Chiefs Follow Bouncing Ball

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — He dropped two passes that seemed like easy touchdowns. Then he caught a deflected pass that squirted through a churning swarm of people in the end zone.

On a weird and eventful day at a half-empty Arrowhead Stadium, nobody had more to be proud of--or to feel embarrassed about--than Tony Gonzalez.

Most of all, Kansas City’s star tight end and his teammates had a 15-14 victory over Carolina that put an end to a five-game losing streak.

“If I can drop two touchdowns a day and win, I’ll take it every time,” Gonzalez said. “I’m just glad I had a chance at it again.”

After Gonzalez’s six-yard touchdown catch of a deflected ball and Todd Peterson’s 33-yard field goal put the Chiefs ahead by one point with 3:43 to play, they still had to sweat out one more kick by an old nemesis.

But Joe Nedney, whose game-winner in overtime for Oakland last season knocked the Chiefs out of the playoffs, was wide right on a 48-yarder with 1:35 left on the cold and windy day.

“As soon as I hit it, it went right at the post,” said Nedney, who had connected on a team-record 18 in a row. “I was hoping for a little divine intervention. It didn’t happen. I hit it real solid. It would have been good from 60.”

The Chiefs (6-8) had two interceptions--both in the end zone--and two fumbles on their first four possessions. But the Panthers (6-8), who had won two games in a row, got only one touchdown off the four turnovers.