Holmes, Chiefs Are in High Gear

The Kansas City Chiefs seem to have found their stride on offense, outscoring the Indianapolis Colts, 45-35, on Sunday after beating the Atlanta Falcons last week, 56-10.

And if the Chiefs are in stride, so is Priest Holmes. The running back ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns, a performance much like last week’s four-touchdown, 139-yard rushing outing. Holmes’ ninth three-touchdown game moved him into a tie with Emmitt Smith for second on the NFL career list. Jim Brown holds the record with 10 three-touchdown games.

Holmes had 225 yards from scrimmage, moving him past Otis Taylor for the Chiefs’ career lead. Holmes has 7,579 yards and Taylor 7,467.

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Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger upped his personal winning streak to 18 in a 34-20 victory over New England. He won his final 13 at Miami of Ohio last season after an opening-game loss, and is only the second rookie quarterback since the 1970 merger to win his first five NFL starts.

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Denver quarterback Jake Plummer threw for a Denver record 499 yards -- a career high and the best mark in the league this year. That’s the good news. The bad? He also threw three interceptions and the Broncos lost to Atlanta, 41-28.

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The Detroit Lions had lost 24 consecutive road games going into the season before ending the streak, and now the Arizona Cardinals own the league’s longest current skid. Arizona’s 38-14 loss at Buffalo was Arizona’s 17th straight on the road, dating to its win at Carolina on Oct. 6, 2002.

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Texas receiver Jabar Gaffney lost the ball during a premature celebration just before crossing the goal line on a 15-yard run, and Jacksonville Coach Jack Del Rio challenged the ruling of a touchdown. The score was overturned after a quick replay review, and the Jaguars quickly seized upon Gaffney’s gaffe, going 54 yards in 12 plays for a 44-yard field goal by Josh Scobee. The Texans still won, 20-6.

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Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre extended his streak to 33 games with at least one touchdown pass. Baltimore Colt quarterback Johnny Unitas holds the record with 47.

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Buffalo wide receiver Josh Reed hyper-extended his left knee while returning a punt against Arizona.... Minnesota wide receiver Randy Moss played only a few snaps in a loss to the Giants because of a strained hamstring. He had no catches for the second consecutive game, the only games in his NFL career without a reception.... Seattle wide receiver Jerry Rice left a 23-17 victory against Carolina after spraining his right ankle in the second quarter.