy Townsend had some booming punts after his first one was a bit weak. The Dolphins only averaged 2.7 yards per return and Tommy had one inside the 20. He has shown a huge leg this season, although he has been a bit inconsistent at times.
Travis Kelce: MVP
At this point, what more can you say? He now leads the NFL in receiving yards—as a tight end. It is ridiculous how consistent he is. Eight catches for 136 yards and 1 touchdown is what we almost come to expect from him. He is far and away the best tight end in football and he had some great blocks against the Dolphins as well.
It seems like he always beats his man or finds the soft spot in the zone before rumbling for a 15-yard gain every time. His touchdown was a thing of beauty, finding the weak spot in the zone and staying square to give Mahomes a good target as he was extending the play. He also picked up a great pass nearly off his shoestrings that very few receivers, let alone tight ends, would make.
At the end of the day, Kelce was the consistent engine that made this offense go and he is squarely in the running for offensive player of the year. He’s a consistent outlet for Mahomes when plays break down. He’s versatile enough to consistently beat man or zone coverage, while getting a lot of yards after the catch.
Also, for all of the haters on Twitter saying, “He can’t block though!”, you need to watch his blocking as he has vastly improved and has been laying some outstanding blocks this season. OPOY.