Josh Downs Shines with Mahomes, Chiefs After Trade, Box Score Stats & Highlights vs. Falcons

The Josh Downs era in Kansas City started with a victory.

After acquiring the wide receiver from the Indianapolis Colts via trade, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Atlanta Falcons 35-13 in Sunday's game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Downs wasted no time announcing his presence with a touchdown catch, which helped Patrick Mahomes put on a clinic as the Chiefs improved to 7-2 on the season with a second straight win.

Passing
Notable Fantasy Players	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
Patrick Mahomes, KC	22/35	348	5	0
Michael Penix Jr., ATL	23/43	286	0	1
Rushing
Notable Fantasy Players	CAR	YDS	TD
Emmett Johnson, KC	22	101	0
Patrick Mahomes, KC	2	15	0
Bijan Robinson, ATL	16	71	1
Receiving
Notable Fantasy Players	REC	YDS	TD	TGTS
Rashee Rice, KC	5	82	0	6
Emmett Johnson, KC	6	70	2	7
Josh Downs, KC	4	53	1	5
Cyrus Allen, KC	2	44	1	4
Andrew Armstrong, KC	1	43	1	1
Drake London, ATL	6	109	0	12
Jahan Dotson, ATL	3	63	0	6
Kyle Pitts Sr., ATL	4	50	0	5
Bijan Robinson, ATL	4	6	0	5

As for the Falcons, they fell to 3-7 with their third consecutive loss and struggled to contain Downs and Emmett Johnson with Mahomes in control.

All eyes were on Downs in his first game with the Chiefs, especially after he and Mahomes had a notable interaction after the trade. The receiver also became all the more important in the aerial attack when tight end Travis Kelce exited with an ankle injury in the first quarter.

And he delivered in the early going.

Downs hauled in a 21-yard reception in the first quarter and then completely found his footing by the second quarter with a first-down catch in Atlanta territory that helped set up his own touchdown reception in the final minute before halftime.

Kansas City took a 14-3 lead into the locker room in large part because of his presence, as he took advantage of space in the middle of the field when Atlanta was too focused on Rashee Rice and then used his speed and contested-catch ability in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown.

The Chiefs surely envisioned exactly that when they traded for him, especially with Tyquan Thornton sidelined.

It wasn't all Downs, as Johnson filled in admirably for the injured Kenneth Walker III in the backfield. His speed made him a threat every time he touched the ball, and the Chiefs also got him involved in the aerial attack a number of times.

One of those catches went for a touchdown, further stretching the Atlanta defense even before Kelce returned in the second half to give Mahomes another weapon.

The second half was all about the Chiefs pulling away with the defense forcing a turnover on downs to set up a deep ball from Mahomes to Cyrus Allen for a touchdown before Johnson caught another touchdown after a 50-yard reception from Rice.

Atlanta attempted to make a late push with a Bijan Robinson touchdown, recovered onside kick and added a field goal, but it was to no avail as Mahomes put the game away with a long touchdown strike to Andrew Armstrong.

As a result, Kansas City has plenty of momentum heading into a home game against the Arizona Cardinals, while the Falcons will look to turn things around on their bye.