3 Underrated Heroes from Chiefs' Week 7 Win vs. Chargers

3. Mecole Hardman

Back like he never left!

The Chiefs brought Mecole back on Wednesday of last week and by Sunday he was out there making two of the biggest plays of the game. After catching only one pass through six weeks with the Jets, it's a testament to Hardman's work ethic that he was able to make an impact so quickly.

His punt return is getting the notoriety and deservedly so, but his third-down conversion later in that drive to keep the Chiefs' momentum going was just as important.

Hardman is a significant weapon in the red zone and one of Mahomes' most trusted targets. I believe he was brought in largely to help alleviate Kansas City's red zone woes, so it was poetic to see him make a critical catch on a third down in the red zone to help the Chiefs score the game's final TD.

Going into Week 7, the Chiefs scored TDs on only 54.17% of their red zone possessions (17th in NFL). Kansas City found the end zone in three of four possessions inside the Chargers' 20-yard line on Sunday, notching a field goal on the other, and that efficiency was the difference in the game.

We'll see how Andy Reid and Matt Nagy utilize Hardman moving forward, though it seems at the least he's locked into a return role. Nonetheless, it was a heroic 2023 Chiefs debut for Hardman and bodes well for the rest of the season.

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