Chiefs Put Faith in Priest

Priest Holmes ended any doubts about his recovery from an injured hip. The Kansas City Chiefs’ running back is just fine.

Showing no ill effects from off-season hip surgery, Holmes rushed for two touchdowns and had 183 yards in total offense Sunday to lead the Chiefs past the Chargers, 27-14.

“Priest got us,” San Diego linebacker Ben Leber said. “We did a poor job of tackling him. But he had a lot to do with that.”

Holmes had touchdown runs of five and 24 yards and 159 total yards in the first half as the Chiefs built a 24-0 lead against their AFC West rivals.

“Nothing Priest does surprises me,” Chief guard Brian Waters said. “I heard the rumors last winter like everybody else that Priest might be done for. But when I talked to the man himself and he told me he was going to be OK, I believed him. Now I bet everybody else will believe him too.”

Holmes, who has led the NFL in yards from scrimmage each of the past two seasons, seemed confident from the beginning, showing his full repertoire of moves. He was the offensive player of the year for 2002 despite missing the final two games because of the hip injury.

Holmes refused to speak with reporters, but everybody else was talking about him.

“If there’s any questions about Priest Holmes’ hip, then I think that has been dispelled,” San Diego Coach Marty Schottenheimer said.

In another encouraging sign for the Chiefs, newcomer Vonnie Holliday sacked Drew Brees three times in the first half, supplying the outside pass rush Kansas City lacked while finishing last in total defense in 2002.

“Their front four put a lot of pressure and made me move around a lot and throw on the run,” Brees said.

Chief quarterback Trent Green, picking on the Chargers’ inexperienced secondary, completed 21 of 32 passes for 282 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown pass to Johnnie Morton.