The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 17-10, on Sunday afternoon to move to 4-0 on the campaign.
Here are some quick notes from the win.
1. The Chiefs' defense was outstanding on Sunday.
After yielding points on each of Los Angeles' first two possessions on Sunday, the Chiefs' defense proceeded to hold the Chargers scoreless over their final eight possessions. On those drives, Los Angeles punted six times (including four "three-and-outs), missed a field goal and turned the ball over on downs at the Chiefs' 3-yard line.
Kansas City also held the Chargers to a 4-for-13 mark on third down, and once again, the Chiefs' rushing defense was terrific. Keep in mind, Los Angeles entered Sunday's game with the fourth-highest run rate of any team in the league, and running back J.K. Dobbins ranked third in the NFL in rushing yards (310) through three weeks.
The Chiefs never allowed that rushing attack to gain steam, however, as Kansas City proceeded to hold the Chargers to just 55 total rushing yards while limiting Dobbins, specifically, to an average of only 2.3 yards-per-carry on 14 attempts.
For the season, Kansas City is now holding opposing running backs to an average of just 3.1 yards-per-attempt, allowing a grand total of 228 yards on 73 carries.
2. Defensive tackle Chris Jones put together a tremendous game.
Jones made numerous impactful plays on Sunday, logging six pressures, three quarterback hits and two sacks over the course of the game. Each of his two sacks took place on third down, with the latter occurring on the Chargers' final offensive possession.
Jones also directly contributed to the Chiefs' fourth-down stop late in the game by pressuring Chargers' quarterback Justin Herbert and rushing his throw, which ultimately fell incomplete.
The veteran pass-rusher made some history on Sunday, too, matching Justin Houston for the fourth-most sacks (78.5) in franchise history. Only Derrick Thomas (126.5), Tamba Hali (89.5) and Neil Smith (86.5) recorded more for the red and gold.
3. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with wide receiver Xavier Worthy on a 54-yard touchdown.
Mahomes unloaded a 54-yard missile to Worthy late in the second quarter that marked the Chiefs' first points of the game. It also represented the 15th touchdown pass of Mahomes' career that covered at least 50 yards, which ranks second among all quarterbacks since 2018.
Additionally, according to Next Gen Stats, the pass was the longest of Mahomes' career in terms of air yards.
4. Mahomes took the field for his 100th career regular season start on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Mahomes reached the triple-digit mark in terms of regular-season starts on Sunday while adding to several of his league records in the process. In fact, through 100 career quarterback starts, Mahomes owns the NFL marks for quarterback wins (77), passing touchdowns (225) and passing yards (29,328).
Couple that with Mahomes' 15-3 postseason record and his three Super Bowl titles, he's simply off to the greatest start for any player in the history of the sport.
5. The Chiefs tallied yet another double-digit comeback.
Kansas City has become synonymous with significant rallies over the years, and as it turned out, Sunday's game was just another example of the Chiefs' trademark resiliency.
Overall, when trailing by 10 or more points during his career, Mahomes has a winning record in the regular season at 13-12.
Mahomes is also 5-2 in those situations in the playoffs, pushing his overall record when trailing by 10+ points to 18-14.
6. Tight end Travis Kelce now has the most receptions in franchise history.
Kelce hauled in seven catches for 89 yards on Sunday, passing Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez for the most receptions (922) in franchise history. Kelce leads the NFL in catches since 2014 while ranking third in receiving yards (11,486) and fifth in touchdowns (74).
The veteran tight end also owns the franchise mark for career receiving yards, and the NFL postseason record for catches (165).
7. Tailback Kareem Hunt had a productive season debut.
Hunt rushed for 69 yards on just 14 carries in Sunday's game, averaging 4.9 yards-per-attempt. He also caught two passes for 16 yards, meaning that he trailed only Travis Kelce for the team-lead in total yards from scrimmage (83).
The 29-year-old Hunt, who embarked on his second stint with Kansas City last week, was particularly effective on the Chiefs' go-ahead touchdown drive, too. He was responsible for 23 of Kansas City's 60 total yards on that series, which culminated in a 2-yard touchdown plunge by fellow running back Samaje Perine.
Hunt forced three missed tackles in the game, recording 38 yards after contact.
8. Kansas City has won 11 straight road games over Los Angeles.
The Chiefs won their 11th straight road game over the Chargers on Sunday, which dates back to 2013. The win also marked the Chiefs' 26th victory in their last 28 divisional road games, and their 15th overall win vs. the AFC West in their last 17 tries.
Patrick Mahomes, specifically, improved to 31-5 (and 18-1 on the road) against divisional opponents with Sunday's victory.
9. The Chiefs have now held opponents under 28 total points in 25 consecutive games.
Kansas City extended its streak of holding opponents under 28 total points to 25 games (including the playoffs) on Sunday. It's the longest streak for any team since the 2005-07 Baltimore Ravens held opponents under 28 total points in 29 straight games.
The Chiefs have held the opposition to 20 or fewer points in 18 of those games, which leads the NFL by three games.
10. Kansas City is the lone undefeated team remaining in the AFC.
The Chiefs are 4-0 to begin the year for the first time since the 2020 season, and following the Buffalo Bills' loss on Sunday Night Football, Kansas City is now the only unbeaten team remaining in the AFC.
Sunday's victory also completed a perfect month of September, moving the Chiefs' record in September games to 19-4 since 2018, which is easily the best mark of any team in the NFL.
Looking ahead, Kansas City will now have an extra day to prepare for the New Orleans Saints as the two teams get ready to clash on Monday Night Football next week.
