ATLANTA — So much for the injured elbow.

Patrick Mahomes sprayed the ball all over the field — hey, even downfield! — in the Chiefs’ 35-13 rout of the Falcons in Atlanta.

Mahomes was on one. He had 348 yards and threw for five touchdowns for the first time since the 2022 season opener — and it’s the type of throws and the recipients of them that stand out most.

That’s where we will start. Here are five observations from immediately after the game:

1. The debut

The debut of Josh Downs tilted more cameo than starring role.

But he still stole the first-half show — before Mahomes stole it back.

The Chiefs beat the halftime buzzer when Mahomes threw a back-shoulder dart to Downs for an 18-yard touchdown — which came one play after the Falcons were offside on a field-goal attempt.

Here’s why that’s particularly relevant: Mahomes has been the most risk-adverse quarterback in football this season, with less than 7% of his attempts thrown into tight windows.

He changed that on a throw to player he’s known for all of five days.

After joining the Chiefs earlier this week in a trade with Indianapolis, Downs didn’t play much, but he still caught three passes for 51 yards and the score in the first half alone.

He turned his first target into 21 yards over the middle to beat zone coverage. He turned his next into 12 yards during the two-minute drill. Then came the touchdown on a back-shoulder throw.

2. The defense

The Chiefs went seven quarters without allowing a touchdown, before Bijan Robinson found the end zone in the fourth quarter Sunday.

The defense was the reason the Chiefs built a sizable lead — and, at times in the first half, the only reason they had a lead.

Michael Penix Jr. is the second-least pressured quarterback in the NFL this season, but the Chiefs’ got into the backfield several times, particularly in the first half.

George Karlaftis and Ashton Gillotte had sacks for the second straight week. Karlaftis and Chris Jones combined for another.

They turned the Falcons over twice in the fourth quarter, a fumble and a Nohl Williams interception. The crowd inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium spent much of the afternoon booing its offense.

As for the other offense? Well ...

3. A first, and a first in a while

At last, the Chiefs have a downfield completion.

Three of them, actually.

Mahomes found Cyrus Allen down the sideline for a 39-yard touchdown. Allen torched A.J. Terrell Jr. with a hesitation about five yards into his route before sprinting down the sideline. Mahomes hit him in stride.

It’s Allen’s first career touchdown, and it’s the Chiefs’ first downfield completion since Tyquan Thornton injured his ankle in Week 4. The drought lasted 42 days.

The next didn’t even last one possession. And the next didn’t even last a full quarter.

Rashee Rice caught his first downfield reception of the season on the ensuing drive, a 50-yard catch along the seam. It was a gorgeous throw. There were a lot of gorgeous throws.

Deep into the fourth quarter, Mahomes gave Andrew Armstrong a shot on a jump ball, which he pulled down for a 43-yard touchdown to cap it.

4. E-Money

The highest-priced addition of the Chiefs’ offseason sat out with a groin injury.

The Chiefs handed his job to a rookie.

And then, well, handed the ball to him a lot.

Kenneth Walker missed the game after arriving to the facility Friday with tightness in his groin. In his first career start, Emmett Johnson had 101 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards with two touchdowns.

His best work came on the opening drive, when he rushed five times for 36 yards and caught a 12-yard swing pass that he turned into touchdown after he made two guys miss at the goal line.

Which has become his specialty.

Johnson didn’t test particularly well at the NFL Combine, running just a 4.56 40-yard dash. But he fell too far down the draft board.

That’s evident now, sure. But it was evident based on his film he could make guys miss.

He made teams miss.

5. Up front

When Mahomes had time, he cooked.

He didn’t always have enough of it.

The Chiefs finished the game without four starters on the offensive line after Trey Smith left the game to be evaluated for a concussion and Creed Humphrey was scratched near his eye. It’s not the best team to get shorthanded against. The Falcons have the sixth-highest pressure rate in the NFL, and they typically need to rush only four to do it.

Like on Sunday.

A week after Mahomes took a hit that injured his throwing elbow, he took no shortage of them in Atlanta.

When they kept him upright, Mahomes threw the ball well — sore elbow and all.

But he was pressured on nearly half of his dropbacks, despite the Falcons bringing only a handful of blitzes. It’s a tough way to operate.

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