Chiefs-Bucaneers: 5 winners, 4 losers from Week 9 win

Your Kansas City Chiefs are still undefeated. Once again it was closer than it should have been as Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield drove his offense down the field with less than two minutes left to tie the game. But after being carried by the defense in recent weeks, the Chiefs' offense stepped up with their new (…or old) Quartet of skilled players leading the way.

Here are a few that caught our eye on Monday evening:

winner

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins: Mahomes has never thrown to a receiver like “Nuk.” This offense has left him without the ability to make contested catches for years. Just look at the third and eighth throws and the catch that Hopkins caught through the hands of two defenders. The chemistry between DeAndre Hopkins and Mahomes is way over schedule, which should scare the entire NFL. Head coach Andy Reid told everyone that Hopkins would play a more prominent role this week. The result was eight catches on nine targets for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Kareem Hunt: The Chiefs' offense is once again fueled by the tough performance of Kareem Hunt. Still playing like he did in 2018, Hunt had 28 touchdowns for 117 total yards and the game-winning walk-off touchdown in overtime. It's incredible what he's doing to replace Isiah Pacheco – what will happen now that the Chiefs have both?

Tight end Travis Kelce: Who would have thought heading into the 2024 season that 35-year-old Travis Kelce would have a career-best 14 catches on 16 targets in the rain? Mahomes found Kelce early and often as he led all receivers with 100 yards on Monday night. Sure, Kelce fumbled, but who will remember it after the win? When the game was on the line, it was just Kelce and Hunt, and they both delivered.

EDGE George Karlaftis: For the third week in a row, Karlaftis played with the fury we expected. Another sack, a batted pass, a tackle for loss and a lot of pressure from Karlaftis – he was instrumental in containing the Bucs' offense. It's safe to say his season is back on track after a slow start, and he has help – this pass rush will be fun down the stretch.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: The league's best player built on last week's performance with a clean, productive win against the Bucs. Box score watchers won't have an interception against Mahomes this week as he rushed for 291 yards and three touchdowns. He plays confidently and finally has a receiver who makes every single catch. The Bucs should never have allowed him to drive in overtime, just like the league should never have taken Mahomes Hopkins.

loser

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy: It was a tough evening for the fast rookie. First, there was the deep hook that was almost. Worthy made a good grab and almost scored – but he couldn't get the ball infield with his feet. Then, when the Chiefs tried to give him some chances on the ground, Worthy managed to gain 10 yards.

Linebacker Nick Bolton: It wasn't a great day for the Chiefs' star linebacker. Bolton had just one solo tackle and jogged behind Palmer as he went 19 yards for the game-tying score at the end of regulation.

Cornerbacks Christian Rolland-Wallace and Joshua Williams: It looks like the Chiefs need to add another cornerback

Note: The use of the terms “winner” and “loser” is not intended to constitute an assessment of the talent or character of any of these players. It's just an easy way to evaluate their performance in a single game. No disrespect is intended.