The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the New York Jets 35-12 in Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season. It was a get-right game, and a much-needed one for Kansas City after two consecutive losses.

The story of this game was how the Chiefs’ defense came alive. The group had struggled for several weeks to impact the quarterback and convert pressures into sacks. Plenty of sacks were available during the win over New York, and the pass rush cashed in.

With all that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the winners and losers from Week 9.

Winner: DE George Karlaftis

Defensive end George Karlaftis had one of his best games as a member of the Chiefs. He recorded two sacks, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and a batted pass. He also posted six combined tackles, the third-most on the defense. Karlaftis was the engine behind the Kansas City pass rush on Sunday. His performance could open the floodgates for sacks against this defense.

Winner: DT Chris Jones

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said that sacks sometimes come in bunches, and that was the case for him and his teammates against the Jets. Jones recorded two sacks, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and a batted pass. It was his best performance in a while. You have to go back to Jan. 4 of last season against the Las Vegas Raiders to find the last time Jones had two sacks, and that was a bit of a throwaway game for Kansas City. Before that, his last multi-sack game came on Nov. 29, 2024, also against the Raiders. Hopefully, this is just the beginning for Jones. He has some catching up to do after going without a sack in the first seven games of the 2026 NFL season.

Winner: DC Steve Spagnuolo

Hand it to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. A week after his defense surrendered an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, they came to play. One stat sums up how dominant his defense was: The Jets had minus-9 yards of total offense in the third quarter.

That wasn’t a product of New York’s own ineptitude. It was all about what the Chiefs’ defense forced the Jets into. You could see the frustration on the visiting sideline, with QB Geno Smith throwing a fit after the defense disrupted him.

Winner: RB Kenneth Walker

Running back Kenneth Walker delivered another signature performance for Kansas City. He carried the ball 18 times for 102 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown. Through the air, he was a perfect 4-for-4 for 41 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a hat trick for Walker, bringing his season total to 11 touchdowns. That’s eight more than any other player on the Chiefs.

Winner: TE Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce led the Chiefs in receiving, catching four of six targets for 72 yards. He also punched in what was ruled a 1-yard rushing touchdown at the goal line, ending some of Kansas City’s short-yardage woes in the red zone. It was a unique play, and one the Chiefs desperately needed in that scenario. Kelce has always been the go-to option for Patrick Mahomes. On a day when Mahomes really needed his go-to option, Kelce delivered.

Loser: QB Patrick Mahomes

I’d like to list Mahomes as a winner for his gutsy performance. He completed 23-of-31 passes for 242 yards and two touchdown passes with no interceptions. However, he was sacked and turned the football over, which is why he lands here. Mahomes was under siege all day. He suffered an elbow injury, which he toughed out and played through. It’s clear that his protection simply isn’t good enough.

OT Josh Simmons is on injured reserve. Jaylon Moore got hurt again, suffering an ankle injury during the game, which left Josh Ezeudu at right tackle for the remainder of the afternoon. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Kansas City needs to shore up its protection, because the Chiefs will face teams with much better pass rushes than the Jets.

Loser: K Harrison Butker

I don’t know what else to say about kicker Harrison Butker right now. When your quarterback guts out an apparent injury, marches the ball down the field, and takes a hit on a run to get into field goal range, you have to capitalize. Butker missed the first attempt but got a second chance because of a penalty on the Jets. He still couldn’t convert. Butker continues to struggle from distance. Enough is enough. The Chiefs need to make a change. I don’t think they will, but they need to.

Loser: STC Dave Toub

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub should have been a winner in this game. Unfortunately, the penalties tell a different story. The Chiefs were flagged only three times, and two of those penalties came against Toub’s unit. An offensive holding penalty on rookie DB Jayden Kennedy wiped out a 69-yard kick return that would have set Kansas City up at the Jets’ 3-yard line. Instead, the Chiefs started at their own 28. The truth is that this has become a common theme for Toub’s unit, and a wildly disappointing one. You don’t even need to bring up Butker’s struggles to see that special teams is a big issue for Kansas City heading into the second half of the season.