Chiefs offense hitting its stride with return of wide receiver Marquise Brown from injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have not been whole on offense all season, the byproduct of injuries to Marquise Brown on the very first game of the preseason and a season-ending injury to fellow wide receiver Rashee Rice at the end of September.

They are close to it now. And it showed on Saturday.

Brown made his regular-season debut after recovering from shoulder surgery, and made his presence felt on the first offensive series against Houston. The Chiefs were driving downfield but faced fourth-and-2 at the Texans 30, and Brown came open across the field for a 13-yard reception, resulting in a first down and eventually leading to a Kansas City touchdown.

Brown went on to catch five passes for 45 yards in a 27-19 victory that pushed the Chiefs closer to the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

“I thought he did a great job,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “I missed him here and there on a couple of throws, but I thought he was getting open. He was winning against man coverage, which was huge.”

In fact, as the Chiefs (14-1) prepare to visit Pittsburgh on Christmas Day, they now have a receiving group that can win against just about any coverage. Brown and first-round pick Xavier Worthy, who had seven catches for 65 yards and a score, have the game-breaking speed to beat man-to-man defenses. And three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins, along with four-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, have the catch radius and veteran savvy to find the holes in any sort of zone.

That makes the Chiefs offense as potent as it's been all season.

“Kansas City made the plays. That’s why, you know, they’re at the top echelon of the NFL,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “They found ways to win, especially in situational football. they did a really good job on third down, staying on the field.”

The Chiefs finished 7 of 13 on third down. They were 3 for 5 in the red zone and 2 for 2 in goal-to-go situations.

That is the kind of efficiency they have had while winning the past two Super Bowls.

“What can we do? The sky's the limit,” said Worthy, who has caught at least four passes in each of his past six games. “I feel like we're a hard team to beat. We just have to keep stacking.”

What’s working

The Chiefs defense, which had turned opponents over just 10 times in their first 13 games, has now created eight turnovers in the past two. That included two interceptions of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud on Saturday.

“They talked about breaking the seal last week,” said Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie, who had no interceptions in his first 48 games but has now picked off a pass in each of his past two. “You get around defensive backs, they talk about how it will come in bunches. I'm seeing it play out, being in the right place at the right time.”

What needs help

After piling up five sacks last week against Cleveland, the Chiefs struggled to capture Stroud on Saturday. They only managed two sacks, one of which was a cornerback blitz in the closing minutes that forced Houston to punt the ball away; the Chiefs were able to run out the clock on offense without giving the Texans another chance with it.

Stock up

The Chiefs started All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney at tackle for the second straight week, trying to solve their problem protecting Mahomes' blind side. He played admirably against a good Houston pass rush, and that was even more important when the Chiefs had to juggle the offensive line again following right tackle Jawaan Taylor's knee strain.

Stock down

Running back Isiah Pacheco carried nine times for just 26 yards, and he was stuffed on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 early in the second half, forcing a turnover on downs. Meanwhile, Kareem Hunt gained 55 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 24 yards, showing more versatility and explosiveness out of the backfield.

Injuries

DT Chris Jones (calf strain) and RT Jawaan Taylor (knee strain) did not finish the game against the Texans. LB Jack Cochrane will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his ankle.

Key number

14 — The Chiefs matched the franchise record for regular-season wins, set during the 2020 season and matched two years ago. They have two opportunities to break it with Pittsburgh on Wednesday and Denver in their regular-season finale.

What’s next

The Chiefs visit the Steelers on Christmas Day.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press