Chiefs looking like Chiefs was only thing familiar
Nothing normal about NFL opener on Thursday
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just about the only thing that looked familiar about the NFL’S long-awaited return Thursday night was the sight of Patrick Mahomes effortlessly leading the Kansas City Chiefs up and down the field.
The Super Bowl MVP threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns, Clyde Edwards-helaire ran through the rain for 138 yards and another score, and the Chiefs began defense of their first championship in 50 years by beating the Houston Texans 34-20 on Thursday night before a socially distanced crowd of about 17,000 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill each caught TD passes for the Chiefs. They have won 10 straight dating to last season.
“I’m proud of our players but I’m also proud of our fans. They came out there. They were loud,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who claimed he didn’t notice some booing from fans during a pregame moment of unity involving both teams. “Obviously, our players, both sides of the ball and special teams, I thought they were solid.”
The Texans’ Deshaun Watson threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, but he also was under relentless pressure and was intercepted once. David Johnson provided the biggest bright spot for Houston, running for 77 yards and a score.
“There’s a lot to fix,” Texans coach Bill O’brien said. “It’s only one game. We have to improve pretty quickly. But it’s only one game. We have to get back to work pretty soon and fix these things.”
Against that backdrop came an NFL opener unlike any other: masks worn by everyone from fans to the coaching staffs; a series of videos raising awareness of social justice initiatives and encouraging the public to vote; and ultimately both teams locking arms in a display of unity before the coin toss.