Already short on wide receivers as they opened the season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil, the Kansas City Chiefs lost Xavier Worthy to a shoulder injury on the game’s third offensive play. Then they lost the Chargers’ receivers in coverage. Then they lost containment against Justin Herbert to seal their 27-21 loss.

What a way to start a season, huh?

It could have been worse — and without quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ hero-ball performance, it likely would have been.

It’s a long flight to Brazil. With emotions high after such a frustrating outcome, the flight home must have been even worse.

Here are a few who stood out as the Chiefs stumbled out of the gate to begin the 2025 season.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: There were plenty of missed opportunities — including some long passes that were just off target. But the two-time MVP did his best to put the team on his back and drag it down the field — and Mahomes’ best is quite a lot. He led the team in rushing, scoring on the ground (and through the air) as he accounted for 315 total yards. Had the Chiefs been able to get the ball back at the end of the game, perhaps we’d remember the spectacular passes Mahomes was able to complete on Friday night, like the horizontal throw and the throw on the run while getting hit. Mahomes Magic is alive and well.

Tight end Travis Kelce: While Ms. Swift’s fiancée only had two catches, one was a beautiful 37-yard touchdown. The broadcast cameras caught what might have been an equally impactful moment where the veteran held the team’s right tackle accountable for his mistakes. This was the type of game we always want Kelce to have: a couple of catches and some veteran leadership.

Linebacker Drue Tranquill: On a night where the linebackers didn’t play very well, Tranquill stepped up — showing fire and leadership against his former team. Recording five tackles (two for a loss) and two sacks, Tranquill was the defense’s most impactful player. And like Kelce, Tranquill did what he could to hold teammates accountable, letting Chris Jones hear it when the All-Pro defensive tackle made a critical mistake.

Cornerback Trent McDuffie: The defense’s other All-Pro was great against the Chargers. He may have been the only member of the secondary who was able to cover anyone. He batted down a pass and had five tackles.

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub: It was one of the best moments in an otherwise forgettable game: the “fire drill” 59-yard field goal at the end of the first half. Getting the right squad on the field and lining it up in time for a snap as time expires isn’t easy, but the special team’s execution and timing were perfect. Of course, it’s also impressive that Butker was able to drive home such a long field goal in that situation. Still, the success of the whole unit on this play served to remind us that Toub is still one of the best in the business.

Right Tackle Jawaan Taylor: His blocking wasn’t perfect, but it would have been good enough. The five penalties, however, are another matter. That’s not going to cut it.

The passing defense: Whom should I call out when the entire defense managed so little pass rush, left open receivers on every play and allowed the opposing quarterback to have one of his best games ever? There were struggles at all three levels. If this was a personnel issue, it should have already been solved. If it was just an off game, we should expect to see a huge bounce-back performance against the Philadelphia Eagles on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday.

Running back Isiah Pacheco: On the plus side, he gained five yards per attempt. But on the minus side, he only had five carries; the Chiefs couldn’t get anything going on the ground. As a receiver, Pacheco turned three targets into two catches for only three yards. For teams to respect any threat of a running game, Pacheco will need to step up — and the team needs to give him the opportunities to do so. If not, Mahomes might be in for a long year.

Head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: When motivation and emotion look inconsistent and execution is rough — and the same issues pop up over and over again — that’s on the coaches. They have to adjust their plans, make sure players are ready and put them in a position to win. While Friday’s matchup wasn’t as lopsided a loss as Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles, it had some of the same problems: a lack of pass rush, no running game… and no answers.

Note: Applying the labels “winners” and “losers” is not intended to be a judgment on the talent or character of any of these players or coaches. It’s just a simple way to grade their performance in a single game. No disrespect should be inferred.