Game report | Dominant defense allows Chiefs to hang on for ‘ein sieg’ in Germany

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Much of the talk all week centered on the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense having something to prove after a mile-high meltdown, but the defense also wanted to send a message against the NFL’s top-ranked offense in the first-ever regular-season game in Frankfurt, Germany.

The exclamation point during a first-half shutout en route to a 21-14 Chiefs win at Deutsche Bank Park came in the closing minute of the first half.

Tua Tagovailoa flipped a screen pass to Tyreek Hill, who famously played his first six seasons in Kansas City before he was traded to Miami.

Cornerback Trent McDuffie, who was among the players the Chiefs landed with draft picks from the Hill trade, shot past his would-be blocker and met Hill a few yards behind the line of scrimmage.

McDuffie then ripped the ball free from Hill for his NFL-leading fourth forced fumble of the season.

Veteran safety Mike Edwards scooped up the loose ball and pushed forward for a few yards before he lateraled the ball to fellow safety Bryan Cook, who dashed 59 yards down the sideline for a stunning defensive touchdown.

Miami failed to convert all five third-down tries and managed only 113 yards in the first half.

It was the first time in 40 games that the Dolphins were shut out for an entire half.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who played with his left hand taped up after it was cut when his foot was stepped on last week in Denver, did his part, too.

He finished the first half 14 of 19 for 147 yards with two touchdowns, one to Rashee Rice and another to Jerick McKinnon, as Kansas City racked up a 21-0 halftime lead.

“Offensively, we did some real nice things and then we sputtered at times, but I would tell you that first drive was a thing of beauty and the next touchdown was also a good job,” coach Andy Reid said.

With the win, the Chiefs improved to 7-2 and took control of the AFC race for the No. 1 seed, home-field advantage and a postseason bye.

Four AFC teams entered the week 6-2, including Kansas City, which has now beaten two of those other three teams (Jacksonville and Miami). Baltimore also entered the week 6-2, but both of its losses are in the conference.

It took the Dolphins more than 38 minutes to convert a first down and more than 40 minutes to score on Tagovailoa’s 31-yard touchdown to Cedrick Wilson Jr.

Mahomes fumbled on the next drive, his second lost fumble in as many weeks, as he tried to step up in the pocket on third-and-20.

Defensive end Bradley Chubb forced the ball free and Zach Sieler recovered it to set up Miami’s offense at the Kansas City 27-yard line.

The Chiefs appeared to have stopped the Dolphins to force a field-goal try before defensive tackle Chris Jones was flagged for unnecessary roughness after shoving a Miami offensive lineman well after the play.

Instead of fourth-and-10 at the 27-yard line, the Dolphins got a first down at the Chiefs’ 13-yard line, where Raheem Mostert scored one play later to trim the lead to 21-14.

That’s how the game finished thanks to a dominant Kansas City defense.

“That’s a great offense, and for them to be able to hold [Miami] to 14 points, where I fumbled in our own area for seven of those points, that’s a tremendous, tremendous job,” Mahomes said.

DREAM START ON OFFENSE: The Chiefs’ offense had a dream start.

Kansas City took the ball to start the game and marched straight to Miami’s end zone.

Mahomes went 5 for 6 for 71 yards, capping the drive with an 11-yard touchdown to Rashee Rice.

He completed passes to five different receivers — Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Travis Kelce, Skyy Moore, Noah Gray and Rice — on the drive.

The only incompletion was a throw to Justin Watson in the end zone, which originally was ruled a touchdown but was overturned on review.

On the heels of a touchdown-free loss in Denver, Mahomes and company couldn’t have scripted a better start — and quickly put to bed any concerns that jet lag would hamper the Chiefs.

Kansas City’s offense bogged down from there with only 31 yards on the next 13 plays across three drives that ended in punts, but the defense kept the Dolphins bottled up as the Chiefs won the first quarter 7-0.

The Chiefs ended that drought with a 13-play, 95-yard touchdown drive that devoured 8 minutes, 28 seconds in the second quarter before Mahomes found McKinnon for a 17-yard touchdown.

“You can see it in spurts,” said Mahomes, who finished 20 of 30 for 185 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. “You look at the first drive, you look at the 90-yard drive — you see that we can do it. It’s just about being consistent every single drive. Obviously, penalties and me not connecting with guys deep down the field hurt us. But luckily for us, the defense is playing their tail off and we got the win.”

GETTING DEFENSIVE: Miami led the NFL in passing offense and rushing offense entering the game.

It was pretty clearly Kansas City’s toughest test yet on defense, especially after giving up more than 20 points for the first time last week.

Against the Chiefs, the Dolphins totaled only 292 yards on offense, the second-fewest of the season, in finishing with a season-worst 14 points.

“I’m not going to slight our defense, but I wouldn’t have guessed that [it would be a defensive game],” Reid said. “There were typically two good offenses, that being the No. 1 offense in the NFL right now for the Dolphins. For the things that our defense did, that was a tremendous achievement. Obviously, we’ve got to keep it going.”

Every time the Chiefs' defense needed to make a play, Steve Spagnuolo's group rose to the occasion.

With a chance to tie the game, the Dolphins drove inside the Chiefs’ 40-yard line in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.

But Willie Gay Jr. diagnosed a stretch run to Salvon Ahmed for a 6-yard loss.

One play later, a blitzing McDuffie forced Tagovailoa up in the pocket and into defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton’s awaiting arms for an 11-yard sack that led to a punt.

After a three-and-out by Kansas City’s offense, Mostert opened the ensuing drive with two runs for 44 yards into Chiefs territory.

Tagovailoa then threw three straight incompletions before a bad snap on fourth down led to a 13-yard loss and turnover on downs.

Miami had called a timeout before the play.

The Chiefs showed all-out pressure coming out of the timeout before the botched snap.

“Defensively, what a first half and what a second half,” Reid said. “That fourth quarter was really something, which made it very exciting.”

HILL HELD IN CHECK: Hill finished with eight catches for 62 yards and a 3-yard run.

Kansas City kept "The Cheetah" out of the end zone — and his planned touchdown celebration on ice — in an impressive performance for the secondary.

Hill had racked up at least 72 yards from scrimmage in all but one game, a Week 2 win at New England, which limited him to five catches for 40 yards.

He'd totaled at least 112 yards from scrimmage in five of the other seven games, including last week's rematch with the Patriots.

But Hill only managed 65 total yards against his former team.

POINTLESS PENALTY GIFTS DOLPHINS A TD: Kansas City’s defense had stiffened after a Mahomes fumble set Miami up inside the 30-yard line.

Drue Tranquill and Jaylen Watson had tackled Jeff Wilson Jr. to force fourth-and-long — and a yield-goal try or desperation fourth-down gasp — early in the fourth quarter.

But there was a flag.

Well after Tagovailoa had thrown the pass, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who has now gone three games without a sack after having at least one in each of his first five games this season, shoved an offensive lineman.

The unnecessary roughness penalty gave Miami new life and it turned into an easy touchdown one play later, cutting Kansas City’s lead to 21-14.

INJURY REPORT: Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. had been questionable with a lower-back injury, but he gutted his way through the game.

Gay finished with four tackles, including one for a loss, in the win.

Reid said there were no other injuries to report, "which is a good thing."

Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle briefly left the game with a knee injury. He returned after one series but wasn’t much of a factor.

The Dolphins lost right guard Robert Jones to a knee injury in the fourth quarter.

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