MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) - When Alex Smith threw his third touchdown pass to seal the Kansas City Chiefs' first victory, he sprinted to the end zone to join the celebration, then raised two fingers to signal his teammates to line up for a 2-point conversion attempt.
With the offense finally rolling, the Chiefs were eager to pour it on.
Smith shook off five sacks, backup Knile Davis ran for a career-high 132 yards, and the injury-plagued Chiefs earned some pain relief by beating the Miami Dolphins 34-15 on Sunday.
"Momentum's a funny thing," Smith said. "It's hard to put your finger on it, but certainly this helps. This is what you're looking for - a win on the road. A tough win, I thought. This is how you get started, for sure."
Smith led touchdown drives of 62, 76 and 66 yards in a span of four possessions as Kansas City took a 21-10 lead. The defense protected the early advantage, allowing only four third-down conversions and sacking Ryan Tannehill four times.
The Chiefs improved to 1-2 and won for only the third time in their past 11 games, including the postseason.
"I forgot how good winning feels," linebacker James-Michael Johnson tweeted.
The Dolphins fell to 1-2, another wobbly start for a team that hasn't won a playoff game since 2000.
"We have to look at everything we're doing," coach Joe Philbin said. "There was no phase where we played well enough to win."
Smith, who ranked 35th and last in the NFL in passing after two weeks, went 19-for-25 for 186 yards, with three of his incompletions dropped. Joe McKnight caught two touchdowns.
The Chiefs were without seven starters, including running back Jamaal Charles, who was inactive because of a high ankle sprain. Davis, subbing for Charles, became a workhorse with 32 carries and scored on a 21-yard run.
"I think I stepped up," Davis said. "I ran hard - made a few mistakes, but I took the workload today and I enjoyed it."
Kansas City totaled 23 first downs despite shaky pass protection. One sack of Smith resulted in a safety, and another by Jared Odrick forced a fumble that set up the Dolphins' only touchdown.
Miami's Lamar Miller gained 108 yards rushing, but poor tackling and a sputtering passing game doomed the Dolphins.