The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-14, at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon to remain undefeated on the season.
The Chiefs raced out to a 23-point lead in the first half and never looked back as the defense forced five turnovers, holding Jacksonville (3-2) off the scoreboard until late in the third quarter.
Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 22-of-38 passes for 313 yards, two interceptions and a rushing touchdown in the contest, scrambling for a 4-yard score on Kansas City’s first offensive possession.
It marked the second rushing touchdown of Mahomes’ young career and the first touchdown allowed by the Jaguars in the first half of a game this season.
Kicker Harrison Butker proceeded to add a pair of field goals for Kansas City before defensive end Chris Jones picked off Jaguars’ quarterback Blake Bortles in the closing minutes of the first half and brought it all the way back for a touchdown.
It was the first defensive score of the season for Kansas City and the first of four Chiefs’ interceptions on the afternoon, as defensive backs Steve Nelson and Jordan Lucas each notched the first picks of their respective careers.
The defense went on to tally five sacks and 12 quarterback hits in the game, holding Jacksonville to just 14 points on offense.
That defensive effort was plenty for Mahomes and Kansas City’s offensive attack, which piled up 425 yards from scrimmage against the top statistical defense in the NFL. The 23-year-old Mahomes was responsible for 313 of those yards through the air, becoming the first player to throw for 300-plus yards against Jacksonville in the regular season since last October – snapping a streak of 15 consecutive games.
Mahomes’ most productive target on the day was tight end Travis Kelce, who hauled in five passes for 100 yards. It marked Kelce’s 13th 100-yard game since the beginning of the 2016 season – tied with Atlanta Falcons’ wide receiver Julio Jones for the most such games in the NFL.
Wide receiver Sammy Watkins also had a strong outing for Kansas City, catching six passes for 78 yards. Tailback Kareem Hunt, meanwhile, picked up 87 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
It all helped Kansas City move to 5-0 on the year and 19-4 in the Chiefs’ last 23 regular-season games at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs will look to preserve their perfect record next week against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday Night Football.