Kenneth Walker scores three times as Chiefs beat Jets 35-12 and end two-game skid
Kenneth Walker scored three touchdowns and the defense kept the Jets out of the end zone as Kansas City improved to 6-2 before a trip to Atlanta.
The Kansas City Chiefs shook off back-to-back road losses on Sunday at Arrowhead, beating the New York Jets 35-12. Kenneth Walker was in the middle of almost every drive that mattered. He caught two touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes and ran for a third, finishing with 102 rushing yards and 143 yards from scrimmage, according to the Associated Press recap on ESPN.
The win puts Kansas City at 6-2, a game behind Denver (7-2) in the AFC West, and keeps the Chiefs unbeaten at home at 4-0. It also changes the story after losses at Seattle (20-3) and at Denver (28-24), games in which Walker had been mostly held in check. Mahomes threw for 242 yards. The defense sacked Geno Smith five times and didn't allow a touchdown. New York (2-7) has now lost four straight.
The first half was not clean. Kansas City lost two fumbles, one on a third-and-1 sneak by backup Justin Fields and one when David Bailey sacked Mahomes for the second time in three plays. After that sack, Mahomes was seen flexing his throwing elbow in pain. Harrison Butker missed a 56-yarder, got another try because of a penalty and missed again. Jets kicker Jason Sanders made four field goals before halftime, and Walker's two touchdown catches were the reason the Chiefs led 14-12 at the break. The second came on a 25-yard screen behind blocks from Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia.
The third quarter decided the game. The Jets finished the period with minus-9 yards of offense, and the Chiefs scored twice. The first touchdown came when Mahomes flipped a lateral to Travis Kelce on fourth-and-goal from the 1. Walker then carried six times on an 82-yard drive and finished it himself to make it 28-12. It was the third three-touchdown game of his career.
The Chiefs did come out of the game with injuries. Xavier Worthy left late with a left hamstring injury, and right tackle Jaylen Moore hurt his ankle. Cornerback Mansoor Delane (shoulder) and defensive lineman Peter Woods (concussion) were inactive.
What it means for Atlanta
The Chiefs play at Atlanta next Sunday, November 15, on CBS. They are 2-2 on the road this season. They won at Miami and Las Vegas and lost both of the trips that ended in the recent skid. On the season they have scored 202 points and allowed 143, and over eight games only Seattle has held them below 22 points. The health of Worthy and Moore, and how Mahomes's elbow looks during the week, will shape the plan for the game.
The board for the game lists 11 venues, and Kansas City is favored. Novig has the Chiefs at -174 on the moneyline and Atlanta at +170. The venues disagree a little on the spread. Novig lists Kansas City at -3.5 at +113, while the best Chiefs number anywhere is Pinnacle's -3 at -117. On the Falcons' side, Novig has +3.5 at -122 and BetRivers has the same +3.5 at a better -114. The total is 44.5 at Novig, with both sides at -108, and FanDuel's under is a full point higher at 45.5 (-110). Sportsbook hold on the game runs from about 3% to 5%.