(AP) The Kansas City Chiefs appear to have another offensive weapon after opening their Super Bowl title defense with a 34-20 win over the Houston Texans.
Rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire (heh-LEHR’) ran through the rain for 138 yards and a touchdown in his first game since the Chiefs grabbed him in the first round of the NFL draft out of LSU. The pint-sized dynamo unleashed a wicked stutter-step before running 27 yards for his first career TD.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ aerial attack is as potent as it was during their Super Bowl run. Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes (mah-HOHMZ’) Jr. threw for 211 yards, including scoring strikes to Travis Kelce (KEHL’-see), Sammy Watkins and Tyreek Hill.
The Chiefs have won 10 straight dating to last season, including their come-from-behind 51-31 victory over the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score, but he also was under relentless pressure and was intercepted once. David Johnson provided the biggest bright spot for Houston, running for 77 yards and a score.
The game was attended by a socially-distanced crowd of about 17,000 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Chiefs lined up along the goal line about 30 minutes before kickoff and watched a video of Alicia Keyes performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is often considered the Black national anthem.
The Texans had already left the field when the demonstration occurred. They remained there until R&B duo Chloe x Halle finished a virtual performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” then ran onto the field to a chorus of boos from fans.
