Andy Reid said after Kansas City’s 24-10 win over Miami on Sunday that the Chiefs came out of Hard Rock Stadium with no new injuries, a clean result after a physical road test that pushed the team to 3-0.
That clean bill of health means more than it would most weeks, with left tackle Josh Simmons and safety Chamarri Conner both sitting out for a third straight game and Kansas City already looking ahead to a road trip to Las Vegas.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce set the tone on Kansas City’s opening drive, connecting for a 48-yard gain that set up Kenneth Walker III’s 10-yard touchdown run. Mahomes finished 20-of-24 for 246 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Kelce, who turned just two catches into 59 yards.
Chiefs Improve to 3-0 Behind Mahomes and Kelce
Miami answered immediately, needing 17 plays and 91 yards to tie the game at 7 on Ollie Gordon II’s 3-yard touchdown. Running back De’Von Achane left that possession with a knee injury and did not return.
“To be very honest with you, it does not sound very optimistic at this moment,” Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said, as quoted by NBC Sports reporter Myles Simmons. Achane will undergo an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.
Walker added a 5-yard touchdown catch from Mahomes to make it 14-7 at the half. Miami trimmed the margin with a Riley Patterson field goal in the third quarter, and Harrison Butker answered for Kansas City early in the fourth.
The game turned on a fourth-down stop. Chris Jones tipped a Malik Willis pass with under six minutes left, and George Karlaftis hauled in the interception moments after Mahomes had already found Kelce for an 11-yard touchdown that put Miami away. L’Jarius Sneed had forced a Willis fumble earlier that Reid successfully challenged, and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez intercepted a tipped Mahomes pass in the second quarter. Willis finished 20-of-36 for 210 yards with the interception, the lost fumble, and 56 yards rushing.
The victory pushed Mahomes to 115 wins in his first 150 starts, tying Tom Brady for the most wins through that many outings in NFL history. Kansas City next visits the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kansas City Chiefs Manage Deeper Injury Concerns
Simmons has not practiced since a training-camp back issue surfaced, and he was ruled out again on Friday’s final report, marking his third straight missed game. Conner, who started all 17 games last season and finished second on the team with 117 tackles, was downgraded from doubtful to out Sunday morning before Kansas City’s inactive list was announced.
Reid, addressing the situation two days before kickoff, said Simmons was “making progress. We just got to see where it all goes here.”
On Conner, he said the safety “did some work today, but he’ll be deactivated this afternoon. He’s making progress, so he’s up practicing and moving around,” as quoted by The Kansas City Star. Reid also said there was “a good chance” cornerback Mansoor Delane would play, and Delane did play, delivering 10 tackles.
Beyond the active roster, Kansas City still has seven players on injured reserve or the physically unable to perform list, including linebacker Cooper McDonald, who is targeting a Week 7 return from a knee injury, and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, who is not expected back before Week 6 following ACL surgery. Reid’s clean postgame report Sunday, relayed by beat reporters covering the team, means none of those lists got any longer.
Andy Reid Announces Good Injury News After Chiefs’ 24-10 Win Over Dolphins