Chiefs have fun in rout – Kansas City 48, Miami 30

Green tosses five TD passes three to Gonzalez as offense gets on track

? This would be a good week for Trent Green bashers to give it a rest.

With his finest game since 1999, when knee surgery nearly wrecked his career, Green threw five touchdown passes, three to Tony Gonzalez, leading Kansas City past previously unbeaten Miami 48-30 Sunday.

He even ran for 48 yards and threw a textbook block on Priest Holmes’ TD run.

“It’s fun to have a day like that,” said Green, who was 24-of-34 for 328 yards. The man who threw an NFL-high 24 interceptions last year and is constantly criticized did not get picked off once.

“Throw the block in there and that makes it that much more enjoyable,” he said with a grin.

The high-flying offense of the Chiefs (2-2) scored 38 the week before against New England’s respected defense and has been held under that total just once in four games. In their first three games, the Dolphins had allowed an average of 12.3 points.

Safety Greg Wesley intercepted three of Jay Fiedler’s passes in the final eight minutes, setting up the final 10 points for the underdog Chiefs, who had lost five in a row to the Dolphins (3-1).

“It was just a frustrating day and a humbling experience,” said Miami safety Brock Marion, who was draped all over Gonzalez when he made his third touchdown catch.

Added Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas, “I didn’t expect their passing game to be that good.”

Gonzalez, the All-Pro tight end who missed all of training camp, caught seven balls for 140 yards. He set the tone early with a 30-yard gain to set up his own 9-yard TD reception.

“It was something we saw on film, where the guy covers me man-to-man and the middle of the field is wide open,” he said. “We saw (5-foot-11) Zach Thomas isn’t that tall and I’m able to jump over him.”

Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez, center, pulls down a touchdown pass in front of Miami's Arturo Freeman, right, and Morton Greenwood. The KC tight end had three TDs in the Chiefs' 48-30 victory Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Running backs Ricky Williams and Holmes, in the meantime, were almost relegated to bit players on a day that featured 849 yards of offense.

Miami’s Williams rushed for 66 yards, including a 3-yard TD run. Holmes caught six passes for 63 yards and ran for 52, including a 25-yard TD burst.

“We knew facing a team like Kansas City that we really would need to step up our play today,” said Williams.

Leading 38-30 after Fiedler’s 6-yard TD pass to Rob Konrad, the Chiefs made it 41-30 on Morten Andersen’s 24-yard field goal after Wesley’s first interception.

Less than two minutes later, Green hit Billy Baber on a 3-yard TD pass.

“A couple of those were gifts, but I’m glad to take them,” said Wesley.

The Chiefs took a 31-16 lead early in the third on Green’s perfectly thrown pass to Gonzalez. The ball floated just over the reach of cornerback Sam Madson, then the 6-5, 250-pound Gonzalez broke Arturo Freeman’s tackle on the 5 for a 42-yard scoring play.

Kansas City defensive end Eric Hicks, right, registers a fourth-quarter sack of Miami quarterback Jay Fiedler. The Chiefs beat the Dolphins, 48-30, on Sunday in Kansas City, Mo.

Then came Williams’ 3-yard scoring run. But Green carried 16 yards to the Miami 8 and then threw a dart to Gonzalez in the end zone.

The Dolphins, looking for their first 4-0 start in seven years, needed only four plays to go 52 yards on their first possession, capped by Fiedler’s 1-yard TD plunge.

Then Green and Gonzalez went to work, capping an 11-play, 83-yard march with a 9-yard TD pass to the tight end.

A moment later, Marvcus Patton recovered Williams’ fumble on the Miami 36 and set up Andersen’s 50-yard field goal.

The Chiefs took a 17-10 lead when Green threw a pancake block on Freeman, springing Holmes for his 25-yard run.

“I just had him off-balance. Believe me, it’s not because I’m bigger and stronger than he is,” Green said.

Eric Warfield intercepted Fiedler’s tipped pass midway through the second quarter and Green after pass interference and roughing-the-passer penalties on consecutive plays threw an 8-yard scoring pass to Johnnie Morton.

Orlindo Mare kicked field goals of 42, 29 and 25 yards in the third period for the Dolphins.

Fiedler was 29-of-45 for 310 yards and one TD. He was intercepted four times by an embattled defense ranked last in the league.

Notes: It was the biggest sports day in Kansas City area history, with NASCAR’s Winston Cup race drawing about 80,000 at Kansas Speedway, along with a paid attendance of 78,178 for the Dolphins-Chiefs game. … Miami’s double-overtime win on Christmas Day 1971 is still the longest game in NFL history: 82 minutes, 40 seconds. … Miami cornerback Patrick Surtain was not active for the second straight week with a bruised knee. … Wesley is the third Chief with three interceptions in a game, the first since Albert Lewis in 1991.