Kansas City Chiefs stock watch: Who is up and down from Week 2?
By David Thomas
The Kansas City Chiefs fought hard in their 27 to 24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, but which players helped or hurt themselves the most?
In the home opener with Arrowhead Stadium celebrating its 50th year of operation, the Kansas City Chiefs knew they were going to have a big night, especially when facing their presumed top competition in the NFL in the Los Angeles Chargers. Most fans and analysts predicted a tough battle and it was—an ugly but important victory for the Chiefs.
For a team hoping to make it a fifth trip back to the AFC Championship game and eventually their third Super Bowl in four years, this was a good test. For a moment there I had a feeling like the defense may be a little outmatched, and then they forced a crucial stop. I had a feeling like the offense had started to fall out of sync, and then they scored.
The team really stepped up at every moment when things looked like they were about to go wrong. Hard-fought ugly wins like this are the kind of things that great teams need to do from time to time.
Throughout the game, I kept some notes on some players who showed something, whether good or bad and here are my thoughts on whether their stock is rising or falling going forward.
Andrew Wylie: Falling
This was a tough matchup no doubt for the Chiefs’ offensive line. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack are two of the most dangerous pass rushers in the NFL. We already knew Andrew Wylie is not the right tackle of the future, and tonight was another night that showed why. I noted several snaps where Wylie simply looked outmatched and gave up pressure on Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs used a few chip blocks to try to give him some help, but this was not a great night for the interim starter.
Thankfully the Chiefs aren’t facing Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack every night, but this is not the first time we’ve seen Wylie struggle. He’s easily the weakest link along the offensive line, and more performances like this are unfortunately likely to happen again.