The Chiefs scored on all four of their first-half possession and hold a 20-9 lead over the Panthers at halftime.
After Samaje Perine started the game with a 56-yard kickoff return, quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit Noah Gray for a 35-yard touchdown to give Kansas City a 7-0 lead.
But then the two teams started trading field goals, with Carolina’s Eddy Piñeiro hitting from 30 and 32 yards and Kansas City’s Spencer Shrader connecting on 25- and 41-yard tries.
After two unsuccessful red-zone possessions, the third time was the charm for Kansas City, as Mahomes again found Gray for a touchdown — this time scoring from 11 yards out.
While the Panthers reached the red zone again, the drive ended in the same story. The club’s offense couldn’t do much inside the 20 and settled for a 29-yard field goal to end the first half.
Carolina hasn’t done much on the ground, as Bryce Young leads the club with 9 yards rushing. Chuba Hubbard has 4 yards on two carries while Jonathon Brooks has 3 yards on one carry — the first of his career.
Young is 10-of-18 passing for 177 yards.
Rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders leads with three catches for 49 yards, but he had to exit the game on a backboard after he was flipped and landed on his head late in the first half.
Mahomes finished the first half 19-of-24 for 206 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. The Chiefs have had five players take a carry and Kareem Hunt leads with 24 yards on seven attempts.
Gray has 66 yards on four catches with his two touchdowns. He now has four TDs in the last two games.
Travis Kelce has four catches for 49 yards and DeAndre Hopkins has three receptions for 24 yards.
The Panthers will receive the second-half kickoff.