09/27/26 04:46:00
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09/27 16:44 CDT Kenneth Walker III has 2 TDs as Chiefs beat Dolphins 24-10
after De'Von Achane exits with injury
Kenneth Walker III has 2 TDs as Chiefs beat Dolphins 24-10 after De'Von Achane
exits with injury
By ALANIS THAMES
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) --- Patrick Mahomes arrived in South Florida this
weekend and noticed a fun coincidence. He was back in the same hotel room he
stayed in when he won his first Super Bowl title.
"You feel that on the field and seeing the stadium where you won your first
Super Bowl," Mahomes said. "It was cool to be back here."
The Chiefs didn't win any trophies on Sunday, but they got to 3-0. And that was
good enough.
Kenneth Walker III had a touchdown catch and rushed for a score, and Mahomes
threw for 246 yards and two TDs to help the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins
24-10.
"Obviously we didn't play to our standard that we would hold for ourselves,"
Mahomes said. "But I thought we found a way to come together at the end of the
game."
The Chiefs entered averaging more than 450 yards and 32 points but struggled to
pull away from the winless Dolphins, who were missing arguably their best
player for much of the game after Pro Bowler De'Von Achane left with a knee
injury on the opening drive.
Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said the team was still gathering information on the
extent of Achane's injury, but added it did not "sound optimistic."
Mahomes completed 20 of 24 passes with an interception. He threw a 5-yard
touchdown pass to Walker, and his 11-yard TD pass to Travis Kelce put the game
out of reach.
Mahomes found Kelce in the end zone with 2:55 left to put the Chiefs up by two
scores after Kansas City stopped the Dolphins on fourth down at Miami's 48. The
Chiefs intercepted Malik Willis on the ensuing drive, and Mahomes moved Kansas
City into scoring position before Harrison Butker missed a 50-yard field-goal
attempt.
Rashee Rice led the Chiefs in receiving with seven catches for 88 yards,
including receptions of 15 and 34 yards on Kansas City's last scoring drive.
"We knew it'd be four quarters of football, and that's what it took," coach
Andy Reid said. "We've got plenty of things to work on, but it's great to be
3-0. There were some real good things we could take out of it, and there's some
things we can definitely work on going forward."
Kelce opened the game with a 48-yard catch-and-run but didn't have another
catch --- or target --- until the fourth-quarter score. Walker was held under
100 yards rushing for the first time this season with 18 carries for 70 yards.
"We're not going to be mad about winning," Mahomes said, adding the team's
youth played a factor in some of Sunday's lulls. "We won the football game. You
think about last season --- we were losing some of these games."
The Dolphins (0-3) pulled within 14-10 on a nine-play scoring drive in the
third quarter highlighted by tight end Greg Dulcich's 42-yard catch and capped
by Riley Patterson's 37-yard field goal.
Willis was 20 of 36 for 210 yards with the interception and a lost fumble. He
also rushed for 56 yards.
Ollie Gordon had 17 carries for 41 yards and a 3-yard TD. The Dolphins turned
to the third-stringer after Achane suffered the knee injury on an 11-yard run
on Miami's first drive. Backup Jaylen Wright (stinger) was inactive.
Kansas City scored touchdowns on its first two drives, and it looked like
Miami's defense was in for another long afternoon, one week after allowing San
Francisco to score touchdowns on its first five possessions.
The Dolphins' young defense settled in, though. Miami forced a turnover on
downs on Kansas City's third drive, and rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez came
up with a diving interception of Mahomes before halftime.
"It's never as good as it was, never as bad as it was until you watch the tape,
but I'm pleased with that," Rodriguez said. "I'm pleased with the intensity.
I'm pleased with the physicality of this defense and of this team. And I
believe in everybody. ... Now, we have to get better at the football part of
it."
Injuries
Dolphins: Gordon left late in the third quarter because of cramping but
returned.
Up next
Chiefs: At Las Vegas next Sunday.
Dolphins: At Minnesota next Sunday.
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