For the first time since last year's AFC Championship, the Kansas City Chiefs have won a football game. A suffocating defensive effort, as well as an encouraging second half offensively, helped propel the Chiefs to a 22-9 victory over the New York Giants.
The Chiefs are now 1-2, which places them in a three-way tie for second place in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders. While the Chiefs hope this win can help build momentum moving forward, let's take a look at how each position group performed.
Quarterback Play: B
Patrick Mahomes had a solid outing against the Giants, completing 22 of 37 pass attempts for 224 yards and one touchdown pass to Tyquan Thornton. While these numbers aren't overwhelming, what Mahomes has been able to do with a depleted receiving corps has been impressive to this point, as the Chiefs are shockingly seventh in offensive efficiency. Mahomes did get away with some turnover-worthy passes and had a shaky first half, which affects his grade slightly, but it was an overall steady performance from the three-time Super Bowl MVP.
Running Backs: C+
While the Chiefs’ running game was terribly inefficient through the first two weeks, Sunday night was a nice step forward. Isiah Pacheco ran the ball 10 times for 45 yards (4.5 yards per rush), while Kareem Hunt added 34 yards and a touchdown. Rookie Brashard Smith was also effective in limited action, gaining 13 yards on just two carries. While it was far from outstanding, it was the first positive performance for the Chiefs' running back room in 2025. With that said, they will still need more from their running game if they want to reach their goals offensively.
Wide Receivers: A
Given the fact that the Chiefs are without Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, there is not much more you could ask of their current receiver room. Tyquan Thornton has been a pleasant surprise for Kansas City, and Sunday night was no different, as he totaled five receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. Thornton had the play of the night when he made an outstanding 33-yard catch in the fourth quarter to set up Hunt's touchdown. Thornton is proving that his training camp performance was not a fluke and is making a strong case to stay in the rotation even when Rice and Worthy return.
In addition to Thornton, JuJu Smith-Schuster also played well, catching four passes for 55 yards, including an 18-yard catch and run in the first quarter. Hollywood Brown additionally contributed four catches for 52 yards.
Tight Ends: C
It was a rather quiet performance from Travis Kelce, as he hauled in four receptions for 26 yards on seven targets. Kelce also had a play in the first quarter where he and Mahomes were not on the same page, leading to an awkward incomplete pass. Noah Gray had a decent outing, catching three passes for 17 yards. While Gray's performance was respectable for the second tight end, Kansas City will need more consistent production from Kelce as the season progresses.
Offensive Line: B-
It was a bit of a tale of two halves for the Chiefs’ offensive line in this game. In the first half, they allowed the Giants to get pressure on Mahomes, which led to a lackluster offensive output. To make matters worse, they committed two penalties, as Josh Simmons was called for holding and Jawaan Taylor was called for illegal formation, his sixth penalty of the season. However, their performance in the second half was substantially improved, as they allowed Mahomes more time in the pocket against New York's talented defensive front. Simmons, in particular, adjusted well in the second half after struggling in the first, showing his continued growth as a player.
Defensive Line: A
The Chiefs’ defensive line set the tone in this game, as they played a big role in holding the Giants to single digits offensively. Chris Jones got his first sack of the season when he brought down Russell Wilson midway through the third quarter. While Jones made an impact, George Karlaftis stole the show in this one, recording a sack, three tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits.
Performances like this show why the Chiefs rewarded Karlaftis with a four-year contract extension this summer. Charles Omenihu also got in on the action with a quarterback hit of his own. The Chiefs’ defensive line had an advantageous matchup against a poor offensive line and a 36-year-old quarterback, and they took full advantage.
Linebackers: B
For the most part, the Chiefs’ linebackers played very well against New York. After missing a tackle on the first drive, Nick Bolton had his best outing of the season with 14 tackles, two of them for a loss. Leo Chenal and Drue Tranquil were also active, as they didn't allow Wilson to get out of the pocket and were consistently around the football. The only negative is that Giants rookie running back Cam Skattebo had his way for parts of the game with 10 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown. Skattebo was also the Giants' leading receiver with six catches for 61 yards. However, Kansas City's linebackers had a very solid performance in pass coverage, as Giants tight ends combined for three receptions and 23 total yards.
Secondary: A+
There is nothing more that one could have asked from the Chiefs' secondary against the Giants. After torching the Cowboys' defense for 450 yards in Week 2, Wilson completed just 18 of his 32 pass attempts for 160 yards and no touchdowns. The Chiefs also intercepted Wilson twice, as Christian Roland-Wallace and Jaylen Watson each snatched his passes out of the air in the first half. With this said, the most impressive part was holding Giants star wideout Malik Nabers to just two catches on seven targets. After Nabers went off for nine receptions for 167 yards with two touchdowns against Dallas, the Chiefs clearly made it their focus to not allow him to beat them, which they accomplished with flying colors.
Special Teams: D
Harrison Butker is officially in a kicker's slump. After missing a costly extra point against the Chargers in Week 1 and a 58-yard field goal against Philadelphia, Butker added two more misses in this game. In the second quarter, he whiffed on a 40-yarder, which has been automatic throughout his career. Butker also missed an extra point on Hunt's game-sealing touchdown, his second missed PAT of the season. While these did not prove costly in this particular game, the Chiefs need Butker to rediscover his reliable form.
Offensive Coaching: B-
As was the case for many of the Chiefs' position groups, Sunday night was a tale of two halves for Andy Reid as well. The offense looked disorganized and completely out of sorts through the first half and failed to get into the end zone. There were also some odd situational play calls, namely a tunnel screen to Kelce that lost two yards. However, Reid made things easier on Mahomes in the second period, as there was more balance in the running and passing game and more receivers were being schemed open. With Rice and Worthy out of the lineup, it's important that the Chiefs' offensive coaching staff can get their pass catchers into favorable matchups.
Defensive Coaching: A+
Steve Spagnuolo put on a masterclass in this game. His defense held Nabers to the lowest reception (two) and yardage totals (13) of his career. They also clearly emphasized taking away the deep ball, which Wilson and Nabers exploited against the Cowboys. After a rough Week 1 performance, Spags once again has his defense playing at an extremely high level. There's a strong argument that he's the greatest defensive coordinator in NFL history.