Eight Touchdowns Are a Rush

Neither 12 years in the league nor nine trips to the Pro Bowl could prepare Willie Roaf for what he did, saw and felt on this history-making day.

Shredding what had been the NFL’s leading defense against the run, Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock each scored four rushing touchdowns Sunday in a stunning 56-10 defeat of Atlanta (5-2). The eight touchdowns on the ground set an NFL record.

Down 3-0 in the opening minutes, the Chiefs (2-4) roared back with a 35-0 blitz and totaled 271 yards rushing against a defense that had led the league with an average yield of only 74.5 yards on the ground.

“To go out and break an NFL record against a 5-1 football team is just unbelievable,” said Roaf, the Pro Bowl left tackle.

Holmes scored on runs of one, two, two and 15 yards in the first half. He was stopped only a couple of feet short of what would have been his fifth rushing touchdown.

Holmes, who set the NFL record last year with 27 touchdowns rushing, then left because of a mild ankle sprain. But all Holmes’ injury did was unleash backup Blaylock against the Atlanta defense. Blaylock, who had a seven-yard touchdown in the first half, immediately scored on a one-yard run after Holmes was injured. He added touchdown runs of three yards, then two yards in a game in which the Chiefs recorded a team-record 36 first downs.

Much of the yardage was behind Roaf and left guard Brian Waters.

“They had, like, the No. 1 rushing defense,” Blaylock said. “But once we started moving the ball on them, we just kept moving the ball.” Holmes had 139 yards in 22 carries, and Blaylock had 90 in 19.

Altogether, the Chiefs amassed 540 yards in handing the Falcons their second-most lopsided loss.

“We didn’t have an answer for anything they did,” said linebacker Keith Brooking.

Holmes’ four rushing touchdowns in a half tied the NFL record and also are the most in a game against the Falcons.