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 defence 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 due to 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. That run includes a come-from-behind 51-31 victory over the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.
“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,” Reid continued. “For the first game there were some good things that were done, some great individual performances.”
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.”
The world has changed dramatically in the seven months since the Chiefs hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in Miami.
Within six weeks, the term COVID-19 had become a part of everyday life, the disease killing more than 900,000 people around the globe. The death of George Floyd at the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer in May touched off the Black Lives Matter movement, which in turn has led to a summer of social unrest that has gripped the country.
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 prior to the coin toss.
To the relief of many, kickoff finally brought 4 hours of normalcy.
The Texans, who blew a 24-point lead against Kansas City in the the playoffs, struck first when they marched 80 yards for a touchdown. The elusive Johnson finished it off by scampering 19 yards to the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
But just like that cold January day, the red-hot Chiefs quickly overcame their slow start.
They tied it moments later when Mahomes threw a short touchdown pass to Kelce, then took the lead when they forced a quick punt and Mahomes found Watkins in the end zone. Harrison Butker capped the first half by kicking a chip-shot field goal that sent the Chiefs to the locker room with a 17-7 lead.
Edwards-Helaire, their first-round pick, padded the lead in the third quarter. After ripping off an 11-yard gain early in the drive, the pint-sized dynamo out of LSU unleashed a wicked stutter-step before running 27 yards for another score.
“H’es just another weapon I have in this offence,” Mahomes said.
The Chiefs put the game away when rookie L’Jarius Sneed picked off Watson’s jump ball in the closing seconds of the third quarter. Mahomes was bailed out of a fourth-down interception by pass interference in the end zone, then he zipped a dart to Hill streaking across the field for a 31-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
“We just trust whatever Coach Reid is dialing up,” said Kelce, who finished with six catches for 50 yards. “They do an unbelievable job preparing us and scheming up defences and we just trust what they’re doing.”
Watson threw a touchdown pass and ran for a TD later in the quarter to make the final score a bit more respectable.
“It was a little different but the fans did what they did for their home team and that was pretty much it,” Watson said. “We just got to continue to do our job, find the rhythm, get guys on the same page and that’s pretty much it.”
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
The Chiefs had a touchdown on their opening series brought back when the officials determined Demarcus Robinson failed to control a 36-yard pass from Mahomes in the end zone. They had another overturned when Watkins caught a 9-yard pass in the second quarter, though he wound up catching a screen pass for a TD two plays later.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Chiefs lined up along the goal line about 30 minutes before kickoff and watched Alicia Keyes perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is often considered the Black national anthem, in a video designed to address racial inequality.
The Texans had already left the field when the demonstration occurred. They remained there until R&B duo Chloe x Halle finished a virtual performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” then ran onto the field to a chorus of boos from fans.
Some fans were still booing when the teams met at midfield and shook hands. The teams then stood together in a line that stretched from one end zone to the other for a moment of silence before the coin toss.
“Listen, I didn’t really notice it,” Reid said of the booing. “I thought that was kind of a neat deal, both sides coming together for a cause. The story was told there. Whether it was the national anthems and how those were presented, the singers — Alicia Keyes was phenomenal — and then guys joining hands together for a cause. Really just to make us all better and a stronger country than we all are. We have a chance to be unstoppable when we all come together.”
SUPER CELEBRATION
In a relatively muted celebration, the Chiefs unveiled their Super Bowl banner and presented the Lombardi Trophy to their fans — along with a 20-foot replica that was wheeled onto the field — about 15 minutes before the game began.
INJURIES
Chiefs: DT Khalen Saunders (elbow) left in the first quarter with an elbow injury. DE Alex Okafor hurt his hamstring in the third and did not return. CB Charvarius Ward left in the fourth quarter with a hand injury.
Texans: RB Duke Johnson left in the fourth quarter with a leg injury. He did not return.
UP NEXT
The Texans play their home opener against the Ravens on Sept. 20. The Chiefs visit the Chargers the same day.
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Dave Skretta, The Associated Press
