Chiefs win delayed game, improve to 4- 0
It’s hard enough to slow down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs under the best of circumstances.
Try doing it with your star quarterback shelved by COVID- 19, a 40- year- old journeyman taking his place, your top running back headed to injured reserve and a f light that didn’t land in Kansas City, Mo., until shortly before kickoff.
Yet the New England Patriots still managed to give the Chiefs fits for most of the way Monday night, hanging within a f ield goal of the Super Bowl champions until late in the third quarter. It wasn’t until safety Tyrann Mathieu took an interception back for a touchdown in the fourth that Kansas City clinched its 26- 10 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
“Even if you hold us down, we can go out there and make plays when they count,” said Mahomes, who threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns. “When your number is called, you have to make plays, and I thought enough guys made plays.”
Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman had the touchdown grabs for the Chiefs, who have won 13 consecutive games.
“We made plays when we had to make plays,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “... It’s tough to beat the Patriots in any situation.”
Perhaps a bit easier in this one.
The marquee matchup was supposed to be held Sunday, but it was put on pause when New England confirmed that a player — later revealed to be quarterback Cam Newton — tested positive for COVID- 19. Later on Saturday, it came out that Chiefs practice- squad quarterback Jordan Ta’amu also had tested positive, forcing the NFL to postpone
the game.
More tests, including one taken Monday morning, returned no additional positives from either team.
With their quarterback sidelined and running back Sony Michel hitting the injured reserve list with a quad injury, the Patriots ( 2- 2) were forced to lean on journeyman Brian Hoyer and a cast of running backs who never got into much of a rhythm.
Hoyer, who has lost 11 consecutive starts for three different teams, was 15 for 24 for 130 yards with an interception before getting benched in the second half. Jarrett Stidham led the Patriots to a touchdown to close to 13- 10, but he also threw two interceptions, including the pick- six to Mathieu that propelled the Chiefs to their fourth consecutive 4- 0 start.
“You can’t give a team like that those kind of opportunities,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. “Turned the ball over four times. Had too many penalties.”
at Packers 30, Falcons 16:
Aaron Rodgers connected with tight end Robert Tonyan on three of his four touchdown passes, and Green Bay remained unbeaten with a victory over winless Atlanta.
The Packers ( 4- 0) opened a season by scoring at least 30 points in four consecutive games for the f irst time in franchise history. Former Ram Todd Gurley’s two touchdown runs couldn’t stop the Falcons from their f irst 0- 4 start since 1999, when they followed a Super Bowl season by going 5- 11.
Green Bay was missing its top two wide receivers. Davante Adams sat out a second consecutive game with a hamstring injury, and Allen Lazard had gone on injured reserve with a core-muscle problem.
Yet that didn’t slow down Rodgers, who capitalized on Atlanta’s depleted secondary and helped Tonyan deliver the most productive performance of his young career. Tonyan had touchdown receptions of 19 and eight yards to cap the Packers’ f inal two f irst- half possessions. He added a 21- yard touchdown reception midway through the third quarter.
Rodgers went 27 for 33 for 327 yards. He has thrown 13 touchdown passes without an interception this season.
Atlanta already was playing without safeties Ricardo Allen ( elbow) and Keanu Neal ( hamstring) as well as cornerback A. J. Terrell ( COVID- 19 reserve). That secondary took more hits when safety Damontae Kazee ( leg) got carted off the f ield and safety Jaylinn Hawkins left with a concussion in the second quarter.