KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Starting the season with two uneven performances, the Kanas City Chiefs wanted a fundamental sound outing against the New York Jets. They got just that, with a 24-3 turnover-fueled victory Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Sept. 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO; Chiefs rookie cornerback Marcus Peters celebrates after a pick-6 touchdown against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. (Chris Neal/The Topeka Capital Journal)
The offense did not show much flash, but it did show efficiency and productivity, scoring 17 points off Jets turnovers. Alex Smith finished the day 25-of-33 passing for 237 yards and a touchdown. Spencer Ware led the Chiefs in rushing with 75 yards on 20 carries.
It was the Chiefs (2-1) defense that did the heavy lifting, generating eight turnovers. The Chiefs forced turnovers early often and in every way imaginable. The Jets (1-2) picked up yards late to make their output look respectable, but the vising offense rarely threatened, and when they did the Chiefs defense responded with a takeaway.
Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters started the trend by intercepting a Ryan Fitzpatrick pass late in the first quarter to set his team up at the Jets’ 35-yard line. Four plays later Smith found tight end Travis Kelce for a 12-yard touchdown reception, giving the Chiefs a lead they would never relinquish.
The Jets surrendered the ball again on their next possession, setting the tone for the day. Running back Bilal Powell fumbled after catching a short pass, and cornerback Eric Murray recovered at the Chiefs 47-yard line. That setup a 27-yard field by Cairo Santos.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Jets inconceivably fumbled again. Jalin Marshall returned the kickoff to the 23-yard line before a hit by Anthony Sherman forced the ball free. Demetrius Harris scooped the ball up on the run and took it 27-yards untouched for a Chiefs score.
Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson finished the scoring in the fourth quarter, returning another Fitzpatrick interception 55 yards for a touchdown
Peters picked up another interception late in the game, giving him a league-leading four interceptions on the season.
The games only glitz came from Chiefs defense, which the Chiefs shut down the high-scoring Jets offense. New York mustered only 305 yards on offense, with much of that coming in fourth quarter with the game no longer in doubt.
Fitzpatrick finished the game 20-of-44 passing for 188 yards and six interceptions. The Jets also turned over the ball via a fumble twice, for a total of eight turnovers.
