Chiefs report card: Good grades, especially for O-line, after convincing win at Bucs

Tampa Bay entered the game with the fewest yards allowed by any NFL team.

They had surrendered just three touchdowns this season.

The Chiefs had four in the first half en route to a 41-31 victory that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.

Both teams lost heartbreakers last week, but the Chiefs reacted better. Coupled with Denver’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chiefs took over first place in the AFC West as the season approaches its quarter-pole.

KC STAR OF THE GAME

Game film will break down the offensive line and assign grades, but it was a collective work of excellence, and let right tackle Andrew Wylie represent the group. Why Wylie? He’s the only member of the group who started for the Chiefs in the Super Bowl LV blowout loss on the same field. Oh, and there was the matter of Bucs lineman Shaq Barrett disparaging the group earlier in the week. The Chiefs rushed for 189 yards, their best production of the season

NEXT:

The Chiefs suit up for their third prime-time game in five weeks when they play host to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football next week. The Raiders got their first victory of the season on Sunday, defeating the Denver Broncos 32-23.

REPORT CARD:

Passing offense: B

Travis Kelce passed Rob Gronkowski for the most receiving yards by a tight end and now stands fifth all-time. Coming off a poor performance against the Colts, Kelce looked focused and determined and finished with 92 yards on nine receptions.

Mahomes did Mahomes things. He completed a first-down pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster while being spun around. And his touchdown pass to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, well, you just have to watch it. The scramble, the spin and finally the toss for the 2-yard score? No one else makes that play.

Only a late-game interception precludes a spotless mark on a night when Mahomes surpassed 20,000 career passing yards.

Rushing offense: A

The best moment came when tight end Noah Gray, who started in motion, settled under center and scored on a 1-yard touchdown keeper. Isiah Pacheco rushed for a pile-moving 63 yards, Edwards-Helaire was a workhorse, collecting 92 yards.

When the Chiefs looked to burn clock at the end, they did, behind the stout blocking up front.

Passing defense: B

Perhaps the biggest play of the game came when cornerback L’Jarius Sneed blitzed and Tom Brady never saw him. Sneed knocked the ball loose and Chris Jones recovered. The Chiefs’ ensuing short-field touchdown gave Kansas City a 28-10 lead.

Rushing defense: A

The Bucs had minus-3 yards on the ground in the first half. After falling behind, the Bucs all but abandoned the running game. If Tampa Bay had more success early, perhaps the Bucs would’ve stayed with it. That didn’t happen: They finished with 3 yards on six attempts. Those are team records for fewest attempts and yards allowed in a game.

Special teams: A

Last week started with a disaster, a muffed punt. This week, the Chiefs made a key special teams play right off the bat. Chris Lammons helped force a fumble on the opening kickoff, and Elijah Lee was there for the recovery. The Chiefs were in the end zone two plays later.

After watching last week’s substitute kicker miss a field goal and extra point at Indy, Chiefs fans had to be relieved to see Matthew Wright bang through a 44-yard field goal and make all of his extra-point attempts. You know it’s a good night for the offense when punter Tommy Townsend makes his first appearance with less than a minute remaining in the game.