BREAKING: 9 wiɴɴers and 3 losers from the Chiefs’ wiɴ over the Raiders

Which Kansas City players caught our attention during the Week 8 victory over Las Vegas?

The Kansas City Chiefs’ dominance over the AFC West — particularly the Las Vegas Raiders — continued on Sunday with the team’s 27-20 victory in Las Vegas.

Don’t let the one-score margin fool you: this game wasn’t especially close. Without a pair of incredible goal-line stands by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit, it absolutely could have been. But they happened — so it wasn’t.

There were plenty of standouts in Week 8. Here are a few of them.

Winners

Tight end Travis Kelce: Never count out No. 87. On Sunday, we saw a classic performance from the 12th-year veteran that featured 10 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown — and plenty of celebrations. Kelce converted six first downs, giving the offense a huge lift on “National Tight Ends Day.” And we have an honorable mention for another one: Noah Gray has become a highly-efficient target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Against the Raiders, two of his three catches went for first downs. He’s caught 17 of 18 targets this season.

EDGE George Karlaftis: The third-year defensive end is officially back — that is, if he ever left. He had another sack and a tackle-for-loss on Sunday, He was really disruptive — especially in the biggest moments. Karlaftis collected a sack to end a drive, plus a batted pass to force a field goal. In the goal-line stand, Karlaftis played a big part in the first two stops.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones: The CEO of “Sack Nation” turned in another All-Pro performance. Even though he wasn’t credited with a sack or a tackle-for-loss, Jones was basically unblockable all afternoon. He was a constant force against the pass and the run, with one big stop and a quarterback hit. While discussing the defensive interior, we should also recognize Tershawn Wharton and Mike Pennel, who were instrumental in both goal-line stops; each was credited with a sack. Pennel forced the fumble that helped keep momentum from shifting — and Wharton’s sack ended the epic goal-line stand.

Linebackers Drue Tranquill, Nick Bolton and Leo Chenal: Given that nearly the entire defensive line was in the win column. it should be no surprise that the linebackers played well, too. But these guys really took advantage of the opportunities created by the big guys up front. Tranquill had three tackles for loss, a sack and a fumble recovery. Chenal was in on a sack, while both he and Bolton were dominant against the run.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: This was the best Kansas City’s two-time MVP has looked for most of the season, slinging the ball with confidence. That helped the offense run like a well-oiled machine. Even though the offensive tackles struggled, Mahomes was only sacked once, throwing for 262 yards and two scores. Many have noted he was intercepted again — but he was hit as he threw the ball, which was then deflected at the line. Don’t be fooled by his stats. Mahomes is leading this team back to the Super Bowl — and won’t be denied.

Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins: He’s the guy we’ve wanted to see in Kansas City for years — because the man simply catches everything! The Chiefs welcomed their newest pass-catcher with two catches for 29 yards on three targets — after he had spent only a couple of days with the team. Hopkins looks fantastic in the Kansas City offense.

Running back Kareem Hunt: Like a steam engine driving this train forward, Hunt was once again a big offensive weapon. He recorded 22 touches — including another rushing touchdown. He continues to be a reliable back, getting the extra yards (and the tough ones, too) when the team needs him. Samaje Perine also lived up to his billing as Kansas City’s third-down back. When he saw Mahomes scrambling, he found an open spot where the quarterback could reach him, moving the chains like a much bigger Jerick McKinnon.

Losers

Cornerback Joshua Williams: With Jaylen Watson’s injury in Week 8, Nazeeh Johnson’s concussion pushed Williams into a bigger role — but unfortunately, he was charged with unnecessary roughness and defensive holding penalties that extended a Las Vegas drive.

Left tackle Wayna Morris: It was a long day for the second-year player — one that included three holding penalties, an illegal use of the hands penalty (that was declined) and allowing a hit on Mahomes that hurt the quarterback’s ankle. Morris drew a tough assignment on Sunday, but didn’t do much to cement his status as Kansas City’s blind-side protector.

Tight end Jody Fortson: Through no fault of his own, the Chiefs’ longtime contributor suffered another leg injury that has derailed yet another season. It happened on a play that could have ended as another kind of disaster. With two minutes left, the Raiders were attempting an onside kick. If Kansas City could secure the ball, victory would be assured. On the field with the “hands team,” Fortson leaped to down the kick — but the ball went through his arms into a scrum. Luckily, Gray bailed him out with a recovery. Now we extend our best wishes to Fortson for another recovery — which we hope will be a fast one.