Denny Medley/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Just about the only thing that looked familiar about the N.F.L.’s long-awaited return Thursday night was the sight of Patrick Mahomes effortlessly leading the Kansas City Chiefs up and down the field.
The Super Bowl M.V.P. threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns, Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran through the rain for 138 yards and another score, and the Chiefs began defending their first championship in 50 years by beating the Houston Texans, 34-20, before a socially distanced crowd of about 17,000, a figure limited due to the coronavirus pandemic.