The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 11-1 and clinched a berth in the 2024 playoffs against the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday.
The Chiefs had yet another close victory on Friday, winning 19-17 with the game coming down to the final play. One of the biggest contributors to Kansas City’s victory was kicker Matthew Wright, who scored 12 of the Chiefs’ 19 points in the win.
Wright was four-for-five in his first start for the Chiefs, with his only miss being a 59-yard attempt at the end of the first half.
Wright was elevated from Kansas City’s practice squad just a day before the game after Spencer Shrader, who started the Chiefs’ prior two games, was ruled out with a leg injury.
Shrader was already coming in as the backup for star kicker Harrison Butker, who was placed on injured reserve earlier in the season with a knee injury.
Despite the Chiefs going through three different kickers, they have continued to find ways to win and make huge kicks.
A massive reason for Kansas City’s win was not just Wright’s performance, but also the fact that he outperformed Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, who was one-for-four in Arrowhead Stadium on Friday.
It’s unclear if Shrader will be healthy and ready to play in Week 14, or if he would even remain the starter over Wright, but it is clear that the Chiefs will have multiple strong options at kicker, which is a problem that many teams wished they had.
