Since Brett Veach took over as general manager, the Kansas City Chiefs have been known as a team that invests minimally at the cornerback position. That risky roster construction strategy can either leave teams looking like geniuses, or it can doom them when it matters the most. Thus far, it's helped the Chiefs, and Mike Hughes was the latest example of that on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hughes, a former first-round pick back in 2018, was acquired this past offseason from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round pick. Until that point in his career, he hadn't been able to live up to his impressive draft pedigree. Earlier in the 2021 campaign, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo gave Hughes plenty of chances to show his talents on the field. It wasn't going particularly well and as a result, Hughes had taken a relative backseat on defense. Until Sunday, that was.
With starting corner L'Jarius Sneed out due to a family matter, Hughes started opposite Charvarius Ward in the Chiefs' base personnel package against the Raiders. He didn't know he was going to do so until later on Saturday afternoon, giving him limited time to prepare. Luckily for both Hughes and the Chiefs, staying prepared is one of the key values the team instills in its players early and often. The 24-year-old spoke to that point after Sunday's game and said he simply did his job when asked to in Week 14.
"You know, we always talk about the mentality 'next man up,'" Hughes said. "Today was one of those situations and our job is always to stay prepared. I was prepared to play today — all of us were, obviously, with the game we just had — and I'm proud we got the W."
On the Raiders' first offensive play of the game, Hughes picked up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Later in the half, he forced a fumble of his own that was recovered by safety Tyrann Mathieu. Hughes led the Chiefs in tackles on Sunday, recording eight in total. It was quite possibly the best game of his young career, and he said he's glad things unfolded the way they did.
"Those guys were carrying the ball pretty loose," Hughes said. "I saw some soft spots and I took my shots. Like I said, it worked out today. It's always good to create turnovers and get our offense back on the field. All that matters is that we got the 'dub,' the defense came to play, the offense came to play and we're all happy that we won today."
When preparation and opportunity meet, that's often a recipe for success. For Hughes and the Chiefs' defense against Las Vegas, that was most certainly the case. It remains to be seen exactly what Hughes' role will look like once Sneed returns and how his snaps counts will be affected, but one thing is for sure: he'll be prepared either way. The Chiefs make sure of it, and so does he.
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