CNN/SI: Foster, Panthers run over Chiefs in Kansas City

[Hel'n]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- DeShaun Foster did not just sub for the injured Stephen Davis, he came within 4 yards of erasing Davis' team record for yards rushing in a game.

Running around and through Kansas City's soft defense, Foster carried 32 times for 174 yards, including a team-record 71-yard burst, in leading the defending NFC Panthers to a 28-17 victory.

After his 71-yard gallop, Foster went 3 yards for the clinching TD. His total was just 4 yards short of the team record held by Davis, who is out indefinitely with a knee sprain he sustained in practice last week.

The defending NFC champions (1-1) came in missing their top two offensive threats -- Davis and wide receiver Steve Smith -- but had little trouble with Kansas City's poor-tackling and mistake-prone defense.

Foster, who also played well in two games in relief of Smith a year ago, was caught at the end of his 71-yarder by Eric Warfield, whose 43-yard interception return had given the Chiefs their second TD a few minutes before.

But Foster went over left tackle on the next play to give the Panthers a 28-17 lead.

The Chiefs, who won the AFC West last year and finished 13-3, are 0-2 and show little sign of improving one of the league's sorriest defenses.

Jake Delhomme threw three touchdown passes for the Panthers, including a 3-yard heave in the first quarter on the sort of play that normally gets a quarterback fined, or at least chewed out.

On second down from the 3, linebacker Monty Beisel came charging in on a blitz, got a hand on Delhomme's jersey and spun him completely around. But as Delhomme was about to be slammed to the turf, he heaved a floater in the direction of the end zone. Tight end Kris Mangum, who was left uncovered, cradled the ball for a TD that made the crowd groan.

The Panthers, who lost their opener to Green Bay, took a 14-10 lead with a time-consuming 80-yard drive in the third quarter. They converted four third downs on the drive, including Delhomme's 9-yard touchdown pass to Keary Colbert, subbing for Smith.

A few minutes later, Warfield intercepted Delhomme's pass and sped 43 yards, stiff-arming the Carolina quarterback on the 12 to get into the end zone for a 17-14 Chiefs lead that lasted only a few minutes.

Given good field position by a 15-yard celebration penalty against the Chiefs, the Panthers marched 56 yards in eight plays and regained the lead on Delhomme's 1-yard TD pass to Mike Seidman.

The Chiefs, whose receiving corps already was thinned by injuries to Kris Wilson and Marc Boerigter, lost wide receiver Eddie Kennison to a hamstring pull.

The Chiefs took a 3-0 lead on Lawrence Tynes' 33-yard field goal on their first possession and went up 10-7 in the second quarter when Priest Holmes capped a 69-yard drive with a 1-yard vault into the end zone.


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