Patrick Mahomes Throws Five Touchdowns and Emmett Johnson Scores Twice in a 35-13 Road Rout

Patrick Mahomes spent the week fielding questions about his elbow. On Sunday in Atlanta, he answered them the most convincing way a quarterback can, five times.

Mahomes threw for 348 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, fifth-round pick Emmett Johnson scored twice while filling in for the injured Kenneth Walker III, and the Kansas City Chiefs pulled away from the Atlanta Falcons 35-13 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kansas City is 7-2. Atlanta falls to 3-7.

A Quiet Half, Then a Flood

The Chiefs scored on their opening drive, with Mahomes finding Johnson for a 12-yard touchdown. After that, the offense sputtered for most of the half, and Atlanta was still within reach until Josh Downs changed the mood. Playing his first game since Kansas City acquired him at the trade deadline, Downs hauled in an 18-yard back-shoulder touchdown with 18 seconds left before halftime. It was 14-3 at the break.

The second half belonged to the newcomers. In the third quarter, Mahomes hit rookie Cyrus Allen, another fifth-round pick, for a 39-yard score, the first touchdown of Allen's career, and the lead grew to 18. Johnson then caught his second touchdown, a 6-yarder with 9:55 left in the fourth quarter, to make it 28-3. A 50-yard gain by Rashee Rice set up one of Johnson's scores on an 87-yard drive.

Atlanta finally found the end zone in the fourth quarter when Bijan Robinson ran in from 3 yards out for his seventh touchdown of the season. The Falcons then recovered an onside kick and pulled within 28-13, but the comeback window closed fast. Mahomes went deep to Andrew Armstrong for a 43-yard touchdown that settled the final margin.

Johnson Carries the Load

With Walker sidelined by a groin injury, Johnson took over the backfield and made it look routine. He ran for more than 90 yards and caught six passes for 70 more, scoring both of his touchdowns through the air. Downs finished with four catches for 53 yards and also handled punt returns. Mahomes spread his 22 completions across eight different receivers.

There was one early scare. Travis Kelce left in the first quarter with an ankle injury after a 23-yard catch on the Chiefs' first drive, but Kelce returned to the game.

The Numbers Behind It

• 5 touchdown passes for Mahomes, his first five-touchdown game since 2022 and the seventh of his career.
• 3 players in NFL history with more five-touchdown games than Mahomes: Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
• 2 touchdown catches for Johnson, part of a six-catch, 70-yard day as a receiver.
• 109 receiving yards for Drake London on six catches, Atlanta's brightest spot.
• 0 interceptions for Mahomes. Michael Penix Jr. threw for 286 yards with one pick.

What It Means

Kansas City has its seventh win and an offense that suddenly has more options. Downs fit in immediately, Allen and Armstrong reached the end zone, and Johnson showed he can carry the run game while Walker heals. The Chiefs host the Arizona Cardinals next week and then face the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving.

Atlanta's offense was largely quiet for three quarters, and Penix needed 43 attempts to reach 286 yards. London was evaluated for a concussion late in the game. The Falcons head into their bye and return on Nov. 29 at the Minnesota Vikings.

Back on Script

For a week, the conversation around Kansas City was about whether its quarterback was hurting. By the end of Sunday, it was about how many people he could find in the end zone.

Game details and stats as reported by Pro Football Talk, Athlon Sports, Arrowhead Addict, Yahoo Sports, NFL.com and KMBC.