Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs get past early mistakes to beat Jaguars, avoid 0-2 start

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes, including one to returning star Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame three early turnovers to beat Jacksonville 17-9 on Sunday for their third victory against the Jaguars in 10 months.

The Chiefs (1-1) won their eighth straight in the series and avoided becoming the first Super Bowl champions to start 0-2 since Denver in 1999.

The Jaguars (1-1), who insisted all week they owed the Chiefs because of a loss in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in January, pretty much no-showed in their home opener.

Coach Doug Pederson’s team had another slow start, failed to capitalize on two of three turnovers and struggled to protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence threw incomplete on a fourth-and-12 play with 4:16 remaining in an eight-point game, and Kansas City didn’t let the Jaguars get the ball back.

Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, making his season debut after ending his holdout and signing a one-year contract, dominated his one-on-one matchups. Jones finished with 1 1/2 sacks on five QB pressures.

COMMANDERS 35, BRONCOS 33

DENVER (AP) — Sam Howell threw for two touchdowns and Washington rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Denver, holding on after Russell Wilson connected with Brandon Johnson on a 50-yard Hail Mary but failed to complete the tying 2-point try.

Washington cornerback Benjamin St-Juste broke up Wilson’s pass to Courtland Sutton on the 2-point conversion attempt. St-Juste appeared to get away with pass interference, but no flag was thrown and the Commanders celebrated the franchise’s first 2-0 start since 2011.

Howell threw for 299 yards on on 27-of-39 passing in his first road start and led Washington to the second-biggest comeback in franchise history. Washington overcame a 21-point deficit to beat Detroit on Nov. 4, 1990.

The Commanders trailed 21-3 in the second quarter. Brian Robinson Jr. ran for two scores during a 32-6 scoring outburst before the Broncos made it interesting at the very end.

With 2 seconds left and the Broncos trailing 35-27, Wilson heaved a pass toward the end zone that was deflected by a scrum of players before Johnson snared it for the score.

The Broncos (0-2) have lost back-to-back home games for the first time, not the kind of history coach Sean Payton was hoping to make in his return to the sideline.

RAVENS 27, BENGALS 24

CINCINNATI (AP) — Lamar Jackson tossed two touchdown passes, Gus Edwards ran for another score and Baltimore held off slow-starting Cincinnati.

The AFC North champion Bengals fell to 0-2 for the second consecutive season. The Ravens (2-0), their division rival, certainly looked like the better team.

Jackson was 24 for 33 for 237 yards. He ran for 54 more, and Edwards — with more chances because of a season-ending Achilles tendon injury to J.K. Dobbins — picked up 62 yards on 10 carries.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, looking as if he might still be suffering the effects of a calf injury in training camp, finished 27 for 41 for 222 yards and two TDs after passing for just 86 last week in the season-opening loss to Cleveland.

Burrow hooked up with Tee Higgins for a 4-yard touchdown on third-and-goal to cut the deficit to three with 3:28 left in the game.

But the Bengals couldn’t stop Jackson and the Ravens’ offense, which moved the chains twice after the ensuing kickoff to run out the clock.

SEAHAWKS 37, LIONS 31, OT

DETROIT (AP) — Geno Smith threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett on the opening drive of overtime, lifting Seattle past Detroit.

The Seahawks (1-1) allowed the Lions (1-1) to rally from a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter. Detroit extended the game with Riley Patterson’s 38-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.

Smith threw a go-ahead, 3-yard touchdown pass to Lockett early in the fourth. Tre Brown intercepted Jared Goff and returned it 40 yards for a score on the ensuring drive to give Seattle a 31-21 lead.

Goff showed his resilience after throwing his first interception in 383 attempts — 30 shy of the NFL record — by throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds.

Detroit forced Seattle to punt on the ensuing possession, sacking Smith for the first and only time when Alex Anzalone tracked him down at the 3. That set up the tying field goal.

But the Seahawks won the overtime coin toss and Smith marched them 75 yards in nine plays for the game-ending score. Smith finished 32 of 41 for 328 yards and two touchdowns.

Goff went 28 of 35 for 323 yards, three touchdowns and the one costly pick.

TITANS 27, CHARGERS 24, OT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nick Folk kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime in a sudden downpour and Tennessee beat Los Angeles to snap an eight-game skid.

The Titans (1-1) won for the first time since last Nov. 17 at Green Bay. They had to rally from an 11-point deficit, at which point the Chargers had more points than Tennessee had yards (8).

Ryan Tannehill rebounded from the worst game of his career in the opener by throwing for 246 yards. He put Tennessee up 24-21 with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. He also ran for a touchdown and started the game-winning drive with a 49-yard toss to Chris Moore.

Derrick Henry rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown.

The Chargers fell to 0-2 for the first time since 2017. Justin Herbert threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns to Keenan Allen. With the ball and 2:22 left in regulation, he was sacked by Harold Landry, forcing the Chargers to settle for Cameron Dicker’s third field goal of the game to force overtime.

Los Angeles won the OT coin toss, but Herbert threw three straight incompletions.