Chiefs Stock Watch: George Karlaftis on the rise after Week 2
A Week 2 victory saw key players returning and role players developing into their assignments and it is a thing of beauty.
By Ken Coltharp
The vibes are back on point as the Kansas City Chiefs picked up a hard-fought 17-9 victory in the sweltering heat against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The highly anticipated returns of Travis Kelce and Chris Jones provided immediate dividends as they both left their marks on the game. The offense left a little to be desired as they got hit with 12 accepted penalties for 94 yards, four fumbles (two of which went to Jacksonville), and an interception.
Despite their struggles, the Chiefs offense did just enough to support another dominating performance by the defense. The only player on the Jags offense with a good game was Christian Kirk, who had 11 catches for 110 yards after putting up a stinker against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. Besides Kirk, the high-powered Jaguars offense was held in check without a touchdown. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was under pressure all day. Lawrence was regulated to 22 completions on 41 attempts and was sacked four times.
After this Week 2 victory, there is plenty to get into, so let's break it down.
Stock Up: Skyy Moore
Welcome to the 2023 season, Skyy Moore! After an absolutely pitiful showing in Week 1, Moore had quite the bounce back in Week 2. He led the team in receiving and came up with two of the biggest offensive plays of the day. Moore caught three of his four targets for 70 yards and his first regular-season touchdown in the NFL. His most significant moment came at the end of the game and helped seal the deal with a bit of help from some Mahomes Magic.
Mahomes sealed the W with this special play 🔥 #KCvsJAX pic.twitter.com/gIaOrCiPdH
— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2023
Mahomes felt much more comfortable going to Moore, and Chiefs Kingdom could see Moore's confidence grow with every catch. There were some questions raised about whether Moore could grow into the WR1 role that has been carved out, and those questions got even louder after his 2023 debut dud. One game with three catches for 70 yards and a touchdown certainly will not silence the doubters, but it is a step in the right direction.
If Moore can continue his development as a route runner and continue to be in the right places at the right times, then Mahomes might end up with a nice, solid option to go to during those games where Travis Kelce is the defense's sole focus.