The Kansas City Chiefs couldn't complete the regular-season sweep of the Denver Broncos. Andy Reid's team has now lost two games in a row, and the AFC West's top spot is now set to be a season-long race. The Chiefs are no longer the team to beat in the division and now rely on other teams to beat the Broncos.
The Chiefs had so many opportunities to put this one out of reach, but unforced errors and Sean Payton's savvy playcalling, paired with poor coaching from Andy Reid, often got in the way. Ultimately, it was a hard-fought divisional matchup that exposed many of the Chiefs' flaws.
There's still plenty of football to be played this season, and this certainly wasn't the team's finest hour. Even so, there were some positive things to consider, and we'll share the five main standouts from the loss, for better or worse.
5 winners and losers from an epically bad fourth-quarter Chiefs collapse
Winner: Emmett Johnson
Emmett Johnson has given this team some good things whenever given a chance, but as usually happens with offensive rookies, Andy Reid has kept him on a short leash. That shouldn't be the case after his breakout game at Mile High.
The rookie running back broke loose for a 73-yard reception and totaled 128 receiving yards on five catches. He can give this team a strong one-two punch next to Kenneth Walker III, and he'd also help keep the reigning Super Bowl MVP fresh for later in the season.
Loser: Harrison Butker
Long gone are the days of the Chiefs having a reliable kicker. Harrison Butker has officially become a problem and a liability. His potential replacement is a P.R. nightmare, but the Chiefs should seriously consider finding someone else.
Once again, Butker missed a routine kick he used to make hundreds of times. He's now missed 16 kicks total since the start of last season, the most in the league, and he's clearly gotten into his own head.
Winner: George Karlaftis
It took him a while, but it seems like George Karlaftis is finally living up to that big contract of his. He's played a Pro Bowl-caliber season, anchoring the team's pass rush during Chris Jones' age-related decline.
Karlaftis was all over Bo Nix in this one, finishing the game with two solo tackles, including one for loss, one sack, one quarterback hit, and three batted passes. He's playing the best football of his career.
Loser: Brett Veach
The Chiefs are on the verge of being a Super Bowl contender, but they can't bank on Kenneth Walker III to do all of the heavy lifting or on Patrick Mahomes' heroics to bail them out every week. They must give him more help in the receiving game.
Kansas City desperately needs another pass-catching weapon, since they refuse to give Cyrus Allen a full opportunity and Xavier Worthy can't string good games together. Brett Veach has to get in his bag before the November 10 trade deadline.
Winner: Rashee Rice
Rashee Rice entered the season with plenty to prove and, so far, he hasn't necessarily lived up to the hype. Either because of subpar play or injuries, he's left much to be desired, so it was nice to see him stand out for a change.
The Chiefs' so-called primary wide receiver finished the game with seven receptions on eight targets for 53 yards and one score. He also caught the would-have-been game-winning toss from Mahomes before a costly penalty basically ended the game. Now, it's all about stringing good games together to prove that he deserves a big payday.
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