By MATT PIKE
The Kansas City Chiefs scored on their first two drives of the game, then stalled until the fourth quarter when they were able to put the game away, beating the Miami Dolphins 24-10 at Hard Rock Stadium in their first road game of the season.
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Chiefs needed just four plays to score the first points of the game, starting off the drive with a 48 yard play action pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce and ending it with a 10 yard rushing touchdown from Kenneth Walker, his first of two scores on the day. The Dolphins put together a longer drive, consuming almost nine and a half minutes of clock, before Ollie Gordon tied the game on a three yard rush, leaving the score at the end of the first quarter tied 7-7.
Gordon scored the touchdown for the Dolphins after star running back 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" following the game. Walker found the endzone again near the start of the second quarter to give Kansas City the lead back on a five yard shovel pass from Mahomes.
The remainder of the first half after Walker's go ahead touchdown was sloppy for both teams. Both the Chiefs and the Dolphins turned the ball over on downs on consecutive drives, then Miami turned the ball over with a fumble forced by Dru Tranquill and recovered by L'Jarius Sneed. However, following the fumble, Mahomes threw an interception to Jacob Rodriguez and after the Dolphins punted the first half ended with the Chiefs leading at the break 14-7.
The third quarter remained slow for both teams, Riley Patterson hitting a 37 yard field goal for the Dolphins to trim the lead to four, before both teams traded punts. A 13 play drive from Kansas City that started near the end of the third quarter, and ended in the fourth, was capped off with a field goal of their own by Harrison Butker from 34 yards away, extending the Chiefs lead back to a touchdown at 17-10.
Miami ended a 10 play drive with another turnover on downs and the Chiefs scored their final points of the game with an 11 yard passing touchdown from Mahomes to Kelce. George Karlaftis got his first career interception on the next drive from the Dolphins, however Butker missed a 50 yard field goal with 52 seconds left. Miami managed to run two plays before time expired and the game ended.
Mahomes was 20-for-24 through the air for 246 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Walker rushed 18 times for 70 yards with a score and added two catches for three yards and a touchdown. Rashee Rice had seven catches for 88 yards and Kelce had two catches for 59 yards with a touchdown.
Kansas City (3-0, 1-0 AFC West) stays on the road next week to play the Las Vegas Raiders (3-0, 1-0 AFC West). Kickoff is at 3:25pm, pregame will air at 2pm on both KFEQ (680AM/95.3FM) and Q Country (92.7 FM).
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