The Miami Dolphins gave the Kansas City Chiefs their best shot in Week 3, but the conclusion was inevitable. The Chiefs snapped their road-game losing streak, winning 24-10, advancing to 3-0 and leaving Miami at 0-3.

The Dolphins controlled time of possession, with over 10 minutes more than Kansas City. Miami converted 8-of-16 third-down opportunities. They had 19 first downs, one more than K.C.’s total. What’s clear after this one? The Chiefs still have a lot of work to do to get to where they want to go during the 2026 NFL season.

With that in mind, let’s break down the winners and losers on K.C. from Week 3’s game.

Winner: CB Mansoor Delane

Delane has been battling shoulder injuries this offseason and into the regular season. He only played 3 snaps in Week 1 and was inactive in Week 2. Not only did he finish the game in Week 3, but he also made a big impact in his return to the starting lineup. Throughout the game, Delane allowed a few receptions in tight coverage. He was in position, but just couldn’t break up the pass. Still, he forced a few incompletions and defended a pass. His physicality showed up on a five-yard tackle for loss of Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon. Keep in mind, Delane is 6-foot and 190 pounds. Gordon is 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds.

Winner: Kenneth Walker III

Walker remained the focal point of the Chiefs’ offense through Week 3’s game. He finished the game with 18 rushing attempts for 70 yards, including a 22-yard long rush. He added two receptions for 3 yards and a touchdown. He already has 80% of his scrimmage touchdowns from the 2025 regular season with the Seattle Seahawks, and we’re only three games in. It feels like he’s not slowing down and is maintaining his pace, just as he said he would.

Winner: Noah Gray

Travis Kelce didn’t see much action in the passing game after his 48-yard reception to open the game and his late-game touchdown reception. Noah Gray helped fill that void in the middle of the game. Gray had a tough season in 2025, but it feels like he’s officially left it behind. Gray went 3-of-3 on receptions for 39 yards, including a 24-yard catch in tight coverage. That catch came against former Chiefs LB Willie Gay Jr., who is a very solid coverage player. These are the workmanlike performances Kansas City needs from Gray.

Winner: DE George Karlaftis

While the Chiefs didn’t generate much pressure on Sunday, veteran DE George Karlaftis stood out with multiple impact plays. He sniffed out a tight end screen for a five-yard loss. He made effort plays all over the field, in both the run and passing game. It all culminated in his first career interception to close out the game. Chris Jones batted a pass in the air, and Karlaftis came down with it, giving the Chiefs the ball back with under two minutes left to play. Rest assured, Jones won’t let him live down the assisted interception. He got called for a bogus illegal hands-to-face penalty late in the game, but overall, very solid performance from Karlaftis.

Loser: DC Steve Spagnuolo

The Chiefs struggled to generate pressure, particularly sacks, during this game. Give the Dolphins credit for a good game plan and getting the ball out quickly on pressure downs. However, this is a Miami team that had allowed a league-leading nine sacks, 25 quick pressures, and a 43.1% pressure rate entering the game. Miami felt they had the time and ability to protect and take shot plays all day long. As a result, they recorded receptions of 44, 42, and 30 yards. If the Chiefs had gotten some pressure, those long gains might not have happened.

Loser: S Alohi Gilman

It felt like the Dolphins’ gameplan at times was to force Gilman into coverage situations and go after him. He made an awkward tackle attempt on De’Von Achane that hurt the Miami RB. He had a poor tackle attempt against Malik Washington that allowed a 30-yard catch-and-run. Gilman dropped an interception late in the fourth quarter. One play later, the team got backed up on their own 4-yard line. Mahomes took a pretty brutal hit, and a roughing-the-passer penalty helped get the team out of that situation. However, an interception from Gilman could’ve avoided it altogether.

Loser: QB Patrick Mahomes

I’m only listing Mahomes as a loser here because I just feel like he didn’t get enough help in Week 3. His performance was nearly flawless: 20-of-24 passing for 246 yards, two touchdown passes, and one interception. The coaching was lacking in terms of the offensive and defensive game plans. A week after talking about the red zone offense, there were few improvements. Protection wasn’t great against a team that is still hunting its first sack. Rashee Rice popped up a pass and turned it into an interception for Mahomes, which is wildly frustrating. With more help around him, this game would’ve looked a lot different.