Five unexpected heroes who stepped up for Chiefs vs Bengals

Trent McDuffie

It was sad for both the team and the player that Trent McDuffie needed some time before he could show everyone what he was capable of even at the highest levels. A hamstring injury literally hamstrung what he could do for the first half of the season, and the Chiefs’ training staff preached patience before setting him free in the secondary. Once they did, however, McDuffie made an incredible difference.

Over the last several weeks, the Chiefs have watched McDuffie turn into a lockdown cornerback in his rookie year. He entered the league with pro-ready instincts after a well-coached stint at the University of Washington (Marcus Peters’ alma mater). What’s made a big difference is that Steve Spagnuolo, the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, has also learned how better to use McDuffie as a versatile weapon and it’s showing as the season goes on.

Throughout the game against the Bengals, McDuffie came up big on one play after another. He’s an efficient tackler who rarely misses and that makes him such a great well-rounded asset, but his intelligence, instincts, and fluid hips also make him a nightmare against most opposing WRs.