The Kansas City Chiefs needed that one.

After starting the season with two consecutive losses featuring offensive misery and plenty of penalties, the Chiefs finally found some real momentum at MetLife Stadium in Week 3. It took a few quarters to get going, but K.C. found some juice on both sides of the ball in the second half to put away the New York Giants by a final score of 22-9.

It was nice to see Kansas City get into the win column, and we’re mostly feeling good as we reflect back on the night. Some players deserve some obvious game balls, but not everyone will be feeling positive on the flight home.

Let’s look at some winners and losers from Week 3 as the Chiefs take some time to celebrate their first victory of the season.

Winner: Tyquan Thornton

This one is obvious, so we don’t need to say too much here. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t start out our list by acknowleding the one player on offense who offers any sort of consistent dynamism. We’re not sure why things didn’t work out as hoped in New England, but the Chiefs’ flyer on Thornton is paying off in spades.

Thornton finished the game with 5 catches for 71 yards and 1 touchdown, but the best thing he delivered is a real vertical threat for a team missing Xavier Worthy with a torn labrum. It will be interesting to see how things work out down the road as the missing return home (Rashee Rice, Worthy), but the chemistry is clearly there and getting better with Mahomes.

Winner: JuJu Smith-Schuster

While we’re talking about wide receivers, JuJu Smith-Schuster warrants a mention for being the only dependable target in what was an otherwise miserable first half. The Chiefs had the edge at halftime 9-6, but Smith-Schuster was the only target making anything happen in the passing attack. The vet has been a dependable player for a middling offense, and K.C. was lucky to have him on Sunday.

Loser: Harrison Butker

At some point, we have to ask questions about the number of missed kicks from the Chiefs’ veteran. It feels weird to question Butker knowing how consistent he has been for the franchise for the last several years. He’s into his second extension with the team, which tells you all you need to know about his dependability, but he missed a 40-yard field goal and an extra point in Week 3, and he’s missed a kick in every game this year.

Winner: Leo Chenal

Chenal has a penchant for coming up big at the right time, as he’s proven in postseasons past. On Sunday, he not only blocked a kick but came away with big tackles at key moments to help the Chiefs earn their first win—including a tackle of Russell Wilson on the final drive to end the game.

Loser: Jawaan Taylor

It feels like we’re bagging on Taylor week after week at this point, but that’s Andy Reid’s fault for leaving him in there when he has a capable replacement in Jaylon Moore. Taylor’s penalties were once again an issue for the Chiefs in Week 3, and while he certainly wasn’t the only offender—we’re looking at you, Chris Jones, Josh Simmons, George Karlaftis, and Joshua Williams—the truth is that we’ve rung this bell far too often.

Winners: Trent McDuffie/Jaylen Watson

Malik Nabers came into Week 3 as the NFL’s leading receiver through two games with 14 catches for 238 yards. The Chiefs held him to 2 catches for 13 yards on 7 targets. Yeah, read that again.

Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson were all over Nabers in Week 3, and it was thrilling to see the Giants offense completely stall out when tasked with finding another playmaker. If not for the heroics of running back Cam Skattebo, the Giants would have likely been shut out.

It helps to face Russell Wilson, but the Chiefs’ defense delivered big in the team’s first win of the seaosn and much of that had to do with the work done by McDuffie and Watson in coverage.

Winner: Nohl Williams

Wait, didn’t we just cover the corners? Yes, but Nohl Williams deserves his own entry here because this is a big development for the Chiefs. The fact that Williams was a bright spot as a rookie corner in his third game means the team has very real depth for the first time. That’s huge news in the face of ongoing injury concerns for Kristian Fulton.

Loser: Safety depth

The unit is still adjusting after watching Justin Reid walk in free agency, so to lose Bryan Cook to a neck injury in the fourth quarter will be something to watch this week as the Chiefs get more information about his availability. Chamarri Conner and Jaden Hicks as the starters with Christian Roland-Wallace as the third safety is a real roll of the dice. Mike Edwards is on the practice squad, but that could spell trouble going forward.