Chiefs lean on D to beat Pats in COVID-19-delayed game
KANSAS CITY, MO. » Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman had short touchdown catches, theKansas City defense shut down a Patriots offense missing quarterback CamNewton and running back Sony Michel, and the Chiefs beat New England 26-10Monday night in a game postponed by positive COVID-19 tests on each team.
TyrannMathieu returned a late interception for the clinching touchdown, and Patrick Mahomes added 236 yards passing in a somewhat shaky performance — at least, by his standards — as the Chiefs overcame anuncharacteristically slow start offensively to win their 13th straight game dating to Week 10 of last season.
The matchup between the Patriots and the Super Bowl champs was supposed to be Sunday, but it was put on pause when New England confirmed a player later revealed to be Newton tested positive for COVID-19. Later on Saturday, it same out that Chiefs practice squad QB Jordan Ta’amu also had tested positive, forcing the NFL to postpone the game.
More tests, including one taken at 6 a.m. ET onMonday, returned no additional positives from either team.
In retrospect, the Patriots (2-2) probably wish the game was delayed even longer so they could get their QB back.
Brian Hoyer, who has now lost 11 straight starts for three different teams, was 15 of 24 for 130 yards and an interception before getting benched. 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 straight 4-0 start.
PACKERS 30, FALCONS 16 »
Aaron Rodgers connected with tight end Robert Tonyan on three of his four touchdown passes and the Green Bay Packers remained unbeatenwith a 3016 victory over the winless Atlanta Falcons onMonday night.
The Packers (4-0) opened a season by scoring at least 30 points in four straight games for the first time in franchise history. Todd Gurley’s two touchdown runs couldn’t stop the Falcons from their first 0-4 start since 1999, when they followed a Super Bowl season by going 5-11.
Green Bay was missing its top two receivers. Davante Adams sat out a second straight game with a hamstring injury and Allen Lazard had gone on injured reserve with a core problem.
Yet that didn’t slowdown 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 8 yards to cap the Packers’ final two first-half possessions. He added a 21-yard touchdown reception midway through the third quarter.
The 2017 undrafted free agent from Indiana State finished the night with six catches for 98 yards along with his three touchdowns to set career highs in all three categories. Tonyan, who entered this season with two career touchdowns, has reached the end zone five times over his last three games.
Rodgers went 27 of 33 for 327 yards. He has thrown13 touchdown passes without an interception this season.