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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The last Kansas City quarterback to
throw five touchdown passes in one game went to the Hall of Fame.
|  | | Kansas City quarterback Elvis Grbac threw a team-record five TD passes, three of them to Sylvester Morris, in Sunday's rout of San Diego. |
Elvis Grbac was happy just to get out of the doghouse.
"If anybody in Kansas City deserves to be the man around here
it's Elvis Grbac," center Tim Grunhard said after Grbac's five TD
passes led the Chiefs to a 42-10 victory over winless San Diego.
"He's taken more than anybody has ever taken in the history of
this organization. Five touchdowns? Are you kidding me? I'm proud
to snap the ball to him."
After having a first-quarter interception returned for a
touchdown and falling behind 10-0, the oft-maligned Grbac was
showered with boos for the second straight home game.
Then he turned all the boos to cheers by coolly throwing five TD
passes, including three to rookie Sylvester Morris. It was the
first time a Chiefs quarterback threw five TD passes since Len
Dawson in 1967.
The unflappable Grbac merely praised his offensive line.
"It was execution. That's what it was," he said. "When a
quarterback throws for five touchdowns, you've got a lot of fine
offensive line play. They gave me the opportunity."
The 6-foot-3 Morris, taken in the first round out of Jackson
State, had six catches for 112 yards.
"It was a great day," he said. "We just wanted to take
advantage of what San Diego gave us. We got down 10-0 earlier, but
Elvis got us in the huddle and he composed us."
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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After leading 10-0 in the first quarter, the Chargers would not score again -- and the Chiefs would score 42 straight points.
This was a huge game for quarterback Elvis Grbac. He threw six touchdown passes -- five to his team and one to the Chargers. Grbac's performance is what Kansas City needed. The Chiefs had been in an offensive funk before this week.
The Chiefs were also able to get their running game going a bit, rushing for 117 yards -- which is a marked improvement from what they did the last two weeks.
Last year the Chiefs had one of the most dangerous running games in the league, averaging over 130 yards per game. But their production was way off this year. To a degree, they got back on track today.
For the Chargers, it was not a good offensive performance. They switched quarterbacks in an effort to spark their offense, but Moses Moreno was under a heavy siege all day and was sacked five times.
The Chargers have also not been able to run the football effectively this year. Moreno was their leading rusher this week with 20 yards.
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Riddling a Chargers secondary weakened by injuries to cornerback
DeRon Jenkins and safety Jason Perry, Grbac was 20-of-33 for 235
yards.
Moses Moreno, making his first start for San Diego, was 11-of-22
for 107 yards before leaving the game late in the third quarter
with a shoulder injury.
"I had the ball in my right hand," Moreno said. "I went down
face first. The guys came out at me and I heard a pop. Then the
pain started."
The Chiefs (1-2) had six sacks, five on Moreno and one on Ryan
Leaf, who replaced Moreno late in the third period and fared no
better than on his last visit to Arrowhead Stadium.
Leaf, who was 1-for-15 for 4 yards as a rookie in Kansas City in
1998, completed his first two passes but his third went straight to
linebacker Lew Bush. The former Chargers player returned it 33
yards to the Kansas City 43. A moment later, Morris made a leaping
catch in the corner of the end zone to put the Chiefs on top 35-10.
"We're playing without two guys who were projected as our
starters," San Diego coach Mike Riley said. "When the defense is
on the field so much, all the parts that have to help the corners
get tired."
After spotting the Chargers 10 points in a mistake-filled first
period, the Chiefs quickly took complete control. Counting an 0-4
preseason, Kansas City had lost eight in a row, going without a win
since last Dec. 18.
The game was less than five minutes old when Mike Dumas stepped
in front of Kevin Lockett to intercept Grbac's pass and return it
56 yards for the score, triggering a shower of boos.
Then John Carney's 54-yard field goal gave San Diego a 10-0 lead
with 1:19 left in the first period.
Morris scored his first NFL touchdown on a 36-yard pass five
minutes into the second quarter. His 23-yard reception and a pass
interference penalty on Scott Turner led to Tony Richardson's
1-yard scoring catch at the end of the half.
Morris beat Darryl Lewis in the end zone on a 9-yard pass midway
through the third period, and Grbac found a wide-open Troy Drayton
for a 2-yard scoring pass that made it 28-10 in the third.
Rookie Frank Moreau scored on a 1-yard run with 1:57 left for
the final score in the game that left the Chargers 0-3 for the
first time since 1992.
"Elvis is good," San Diego safety Rodney Harrison said. "But
I didn't see our secondary getting burned like that today. That
rookie is good. But I'm surprised they were able to move it like
that."
Game notes
The first quarter lasted 48 minutes, including a combined
six penalties and two timeouts. ... Grbac completed his first pass
of the second quarter, the 1,500th attempt of his career. ...
Kansas City RB Tony Richardson broke an 18-yard run for his longest
run of the season, and his second-quarter touchdown reception was
his second of the season and sixth of his career.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
San Diego Clubhouse
Kansas City Clubhouse
Week 3 wrap-ups
Week 3 infirmary report
TJ's Take on Week 3
Week 3 stats leaders
Prime Time Players
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