ATLANTA (AP) Some new names made the Kansas City Chiefs look very young — and very strong.
Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdown passes, including one to newly acquired Josh Downs and two to rookie Emmett Johnson, and the Chiefs beat the struggling Atlanta Falcons 35-13 on Sunday to move into first place in the AFC West.
In addition to Downs playing his first game with Kansas City, Johnson was making his first start. Cyrus Allen and Andrew Armstrong each scored their first career touchdowns.
“Some guys stepped up and really helped us today,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “For these kids, they’re getting better. We’re one of the youngest teams in the league, and they’re getting better every week.”
The Chiefs (7-2) relied on Johnson at running back after ruling out Kenneth Walker on Saturday with a groin injury. Johnson had 22 carries for 101 yards and six catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
The Chiefs found themselves tied for first place with Denver, who had their bye week.
Mahomes completed 22 of 35 passes for 348 yards to keep the depleted offense moving.
“I think more than anything, it just proves that we can kind of attack down the field like we think we can,” Mahomes said, adding that opposing defenses “have done a job of guarding shell coverages and things like that. But if they’re going to go down and try to stop the run, we’ve got to prove that we can throw it down the field, and that just shows another level to our offense that we can continue to get better and better.”
Walker wasn’t the only player missing from the Chiefs’ offense. Tight end Travis Kelce aggravated a right ankle injury on a 23-yard catch on the Chiefs’ first touchdown. Kelce missed most of the first half and finished with two catches for 30 yards. Tight end Jared Wiley was ruled out with an ankle injury in the first quarter and right guard Trey Smith (concussion) also left in the first half.
The Falcons (3-7) have lost three games in a row and five of six. Atlanta went without a first down on its first four possessions.
Kansas City led 28-3 before Bijan Robinson’s 3-yard score midway through the fourth quarter.
Reid said his defense “just stopped them.”
“Our defensive front was dominant against a good offensive line,” Reid said. “The back was nice and tight there, making plays. The linebackers did a good job. So it’s an explosive group. I mean, they have the running back, one of the best in the National Football League. They have a couple receivers there that are good as anyone. The tight end is as good as anyone. So to be able to put the hammer on those guys, I thought it was a job well done.”
Robinson, the NFL’s leading rusher, rushed for 71 yards on 16 carries. Michael Penix Jr. completed 23 of 43 passes for 286 yards and one interception. Cornerback Nohl Williams caught a Penix pass intended for Chris Blair in the end zone with 2:39 remaining.
Downs was acquired from Indianapolis on Tuesday and made an immediate impact. He scored an 18-yard touchdown on a perfect pass from Mahomes late in the first half and finished with four receptions for 53 yards while also returning punts.
The Chiefs stopped the Falcons on fourth down at midfield in the third quarter. Mahomes’ 39-yard touchdown pass to rookie Allen increased the lead to 21-3.
The Falcons got three new starters after trading safety Jessie Bates III and center Ryan Neuzil before the deadline. Corey Levin became the starting center. DeMarcco Hellams started at safety.
Jake Moody, who was cut from Baltimore’s practice squad Wednesday when Nick Folk was cut, kicked a 28-yard field goal in the second quarter for Atlanta’s only points in the first half. Moody added a 38-yarder in the final quarter after a successful onside kick was recovered by Blair.
Mahomes said he had to learn during the game to trust Downs to win one-on-one battles.
“It was earlier in the game, I didn’t trust him to win with leverage,” Mahomes said.
“On the next drive, I threw him a confidence play like that,” Mahomes said. “You’ve got to let your guys go out there and make plays. And so he’s here for a reason, and that’s to make those plays. And so I’ve got to trust him to go out there and make the play. And he’s proven that he can do that.”
A week after committing a season-high 12 penalties in a 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, the Falcons took nine penalties for 65 yards.
“Obviously against a good football team you have to play clean and we didn’t do that today,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said.
“We have no excuse to go out there and take the number of penalties we had,” Levin said. “Everyone can lock themselves in a little more.”
Walker entered the weekend as the league’s No. 2 runner, behind only Atlanta’s Robinson.
Johnson and Nate Carter, who were promoted from the practice squad, were the Chiefs’ only active running backs. Carter had two carries for 6 yards in his return to Atlanta, where he played in 2025.
The Falcons had offensive coordinator Tommy Rees on the sidelines rather than in the coaches box.
“Every week you try to do something that you think could help the team and obviously we had some new faces in there…and we just felt like we had maybe better communication potentially on the field,” Stefanski said. “…I’m just trying to do something different.”
Chiefs: Kelce returned in the second quarter after being carted off the field. Running back Jaydn Ott (hamstring) was inactive, adding another blow to the position with Walker out.
Falcons: Linebacker Divine Deablo (forearm) was inactive. Josh Woods was the backup starter.
Chiefs: Host Arizona next Sunday.
Falcons: After a week off, visit Minnesota on November 29.
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