In Week 10, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Atlanta Falcons in dominant fashion. The 35-13 finish put the Chiefs at 7-2. Here is the rapid reaction to the game:
Emmett Johnson has lead-back talent
If it wasn’t clear before Sunday that the Chiefs have one of the NFL’s best backfield duos, rookie running back Emmett Johnson solidified that narrative with 163 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns over 25 touches. He runs hard off the snap to break through arm tackles and always fights forward; on top of that, he remains a reliable
pass-catcher.
The reassurance that Kansas City can keep the defense threatened by the backfield when Kenneth Walker is huge for the offense. The Chiefs’ offense has been more disciplined with the run game and going under center this season, but the talent boost from last season has made the biggest difference. Johnson would have been one of Kansas City’s best offensive players last year.
Josh Downs helps Patrick Mahomes open it up
In his first game in a Chiefs uniform, wide receiver Josh Downs made an impact without needing many snaps. He saw five passes thrown his way, turning them into 53 yards and a late-half touchdown that put Kansas City up 14-3.
The score featured Mahomes stepping up in the pocket and rifling it to Downs with a defender near, targeting his back shoulder with confidence. It’s the kind of throw Kansas City’s wide receivers haven’t warranted 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 or more yards, and it seemed like a different player caught each one. In the second half, rookie wide receiver Cyrus Allen shook cornerback A.J. Terrell on the outside and broke wide open down the left sideline for a touchdown. On the next possession, Mahomes pushed it deep down the middle to Rashee Rice on a post route; the veteran made a strong catch, one of the most impressive of his career.
Those confident throws happened in the timing of the play, but then he uncorked a 43-yard touchdown bomb to Andrew Armstrong as he drew out a scramble drill. When it comes to throwing downfield — something we haven’t seen from Mahomes in over a month — it seems he needs confidence in his receivers to make these plays happen, and Downs may have been the catalyst for that confidence in Atlanta.
The defense plays lights out
From start to finish, outside of one drive early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs’ defense played lights out 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 only one of seven third-down attempts.
The pass rush recorded three sacks, bringing the total to eight over the last two blowout wins. Defensive end George Karlaftis has been on a tear, adding to his team-leading sacks (5.5) and passes-defended marks (10), per Pro Football Reference.
The Chiefs’ cornerbacks were also in shutdown mode; Nohl Williams and rookie Mansoor Delane combined for four passes broken up, and Williams nabbed an interception at the end of the game.
