HOUSTON (AP) — DeAndre Hopkins got Houston going early and defense and special teams did the rest in a 19-12 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Hopkins had 113 yards receiving and a touchdown and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to help the Texans to the victory .

Novak connected from 32, 24, 31 and 43 yards for the Texans.

Cairo Santos made three field goals in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 19-12, but Houston recovered the onside kick with less than a minute left to seal the victory.

The Texans (2-0) showed that they are a much different team than the one that was embarrassed in a 30-0 wild-card playoff loss to the Chiefs (1-1) in January, when quarterback Brian Hoyer had five turnovers.

New quarterback Brock Osweiler did throw two interceptions but the Chiefs had more trouble taking care of the ball, with Houston’s defense setting a franchise record by recovering three fumbles in the first half.

“Our defense really stood up there and when they had to in critical situations played well,” coach Bill O’Brien said.

The first came when a high snap sailed over Alex Smith’s head. J.J. Watt shoved him out of the way with one hand and pounced on it, showing he was getting back to his old self after July back surgery.

Osweiler, who finished with 268 yards passing, connected with Hopkins on a 27-yard touchdown pass on the next play to make it 7-0.

“When your defense makes a big play or your special teams make a big play, on offense you need to take that momentum and finish with a touchdown,” Osweiler said. “That’s exactly what took place in that moment.”

Watt continued to shine later in the first quarter when he took Smith down for his first sack this season, forcing the Chiefs to kick a field goal that made it 7-3.

Houston was leading by seven in the second quarter when Spencer Ware fumbled, Kevin Johnson scooped it up for his first career recovery and returned it 52 yards. The Texans couldn’t get their offense going after that and settled for a 24-yard field goal to make it 13-3.

John Simon forced the last fumble of the half on his strip-sack of Smith. It was recovered by Whitney Mercilus. But once again Houston failed to move the ball and Novak’s try for a 57-yard field goal fell short as time expired in the first half.

“We had way too many mistakes today,” coach Andy Reid said. “Too many penalties. Dropped balls. You name it. Turnovers, we had three turnovers. All these things led to points. That’s my responsibility.”

Marcus Peters intercepted Osweiler at the goal line on Houston’s first possession and picked him off again late in the third quarter.

That led to a 43-yard field goal that cut the lead to 13-6.

A field goal by both teams after that left the Texans up 16-9.

FULLER FLOURISHES

Houston rookie receiver Will Fuller finished with four receptions for 104 yards to become the first rookie in franchise history with consecutive 100-yard receiving games to start his career. The 21st overall pick in this year’s draft had 107 yards receiving in his NFL debut last week.

INJURY REPORT

Houston rookie WR Braxton Miller injured his hamstring in the first half and did not return. He doesn’t think the injury is serious, but will have an MRI on Monday.

ELITE COMPANY

Watt finished with 1.5 sacks on Sunday to give him 76 in his 82nd career game. He’s the second fastest in NFL history to reach 75 sacks behind Hall of Famer Reggie White who did it in 65 games.

NO, NO, NO

Peters learned that wagging your finger in the face of an opponent like NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo did after blocking a shot is frowned upon on the NFL.

Peters forced an incompletion on a deep ball thrown to Fuller in the second quarter and wagged his finger at him for several seconds. The move earned him a 15-yard penalty for taunting and a warning that a second such penalty would result in an ejection.

“He’s competing against a guy and made a nice play on the ball.” Reid said. “But you can’t wag your finger — they’re going to get you.”

SPREADING THE WEALTH

Hopkins and Fuller gave Houston two players with at least 100 yards receiving for the eighth time in franchise history and the first time since 2013.

BRING IT BACK

Kansas City rookie Tyreek Hill had a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown negated because of a holding penalty late in the fourth quarter.

UP NEXT

Kansas City hosts the Jets next Sunday.

Houston travels to meet New England on Thursday night.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have released third-round pick KeiVarae Russell and brought back linebacker Dezman Moses on Wednesday in a surprise move just one week into the regular season.

Russell, a cornerback, had been passed over by sixth-round pick D.J. White and recent acquisition Kenneth Acker on the depth chart. Russell was the Chiefs’ second player chosen in the draft.

”Listen, we felt that was best for the Chiefs right now,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. ”He’s a good young man and I think he has a good future, but for right now, that’s what we needed.”

The move helps to shore up special teams while providing depth at linebacker, a position group that struggled often in a 33-27 overtime victory over San Diego.

The Chiefs are already without pass rusher Justin Houston because of ACL surgery and have to limit Tamba Hali’s time to keep him healthy.

Moses was cut last week when the Chiefs needed to reach the NFL’s 53-man roster limit.

Still, it was a surprise the Chiefs gave up on Russell given how highly he was drafted. Kansas City did not have a first-round pick, so he was one of the prime selections in this year’s draft.

The Chiefs have also had success in that particular round: running backs Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis, wide receiver Chris Conley, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive lineman Allen Bailey and cornerback Philip Gaines were all third-round draft picks.

Reid characterized the move as strictly a ”personnel decision.”

”I think he’s a smart kid,” he said of the former Notre Dame standout. ”Again, this was just a matter of we felt for right now, this was the best move to help us out where we’re sitting.”

In other news, running back Spencer Ware sprained his toe and missed practice Wednesday, though Reid said he expects the breakout star of last week’s win to play Sunday in Houston.

Ware had 70 yards rushing and 129 yards receiving in place of Charles.

Speaking of Charles, Reid said the four-time Pro Bowl running back continues to make progress from his ACL surgery last season, though he did not say whether Charles will get on the field this week.

”Every day he gets a little bit better,” Reid said. ”He’ll work in a bit with the starting group but again, we have to make sure he’s set there. We don’t want another surgery.”

Also banged up were linebacker Sam Barrington, who strained his hamstring in the opener, and right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff, who is dealing with a high ankle sprain.

”We’ll just have to see how bad that is,” Reid said.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Smith squirmed out of the pile in the end zone, got to his feet and let out a roar.

All it took was the largest comeback in the 56-year history of the Kansas City Chiefs for the stoic quarterback with the California cool to finally let some emotion show.

Smith threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns to rally his team from a three-touchdown hole, then scored on third-and-goal on the first possession of overtime for a heart-stopping 33-27 victory over the San Diego Chargers in their season opener Sunday.

“Lot of emotion at the end of the game,” Smith said with a smile.

The Chiefs trailed 24-3 in the second half before mounting their charge, and it really kicked into gear when Smith hit Jeremy Maclin with a back-shoulder fade to get within 27-17 with 9 minutes to go.

Cairo Santos added a 33-yard field goal a few minutes later. Then, after forcing a three-and-out, Spencer Ware finished a four-play drive with a touchdown plunge to knot the game at 27.

It took Kansas City 10 plays to march 75 yards in overtime. Smith finished it with his plunge from the 2-yard line, keeping the ball rather than pitch when the smallest of creases opened.

By the time Smith reached his feet, the Chiefs had flooded onto the field to celebrate.

“You’re going to have games like this that show your character, show your grit,” coach Andy Reid said. “I’m proud of the way they handled it. They had confidence in each other.”

Philip Rivers threw for 243 yards and a touchdown, and Melvin Gordon scored the first two TDs of his career. But the Chargers were unable to keep any drives going in the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs were charging to their NFL-leading 11th consecutive regular-season victory.

“You just can’t let them back in. We’ve got to close it,” Chargers offensive tackle Joe Barksdale said. “Everybody with eyes who saw the game has got to know, we have to close it. It’s not acceptable to be up by 24-3 and lose the game. We know that.”

The collapse came after San Diego wide receiver Keenan Allen left in the second quarter with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. He already had six catches for 63 yards.

Even without Allen, the retooled Chargers and their improved offensive line managed to build a 21-3 halftime lead. And it looked as if their eight-game skid against AFC West rivals would finally end.

That all changed once the fourth quarter began.

Josh Lambo missed a 54-yard field goal with San Diego leading 27-10, and the momentum swung toward Kansas City. Smith calmly completed six passes and marched his team 56 yards to the end zone, Santos hit his field goal and Ware his touchdown run, and the game was headed to overtime.

The Chiefs carried their newfound momentum all the way to the finish.

BLACK POWER

Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters held a black-gloved fist aloft during the national anthem in a salute reminiscent of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. It was his way of standing beside 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s stance on social injustice.

“I’m supporting Colin and what he’s doing, as far as raising awareness with the justice system,” said Peters, who grew up in Oakland, California. “Coach said it was OK if I wanted to express my thoughts about what I wanted to do, so I just expressed it.”

Peters did link his left arm with his teammates as country singer Trace Adkins performed the anthem. The Chiefs said in a statement they decided to lock arms in a show of solidarity.

MISSING NAMES

The Chiefs played without star pass rusher Justin Houston , who could be out until November as he recovers from ACL surgery in February. The Chargers were without defensive end Joey Bosa, the third pick in April’s draft, who remained on the exempt list after a lengthy holdout.

RUNNING IT: Ware finished with 70 yards rushing and had seven catches for 129 yards, giving the Chiefs a big boost without Jamaal Charles. The four-time Pro Bowl running back is still recovering from surgery last season to repair his ACL and was inactive Sunday.

INJURY REPORT

Allen missed the final eight games last season with a lacerated kidney , and now could be out the rest of this season. He never put weight on his right knee after going down Sunday.

“There is speculation about an ACL,” coach Mike McCoy said, “but we’ll run tests when we get back home.”

Chiefs linebacker Sam Barrington left in the second half with a hamstring injury.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have gone from the talent-bereft team acquiring everybody’s cast-offs just a few years ago to the team that is now sending its own fringe players away for draft picks.

Kansas City traded cornerback Marcus Cooper to Arizona and wide receiver Rod Streater to San Francisco for undisclosed selections, part of a series of roster moves that allowed the Chiefs to reach the NFL’s 53-man limit for the regular season by Saturday’s deadline.

The Chiefs also cut quarterbacks Aaron Murray and rookie Kevin Hogan, meaning Tyler Bray earned the third-string job behind Alex Smith and Nick Foles for the opener against San Diego.

But the trades may have been the most eye-opening part of the roster-building process, if for no other reason than it demonstrates just how deep the Chiefs have become under general manager John Dorsey.

“We always put in where there are potential holes, you know — Dorsey does that — puts a board up. I remember the first year, we had a lot of circles up on the board,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “and this year, there aren’t those circles. So that’s a good thing.”

The Chiefs wound up keeping running back Knile Davis, who provides some depth in case Jamaal Charles is not quite ready for the opener. Charles is the presumptive No. 1 option despite coming back from ACL surgery, while Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West are next on the depth chart.

Davis has also proven valuable as a kick returner.

“I’ve been in the league going on four years now, so I pretty much know what to expect,” Davis said after the Chiefs’ preseason finale, when his future was still in question.

The Chiefs also kept speedy De’Anthony Thomas, who missed much of last season to a concussion. He was on the fringe after the Chiefs drafted a similar player in Tyreek Hill, who also made the team.

“I’m just doing whatever I can to contribute,” Thomas said, “whether it’s on special teams, whether it’s on offense. Just going out there and knowing I can make plays to motivate our team.”

The Chiefs technically have 54 players on the roster because of an exemption they received for safety Eric Berry, who did not sign his franchise tender and report to training camp until last weekend.

They are allowed to keep 54 players until Saturday, the day before their season opener.

Others who were cut: linebackers Tyrell Adams, Andy Mulumba and Terrance Smith; defensive backs Jeron Johnson, Shak Randolph, Deveron Carr, Jamell Fleming and Brock Vereen; wide receivers Da’Ron Brown and Frankie Hammond Jr.; defensive linemen David King and Jimmy Staten; offensive linemen Zach Sterup, Daniel Munyer, Jarrod Pughsley and Reid Fragel; tight end Brian Parker and running back Darrin Reaves.

The Chiefs still have a couple of areas of need that could be addressed on the waiver wire.

With pass rusher Justin Houston out following knee surgery, and Tamba Hali hobbled by his own knee problems, the Chiefs could use help at linebacker. They also could use a veteran cornerback — the most experience among their top six is three years in the league.

Still, those are relatively small holes compared to what Dorsey and Reid found when they arrived in Kansas City in 2013, and took the reins of a franchise coming off a two-win season.

“John Dorsey and his guys provide us with a lot of competition at a lot of positions,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said. “That’s a good thing and, like we talked about last week, sometimes you have to let go of a player that can play for you. You can only keep so many.”

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Packers coach Mike McCarthy got everything he wanted out of the preseason.

Two series for Aaron Rodgers and a bunch of work for his backups.

That includes rookie Joe Callahan, who capped a strong preseason by throwing for 143 yards and a touchdown as the Packers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-7 in their preseason finale Thursday night.

“I thought it was a quality training camp. I thought like we accomplished a lot,” said McCarthy, who like Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid played almost entirely backups on Thursday night.

Callahan played almost the entire way in a game featuring second- and third-teamers on both sides. The product of Division III Wesley College has been trying to earn the No. 3 job behind Aaron Rodgers and Brett Hundley, who has been sidelined by an ankle injury this preseason.

“You try not to think about things too much,” Callahan said of making the team. “When it’s out of your hands it’s always hard. But I’ve been confident since I’ve been here.”

In fact, the only first-stringers to see much of the field were specialists.

They needed some practice, too.

After the Chiefs’ third straight three-and-out in the first quarter, Dustin Colquitt’s punt was blocked by Green Bay wide receiver Ty Montgomery. The Packers only needed two plays for Callahan to hit tight end Jared Cook for the game’s opening touchdown.

The game also featured the debut of Green Bay punter Jacob Schum, who was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay this week. Schum replaced veteran punter Tim Masthay in a surprising roster move.

“The coaches didn’t want to fill my head too much,” Schum said. “But we’re professionals and we’re kind of expected to know how to do things.”

Kansas City running back Knile Davis, who could be traded by the weekend, ran 15 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. The former third-round draft pick also caught a pass out of the backfield.

Darrin Reaves also had 63 yards rushing and a touchdown for Kansas City.

“I just wanted to have a clean game, you know? Do everything right,” Davis said. “I wanted to hit my holes, catch a couple of balls, and just fine tune.”

PED ISSUE IN PAST

The Packers’ Julius Peppers said after the game he was happy to be cleared by the NFL this week in a performance-enhancing drug probe. The league found there was no evidence Peppers, teammate Clay Matthews and Steelers linebacker James Harrison were provided with or used prohibited drugs, allegations that were raised in an Al Jazeera America documentary.

BERRY SITS OUT

As expected, Chiefs SS Eric Berry sat out the preseason finale. Berry signed his franchise tender last weekend and finally reported to training camp, but only practiced a couple of days. Reid said he expects Berry to be ready for the regular season.

ROOKIE WATCH

Packers: SS Marwin Evans had six tackles for Green Bay before getting shaken up on special teams. RB Brandon Burks had 31 yards rushing on 12 carries in the contest.

Chiefs: SS Eric Murray had a pair of tackles as he tries to win a backup job. WR Tyreek Hill was targeted four times without a reception, dropping one pass that would have been a first down.

POSITION BATTLES

Packers: The wide receiver depth after Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb remains in flux. Davante Adams, Ty Montgomery and Jared Abbrederis are in the mix. Abbrederis had two catches for 49 yards Thursday night, while Adams caught two passes for 20 yards.

Chiefs: LBs Ramik Wilson and Justin March are competing for Kansas City’s inside linebacker spot alongside Derrick Johnson following a season-ending injury to Josh Mauga. Wilson had a nice tackle for loss early in the game and appeared to have the inside track.

INJURY UPDATE

Packers: Rookie WR Trevor Davis left the game with a shoulder injury after making a nice catch along the sideline on the first series of the game. Geronimo Allison replaced him on the next possession.

Chiefs: The Chiefs rested RB Jamaal Charles and LB Tamba Hali, just as they did their first three preseason games. Both are coming off knee surgery but are expected to play in the season opener.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs safety Eric Berry signed his franchise tender and reported to camp Sunday, though he is almost certain to miss Kansas City’s preseason finale against Green Bay this week.

Berry was given the franchise tag early in the offseason but had not signed the deal, which means he could skip all of training camp without being fined. The deal will pay him just over $10.8 million this season, making him the league’s highest-paid safety.

Kansas City plays its first regular-season game Sept. 11 against San Diego.

Berry played in every game last season, less than a year after he was diagnosed with cancer. He made 55 tackles, a pair of interceptions and resumed his role as the heart and soul of the defense.

“I said, ‘You don’t count the fish till it’s in the boat.’ So, fish is in the boat, right?” coach Andy Reid said. “He’s here. It’s good to have him back. He’s got a smile on his face, and he’s ready to go. That’s the important thing that we get him back in, and get him going and get him into football shape now. He’s in great shape, but just get him into football shape.”

Berry probably won’t play in Thursday’s preseason finale.

“We’ll likely just give him time within practice to get himself ready for the opener,” Reid said.

The Chiefs had hoped to sign Berry to a long-term deal in the offseason, but the two sides were never close to reaching an agreement by the July 15 deadline. The Chiefs remain optimistic they can sign him after this season, though Berry will demand a premium on the free-agent market.

It was somewhat surprising that the sides were so far apart, given the goodwill between them.

The Chiefs stood by Berry when he was diagnosed with lymphoma, and general manager John Dorsey and others in the front office regularly visited him in Atlanta during treatment. Meanwhile, Berry has been steadfast in his love for the Chiefs, who made him a first-round pick out of Tennessee.

Berry played in every game last season, less than a year after his cancer diagnosis. He made 55 tackles, had a pair of interceptions and resumed his role as the heart and soul of the defense.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs took pass rusher Tamba Hali off the physically unable to perform list Monday, though the team said he will practice on a limited basis.

Hali had surgery in the offseason on his balky knees, which forced him to miss nearly every practice late last season. He was still able to play in games but hardly looked 100 percent.

Hali has spent training camp working out with trainers, but his removal from the PUP list means he can begin working out with the rest of the team. Still, it is unlikely he will play in the Chiefs’ remaining preseason games against Chicago and Green Bay.

The 32-year-old Hali played in 15 games and had 6 1/2 sacks last season.

— Associated Press —

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Todd Gurley rushed for a touchdown in his preseason debut, and the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20 on Saturday night.

Gurley, who was held out of exhibition games last season as a rookie while recovering from a torn ACL, rushed for 20 yards on four carries and scored on a 3-yard run.

With the Chiefs (0-2) holding out four defensive starters, including safety Eric Berry and linebacker Josh Mauga, the starting offensive line played four series and allowed Rams running backs Gurley, Benny Cunningham and Malcolm Brown to rush for 85 yards on 15 carries.

Case Keenum started at quarterback and led the Rams (2-0) to two touchdowns, going 4 of 5 for 53 yards with an 11-yard scoring pass to Pharoh Cooper before giving way to rookie Jared Goff.

The No. 1 overall draft pick mostly struggled for the second consecutive week despite working with the first-unit offensive line for two series. Goff lost a fumble after tripping over left guard Cody Wichmann and fumbled out of bounds while being sacked.

Goff’s first touchdown pass came on a 10-yard throw to Brown, who made a juggling catch to put the Rams ahead early in the fourth quarter. Goff played the entire second half and finished 8 of 12 for 82 yards.

Alex Smith was 9 of 12 for 137 yards and one touchdown, leading the Chiefs to 17 points on four possessions. Smith’s pump-fake on a 20-yard touchdown pass completely fooled two Rams defenders and allowed Jeremy Maclin to step into the end zone untouched.

Maclin and Rams cornerback Lamarcus Joyner were ejected with 44 seconds left in the first half after trading slaps to the head.

Referee Pete Morelli accidentally identified Joyner as playing for St. Louis, resulting in boos from the Coliseum crowd.

Jabriel Washington recovered quarterback Aaron Murray’s fumble at the Rams 23-yard line to seal the win. The Chiefs forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with 1:22 left, but Murray threw four incompletions to end the threat.

ROOKIE WATCH

Chiefs: D.J. White started at cornerback, working opposite last season’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Marcus Peters. The sixth-round pick from Georgia Tech was effective when blitzing, but had mixed results in coverage. White finished with one tackle.

Rams: The Rams loaded up on rookie wide receivers hoping to find complements to Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt, but are still waiting for someone to break through. Cooper scored on his only reception, while Paul McRoberts added one catch for 6 yards. Production is more likely to come from the tight ends Tyler Higbee, who did not play because of illness, and Temarrick Hemingway, who had a 26-yard reception from Goff.

POSITION BATTLES

Chiefs: Nick Foles was solid against his former team, going 18 of 22 for 133 yards. With Tyler Bray’ status uncertain after suffering a small chip fracture in his cervical spine last week against the Seattle Seahawks, Foles’ experience as a starter with the Rams and Philadelphia Eagles represents a significant upgrade behind Smith regardless of when the fourth-year quarterback from Tennessee is able to return.

Rams: With the secondary struggling again, cornerback E.J. Gaines’ first live action since suffering a foot injury in training camp last year was a welcome sign. Gaines finished with four tackles and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he started opposite Trumaine Johnson next week at Denver.

INJURY UPDATE

Chiefs: Fullback Trey Millard was taken off the field on a cart after suffering a left knee injury covering a punt. Millard previously tore the ACL in his left knee as a senior at Oklahoma.

Rams: Wide receiver Bradley Marquez suffered a right leg injury in the third quarter. Marquez did not appear to be able to put any weight on his leg as he was helped off the field.

— Associated Press —

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles made his training camp debut Tuesday, though trainer Rick Burkholder downplayed his arrival by calling it simply “part of the process.”

Charles had been on the physically-unable-to-perform list the first three weeks of camp, spending his time going through rehab with the Chiefs’ training staff. Charles underwent surgery last season to repair the ACL in his right knee, which he tore in Week 5 against the Chicago Bears.

“This was the next step in the fine-tuning process,” Burkholder said. “We’ll tweak his rehab so that he gets closer to playing. It’s an absolute day-to-day process. We’ll evaluate every day.”

Charles only did stretching and light drills with the running backs before returning to the locker room area, but Burkholder said that things went according to plan.

“The next couple of days he may do exactly what he did today, but we’ll keep feeding him more of practice until we can get him back into where he’s ready to play in the game,” Burkholder said. “We have to take him off PUP to allow (running backs coach) Eric Bieniemy and Coach (Andy) Reid to evaluate him.”

Charles missed the Chiefs’ preseason opener Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks, and it appears unlikely that he will play against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. But the four-time Pro Bowl running back hardly needs the preseason work and the priority is getting Charles ready for games that count.

The Chiefs opener the regular season against San Diego on Sept. 11.

Reid did not speak to reporters Tuesday, but special teams coach Dave Toub said “everybody was excited to see (Charles) was out here.”

“It’s just good to see 25 out on the field,” he said. “It lifts everybody’s spirits.”

The Chiefs did well without Charles last season, ripping off 11 straight wins — including their first playoff win in more than two decades — behind the one-two punch of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware.

In fact, the Chiefs thought so much of West and Ware that they signed them to long-term contracts in the offseason, envisioning a three-headed monster when Charles is added to the equation.

Each of them has a unique skillset. Charles is an all-around back with the best hands of the bunch, West is a small, shifty runner and Ware provides a physical, bruising complement to both of them.

As for getting Charles back in the mix, Burkholder said: “He did fine in my mind. What we saw today was what we expected … and tomorrow is another day.”

— Associated Press —

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Kansas City rookie defensive end Chris Jones gained attention in the Chiefs’ preseason opener.

The team’s first pick of this year’s draft had two tackles against Seattle and pressured quarterbacks. He also helped thwart a fourth-and-1 attempt in Kansas City territory.

“He was able to reach out and grab people,” coach Andy Reid said Sunday. “I thought he did a good job of playing on the other side of the line of scrimmage. He got to do it against a couple of different looks.”

Jones is 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan.

“It was pretty exciting, man,” Jones said. “Just to be in the atmosphere, everybody hollering and, my first NFL game. It was an amazing, amazing feeling.”

Arrowhead Stadium can be intimidating for many veteran players, let alone rookies.

“I wasn’t intimidated or a little bit of nervous at all,” Jones said. “I was more excited than anything. I had butterflies in my stomach. I was just excited to be out there on the field. I was excited to hit someone else instead of my teammates.”

Jones is second on Kansas City’s unofficial depth chart behind Jaye Howard at left defensive end. He’s the only rookie listed on the first or second string on defense.

He sees areas he needs to improve, such as hand placement and pad leverage.

“Just the smaller things will separate a great player from an average player,” Jones said.

INJURIES AND ABSENCES

Running back Charcandrick West and quarterback Tyler Bray missed practice on Monday due to injuries.

Bray took a shot near the end of the first half of the opener and sustained a small chip fracture in his cervical spine, according to head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder. Burkholder said Bray’s main symptom is a stiff neck, and there is no timetable for his return.

“It sounds much worse than it is,” Burkholder said. “We think he’s going to be fine.”

West fell on his left arm while outstretched, resulting in a mild elbow strain He worked out with head strength and conditioning coach Barry Rubin while wearing a large elbow brace.

Linebacker Frank Zombo missed Monday’s practice; his wife, Jessica, gave birth to a baby boy.

OLYMPIC CONNECTIONS

Jeff Henderson, the gold medal winner of the men’s long jump at the Olympics, tried out with the Chiefs during the offseason.

“I think he probably had his mind set on going to get the gold,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.

— Associated Press —