Chiefs Go the Rout Behind Grbac’s Five Scoring Passes

The last Kansas City quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a game went to the Hall of Fame.

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 touchdown 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 consecutive home game.

Then he turned all the boos to cheers by coolly throwing five touchdown passes, including three to rookie Sylvester Morris. It was the first time a Chief quarterback threw five touchdown passes since Len Dawson in 1967.

The unflappable Grbac 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 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.”

Riddling a Charger secondary weakened because of injuries to cornerback DeRon Jenkins and safety Jason Perry, Grbac completed 20 of 33 passes for 235 yards.

Moses Moreno, making his first start for San Diego, completed 11 of 22 passes for 107 yards before leaving late in the third quarter because of 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 quarter and fared no better than when he made his last visit to Arrowhead Stadium.

Leaf, who was one for 15 for four yards as a rookie in Kansas City in 1998, completed his first two passes but his third went to linebacker Lew Bush. The former Charger 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 ahead, 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.”