Patrick Mahomes may be outside of the top-10 via passing touchdowns accumulated through five weeks, but that hasn’t stopped the Kansas City Chiefs from winning each contest they’ve participated in.
Things haven’t been so easy for the Chiefs this season. Up to this point, the typically high-powered Kansas City offense ranks 11th in yards per game and 14th in points. The defense, which held opponents to the second-least yards and points last season, came into Week 5 allowing the 16th-most yards per contest.
To make matters worse, running back Isiah Pacheco and wideout Rashee Rice are slated to be inactive for an extended period of time, with Rice missing the entirety of the season.
But good teams find ways to win. That’s exactly why, despite finishing four-of-five games with a one-possession score differential, the Chiefs currently hold a 5-0 record.
Winning in the National Football League is always a team-effort; from players, to coaches, to those in the front office who bring in talent. That doesn’t mean there aren’t standout performers, however.
In Kansas City’s case, there’s been no shortage of standout performers through five weeks.
Top performers for the Kansas City Chiefs five weeks into the 2024 NFL season
Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Kareem Hunt
Rashee Rice will miss the remainder of the ’24 season, but his contributions when healthy were as good as anyone on the Chiefs’ coaching staff could’ve hoped for. With a 85.5 grade via Pro Football Focus, only two receivers across the NFL have a higher grade than Rice.
The 24-year-old was responsible for 288 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. Despite missing nearly two contests, Rice ranks 15th in first downs (15) and second in forced missed tackles on receptions (8).
Xavier Worthy, Kansas City’s first-round pick in this year’s draft, has had an outstanding rookie campaign up to this point. Although he only has 12 receptions through five games, the 28th-overall pick has totaled 179 yards through the air with two touchdowns. Worthy stands as the only receiver on the Chiefs’ roster who has at least one catch in traffic this season.
Add another 42 yards on the ground for Worthy as well; the second-most among receivers league-wide. The rookie has found the end zone an additional two times on running plays.
Kareem Hunt may have only played two games with Kansas City since rejoining the Chiefs, but his impact in such a short time cannot be ignored.
Through Weeks 4-5, Hunt’s 172 rushing yards ranks seventh among running backs across the NFL. Only two running backs have totaled more forced missed tackles than Hunt in this timespan (10), recording seven first downs and one touchdown.
The downside to Hunt’s rushing since Week 4 is his one lone run of 10+ yards – a run of exactly 10 yards – but that only helps highlight the consistency in Hunt’s play. He’s been tasked with carrying the ball 41 times in the last two weeks, tied for most league-wide, and has proved to be more than capable of carrying the load.
Creed Humphrey and Chris Jones among Kansas City Chiefs linemen dominating the trenches
Is it any surprise that two-time Pro Bowl center Creed Humphrey is enjoying a great 2024 campaign? Not only is Humphrey’s 92.1 run-block grade the highest at his position, but his 84.9 pass-block grade ranks first among centers as well. The fourth-year Chief has allowed two pressures on 166 passing downs, surrendering zero total sacks.
It’s hard to make any argument about Humphrey not being the league’s best center this season.
While Humphrey has been the best player on the Chiefs’ offensive line through the year, guard Joe Thuney hasn’t been too far behind. Currently, Thuney is responsible for the sixth-highest pass-block grade among guards (80.4) and 12th-highest run-block grade (74.3).
Together, Thuney and Humphrey have created quite the formidable blocking duo in the middle of the trenches.
Among all defensive linemen across the NFL, including edge rushers, Chris Jones’ pass-rush grade of 92.1 ranks third-highest. Through five games, Jones has totaled three sacks and 28 pressures – the fourth-most pressures by a pass-rusher.
Jones’ 28 pressures ranks nine more than any Chiefs’ defender. Unsurprisingly, the two-time first-team All-Pro also leads Kansas City in sacks as well as win percentage against opposing blockers (21.7%).
Last, but not least
The Chiefs have gotten great production from numerous players on the defensive side of the ball this season. Nick Bolton, Kansas City’s fourth-year linebacker, is among the most productive of the bunch.
With 28 solo tackles on the season, Bolton has recorded four more solo tackles than any other Chiefs’ defender. His 16 stops on the season rank first on the team as well; four ahead of safety Chamarri Conner who has the second-most. Bolton’s six tackles for a loss are tied for third-most across the NFL.
Trent McDuffie came into the season as the star in the Chiefs’ cornerback room, and while McDuffie has played well, Jaylen Watson has been the unit’s top performer.
Among all cornerbacks league-wide with at least 10 targets, Watson’s 51.9% allowed completion percentage ranks 11th-lowest. Watson has surrendered such a low completion percentage due to his adept ability to break up passes. Through five weeks, the former seventh-round pick has forced seven incompletions; the third-most in the NFL among cornerbacks. 26% of passes in Watson’s direction have been personally broken up by him.
Safety Brian Cook has been excellent in pass-coverage as well. No player on Kansas City’s defense has a lower opposing quarterback rating when targeted (65.1), nor has any Chiefs’ defender with at least 10 targets allowed a lower completion percentage (46.7%).
Cook’s 46.7% completion percentage allowed ranks 5th-lowest league-wide among safeties with double-digit targets. With three forced incompletions, only three safeties across the NFL have more forced incompletions than Cook. 20% of passes in his direction have been chalked up as a forced incompletion.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/ Doug Benc