In Week 10, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Atlanta Falcons in dominant fashion. The 35-13 result put the Chiefs at 7-2. Here’s the quick reaction to the game:
Emmett Johnson has leadership talent
If it wasn’t clear before Sunday that the Chiefs had one of the best backfield duos in the NFL, rookie running back Emmett Johnson solidified that narrative with 163 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 25 touches. He runs hard from the snap to break tackles with his arms and always fights forward; on top of that, he remains a reliable passer.
The assurance that Kansas City can keep the defense threatened by the backfield while Kenneth Walker is huge for the offense. The Chiefs offense has been more disciplined with the ground game and positioning under center this season, but last season’s talent surge made the biggest difference. Johnson was reportedly one of Kansas City’s best offensive players last year.
Josh Downs helps Patrick Mahomes open it
In his first game in a Chiefs uniform, wide receiver Josh Downs made an impact without needing many snaps. He saw five passes thrown to him, turning them into 53 yards and a touchdown late in the half that put Kansas City up 14-3.
The score featured Mahomes stepping into the pocket and sending it toward Downs with a defender close in, targeting his back shoulder with confidence. It’s the kind of throw that Kansas City’s receivers didn’t warrant from Mahomes, but once he made it, he couldn’t stop pushing the ball downfield.
Mahomes finished the game with seven passes that gained 20 yards or more, and it looked like a different player caught them. In the second half, rookie receiver Cyrus Allen shook cornerback AJ Terrell to the outside and got wide open down the left sideline for a touchdown. On the next possession, Mahomes pushed it deep over the middle to Rashee Rice on a post route; the veteran made a solid catch, one of the most impressive of his career.
Those confident throws came at the right time in the game, but then he uncorked a 43-yard touchdown bomb to Andrew Armstrong as he came out of a scrambling drill. When it comes to throwing downfield – something we haven’t seen from Mahomes in over a month – it seems like he needs confidence in his receivers to make those plays, and Downs may have been the catalyst for that confidence in Atlanta.
Defense turns off the spotlight
From start to finish, with the exception of a drive early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs defense played hard in Atlanta. The Falcons never sustained a drive for 10 or more plays and went three-and-out on five of the first six possessions. In the first half, Atlanta had just four first downs and converted just one of seven third-down attempts.
The pass rush recorded three sacks, bringing the total to eight over the last two blowout victories. Defensive end George Karlaftis is on tears, adding to his sacks (5.5) and pass defended grades (10), according to Professional football reference.
The Chiefs cornerbacks were also in shutdown mode; Nohl Williams and rookie Mansoor Delane combined for four pass breakups, and Williams had an interception late in the game.
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