KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nate Orchard has gone from a highly drafted pick of the Cleveland Browns to a featured star on HBO’s documentary series “Hard Knocks” to the couch as an unemployed linebacker in the NFL.

Now, he’s suiting up for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Maybe even the Super Bowl favorites.

Orchard signed with the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday to shore up their pass rush besieged by injuries. Justin Houston could miss several weeks after hurting his hamstring in last Sunday’s win over Jacksonville while Dee Ford and Tanoh Kpassagnon have been dealing with nagging injuries.

“It was a nice time to be with my family,” Orchard said while standing in a mostly empty Chiefs locker room Wednesday, “but I’m very fortunate to be here with the record they have.”

The Chiefs (5-0) have become the trendy pick to win the AFC after routing the Jaguars last week, and they can validate those hopes with a win Sunday in New England. But winning on the road against Tom Brady and Co. became a lot tougher after the Chiefs’ defense sustained a surfeit of injuries last week.

Along with their ailing linebackers, the Chiefs had to put right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif on the disabled list with a broken bone in his leg and Armani Watts on the IR with a core muscle injury.

The Chiefs signed Frank Zombo, who had spent the past five seasons with Kansas City, when they made those roster moves on Tuesday. They added Orchard to further bolster their depth.

“Nate had a real good college career. He played for a good friend of mine at Utah,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Utes coach Kyle Whittingham. “(Orchard) knows the system, he’s familiar with it, then he’s a good player. A very hard worker. And he’s smart.”

The secondary is in a similar state of shambles.

Strong safety Eric Berry remains sidelined with a heel injury that was supposed to keep him out a short period, but has instead sidelined him since early in camp. Daniel Sorensen remains on IR with his broken leg, though he could return in the next few weeks, and Watts has joined him on the list.

Their backup, Eric Murray, was held out of practice Wednesday with a lower-leg injury.

The Chiefs thought Watts had merely sustained a groin injury against the Jaguars, but trainer Rick Burkholder said an MRI revealed more damage. Watts was headed to Philadelphia for core muscle surgery on Thursday, though he should be ready for the start of practices next season.

The fact that Chiefs general manager Brett Veach chose to add pass rushers in Orchard and Zombo and not an extra safety means they likely believe Berry and Sorensen will be able to help soon.

Jordan Lucas, who arrived in a trade with Miami just before the season, picked off his first career pass after entering the game against Jacksonville. He’s in line to get more snaps alongside Ron Parker, and journeyman safety Josh Shaw could factor into the mix.

“It’s a collective. This defense is no single guy out there being dominant,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said. “It’s a collective whole. Everyone making plays, that’s what we focus on.”

That goes for all levels of the defense, including outside linebacker, where Houston’s injury and the uncertain status of Kpassagnon could mean a crucial opportunity for Breeland Speaks.

The Chiefs’ second-round pick has been active for all five games, but he has mostly been used on special teams and to give the starters a breather. Now, the former Ole Miss star could be counted upon to put some pressure on Brady and cover the Patriots’ pass-catching running backs.

“I look for Breeland to keep progressing all around,” Jones said. “He’s got a veteran in Justin Houston in the room. Dee’s in the room. Those guys he can learn from.”

As battered as the Chiefs defense is right now, he’d better learn in a hurry.

Notes: Burkholder said Duvernay-Tardif’s injury was also more severe than first believed in that the offensive lineman tore ligaments in the ankle along with breaking his fibula. Duvernay-Tardif is scheduled to have surgery Monday in Green Bay, Wisconsin. “We’ll know more after the surgery how much he’ll miss,” Burkholder said. … Reid confirmed that Jordan Devey is likely to start in Duvernay-Tardif’s place. “He has experience,” Reid said. “Everybody is confident in him that he can step up and go.”

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs placed right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and safety Armani Watts on injured reserve Tuesday and signed outside linebacker Frank Zombo to provide depth at that depleted position.

Hardly the way to begin a week of preparation for a visit to New England.

Duvernay-Tardif, who’s in the second year of a $42.36 million, five-year contract, broke a bone in his left leg with a few minutes left in Sunday’s 30-14 victory over Jacksonville. Jordan Devey replaced him for the rest of the game is likely to start against the Patriots this Sunday night.

“It’s non-weight bearing,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of the fracture of Duvernay-Tardif’s fibula. “It’ll be a few weeks here, but we should be able to get him back.”

The Chiefs already placed safety Daniel Sorensen on injured reserve with a designation to return in training camp. Teams are allowed to active two players off IR each season.

That means Watts likely had his promising rookie season cut short after hurting his groin against the Jaguars. The fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M has been used heavily after the injury to Sorensen and with fellow safety Eric Berry sidelined since the start of training camp with a troublesome heel.

His best performance came two weeks ago in Denver, when Watts had his first career sack.

The Chiefs have been surviving in the secondary with veteran Ron Parker, who signed just before the start of the season, anchoring a hodgepodge group of safeties. Eric Murray has been starting alongside him, but left the game against Jacksonville with an injury to his lower leg.

Jordan Lucas, who arrived in a trade with Miami a week before the start of the season, had played almost exclusively on special teams before Sunday. He wound up playing some important snaps against the Jaguars, and picked off Blake Bortles for his first career interception.

Depending on the health of Murray, he could get his shot to start in New England.

“He’s a type-A personality. He is a bubbly guy with a big personality and a sharp kid,” Reid said. “They’ve been working hard and making sure they are thinking the same way and on the same page with all the adjustments they have to make. He has done a nice job of it. You saw by the reaction after they had to the interception. The guys were happy for him.”

There are even bigger questions at outside linebacker.

Justin Houston was forced out of last week’s game with a hamstring injury, Tanoh Kpassagnon hurt his ankle and Dee Ford has been hobbled off and on much of the season. That forced Kansas City to use rookie Breeland Speaks late in the game, when the Jaguars were trying desperately to mount a comeback.

It’s also why general manager Brett Veach reached out to Zombo, who spent the past five seasons with the Chiefs before getting cut in training camp. He’s versatile enough to play inside or outside while his experience in defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s system means he can be up to speed quickly.

“(Veach) is always going to try to stay one step ahead of it,” Reid said. “Again, he’s working off what we’re getting medically, so he’s got to make sure we’ve got all that taken care of.”

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes had finally thrown an interception, the first all season for the Chiefs’ talented young quarterback, and the Jacksonville offense had shuffled back onto the field.

The Chiefs immediately strip-sacked Blake Bortles to take the ball right back.

Their beleaguered defense also picked off Bortles four times and sacked him five, and Chris Jones took one of those interceptions back for a touchdown, proving during a 30-14 romp over Jacksonville on a soggy Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium that the Chiefs are more than just an offensive dynamo.

“It shows what kind of team we are,” said Mahomes, who finished with 313 yards passing and ran for a touchdown. “I’m just excited to come out with a win on a day the defense made plays.”

Oh, the league’s highest-scoring offense still made plays.

Kareem Hunt ran for 87 yards and a touchdown, and Travis Kelce hauled in five catches for 100 yards, helping the Chiefs (5-0) move the ball at will against the NFL’s top-rated defense.

Tyreek Hill, who was frequently matched up with the Jaguars’ Jalen Ramsey in an entertaining one-on-one affair, added four catches for 61 yards as the Chiefs rolled up 424 yards total.

“That play calling was something I’ve never seen before,” said the Jaguars’ Tashaun Gipson, who picked off Mahomes before leaving with a groin injury. “Tip your hat to them. Obviously, the offensive personnel they’ve got — they came out here and they beat us.”

The game eventually grew into a testy affair, resulting in a pair of ejections.

Jones was booted in the second half after he dropped an elbow on a Jaguars lineman while both were on the ground following a point-after attempt. Then, pass rusher Dee Ford joined him in the locker room when he was whistled for his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

“You can’t let emotions get the best of you,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.

If anybody had reason to get frustrated it was Bortles, who was 33 of 61 for 430 yards with a touchdown and those four interceptions . Most of his yardage came in garbage time, and while he ran for a touchdown, he also was strip-sacked during Jacksonville’s miserable first half.

Mahomes led the Chiefs 73 yards on their first possession, finishing the drive himself with a short scramble for a touchdown. Then he led the league’s high-powered offense 82 yards for a field goal a few minutes later, leaving Jacksonville’s vaunted D second-guessing itself.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ offense was having all kinds of problems.

Jacksonville (3-2) drove inside the Kansas City 5 early in the second quarter, but an incomplete fade on third down and another incompletion on fourth turned the ball over. Bortles was stripped on the first play of their next possession, and he threw the pick-6 to Jones on the first play of the next.

The calamitous half ended when Bortles, trying to force a pass into the end zone, instead bounced it off his offensive lineman’s helmet and right to Steven Nelson for another interception.

“It felt a lot like some games we’ve had in the past, just moved the ball, there were some good things done, we had some bad turnovers,” Bortles said. “You can’t turn the ball over.”

In Bortles’ defense, his offensive line didn’t give him a whole lot of time. Along with the five sacks, the Chiefs were credited with 11 hurries, spending most of the game in his face.

Bortles’ only real highlight came late in the game, when he escaped the collapsing pocket and angled toward the sideline, then lowered his shoulder to finish off a 21-yard touchdown run .

The Jaguars recovered the onside kick, only for the Chiefs to force another turnover on downs.

“They did a good job early in the game getting a lead. They did a good job early on third downs in the game. Offensively, we didn’t execute,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “Again, we had a poor showing in the red zone, we had turnovers, and the game got out of hand. Got to play better. We’ve got to coach better, play better. We got to go back and get this team back on track.”

RAMSEY VS HILL

Hill had nothing but praise for Ramsey after the game, though he did beat the Jaguars cornerback for one long gain. As for Ramsey? “I felt like I did pretty well. Really well, to be honest,” he said. “I won the majority of the matchups today, put it that way.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Chiefs’ first TD was the first allowed by Jacksonville on a team’s opening possession. … The Jaguars have not started 2-0 on the road since the 2007 season. … Jaguars RB T.J. Yeldon had 53 yards rushing. … Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins had six catches for 78 yards.

INJURIES

Jaguars: RB Corey Grant (foot) and LT Josh Wells (groin) left in the first half. Ramsey left on the opening series after taking a knee to the helmet, but returned to play the rest of the game.

Chiefs: OLBs Justin Houston (hamstring) and Tanoh Kpassagnon (ankle) and FSs Armani Watts (groin) and Eric Murray (lower leg) left the game in the first half. RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif left in the final minutes with a fractured fibia in his left leg.

UP NEXT

Jaguars: Visit the Cowboys next Sunday.

Chiefs: Head to New England for a Sunday night showdown.

— Associated Press —

DENVER (AP) — Patrick Mahomes rallied the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 27-23 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night.

The Chiefs (4-0) took a two-game lead over the Broncos (2-2) in the AFC West with their sixth straight win over their rivals.

Down 23-13, Mahomes directed a 12-play, 75-yard drive that ate up more than six minutes and culminated with a 2-yard TD toss to tight end Travis Kelce, then added a 60-yard touchdown drive, handing off to Kareem Hunt for the 4-yard score with 1:39 remaining.

It was the first time since 2004 that the Broncos blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead at home.

In between Kansas City’s scoring drives, the Broncos, who had run roughshod over the Chiefs all night — a 7.2-yard average per run — suddenly abandoned their ground game in favor of three-wide receiver sets that resulted in a quick three-and-out.

Then, struggling punter Marquette King shanked a 35-yarder out of bounds, giving the Chiefs the ball at their 40 with 4:35 left.

Mahomes overcame a couple of flags that put Kansas City in a second-and-30 hole from their 31 and completed a 35-yard pass to Demetrius Harris down to the Broncos’ 11 at the 2-minute warning.

The play should never have counted because the play clock expired before the snap, but referee Craig Wrolstad’s crew missed it.

After the Chiefs took the lead, the Broncos reached the Kansas City 28, but Case Keenum overthrew an open Demaryius Thomas near the goal line racing down the right sideline. Then rookie Courtland Sutton caught a first-down pass but overhanded it back on a failed hook-and-ladder that resulted in a turnover on downs with 5 seconds left.

Phillip Lindsay’s 1-yard TD run broke a 13-all tie late in the third quarter, and Brandon McManus extended the lead to 10 with a 46-yard field goal.

Kelce’s TD catch got the Chiefs within three with 6:27 remaining. Denver’s three-and-out and shanked punt gave the Chiefs the ball at their 40 and brought the Broncos’ exhausted defenders right back onto the field with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.

The officials had another big blunder when Mahomes was about 1 1/2 yards past the line of scrimmage when he scrambled and hit Kelce for a 29-yard catch to the 3 early in the second half. Broncos coach Vance Joseph appeared to be reaching for his red challenge flag but never threw it.

Denver’s defense bailed out its coach by forcing the Chiefs to settle for Harrison Butker’s chip-shot field goal tied it up at 13.

On Denver’s first drive of the second half, Keenum threw a 25-yard pass to tight end Jeff Heuerman, but Chiefs defensive back Eric Murray wrested the ball away as they tumbled out of bounds. Heuerman was starting in place of Jake Butt, who sustained his third ACL tear of his career while practicing special teams on Thursday, ending his season.

It was Keenum’s sixth interception with Denver, one fewer than he had all of last season in Minnesota.

The Broncos averaged a whopping 8.5 yards per carry in the first half but kept stopping themselves with pass plays even though Keenum had completed 14 of 19 throws at the half.

Royce Freeman took a toss from Keenum and slipped seven tackles on his way to a 14-yard touchdown in which he dragged linebacker Anthony Hitchens across the goal line to tie it at 10. The big play of the drive was a 42-yard catch by Sutton.

The Chiefs also had a big play on their first touchdown drive as Hunt rumbled 45 yards, setting up Mahomes’ 8-yard keeper to put the Chiefs on top 10-3.

Denver led 13-10 at halftime.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas and linebacker Brandon Marshall both stood with their teammates during the national anthem. Since the preseason, both players had been retreating to the tunnel nearest their bench during the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

INJURIES

Chiefs: Wide receiver Sammy Watkins pulled a hamstring in the second quarter and didn’t return. Linebacker Dee Ford (groin) left in the fourth quarter.

Broncos: Right tackle Jared Veldheer left in the first quarter with a knee injury and was replaced by Billy Turner.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Host Jacksonville on Sunday to begin a stretch of three home games in four weeks.

Broncos: Visit the Jets on Sunday, the first of three road games in four weeks.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes was flushed from the pocket and scrambled all the way to his left, only to realize that just about everybody wearing a Chiefs helmet was on the opposite side of the field.

It was a rookie mistake by the second-year pro, one he turned into more early season magic.

Mahomes quickly reversed field against the pursuing San Francisco defense, ran all the way to the other side and threw a dart to Chris Conley in the back of the end zone. It was one of three TD passes he threw in a 38-27 victory over the 49ers on Sunday — and easily the most impressive .

“That,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged with a smile, “was a good one.”

Mahomes finished with 314 yards passing in his first regular-season start at Arrowhead Stadium, and his touchdown throws to Conley, Demetrius Harris and Sammy Watkins gave him 13 this season without an interception. That total broke the NFL record of 12 for the first three weeks of a season, set by Peyton Manning during the 2013 campaign.

More importantly, all those touchdown tosses have the Chiefs 3-0. They are the third team to score at least 38 points in each of the first three games, joining 2007 New England and the 1967 Baltimore Colts.

“We’ve got a bunch of weapons,” said Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, who added his first two touchdown runs this season, “and Pat is just a competitor. I knew that from the day we met, when we got drafted together. We said one day we were going to take over the Chiefs Kingdom.”

The Chiefs have clearly found their long-term answer at quarterback.

The 49ers? They have a whole lot of questions now.

Jimmy Garoppolo left late in the fourth quarter after his left knee buckled during a scramble to the sideline. He was crushed on his throwing shoulder by the Chiefs’ Steven Nelson, but the damage was already done, and the 49ers’ franchise quarterback was carted off to the locker room.

“We fear an ACL,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “We’ll find out for sure tomorrow.”

The 49ers (1-2) trailed 35-7 late in the first half before rallying behind Garoppolo, who threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns. Matt Breida added 90 yards rushing and Alfred Morris scored on the ground as San Francisco clawed to within 35-24 late in the third quarter.

It was still 38-24 when the 49ers produced a grinding, 17-play drive that wiped out more than half the fourth quarter. But it ended in a strange sequence that began with Garoppolo taking the shot from Nelson along the sideline, rather than stepping out of bounds and avoiding the hit.

“I think that was his fault,” said Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston, who was trailing the play. “I pray he’s not hurt, it’s nothing serious, but as a quarterback you should step out of bounds. It’s only an inch. An inch wouldn’t have made a difference. You got the yardage. You need to be smart.”

C.J. Beathard came in on third-and-goal and threw what appeared to be a touchdown pass to George Kittle, but it was wiped out by offensive pass interference with 5:17 left in the game.

Rather than go for it on fourth down at the Kansas City 25, Shanahan elected to kick a field goal — keeping it a two-possession game. Then the 49ers kicked it deep rather than try an onside kick, and the Chiefs picked up a first down by penalty before Hunt churned for two more and put the game away.

“That’s our time in the game,” Reid said. “You take a lot of pride in it. They’re going backward and we’re going forward and it’s all good.”

MORE ON GAROPPOLO

Shanahan acknowledged a quarterback move is likely, though Beathard is line to start next week in Los Angeles. The 49ers’ only other QB is Nick Mullins, a member of the practice squad. “I just talked to (Garoppolo) in the training room,” Beathard said. “I told him I’ll be praying for him and I love him and he just told me to lead these guys.”

FOSTER’S FRUSTRATION

49ers LB Reuben Foster had a rough return from a two-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policy. Foster was hit with a personal foul for hitting Mahomes as the QB was sliding in the first half, Kelce beat him in pass defense, and the young linebacker left early in the fourth quarter when he was shaken up on a tackle.

INJURIES

49ers: The defensive backfield was in tatters by the fourth quarter. CB Richard Sherman left with a calf injury, FS Adrian Colbert hurt his ankle and backup CB Tarvarius Moore left with a wrist injury. SS Jaquiski Taylor was already inactive with a shoulder injury.

Chiefs: LB Dee Ford left with a groin injury in the fourth quarter. He will have an MRI exam Monday … Conley briefly left with a right ankle injury, though he returned to make his TD catch. … SS Eric Berry (heel) remained inactive for the third straight week.

UP NEXT

49ers: Play the Chargers in Los Angeles next Sunday.

Chiefs: Visit the AFC West-rival Broncos next Monday night.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tyreek Hill turned to face the cameras when the hottest quarterback in the NFL looked up, saw a potential traffic jam and urged his Kansas City Chiefs teammate to conduct his business elsewhere.

“Don’t do that here,” Patrick Mahomes said with a laugh.

Hill responded by shuffling a few steps clear of Mahomes’ stall.

Good idea. There’s little doubt who is calling the shots now in Kansas City. It’s the first-year starter with the big arm.

Mahomes tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes and the Chiefs held off the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 42-37 victory Sunday that showcased why Kansas City traded away veteran Alex Smith in in the spring and put the team in the hands of a 22-year-old with all of one career start under his belt.

“He had a couple good plays you know,” coach Andy Reid said after Mahomes led Kansas City to its first win in Pittsburgh in 32 years.

Maybe more than a couple.

Mahomes, who turns 23 on Monday, finished 23 of 28 for 326 yards. His 10 touchdown passes through two weeks are the most ever by a quarterback through two games in NFL history. Heady stuff for a player who spent almost all of last season on the bench watching Smith guide the Chiefs to a fourth playoff berth in five years.

“You never expect to have 10 touchdowns at this point in the season,” Mahomes said. “But I knew with this offense and the weapons that we have and the scheme coach Reid has drawn up that we had a chance to be really, really good and the possibilities are endless.”

It sure looked that way while Mahomes spread the ball to seven different teammates, five of whom reached the end zone. Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 109 yards and two scores. Tyreek Hill, Chris Conley, Kareem Hunt and Demarcus Robinson also hauled in touchdown passes as the Chiefs (2-0) recovered in the second half after blowing an early 21-pont lead.

“I see Pat doing this all season long,” Kelce said. “He’s got the confidence. As long as we give him time and get open as wide outs and tight ends and running backs, he’s going to be able to get the best out of everyone.”

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger shook off an achy right elbow that limited him in practice during the week, completing 39 of 60 passes for 452 yards and three touchdowns. The 36-year-old also leapt into the end zone for a 3-yard score with 1:59 to go that got the Steelers (0-1-1) within five.

Rather than attempt an onside kick, Pittsburgh sent it deep. Two runs by Hunt gave Kansas City a big first down and Steelers linebacker Tyler Matakevich was flagged for roughing the punter, allowing the Chiefs to run out the clock and put the two-time defending AFC North champions at a crossroads just two weeks into the season.

“It’s not fun, but it’s still early,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s kind of where are we going to go from here. It’s kind of a mirror, gut check, whatever you want to call it. We’ll see how everyone wants to respond.”

STATS AND MORE STATS

The six touchdown passes by Mahomes tied the most ever allowed by the Steelers in franchise history. Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly threw six against Pittsburgh in 1991. … Pittsburgh tight end Jesse James set a career-high with 138 yards receiving. … Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 67 yards, becoming the fastest player in NFL history to cross the 750-career reception total (117 games). … Roethlisberger moved past John Elway and into seventh for career passing yards. … The Chiefs scored six touchdowns and had just 27:49 time of possession. Their longest scoring drive lasted just 3:57. … Mahomes’ six scores tied Len Dawson’s franchise mark set in 1964 against Denver when the Chiefs played in the American Football League.

INJURIES

Chiefs: Get well Eric Berry. The veteran safety remains out with a sore heel and Kansas City’s defensive backfield hasn’t exactly stepped up in his absence. The Chiefs have allowed 870 yards in the air through two games. Part of the blame — if that’s the word — can be placed on opponents playing catch-up after getting buried early by Mahomes and company.

Steelers: Pittsburgh’s secondary badly missed cornerback Joe Haden, who sat out with a strained right hamstring. There appeared to be communication issues all over the place early on, particularly when it came to finding a way to guard Kelce.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Welcome San Francisco to Arrowhead Stadium in their 2018 home opener next Sunday.

Steelers: Head to Tampa Bay for a Monday night meeting with the Buccaneers on Sept. 24.

— Associated Press —

CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Tyreek Hill helped get the Patrick Mahomes era off to a blazing start for Kansas City.

The speedy receiver scored three touchdowns, including two in the first quarter, as the Chiefs opened the season with a 38-28 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

“You know, he’s a different animal. That’s the cheetah,” Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt said. “The guy can take off at any time of the game, at any point in the game, and it’s good like that to have a guy with speed like that on your team.”

On a day when the Chargers’ biggest concerns were Mahomes and Hunt, it was Hill’s big plays that set the tone. Hill had a 91-yard punt return for a score and a 58-yard TD reception during the first quarter to give Kansas City a 14-3 lead. He then added a 1-yard reception on a shovel pass for a score in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Hill also had 169 yards on seven receptions, which is the second-most yards by a Chiefs receiver in an opener, according to Pro Football Reference. Carlos Carson had 173 yards receiving against New Orleans in 1985.

Mahomes, who moved into the starting spot after Alex Smith was traded to Washington in the offseason, was 15 of 27 for 256 yards as the Chiefs extended their winning streak over the Chargers to nine.

“Tyreek really got us going with the punt return and Patrick did a nice job of running the offense,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said. “There were a lot of great individual efforts on a hot day where we had to endure the elements.”

After the Chargers got the opening kickoff but went three-and-out, Hill took Drew Kaser’s punt 91 yards for a touchdown just 1 minute, 57 seconds into the game. The third-year receiver fielded the punt near the right hash mark, but quickly found an opening up the left sideline.

It was Hill’s fourth punt return for a touchdown in 32 games and the Chiefs’ league-leading seventh since 2013.

“Once I caught it, I was like this is wide open,” Hill said. “The punt return really got me hyped and got the rest of the offense rolling.”

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said they punted it to the far side to make it hard on Hill, but that he ended up making a good play any way.

“If he was going to come back across the field, surely someone could get there and make a play,” Lynn said, “but we didn’t get it done.”

After Caleb Sturgis’ 45-yard field goal got the Chargers on the board, Mahomes threw his first touchdown pass in the NFL, connecting with Hill for 58 yards . Hill caught the pass at the Chargers 47 and eluded a diving tackle by Jahleel Addae as he found a seam up the left sideline.

Mahomes said it was originally supposed to be a run play with a pass option, but one of the linebackers bit on a run fake.

“It helped that I hit it fast and Tyreek was able to miss the tackler,” Mahomes said. “Tyreek’s really worked on his route running and everything in order to make himself into one of the best receivers in the league. I think today has showed that he has improved and has the speed to bring it any time.”

Hill’s third touchdown came with 9:42 remaining on a 1-yard shovel pass from Mahomes, who became the third quarterback in Chiefs’ history to throw four touchdowns in an opener.

“I don’t want to make any too crazy statements, but he’s one of the most dynamic guys,” Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said of Hill. “I don’t know if I’ve seen anybody better in the things that he can do speed-wise in all my time playing.”

RIVERS’ 424 YARDS NOT ENOUGH

Rivers’ 424 yards are the most by a Chargers’ quarterback in an opener, but two turnovers led Chiefs’ touchdowns.

Los Angeles was within two points at halftime (14-12), but saw Kansas City score two touchdowns in the third quarter. The second one, which gave the Chiefs a 31-12 lead with 48 seconds remaining in the third, came after Rivers was picked off by Ron Parker at the Chiefs 14.

A 20-yard TD reception by Keenan Allen and 2-point conversion catch by Antonio Gates brought the Chargers within 11, but JJ Jones’ fumble of a punt at the Chargers 2 and subsequent Hill touchdown made the deficit too much to overcome.

“It’s one of those games that you’re sick that you let it get away, because you didn’t make all the plays that you really dream about making. … It does nothing but make me be excited,” said Rivers, who was 34 of 51 with three touchdowns and an interception.

INJURIES

Chiefs: LB Ben Niemann suffered a hamstring injury. Coach Andy Reid said he did not know the severity of the injury and said it was likely going to be week-to-week. S Eric Berry made the trip, but was inactive due to a heel injury.

Chargers: RT Joe Barksdale was carted off after injuring his right knee during the first quarter and did not return. Lynn said he did not know the severity of the injury. Sam Tevi took Barksdale’s place on the offensive line. Lynn also said DT Joey Bosa, who was inactive for the game, remains week-to-week with a foot injury.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Continue their road trip next Sunday at Pittsburgh. Kansas City has dropped three of its last four to the Steelers in the regular season.

Chargers: Travel to Buffalo next Sunday in the first of two straight road games. The Chargers have won three straight and five of the last six against Buffalo.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have signed offensive lineman Cam Erving to a two-year contract extension, one year after acquiring the former first-round draft pick in a trade with Cleveland.

The financial terms of the deal Tuesday were not disclosed. The Chiefs had declined the fifth-year option on Erving’s rookie contract earlier this year.

Erving was the 19th overall pick of the Browns out of Florida State in 2015, but he struggled to solidify a starting spot on the offensive line. He bounced around to multiple positions, starting 17 of the 30 games he appeared in, before getting dealt to Kansas City for a fifth-round draft pick.

He wound up starting four games and appearing in 13 for the Chiefs last season.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The biggest stars to play for the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night won’t be around for the season opener, and it won’t be because they’re backups about to get cut.

Demetrius Harris caught an early touchdown pass for Kansas City, and Aaron Jones ran for 34 yards and a score for Green Bay, then the Chiefs rallied in a game of backups and also-rans for a 33-21 victory in the preseason finale for both teams.

Harris, expected to back up Travis Kelce at tight end, is suspended for the season opener for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. And Jones, the Packers’ backup running back, is out the first two games for violating the same policy during the offseason.

They were two of a handful of recognizable names to even take the field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy and Chiefs counterpart Andy Reid had seen enough from their starters in training camp and the preseason, so they turned the game over to a plethora of backups trying to make the team — or, at least latch onto the practice squad when rosters are trimmed this weekend.

“It was great to see these young guys in there, give them an opportunity to play,” Reid said. “They made (general manager) Brett Veach’s job hard these next couple of days.”

Rookie safety Armani Watts intercepted two passes , and Makinton Dorleant returned another pick for a touchdown, as the Chiefs’ defense finally made some plays. Chad Henne, Matt McGloin and Chase Litton were all solid under center for Kansas City as Patrick Mahomes watched from the sideline, and undrafted free agent Byron Pringle had four catches for 122 yards before leaving with a hamstring injury.

Their only real starter to play, Harrison Butker, was perfect on four field-goal attempts.

“We’ve got a lot of depth, especially at wide receiver, tight end and running back. Those guys are starters on other teams,” Henne said, “and they showed it out there today.”

DeShone Kizer started for Green Bay and was 5 of 7 for 57 yards with a touchdown and a pick. The 2017 second-round draft choice of the Browns, Kizer is expected to back up Aaron Rodgers after the trade of erstwhile backup Brett Hundley to the Seahawks earlier this week.

“The quarterback focus was to get DeShone two series. Obviously he had the high throw on the first series,” McCarthy said. “We definitely accomplished that and it’ll be a good tape to evaluate.”

The Packers actually jumped to a 21-10 lead, but the Chiefs began to force turnovers against third-string quarterback Tim Boyle. McGloin and Litton were able to lead scoring drives, and Dorleant’s pick-6 early in the fourth quarter put an exclamation mark on their comeback victory.

“It’s a huge confidence boost,” Watts said, “having a bunch of young guys making plays out there, our first year, getting out there and showing what we can do and contribute to this team.”

TRADE NEWS

The Chiefs agreed to trade OL Parker Ehinger to Dallas for CB Charvarius Ward, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not expected to become official until Friday, a day before roster cuts.

HOME COOKING

McCarthy allowed most of his starters to remain in Green Bay rather than travel for a game in which they wouldn’t play. That included Rodgers, who a day earlier signed a four-year, $134 million extension that could keep him with the team through the 2023 season.

INJURIES

Among the Packers headed into the season with injury questions are LBs Oren Burks and WR Jake Kumerow, both of whom have shoulder injuries, and RB Devante Mays, who did not play against the Chiefs with a hamstring injury. Kansas City was without SS Eric Berry, who has missed most of camp with a heel injury and whose status for the opener remains unclear.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

No demonstrations were evident during the national anthem.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: visit AFC West-rival Chargers on Sept. 9.

Packers: renew NFL’s oldest rivalry by hosting Chicago.

— Associated Press —

ATLANTA (AP) — Even in the preseason, Matt Ryan gets miffed about a poor showing.

He had nothing to complain about Friday.

Ryan guided the Atlanta Falcons right down the field for a touchdown on their first possession, hooking up with Austin Hooper on a 4-yard scoring pass , and led another impressive drive before calling it a night in a 28-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ryan finished 5 of 7 for 90 yards, looking very much like the quarterback who won the MVP during the 2016 season even though receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman didn’t play for the second week in a row.

It was certainly an encouraging contrast to the preseason opener, when the Falcons (0-2) were blanked 17-0 by the New York Jets and Ryan played only one brief, dismal series .

“He wants to attack,” coach Dan Quinn said. “That’s what I saw tonight.”

With a resting Jones watching from the sideline, Calvin Ridley got a chance to shine for the Falcons. The first-round pick from Alabama hauled in the first touchdown of his professional career on a 7-yard pass from backup quarterback Matt Schaub .

Ridley finished with three receptions for 49 yards.

“It felt good making some catches and getting that first touchdown out of the way,” he said. “I’m ready to get some more.”

Kansas City’s new starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, had an up-and-down game but delivered one tantalizing pass.

Alex Smith’s replacement was intercepted on a deep throw by Falcons safety Damontae Kazee , who drifted over from the middle of the field to pick a ball intended for Sammy Watkins. Mahomes caught a break when another ill-advised throw into the end zone was dropped by Falcons cornerback Blidi Wren-Wilson, allowing the Chiefs to salvage a field goal.

But, with just 17 seconds left in the first half, Mahomes made the most of his final pass. Three Atlanta defensive backs inexplicably allowed Tyreek Hill to get behind them, and Mahomes delivered the pass in stride for a 69-yard touchdown .

The throw actually traveled 70 yards in the air — ample evidence of Mahomes’ enormous potential .

“I don’t think I’ve ever thrown one that far in a game,” said Mahomes, who finished 8 of 12 for 138 yards. “I don’t know many people that would be able to catch that ball going that far in a game. I told (Hill) if I had thrown a spiral, he wouldn’t have been able to get to it. He disagreed with that.”

Chad Henne took over for at quarterback to begin the second half. He connected with Gehrig Dieter on a 27-yard touchdown that put the Chiefs (1-1) ahead for the first time, capping a 10-play, 76-yard drive.

Ben Niemann finished off the scoring with a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown after picking off a horrible throw by Atlanta’s third-string quarterback, undrafted rookie Kurt Benkert.

“He overthrew it and gave me a gift,” said Niemann, also an undrafted rookie.

While many Atlanta fans were still backed up in security lines outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Ryan began his impressive showing by converting on third-and-11 with a 29-yard pass to Hooper.

“Classic Matt,” Quinn said. “He buys some times, moves around in the pocket and rips one.”

Tevin Coleman, the other half of the Falcons’ dynamic 1-2 punch at running back, broke off a pair of 15-yard runs before Ryan rolled to his left and hit Hooper on the short scoring pass. The tight end showed impressive athleticism, hurtling into the end zone over cornerback Steven Nelson .

After the Chiefs went three-and-out, Ryan guided the Falcons deep into Kansas City territory once again. The big play was a 36-yard completion to Ridley , who beat David Amerson to haul in the pass.

On fourth-and-2 at the Chiefs 20, the Falcons passed on a field goal attempt, which was essentially irrelevant since 43-year-old kicker Matt Bryant skipped his second straight preseason game. Ryan’s pass for Ridley was broken up by Kendall Fuller, halting a seven-play, 69-yard drive.

INJURY REPORT

Nelson was kneed in the head by Hooper on Atlanta’s first touchdown and staggered off the field. He was evaluated for a possible concussion.

Another Kansas City player, linebacker Terrance Smith, sustained an ankle injury.

The Chiefs also were missing star safety Eric Berry, who didn’t dress while he continues to nurse a sore heel.

SARK ON THE FIELD

For the second week in a row, Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian called plays from the field.

That’s where Sarkisian prefers to be, but Quinn ordered him upstairs last season. Now, with Greg Knapp — a longtime offensive coordinator who was hired as Atlanta’s quarterback coach — working from the press box and passing along what he sees to Sarkisian, it seems everyone has found an arrangement to their liking.

“Right now, I’m comfortable with the way he’s seeing it and calling plays,” Quinn said.

ANTHEM UPDATE

There were no apparent protests during the national anthem.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Hit the road again to face the Chicago Bears on Aug. 25.

Falcons: Travel to Jacksonville that same day to face the Jaguars in a matchup between 2017 playoff teams.

— Associated Press —