The Kansas City Chiefs were able to get the job done without Patrick Mahomes, beating the Minnesota Vikings 26-23 in Week 9. The Chiefs were still battling injuries, but due to great coaching and a couple of big plays, including two clutch field goals, they were able to win as they look to get healthier for the Tennessee Titans in Week 10.
Here are five takeaways from the Chiefs’ victory over the Vikings:
Stout run defense
The Chiefs’ run defense has completely turned around since the beginning of the season. It’s only been a few weeks since Kansas City allowed more than 180 yards rushing in three straight games, but three weeks in a row now they have defended the run well. Dalvin Cook, who led the NFL in rushing yards through eight weeks, only had 71 yards rushing and failed to get into the end zone. The biggest thing to take away from the Chiefs’ run defense is that they didn’t allow any backbreaking runs that put the game out of reach.
The credit should go to defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo as it seems that he been improving the defense this season. It’s clear that he has been learning more about his defense and what works best. If the run defense continues to hold up alongside the improving secondary play, it will be interesting to see where the Chiefs rank defensively by the end of the year.
Damien Williams with a big game
Williams looks like he could be the feature back with his great performance this week. He had 125 yards rushing, which included a huge 91-yard touchdown in the third quarter that revived a struggling offense. The Chiefs haven’t had a running back rush for over 100 yards this season, but his performance against the Vikings will make opposing teams respect the running game a bit more than they have.
I believe that we could see less of LeSean McCoy and more of Williams moving forward since McCoy has been struggling to hang on to the football. Williams showed the has the potential to get that big chunk yardage play while also being a dependable back to get the first down on short-yardage plays without making fans worry about fumbles.
Mecole Hardman making a rookie mistake
Hardman had a rough game against the Vikings, which showed he still has a lot of work to do. He has the potential to be a great contributor, with four receiving touchdowns already. It’s just the small things that he needs to improve on if he wants a bigger part of the offense.
Hardman fumbled the kickoff to begin the second half, which set up a touchdown for the Vikings. Then he nearly fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff. He also made a mistake on a punt return that allowed the Vikings to pin the Chiefs inside their own 5-yard line. I understand that those were mistakes made on special teams, but how can you trust a player to not make mistakes on the offense if he can’t handle special teams?
It makes me wonder if that’s why he hasn’t had much playing time on the offense the last few weeks. He could be struggling in practice and not making the right decisions. This is all speculation, but there has to be a reason why he isn’t getting involved in the offense, given his speed and big-play potential.
Tyreek Hill is a top receiver in the NFL
Hill was huge against the Vikings, and if it weren’t for him, the Chiefs most likely would have lost for a second consecutive week. He made Matt Moore’s job easier, scoring the Chiefs’ first touchdown and also making a great play down the sideline in the fourth quarter that set up a field goal to tie the game. Hill could be the second-most valuable player behind Mahomes because he is capable of making the big plays and willing the Chiefs to a win.
When Hill began his career in Kansas City, people believed that he was only a gadget/special teams player, but he has proved them wrong. Hill leads the league in touchdown receptions over 60 yards and has four touchdowns on the season despite missing nearly the entire season opener and the next four games. If he keeps up this pace he could lead the league in touchdown catches by the end of the season.
Andy Reid has done a great job without Mahomes
Reid isn’t the perfect coach — he often struggles with time management and often leaves fans wondering about his play calls — but he has done a great job game-planning in the absence of Mahomes. The Chiefs have won two of the three games since Mahomes suffered his injury against the Broncos, and they nearly came away with a win over the Packers.
What Reid has done with the backup quarterback position is incredible. Moore was coaching high school football during the NFL preseason before Reid called him to be the backup quarterback. Reid has been able to scheme enough offensive production without his star quarterback, giving the Chiefs an opportunity to win the game. We shouldn’t take anything away from Moore, but the credit should go to Reid for being a phenomenal coach the last three weeks in the face of adversity.
