The Kansas City Chiefs’ quest to get back to the Super Bowl for the fourth straight year — and the AFC championship game for the eighth straight — is off to a bumpy start. After their first two games, the Chiefs were 0-2 for the first time since 2014.

But despite going onto halftime tied at nine without scoring a touchdown, the Chiefs pulled out their first victory Sunday night, scoring two TDs in the second half against the New York Giants for a 22-9 decision.

The second touchdown, to definitely put the game away for the Chiefs, came with 6:03 to play in the game on a one-yard run by nine-year veteran running back Kareem Hunt, who signed a new, one-year, $2.5 million contract with Kansas City in March.

First TD For Hunt This Season

The TD was the first Hunt had scored this season — but his celebration after the game-icing score now appears that it will earn him a fine from the league.

Hunt’s celebration appeared to be a “throat slashing” gesture — though it seemed somewhat ambiguous. It could also be seen as a “buckle up” sign. But NFL frowns on the “throat slash” celebration, classifying it as a “violent gesture.”

The officials for Sunday night’s game certainly saw whatever it was Hunt did as a “violent gesture,” hitting him with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Hunt Can Expect Fine of Nearly $15,000

Under league rules, unsportsmanlike conduct is good for a $14,491 fine on a first offense, which Hunt’s penalty call would have been for the 30-year-old rusher, and $20,288 for a second violation.

In addition to the fine that appears to be coming from the NFL, Hunt’s celebration also, in effect, penalized his team a point. The 15 yard penalty was assessed on the Chiefs’ extra-point try, making it a 48-yard attempt for Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker — who missed the extra-long try.

Though the missed extra point turned out not make a difference in the game against the still-winless Giants, every point matters for the defending AFC champs. with just 60 points scored through three games, the Chiefs are tied with the New England Patriots in the NFL’s 21st spot.

Only 1 Rushing TD Against Giants Defense

Hunt’s was the only rushing touchdown for the Chiefs on Sunday. The other came on a five-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton with 8:22 to go in the fourth quarter.

But it has to be a worrying sign for the Chiefs that it took them almost 49 minutes of playing time to get into the end zone at all against the team that allowed the eighth-most points in the NFL (83) after the first three weeks.

The Giants have also allowed five rushing touchdowns already, second only to the six permitted by the Tennessee Titans for most in the league.

Hunt ran for seven touchdowns in 2024 for the Chiefs, followed by another two in the postseason — one each in the divisional round 23-14 win over the Houston Texans, and in the AFC Championship game, a narrow 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills.

In the Super Bowl, however, Hunt went quiet, gaining only nine yards in three attempts on the ground without a TD. The Chiefs’ 2017 third-round draft pick also caught one pass for five yards.

Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin