KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The sense of relief at One Arrowhead Drive was palpable.

The first nine games last season were followed by what Chiefs coach Andy Reid calls “Victory Monday.” With the exception of some meetings and treatments, players were mostly given the day off as a reward for a winning performance the previous day.

It took three weeks before the Chiefs’ first “Victory Monday” this season.

Faced with the prospect of a 0-3 start, the injury-plagued team rallied for a 34-15 win in Miami on Sunday. Not only did it enhance the Chiefs’ postseason prospects, at least when put in historical context, it also gave them a boost of confidence heading into what could be the toughest stretch of games they will play this season.

Next up? Monday night at home against New England. After that are road games against playoff contenders San Francisco and San Diego, separated by a get-healthy bye week.

“Just a great feeling,” said Knile Davis, who ran for 132 yards and a touchdown in place of the injured Jamaal Charles. “You know, wins don’t come often. They are hard to get in the NFL. You get one, it’s just a great feeling.”

It was a comprehensive win, too. No fluke.

Despite playing without seven starters due to injuries and suspensions, the Chiefs dominated the Dolphins in just about every facet. Their defense held Miami to 332 yards of offense, and just a lone field goal in the first half, while an offense that has been unable to get on track through the first two weeks suddenly hit its stride without several of its biggest weapons.

Davis carried a surprising 32 times. Backup running back Joe McKnight, who wasn’t even in the NFL a year ago, caught six passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Travis Kelce, who was hurt all of last season, caught his first career touchdown pass.

“Coach Reid put me in the best situation possible to make plays,” McKnight said. “I just wanted to come out and help the teammates and just keep things going while Jamaal is out.”

Charles was the biggest name missing Sunday, and Reid sounded hopeful that the Pro Bowl running back would be available against the Patriots. Along with a light day Monday, he was giving players Tuesday and Wednesday off, too, with the game scheduled for Monday night.

For Charles, that means extra time off his sprained right ankle.

Wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas, who electrified Chiefs fans in the preseason, still hasn’t gotten on the field because of a hamstring injury that is throwing a curveball in his rookie season. Thomas tried practicing last week but was shut down, and his status is still uncertain.

Then there’s right tackle Donald Stephenson, who will sit out Monday night to finish off his four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

His return can’t come soon enough for a beleaguered offensive line that allowed five sacks Sunday, and is on pace to allow nearly 60 sacks by the end of the season.

“Some of that, especially early, that was my responsibility,” Reid said. “We’re in long-yardage situations, taking seven-step drops. I have to be a little smarter with the play call. And then the other ones, we have to make sure we block the right guys and do the right things.”

Those are quibbles, though. When the offense piles up nearly 200 yards rushing, scores more points than it did the first two games combined and overcomes a pair of turnovers and a safety with a series of long second-half drives, there is plenty positive to talk about.

“They’re developing certain character there,” Reid said. “You have to go through some tough times to develop that. They’re playing hard, they’re eliminating the clutter and that’s a good foundation to start with.”

Notes: Reid said that S Eric Berry (sprained ankle) is also making progress. Like Charles, he’s expected to work out when the Chiefs resume practice. There were no other injuries in the Miami game, perhaps a sign that the Chiefs’ karma is evening out.

Kansas State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State senior linebacker Dakorey Johnson was honored for his performance in his first career start against Auburn as he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

Johnson is the second Wildcat in the last three weeks to pick up weekly conference accolades following quarterback Jake Waters, who earned offensive player of the week honors after the Iowa State game. Additionally, K-State has a league-best 26 player-of-the-week honors since 2011.

A product of Mesquite, Texas, Johnson registered a career-high six tackles Thursday night, including two tackles for loss, and an interception against the fifth-ranked Tigers. Johnson and the Wildcat defense held one of the nation’s top offenses to its lowest offensive output in head coach Gus Malzahn’s career. Auburn finished the game with an average of 2.8 yards per rush and totaled 128 yards on the ground. No Auburn team under Malzahn had ever been held below 200 rushing yards in a game, and the Tigers entered the matchup averaging more than 300.

A former community-college transfer, Johnson has 13 tackles this season, including 11 over the last two games, while he has two tackles for loss in two contests this season. His interception on Thursday was the second of his career as he also had one against Iowa State in 2013.

No. 25 Kansas State hosts UTEP Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The first victory of the season provided some relief for the injury-ravaged Kansas City Chiefs.

Alex Smith shook off five sacks to throw three touchdown passes and help the Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins 34-15 on Sunday.

Smith led touchdown drives of 62, 76 and 66 yards in a span of four possessions as Kansas City took leads of 14-0 and 21-10. The defense protected the early lead, allowing only four third-down conversions and sacking Ryan Tannehill four times.

The Chiefs improved to 1-2 and won for only the third time in their past 11 games, including postseason. The Dolphins fell to 1-2, another wobbly start for a team that hasn’t won a postseason game since 2000.

Smith, who ranked 35th and last in the NFL in passing after two weeks, went 19-for-25 for 186 yards, with three of his incompletions dropped. He threw scoring passes of 11 and 4 yards to Joe McKnight, and 20 yards to Travis Kelce.

The Chiefs were without seven starters, including running back Jamaal Charles, who was inactive because of a high ankle sprain. Knile Davis, subbing for Charles, rushed for a career-high 132 yards on 32 carries, and he scored on a 21-yard run.

Kansas City totaled 23 first downs despite shaky pass protection. One sack of Smith resulted in a safety, and another by Jared Odrick forced a fumble that set up Miami’s only touchdown.

Miami’s Lamar Miller gained 108 yards rushing, but Tannehill struggled for the third game in a row, this time against a pass defense ranked as the worst in the NFL. He went 21-for-43 for 205 yards.

Many fans streamed for the exits in the final minutes, while others lingered to boo the offense.

Even when the Dolphins put up points, they could look inept. One scoring drive covered zero yards in four plays, sandwiched between rookie Jarvis Landry’s 74-yard kickoff return and Caleb Sturgis’ 51-yard field goal.

Coach Joe Philbin gave his many second-guessers fresh fodder. When the Dolphins ran on third-and-10 at the Chiefs 45, they gained 4 yards and had to punt. On fourth-and-2 at the Chiefs 30, they attempted a 47-yard field goal and missed it in a 0-0 game.

And trailing by six points in the fourth quarter at midfield, Tannehill was sacked trying to throw on third-and-1, forcing a punt.

The teams appeared evenly matched at the outset. The Dolphins were penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct when an official ran into a coach along the sideline. Two plays later, Kansas City lost 15 yards on a botched exchange on a double reverse.

The Chiefs’ early highlights were a pair of 64-yard punts by Dustin Colquitt. But the offense got rolling midway through the second quarter, mounting a 62-yard drive capped by Davis’ 21-yard touchdown run.

The Chiefs drove 76 yards for another touchdown on their next series to lead 14-0.

They wrapped up the victory with a 44-yard touchdown drive following a 47-yard punt return by Frankie Hammond Jr. Smith hit McKnight for the score to make it 27-15 with 4:35 left.