JACKSONVILLE, Fla. _ Not often last season did Patrick Mahomes leave a game feeling shut down by an opposing defense.
But if any team came close to accomplishing the feat as Mahomes was building his MVP credentials, it was the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Chiefs won the matchup at Arrowhead Stadium but Mahomes was held without a touchdown pass in a game for the only time all year and had a season-low passer rating.
Mahomes guided an offense that scored on its first seven possessions, threw two touchdown passes and passed for 378 yards and three touchdowns.
The Chiefs won 40-26 to open the season 1-0.
The player who threw for 50 touchdowns and 5,097 yards last season picked up right where he left off.
But that was the proven side of the ball. The Chiefs led the NFL in total and scoring offense last season.
The bigger test was on defense, and the Chiefs, with several new starters, a new coordinator and staff, made enough plays to make the margin comfortable.
The victory kept alive an Andy Reid trend. He improved to 6-1 in season openers as the Chiefs coach and 5-0 on the road.
The Chiefs couldn't have had a better start.
On the game's third play, Mahomes tossed a short pass over the middle to Sammy Watkins, who made a move, got a great block from Demarcus Robinson and turned the play into a 68-yard touchdown.
It was the first of several big moments for Watkins who by halftime had set a career mark for receiving yards in a game. He had 173 at the break, five more than his previous best set while with the Bills in 2015.
Watkins finished with 198 receiving yards, the sixth most in franchise history.
With Mahomes on target, others were beneficiaries. Tight end Travis Kelce's first two touches of the season went for 42 and 41 yards.
The Chiefs scored on all five first half possessions but settled for Harrison Butker field goals on three of them.
That allowed Jacksonville to remain in striking distance even after suffering a major blow. On a 35-yard touchdown pass from Nick Foles to DJ Chark, Chiefs tackle Chris Jones made contact with Foles. The quarterback signed to revive the Jags' offense was out after two series with a shoulder injury and didn't return.
Jacksonville turned to a rookie, Gardner Minshew, who guided Mike Leach's offenses at Washington State. Minshew got off a fast start, completing his first 13 passes.
But the Jags couldn't get into the end zone. The Chiefs came up with a big defensive play in the third quarter when linebacker Damien Wilson stripped Leonard Fournette after a short pass and Bashaud Breeland got the scoop fumble.
The Chiefs turned that possession into Damien Williams' 1-yard touchdown run.
In the fourth quarter, end Frank Clark, the Chief's most expensive free agent signee, came up with an interception on a deflected pass.
On a sweltering day, game got chippy in the first half.
After a second quarter play, a sack of Mahomes that turned into a fumble recovered by Eric Fisher, a fracas broke out in the end zone. Jags linebacker Myles Jack was tossed from the game, and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was given to Chiefs wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.
