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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Anyone from the Detroit Lions trying to
talk Barry Sanders out of retirement should hide this game film
from him.
Detroit's patchwork offensive line spent much of the day getting
whipped by Kansas City's defense as the Chiefs seized a 24-7 lead
en route to a 31-21 victory Sunday that kept the Lions from their
first 3-0 start since 1980.
|  | | Lions running back Ron Rivers fights through a tackle attempt by Chiefs safety Reggie Tongue. |
"We played well. We played with a lot of emotion," said
defensive lineman Ty Parten, whose hit on quarterback Charlie Batch
caused an interception that led to Kansas City's last touchdown.
"The defensive line played together as a unit and really got on
the ball."
The Lions (2-1) appeared to miss their superstar running back,
who unexpectedly retired at the beginning of training camp, for the
first time.
In their first six possessions, the Lions were sacked three
times, had a pass batted down, were penalized twice and punted five
times. The Detroit offense only seemed to come to life on a few big
plays that led to their three TDs, including one with only 2:11 to
play.
"We came in here anticipating they would put pressure on us,
and that's what they did," Batch said. "It really was up to us to
go out there and make it happen, and we didn't do it."
Elvis Grbac threw two touchdown passes as the Chiefs (2-1), who
were down to their third-team halfback throughout the second half,
won their second in a row and got TDs from four different players.
"I think everybody is getting comfortable," said wide receiver
Joe Horn, whose diving fingertip catch of Grbac's 25-yard scoring
pass put the Chiefs on top 24-7 with 5:00 left in the third. "We
know we are capable of doing anything we set out to do."
With two new starters on the offensive line, Batch was sacked
four times, intercepted twice and had two passes batted away.
It was 31-13 before Batch threw a short pass to Ron Rivers, who
weaved his way 31 yards for a TD with 2:11 left. Batch wound up
16-of-34 for 213 yards.
"They've got four great pass rushers out there. Derrick Thomas,
Chester McGlockton, Leslie O'Neal and Dan Williams," Detroit coach
Bobby Ross said. "All of them No. 1 draft choices and none of them
young kids. They all know what's going on out there."
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GAME NOTES |
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Dan Williams had two sacks, his first multisack game since Dec. 14, 1997. Williams, then playing for Denver, recorded two sacks
against San Diego on that date.
With a 37-yard catch in the
first quarter, Derrick Alexander now has catches of at least 30 yards in
all three of Kansas City's games this season.
The touchdowns by Sedrick Irvin and Rashaan Shehee were the first of their careers.
John Jett's
62-yard punt from the Lions' end zone was the longest of his
career.
At halftime, Kansas City honored its former players,
including members of the Super Bowl IV championship team. Hank
Stram, the coach of that team, was also honored.
The Chiefs are 3-0 against the Lions in the 1990s and 5-1 against Detroit in Kansas City.
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Grbac's 37-yard strike to Derrick Alexander set up the Chiefs'
first touchdown, a 15-yard pass to tight end Tony Gonzalez, who
caught the ball at the 5 and broke tackles by Mark Carrier and
Andre Collins.
"It was just a simple option route," said Gonzalez, the
third-year tight end who caught 7 passes for 72 yards. "The
linebacker tried to overplay it, and he could only leg-tackle me
then. I was able to pull through."
After Sedrick Irvin's 16-yard TD run tied it 7-7 in the second
quarter, Rashaan Shehee put the Chiefs ahead 14-7 with 4:18 left in
the half with a 6-yard run, shaking off Carrier's lunging tackle at
the corner of the end zone. Donnell Bennett set it up with a
career-long 44-yard run in which Carrier made a touchdown-saving
tackle.
At the end of the half, the Chiefs moved 57 yards in 10 plays to
position Pete Stoyanovich's 51-yard field goal for a 17-7 lead.
The Lions started three of their first four possessions of the
second half at their own 2, 7 and 10, but Kansas City made use of
the ensuing field position for only one touchdown.
Grbac moved the Chiefs 48 yards in just four plays, capped by
Joe Horn's 25-yard fingertip catch as he stretched into the end
zone, to go ahead 24-7 with 5:00 left in the third.
"We had trouble getting going because we didn't get field
position early in the second half," said Ross.
The Lions had two new starters on an offensive line that's been
in a state of flux all year.
"That makes it difficult to get any continuity," Ross said.
Cris Dishman's interception of Batch's fluttering pass was
quickly followed by Bennett's 7-yard TD run, putting the Chiefs
ahead 31-13 with 10:38 to play.
With 1:24 left in the third quarter, Batch hit Walter Rasby with
a 3-yard touchdown pass.
On the Lions' first TD drive, Rivers burst over the middle for a
37-yard run in which he broke seven tackles.
The Chiefs were down to their third-team halfback in the second
half when Bam Morris, starting in place of Kimble Anders, went out
with a hamstring injury.
Grbac, greeted with scattered boos before the game, was
20-for-29 for 235 yards and no interceptions.
"I did what I had to do," Grbac said. "As a quarterback in
this system, we want to run the ball and we have to establish the
run. When they did shut it down, we did come up with some big plays
in the passing game off play action."
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Detroit Clubhouse
Kansas City Clubhouse
NFL Week 3 wrap-ups
Week 3 infirmary report
TJ's Take: Titanic development
Week 3 PrimeTime Players
Week 3 stats leaders
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