Patrick Mahomes makes Chiefs' new pieces fit in needed win vs. Falcons | Opinion

ATLANTA – Adjust. Adapt. And win.With Kenneth Walker III missing and Travis Kelce knocked out of the game briefly, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were pressed to create some new ways to roll inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday. And fast.Hello, Emmett Johnson and Josh Downs.Mahomes was undoubtedly looking for you as he pulled out a vintage performance, so to speak, just when his team needed it.Johnson, the fourth-round rookie backup for Walker, filled in with plenty of pop as Kansas City – fueled by Mahomes’ season-high five touchdown passes – blew out the Atlanta Falcons 35-13 to claim first place again (on a tiebreaker) in the AFC West. With Walker, who ranks second in the NFL with 872 rushing yards this season, nursing a groin injury, Johnson marked his first NFL start by leading the Chiefs with 163 yards from scrimmage and scoring two touchdowns. He rushed for 93 yards and caught six passes for 70 yards, including the 12-yard catch-and-dart job to the end zone to cap KC’s first drive.Josh Downs makes Kansas City Chiefs debutDowns, a fourth-year pro, was not to be totally overshadowed after arriving to Kansas City just before the NFL trade deadline struck on Tuesday. The fourth-year receiver (four catches, 53 yards) instantly made his presence felt as the reliable target Mahomes sorely needs.He marked the occasion with an 18-yard TD catch off a pretty back-shoulder throw by Mahomes that said something about how quickly timing and rhythm can be achieved. Suddenly in the middle of a playoff chase, it was another reason, too, why Downs has no qualms about getting traded from the sinking Indianapolis Colts.Then there was Cyrus Allen. The rookie receiver posted his first NFL touchdown on a go route in the third quarter, when Mahomes hit him with a perfect strike.New weapons. Fresh results.The Chiefs (7-2) really need this about now, after losing two of their past three games to put a damper on their 5-0 start. And with the injuries piling up – all-pro guard Trey Smith was knocked out the game with a concussion and tight end Jared Wiley was ruled out early with an ankle injury – the Chiefs couldn’t afford a slip-up against the underachieving-yet-still-dangerous Falcons.No scare. No problem.Travis Kelce returns after injuryKelce’s ankle injury, suffered as he snagged a 23-yard catch on KC’s second offensive snap, had the look of a bad omen. Yet that turned out as temporary. After fear was fueled by the sight of Kelce gingerly walking to the locker room for further evaluation, the star tight end returned later in the first half, providing reason for Mahomes and Chiefs Kingdom to exhale.Then again, there may be more reasons for the Chiefs to hold their breath coming just around the corner. After a matchup next Sunday against the Cardinals, the Chiefs will engage in a brutal stretch of three consecutive road games – at Buffalo, at the Los Angeles Rams, at Cincinnati – that figures to weigh heavily on whether Andy Reid’s team makes it back to the playoffs this season.So, the Chiefs surely could use the type of low-stress victory that presented itself on Sunday.Even better, Mahomes bounced back from the elbow injury suffered a week earlier in the victory against the Jets. He threw for 348 yards and five TDs (22-for-35), didn’t have an interception and ran twice for 15 yards. In other words, all systems were a go.In garbage time, the prolific quarterback connected with Andrew Armstrong for a 43-yard touchdown on a throw that was, well, classic Mahomes. He rolled right, pumped, scanned and lofted. Armstrong adjusted to high-point the pass at the goal line. Touchdown.Armstrong who? The former Arkansas receiver entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2025. And yes, it was his first touchdown, too.Turns out it was quite the coming out party for the Chiefs. They discovered some new ways to support their magician of a quarterback, a few more elements to help win.Now if they can keep all of that flowing.Follow Bell on X: @JarrettBellThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patrick Mahomes makes Chiefs' new pieces fit in needed win vs. Falcons | Opinion