Chiefs report card: grades this week reflect Chiefs’ dominance against winless Jets
The Chiefs reached the halfway mark of the season with a 35-9 victory over the New York Jets Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
The game was close for a few possessions in the first half, but then Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense took over. The Chiefs (7-1) scored touchdowns on five of their first nine possessions.
KC STAR OF THE GAME
One of the best games of Patrick Mahomes’ career. The Chiefs exploited the weak back half of the Jets’ defense and Mahomes ran up huge numbers, 416 yards and five touchdowns. The 144.4 passer rating was the second best of his career.
Touchdown throws went over the top, had jet-sweep touch and were tossed underhanded, Mahomes serving up a reminder that no conversation about the MVP or top quarterback in the NFL should happen without him.
Reason to hope: The Chiefs are halfway through their schedule at 7-1. And based on winning percentage of opponents entering Sunday, Kansas City also had the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL.
Reason to mope: Give respect to the Jets. They arrived in Kansas City winless but played hard and kept the Chiefs’ defense on the field for much of the first half, though the Chiefs repeatedly stiffened when it mattered and forced field goals.
Next: Next Sunday, the Chiefs meet the Carolina Panthers at Arrowhead Stadium at noon on FOX (Ch. 4). It’s the last game for the Chiefs before their scheduled off-week.
REPORT CARD
Passing offense: A
Best this season. The laser to Tyreek Hill on the 36-yard touchdown was Mahomes’ nicest pass of the day. His next two touchdown passes combined to travel about 3 yards, to Mecole Hardman and Travis Kelce.
The fourth was a rainbow beauty to Demarcus Robinson from 26 yards out. The fifth was another strike, this one for 41 yards, to Hill. In the best scene of the day, Mahomes gave Hill a piggy-back ride back to the sideline.
How do you keep all of your excellent offensive weapons happy? Throw touchdown passes to four different players and complete passes to 10 different targets. Kelce finished with 109 receiving yards, Hill 98 and Hardman 96.
Rushing offense: C
The Chiefs passed up a short field goal in the third quarter and Le’Veon Bell was stopped on a fourth and 1. The Jets have a stout defensive front. And the Chiefs’ offensive line isn’t built for that kind of power play.
They need a better option for the occasion. So much of the pregame focus was on Bell, released by the Jets three weeks ago. But he had a quiet day with seven yards on six carries (though he did catch three passes for 31 yards).
Passing defense: A
Chris Jones didn’t record a sack, but he got constant pressure on Sam Darnold. Linebacker Dan Sorensen came up with a big hit on tight end Chris Herndon, causing a fumble that was recovered by Bashaud Breeland.
Darnold had success on short passes in the first half, but the Chiefs pitched a shutout in the third quarter, yielding just one first down.
Rushing defense: B
Tyrann Mathieu dropped Braxton Barrios on an end-around for a 6-yard loss in the third quarter, the Chiefs’ best play against the run. The ancient Frank Gore — age 37 — ran effectively early, but he and the rest of the Jets’ offense got little going in the second half.
Special teams: A
Terrific stuff. Tommy Townsend’s 13-yard completion to Byron Pringle picked up a first down and Mahomes hit Hill for a touchdown on the next play. The Jets looked for their fourth field goal of the first half, but Armani Watts broke through for the block.
A false start by Eric Fisher pushed Harrison Butker out of field-goal range early in the fourth quarter, but he was perfect on five extra points.