Offense runs well without Bell
Patrick Mahomes didn’t mind taking a back seat to rookie Clyde EdwardsHelaire and the Kansas City Chiefs’ running attack.
With the Bills working hard to limit deep throws by the strong- armed Mahomes, he gladly kept handing off the ball, and Kansas City won at Buffalo 26- 17 on Monday in a game originally scheduled for last Thursday.
“You know my nature, I want to throw it deep every time. We want to go down and throw these long touchdowns,” said Mahomes, the 2018 most valuable player. “But if teams are going to play us like this, we’ve got to show we can run.”
Led by EdwardsHelaire’s 161 yards rushing, the Chiefs f inished with 245 — the most since Mahomes became starter in 2017. Kansas City’s 46 attempts were also the most in eight years under coach Andy Reid, and that was with Le’Veon Bell waiting to make his debut after signing last Thursday.
“I can’t wait,” Bell tweeted during the game.
Edwards- Helaire already chatted up the veteran Bell and is excited to team up.
“Another guy coming in, another piece to the puzzle. For me, we can only go up,” Edwards- Helaire said. “Anything I can do to pick his brain and gain knowledge from, I’m there for it.”
Mahomes f inished 21 for 26 for 225 yards with two touchdowns, both to tight end Travis Kelce. His f irst was the 90th of his career in his 37th game, the fastest pace in NFL history. Hall of Famer Dan Marino had the previous mark at 40 games.
The Chiefs are off to their third 5- 1 start in four seasons and bounced back from a 4032 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 11.
Buffalo ( 4- 2) lost its second straight. The Bills fell 4216 at Tennessee last Tuesday, a game moved because of a COVID- 19 outbreak on the Titans. That led to this game being pushed back as well. The Chiefs, originally scheduled to play three games in 11 days, wound up having two more days of rest than the Bills.
Cardinals 38, at Cowboys 10: Kyler Murray ac
counted for three touchdowns in his first game back home as a professional and Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury also enjoyed a victorious return to Texas.
The speedy quarterback who won three high school championships and a Big 12 title at the home of the Cowboys improved to 7- 0 as a starter at AT& T Stadium, throwing for two scores despite a rough start through the air and rushing for 74 yards and a score.
It was the “Monday Night Football” debut for Murray and Kingsbury. Fired after six seasons at Texas Tech in 2018, Kingsbury has the Cardinals ( 4- 2) tied for second place in the tough NFC West. Arizona is above .500 this late in the season for the first time since 2015, its most recent playoff year.
Ezekiel Elliott set up Arizona’s first two touchdowns with fumbles and Andy Dalton had the rest of Dallas’ four turnovers with two interceptions in his f irst start in place of Dak Prescott.
Kenyan Drake broke free for a 69- yard score, giving him 164 yards and his second touchdown run of the game.
“Our preparation coming into the game was our best this year,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said.
Notes
Tennessee left tackle Taylor Lewan tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Sunday’s win over Houston. ... The New York Jets agreed to trade veteran nose tackle Steve McLendon to Tampa Bay.