It didn’t matter how big of a lead the Miami Dolphins built on the Kansas City Chiefs. It still wasn’t enough to keep them from feeling jittery.

One of two winless teams left in the NFL, the Dolphins came into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday with the cloud of two second-half collapses still hovering. They were also facing a Chiefs team that had mastered the art of the comeback: 0-3 to 4-3 in four games.

So it made sense that nobody on the Dolphins sideline was celebrating until the final seconds ticked away, and coach Tony Sparano’s beleaguered team could finally enjoy a 31-3 victory.

“I’m just happy for the guys in our locker room,” Sparano said. “All I’ve wanted to do for seven weeks is see these guys smile.”

There was plenty to smile about.

Matt Moore threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns, the first three-TD performance by a Miami quarterback since Chad Pennington in 2008. Reggie Bush ran for 92 yards and another score, and tight end Anthony Fasano hauled in two touchdown passes in the first half.

Brandon Marshall finished with eight catches for 106 yards and another score, once again making for a miserable afternoon for the Chiefs. The former Broncos wide receiver has 52 catches for 689 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games against Kansas City in his career.

“We had a couple of big plays, which kind of lit the fire,” Moore said. “You make a couple of big plays early and there’s no telling what can happen.”

The virtuoso performance by the Miami offense helped brush away the spectre of an 0-7 start, which included a pair of disheartening losses the past two weeks: The Dolphins blew a 15-point lead in an overtime loss to Denver and a seven-point lead last week against the New York Giants.

“This is all about the players,” Sparano said. “These guys did a super job all week long of putting all the garbage behind them.”

Kansas City, meanwhile, looked more like the team that lost its first two games by a combined 89-10 than the one that rattled off four straight wins to climb into a tie atop the AFC West. The Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders remained tied for first place in the division after all three lost Sunday.

Matt Cassel was 20 of 39 for 253 yards despite facing a secondary missing cornerback Vontae Davis and had backup Nolan Carroll leave several times with a hamstring injury.

Of course, the defensive backfield didn’t have much to defend.

The Dolphins’ relentless front spent most of the afternoon in Cassel’s face, sacking him five times and forcing the slow-footed quarterback to scramble nine more times. The Chiefs came into the game having allowed 13 sacks all season, tied for sixth-best in the league.

“They executed and we didn’t,” Cassel said. “We were able to put together some drives, but we weren’t able to sustain those drives offensively. We have to do a better job of executing. It starts with me and all the way down the line.”

Things looked promising for Kansas City its opening possession, when it put together a grinding, 14-play, 53-yard drive that Ryan Succop finished off with a 43-yard field goal.

The Chiefs didn’t do much after that.

Miami answered with a touchdown later in the first quarter when nobody pick up Fasano off the line of scrimmage. Moore simply tossed a pass to him from 3 yards out, the first of 31 straight points scored by the Dolphins — more than they’d scored in any game this season.

On the Dolphins’ ensuing possession, Moore hit fullback Charles Clay for gains of 21 and 22 yards, and then found Fasano open down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown completion and a 14-3 lead.

Fasano’s only other two-TD game also came against the Chiefs.

The Dolphins offense really hit the accelerator in the third quarter, when Moore found Marshall for a 14-yard touchdown pass, and Bush shook loose for a 28-yard scoring run, the former No. 2 overall draft pick’s first TD on the ground since Nov. 15, 2009.

Any chance of a comeback ended early in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City failed to convert on fourth down at the Dolphins 3. The Chiefs also couldn’t score on fourth-and-goal at the 5-yard line in the closing minutes of the game.

“This was not the kind of performance we expected or wanted,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said stoically. “This was a very dangerous team that was playing a lot better than their record. It’s hard to win in the NFL and they just did a better job than us.”

Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers put it more succinctly.

“We got beat,” he said. “We got beat pretty bad by the Miami Dolphins. At home.”

— Associated Press —

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt announced Friday that S Jon McGraw is the recipient of the club’s 2011 Ed Block Courage Award. Dating back to ’83, the Ed Block Courage Award has annually honored one player from every NFL team who exemplifies commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage.

Named in honor of longtime Colts athletic trainer Ed Block, recipients of the award are selected by a vote of their teammates. McGraw and the NFL’s other 31 Ed Block Courage Award winners will be honored at the 34th annual Courage Award Banquet in Baltimore on March 13, 2012.

McGraw has continually displayed toughness throughout his 10-year career, competing in 118 games (31 starts) and recording 298 tackles (216 solo), nine interceptions, 22 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He has also amassed 107 special teams tackles.

McGraw was an All-Big 12 selection as a free safety at Kansas State. A native of Riley, Kan., he was a first-team all-state quarterback at Riley County High School.

— Chiefs Public Relations —

The National Football League informed the Chiefs on Tuesday that LB Derrick Johnson has been named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in a 23-20 overtime win vs. San Diego (10/31). He joins CB Brandon Flowers as the second Chiefs player to win the honor in as many weeks. It is the fourth Player of the Week honor of Johnson’s career.

Johnson (6-3, 242) produced 16 tackles (15 solo), a sack (-7.0 yards) and an interception vs. the Chargers on Monday Night Football. It marked the second consecutive week that Johnson registered 16 stops. In seven starts on the season, Johnson has 77 tackles (57 solo), four tackles for loss, a sack, an INT, three passes defensed and five QB pressures. During the Chiefs current four-game winning streak, Johnson has registered 55 tackles (42 solo) and has finished with double-digit tackles in each contest.

The University of Texas product has appeared in 97 games (84 starts) for Kansas City, registering 648 tackles (498 solo), 15.0 sacks (-108.0 yards), eight INTs with three TDs, 47 passes defensed, 15 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 29 QB pressures. His 648 career tackles rank ninth in Chiefs history.

— Chiefs Public Relations —

Up and down the sideline, the Kansas City Chiefs were telling each other the game wasn’t over. Didn’t matter that Philip Rivers was under center with less than a minute left, and that Nick Novak was poised to kick the winning field goal for San Diego.

The Chiefs have had their backs against the wall enough this season.

They certainly weren’t going to just quit.

With first down at the Kansas City 15, Rivers called for the snap — and the ball never got into his hands. It squirted loose on the field, bounced under a scrum, and finally emerged in the hands of Chiefs linebacker Andy Studebaker, who was running to the sideline in joy.

The game headed for overtime, and Ryan Succop eventually knocked through a 30-yard field goal to give the Chiefs a dramatic 23-20 victory over the Chargers on Monday night.

“Our guys were saying, ‘It ain’t over ’till it’s over. Keep playing, and digging,’ ” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “You never know what will happen.”

Kansas City (4-3) became the first team in NFL history to lose its first three games and share at least part of a division lead after four more. The Chiefs are also the first team since the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000 to win four straight games after losing their first three.

Rivers could have prevented all of it from happening.

“I haven’t had one in years,” Rivers said of the fumbled snap. “It’s unfortunate. I dropped it. This one is rough. You blow it on a play that never should have happened.”

Kansas City had its own chance to win in regulation, but Matt Cassel overthrew his wide receiver in Chargers territory and Eric Weddle’s second interception sent the game to overtime.

San Diego won the toss but failed to pick up a first down, and Cassel calmly led Kansas City down field. Succop’s field goal with 5:16 remaining gave the Chiefs their fourth straight win and moved them into a tie with San Diego (4-3) and the idle Oakland Raiders (4-3) in the division.

“We were saying, ‘Don’t quit,’ ” Studebaker said. “You never quit, even if it looks ugly. If you quit every time something looks ugly, you miss an opportunity to do something special.”

Boy, was this one ever ugly.

Rivers wound up throwing for 369 yards, but he also had two interceptions and one big fumble.

The teams combined for eight turnovers, matching the most in an NFL game this season. The Chargers were called for 12 penalties worth 105 yards in a gruesome game on Halloween night.

One that looked pretty in the end to Kansas City.

The Chiefs got off to an abysmal start this season, losing their first two games by a combined 89-10 score and then dropping their third game on the road, at San Diego. Along the way, the Chiefs lost Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles, safety Eric Berry and tight end Tony Moeaki for the season.

They started moving in the right direction against division doormats Minnesota and Indianapolis, and then romped to a 28-0 win over Oakland last week.

Now, they are tied for the lead in the AFC West.

“It’s everybody,” Haley said. “And I hate to mention one without mentioning them all, because everybody fought their tail ends off to make that result what it was.”

The Chiefs had things going early, getting a 36-yard field goal from Succop in the first quarter and then capitalizing on Rivers’ second interception in the first few minutes.

With the ball at the Chargers 39, Cassel dropped back to pass and saw Jonathan Baldwin streaking for the end zone. The wide receiver out-jumped fellow rookie Marcus Gilchrist for his first career touchdown catch, giving the Chiefs a 10-0 lead.

Novak kicked a field goal midway through the second quarter for San Diego, but he missed another late in the second quarter, and Succop hit one with just a few ticks on the clock for a 13-3 halftime lead.

The Chargers’ defense kept them in the game in the third quarter, holding the Chiefs to two three-and-outs and picking off Cassel for the second time. Kansas City only managed 44 yards of offense in the second and third quarters combined.

Novak kicked three field goals in the third quarter, drawing the Chargers within 13-12, but their inability to get into the end zone cost them dearly.

Kansas City finally got its offense in gear, marching 74 yards in 10 plays early in the fourth quarter. Jackie Battle finished off the drive by leaping over the scrum from a yard out, giving the Chiefs a 20-12 lead with 12:01 left.

It sure didn’t last long.

Rivers completed four straight passes covering 74 yards — one for 27 yards to Vincent Jackson on third-and-13 — before Curtis Brinkley leaped in from 2 yards out for the Chargers’ first touchdown.

Going for the 2-point conversion and the tie, Rivers floated a pass to Brinkley in the flat and he was thrown back by cornerback Brandon Carr. The officials ruled that Brinkley nudged the ball over the goal line, though, and the decision was upheld by video review.

It was the fourth replay call that went against the Chiefs.

Rivers’ butterfingers made that a moot point.

“They had no timeouts. We were in position to go kick the game-winning field goal,” Chargers coach Norv Turner said. “It didn’t happen. It looked to me like Philip got a little anxious and came out early. That’s a very unusual way to not win a game.”

— Associated Press —

Kyle Boller dropped back on Oakland’s first series and threw a pass to the left sideline that Kendrick Lewis intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Carson Palmer did the same to the right side to Brandon Flowers in the fourth quarter.

After all the talk this week about who would start at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, it didn’t much matter. Boller and Palmer were equally bad.

Boller and Palmer each threw three interceptions and the Kansas City Chiefs took advantage of the rusty quarterback play to win their third straight game, beating Oakland 28-0 Sunday in their most lopsided road win ever against the Raiders.

“It was just an awful feeling walking off the field to be beat like that in the fashion that we were beat,” said Palmer, who was a retired player at home less than a week ago. “We need to regroup.”

Boller became the first Raiders quarterback in 13 years to throw three interceptions in the first half, including Lewis’ 59-yard score on the first drive of the game for Oakland (4-3). Palmer relieved in the second half and threw three more interceptions, including one that Flowers returned 58 yards to give the Chiefs a 28-0 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback Javier Arenas and Le’Ron McClain each added touchdown runs for the Chiefs (3-3) on a day the Kansas City offense didn’t have to do much at all.

After being outscored 89-10 in lopsided losses to Buffalo and Detroit to open the season, the defending AFC West champion Chiefs have won three straight to get back into contention in the division race. While the wins came against cellar dwellers Minnesota and Indianapolis and a banged-up Raiders team missing its leading passer, scorer and rusher for most of the game, the Chiefs aren’t apologizing.

“We don’t have too many pretty games but as long as we come away with the victory that’s all that matters,” said cornerback Brandon Carr, who had one interception. “We’re definitely making progress and trying to keep this thing going.

The Raiders’ promising season was jolted last week when starting quarterback Jason Campbell was knocked out with a broken collarbone. Coach Hue Jackson moved quickly to get a replacement by trading for Palmer on Tuesday.

Palmer had been working out on his own in Southern California. Because of his rust and unfamiliarity with his teammates and the playbook, Palmer did not start in his debut.

It didn’t end up mattering because neither quarterback was able to do much besides throwing interceptions.

Boller was 7 for 14 for 61 yards and became the first Raiders quarterback to throw three interceptions in the first half since Donald Hollas in 1998 against Miami. Palmer went 8 for 21 for 116 yards with the three interceptions.

Palmer now has the bye week to get up to speed before making his first start Nov. 6 at home against Denver.

“We’re not blinking,” Jackson said. “This football team is not going to blink. We have to play better. We have to play better offensively. I take full responsibility.”

This marked the first time the Raiders had thrown six interceptions in a game since that 1998 game against the Dolphins and the Chiefs had their first six-interception game since 1984 against Seattle.

“We knew that they had a quarterback controversy,” Lewis said. “We studied film and studied their routes and that they were going to give him a limited playbook. When we had the opportunity to make big plays and capitalize, that’s what we did. And we did a good job with it.”

Jackson was coy all week about whether Boller or Palmer would start at quarterback in Oakland’s first game since Campbell’s injury. With star running back Darren McFadden leaving in the first quarter with an injured right foot, it didn’t much matter.

Oakland moved into Kansas City territory on its first drive and tried to run a trick play on third-and-1 that backfired. Third quarterback Terrelle Pryor lined up at receiver and went in motion to behind the center and took a quick snap for a keeper. The Raiders were called for a false start because Pryor was not set for a second.

On the next play, Boller threw an out pass to Jacoby Ford that Lewis stepped in front off and returned 59 yards for the touchdown to give the Chiefs a 7-0 lead.

The boos for Boller started but Palmer remained on the sideline with a baseball hat. Boller threw his second interception on a deep pass to Denarius Moore that Flowers caught. The Chiefs then drove 61 yards for a score Le’Ron McClain’s 1-yard run.

Boller finally got the Raiders moving with some good runs by Michael Bush before Derrick Johnson stuffed him on fourth down at the 1 when Jackson called for a direct snap to the running back.

Boller was intercepted again late in the half.

“I’m just extremely frustrated,” Boller said. “I had an opportunity to go there. It just didn’t go as planned. Definitely not my best outing. I feel bad for my teammates. I feel like I let my teammates down. There’s not much to say. The play speaks for itself.”

— Associated Press —