Chiefs Back Home, Back on the Offensive, 28-7

John Mackovic’s Kansas City Chiefs have to visit Seattle this season, and after last week’s 31-0 beating at Miami, Mackovic knows life on the road in the NFL is no vacation.

That’s why Mackovic downplayed Sunday’s 28-7 victory over the Seahawks in a cold, steady rain at Arrowhead Stadium.

“We had some opportunities and some good breaks,” Mackovic said. “I didn’t think it was as one-sided as the score. The weather really played a factor. Seattle is a good football team.”

Bill Kenney threw two touchdown passes to Stephone Paige, and safety Deron Cherry tied an NFL record shared by 15 others with four interceptions as the Chiefs (3-1) had seven turnovers to deal the Seahawks (2-2) their second straight defeat.

Seattle was coming off a 35-24 setback to the Rams at home Monday night.

“You’re not going to beat anybody with seven turnovers,” Seattle Coach Chuck Knox said. “It’s a tough way to start if you leave the ball laying out there.

“We just didn’t get it done. We didn’t give ourselves a chance early in the game.”

Paige, getting a rare start in place of the injured Carlos Carson, caught scoring passes of 34 yards in the first quarter and eight yards in the third quarter.

Greg Hill’s interception of a Dave Krieg pass and his 37-yard return set up Kenney’s touchdown run in the final minute of the first half to give Kansas City a 21-0 lead. Cherry’s second interception midway through the third quarter set up Paige’s second touchdown for a 28-0 advantage.

The Seahawks moved inside the Kansas City 30 on three consecutive possessions in the second quarter but failed to score because of an end-zone interception by Cherry, a fumble by Curt Warner and a missed field goal when Norm Johnson hit the upright on a 44-yard attempt.

Seattle broke Kansas City’s shutout on a 35-yard pass from Krieg to Daryl Turner in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Krieg threw his fourth interception and the third to Cherry on the opening play of the fourth quarter, and was relieved by rookie Gale Gilbert, formerly of Cal.

The Chiefs’ first touchdown was set up by a fumbled punt by Seattle’s Danny Greene, who fumbled Jim Arnold’s 61-yard punt. Kansas City’s Bruce King recovered on the five and Herman Heard scored from the two.

The Chiefs drove 87 yards with their next possession to score on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Kenney to Paige. Kenney also completed passes of 24 yards to Paige and 21 yards to Henry Marshall in the 7-play drive.

On Seattle’s fourth possession of the second period, Hill intercepted Krieg’s pass at midfield and returned it 37 yards to the 13. Kenney capped the scoring drive with a one-yard sneak.

Kansas City twice held in its own end on fourth-down attempts by the Seahawks in the third quarter.

On 4th-and-3 from the Kansas City 8, Turner caught Krieg’s pass out of the end zone. On 4th-and-9 from the 25, Bill Maas knocked down Krieg’s pass.