Kenneth Walker Scores Three Touchdowns as Chiefs Crush Jets 35-12 to End Skid

The Kansas City Chiefs needed a response, and on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium they delivered one in emphatic fashion. The Chiefs beat the New York Jets 35-12 in NFL Week 9, ending a two-game losing streak behind three touchdowns from Kenneth Walker III and a 21-0 second half.

For a half, it looked like the same frustrating script as the Chiefs' last two outings: Kansas City led only 14-12 at the break, and the Jets were still hanging around. Then the Chiefs took control and never gave it back, turning a tight game into a rout.

Key Points

• Kansas City beat the New York Jets 35-12 on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 9.
• Kenneth Walker III scored three touchdowns: catches of 7 and 25 yards from Patrick Mahomes, plus a two-yard rushing score.
• Walker is now tied with Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead with 11 total touchdowns this season.
• The Chiefs led only 14-12 at halftime, then outscored the Jets 21-0 after the break.
• New York never reached the end zone, settling for four Jason Sanders field goals as the Jets fell to 2-7.

What Happened

The first half belonged to nobody. Kansas City moved the ball, New York answered with field goals, and halftime read 14-12, far too small a margin for a home crowd expecting a statement. The Jets had not found the end zone, but they had not gone away, and the Chiefs' two-game losing streak was starting to feel like it might become three.

Then the second half began, and the game changed completely. Walker had already caught touchdown passes of 7 and 25 yards from Mahomes in the first half, and after the break he added a two-yard rushing touchdown that put the game out of reach. Travis Kelce ran for a one-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal, and Emmett Johnson capped the scoring with a six-yard run. Mahomes finished 23-of-31 for 242 yards, with four completions to Kelce for 72 yards.

On the other side, the Jets' afternoon told its own story. Four Jason Sanders field goals were all New York could manage, and quarterback Geno Smith was seen yelling at teammates and slamming his helmet into the bench as the game slipped away. George Karlaftis and Chris Jones each recorded two sacks, and the Jets' offence never threatened once Kansas City pulled away.

Background: A Skid the Chiefs Could Not Afford to Extend

Two straight losses do not usually count as a crisis in Kansas City, but the Chiefs do not lose often, and they almost never lose twice in a row. The defeats had given the rest of the AFC a reason to wonder whether this team had a problem, and a home game against a 2-6 Jets side was exactly the kind of fixture that turns into a trap if a team arrives flat. The first half suggested that danger was real.

The Jets arrived at Arrowhead with little to lose and a quarterback under pressure. At 2-6, their season was already drifting, and a third straight defeat for the Chiefs would have changed the conversation around the team. Instead, the second half showed the gap between the two sides: Kansas City adjusted, found its rhythm, and turned a one-score game into a 23-point win.

Chiefs Beat Jets 35-12: Walker's Three Touchdowns Lead the Rout

Walker was the story of the game. Three touchdowns in three different ways, or close to it: two through the air and one on the ground. The 25-yard touchdown catch in the first half showed why the Chiefs value him so highly, a running back who can line up anywhere and finish drives. The two-yard rushing score after halftime was the simpler, harder kind, the one that comes from a team deciding it will run the ball in and daring the defence to stop it.

His 11 total touchdowns this season now tie him with Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead, a remarkable place for a player who arrived in Kansas City without the spotlight that follows the league's biggest names. For a Chiefs offence searching for a reliable second option behind Mahomes, that is a significant development.

Reactions

The clearest reaction on Sunday came from the Jets' sideline. Geno Smith, seen yelling at teammates and slamming his helmet into the bench, looked like a quarterback watching a season come apart in real time. The Jets have now lost four in a row. Four field goals and no touchdowns is not a formula that wins in the NFL, and it is certainly not a formula that wins at Arrowhead.

For Kansas City, the reaction was quieter but just as telling. This was a team that went into halftime with a two-point lead and came out and won the second half 21-0. That is what good teams do when they are challenged: they adjust, execute, and put the game away.

Why It Matters

It matters because the Chiefs are 6-2 again, and the losing streak is over before it could become a story. In the AFC, where the race for playoff seeding is decided by one or two games, a three-game skid in November can follow a team all the way to January. Kansas City stopped it at two, at home, by winning the second half 21-0.

It also matters because of what Walker is becoming. A running back tied for the league lead in total touchdowns changes how defences play the Chiefs, and it changes how much Mahomes has to do on his own. If Walker keeps scoring at this rate, Kansas City's offence becomes harder to stop in exactly the way that matters most in the postseason.

What Happens Next

The Chiefs move to 6-2 and head into the week with the trade deadline arriving on Tuesday, November 10. They are in a strong position in the AFC, and this win will have settled the questions that followed the two losses. The Jets, now 2-7 after a fourth straight defeat, face a different kind of week: their offence needs answers, their quarterback is visibly frustrated, and the season is running out of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score of Chiefs vs Jets?
Kansas City beat the New York Jets 35-12 on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Arrowhead Stadium in NFL Week 9.

How many touchdowns did Kenneth Walker score?
Three. Walker caught touchdown passes of 7 and 25 yards from Patrick Mahomes in the first half, then added a two-yard rushing touchdown in the second half.

How many total touchdowns does Walker have this season?
Eleven, which ties him with Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead in total touchdowns.

Did the Jets score a touchdown?
No. New York never reached the end zone and settled for four Jason Sanders field goals.

What are the Chiefs' and Jets' records after the game?
Kansas City improved to 6-2, ending a two-game losing streak. The Jets fell to 2-7, their fourth straight loss.

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