KC Chiefs vs. Giants: Key takeaways from a miserable win in Week 8

Derrick Gore season

The Chiefs put together a beautiful yet unexpected drive in the second quarter when they relied on Derrick Gore again and again and again (and again) to move the chains and ultimately bring it home for the go-ahead touchdown that had them up 14-10 to go into halftime.

If you’re repeating, “Wait, Derrick Gore?”, you’re not alone. Chiefs Kingdom was excited by Gore’s preseason performance with the team, but an active roster only has so many slots and the Chiefs went with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, and Jerick McKinnon as expected. From there, Gore was relegated to the practice squad (again) and forced to wait his turn.

On Monday night, in a primetime game at Arrowhead, Gore had a game to remember with 11 carries for 48 yards and 1 touchdown. The Chiefs leaned on him for 7 plays on that single drive alone for 41 yards including this short scamper for a touchdown.

The Chiefs won’t need to call the Colts for Marlon Mack or any other such move given the way Gore looks when given a chance. There’s already plenty of talent in the backfield even with Edwards-Helaire still on the mend.

Daniel Sorensen has to go

The Chiefs defense has put up an admirable effort in recent weeks to stop the bleeding that began the season so poorly. They played particularly well against the Giants on Monday night to help the Chiefs earn a tough win and move to .500, but the decision to continue to put Dan Sorensen out there is mystifying to anyone who has watched him struggle so much in coverage this season.

Sorensen has taken bad angles and missed tackles several times this season, a sign that his lack of athleticism has gotten to the point where his instincts can no longer keep up with the Joneses. Sorensen deserves loads of credit for putting together an impressive career with the Chiefs with loads of clutch plays and highlights under the bright lights, but this season has him hitting a wall and the Chiefs defense is worse this year for having him out there.

After seeing so many frustrating plays in coverage, including multiple touchdowns in this game, it’s hard to believe Steve Spagnuolo is going to keep putting him out there.

Chris Jones is so dangerous

Given the poor performance on the year so far by the Chiefs defensive front, it’s easy to forget that they employ one of the single greatest pass rushers at work in the NFL today. Chris Jones was voted as the No. 34 overall player in the National Football League this offseason for good reasons, and through seven games, his presence was largely lost on audiences due to a lack of overall pressure, the team’s poor record, and the experiment to use him outside.

The Chiefs are still allowing him to learn on the edges here and there, but Jones showed up big-time on Monday with a game that showcased his dominance inside and outside on multiple plays. Jones had a couple quarterback hits and an excellently timed last-minute sack in the fourth quarter to stop the Giants from moving the chains and trying to tie.

There were a couple frustrating penalties a bit earlier in the game, which means Jones isn’t in the clear after a frustrating night for the Chiefs overall, but they got the win and Jones’ dominance up front was a big reason why.