Thornton rises as Chiefs' new deep threat in win over Giants

Tyquan Thornton turned a long road audition into the Kansas City Chiefs' breakout playmaker on Sunday night, hauling in the team's only touchdown and several momentum-shifting catches to help Kansas City beat the New York Giants 22-9 in Week 3 on the road. With the Chiefs missing top receivers Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy, Thornton finished with five receptions for 71 yards and the lone touchdown as Patrick Mahomes and the offense finally found the end zone in primetime.

The scoring sequence that sealed momentum came late in the second half. After a half of traded field goals, Mahomes engineered a near-perfect drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Thornton, giving the reigning AFC champions their first nonfield-goal points of the night. Earlier in the fourth quarter Thornton turned a broken play into a game-changing 33-yard reception, tightly contested near the sideline, that set up Kareem Hunt's 1-yard plunge. That subsequent touchdown was followed by an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty for Hunt's celebratory gesture, and reports varied on the night’s kicking details: some accounts say kicker Harrison Butker converted long attempts that helped build an early 6-0 lead,...