Dwayne Bowe comes up big for the Kansas City Chiefs

Third-and-5 from the Cleveland Browns' 35-yard line, early second quarter with the Kansas City Chiefs up 6-0.

Alex Smith sees nothing and scrambles, looking to keep the first down alive. Joe Haden goes to make the tackle and gets stonewalled by Dwayne Bowe, doing his best Branden Albert impression. Smith gets 23 yards, and ultimately throws a touchdown pass to Anthony Sherman to cap the drive.

It will never be in the stat sheet, but it is one of the biggest plays of the game on Sunday.

For Bowe, this has to be a season of incredibly conflicting emotions. The team is 8-0, the best start of any Kansas City team he has ever played for. On the other hand, his stats are at an all-time low, with only 25 catches, 295 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Against Cleveland, he was targeted twice for one catch and seven yards.

Once upon a time, Bowe was known as the "Bowe-Show", a talented receiver out of LSU who cared more about the name on the back of his jersey than the logo on the sides of his helmet. Now? Nobody has been more selfless, more exemplary, than Mr. Bowe.

Despite almost becoming a role player at times, Bowe gives maximum effort on every down. Nobody is a better blocker at his position in the NFL. In an age when receivers are mostly known for being major divas and caring only about stats, Bowe has become the ultimate team player.

Over at KCChiefs.com, they post a video after each game of the locker room celebration. In every one of them, Bowe is hugging coaches, players and staff. He's genuinely excited, even if Chad Hall, or Sean McGrath, has been thrown at more in that specific game.

He does not care. He only cares about winning.

Bowe deserves a great deal of credit and respect for the way this season and narrative has played out. If this were Dez Bryant, or Mike Wallace, or fill-in-the-blank, the story could easily be our star receiver blowing up through the media, pouting in meetings and calling out Smith. In short, causing strife within the locker room.

Do not underestimate how important his willingness to sacrifice has been for this team. It is a top reason the Chiefs find themselves with a zero in the loss column.

Bowe has been the perfect teammate, the model citizen, and a huge leader on a team learning what it takes to be great. In a room where everybody is getting the limelight, the player most used to the accolades, save Jamaal Charles, is being cast aside as reporters rush elsewhere.

You think this is easy for a man who prides himself on being one of the best? Who proclaimed before the season began that he would lead the NFL in receiving? No way.

Yet all he does is put the team first. Talk about maturity.

Going forward, Kansas City is going to lean on Bowe as the schedule gets tougher and the games get bigger. The Chiefs will need him at some point to come up big, even take over when things are not going so well.

Don't worry, Bowe will show up and deliver. Regardless of his numbers, he has been all season.