KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs just keep winning, even as the injuries continue to pile up.
The latest came Sunday, when the two-time defending Super Bowl champions lost cornerback Jaylen Watson to a season-ending ankle injury and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a hamstring injury in their 28-18 victory over the 49ers. It was their 12th straight win going back to last season, and a whole bunch have come despite injuries to some of their best players.
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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, right, runs against Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, bottom, catches a pass against Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, left, is congratulated by quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after scoring against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, middle, celebrates after scoring against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, middle, runs for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (19) catches a pass against Kansas City Chiefs safety Nazeeh Johnson (13) during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace, middle, celebrates after intercepting a pass with safety Justin Reid, left, and safety Nazeeh Johnson during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates after a touchdown by Mecole Hardman during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reacts on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
“It starts with your locker room, your coaches, and just how do the guys like each other,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday when asked about overcoming the adversity. "And that whole trust thing that they develop with each other is important.
“Everything isn't going to be roses when you're playing,” Reid said. “You're going to have ups and downs in games. Very few teams win every game during a season. You literally take it game by game. Make sure you're taking care of business this week. But I think the locker room has a big part of that. The coaches' attitudes have a big part of that.”
Watson had been a rising start in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's defense, helping Kansas City shut down some of the NFL's best offenses through the first six games of the season. Nazeeh Johnson, who has made a comeback from a torn knee ligament, would be next in line to replace him heading into Sunday's game against the Raiders in Las Vegas.
Just as concerning is the injury to Smith-Schuster, given what already has transpired in the Chiefs' wide receiver room. Rashee Rice had knee surgery and Marquise Brown had shoulder surgery, and both are done for the season.
Reid said Monday that Smith-Schuster would miss at least one game. And given his injury history, and how many games remain this season, the Chiefs almost certainly will explore the market for reinforcements ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
The Chiefs also have Nikko Remigio, Montrell Washington and Justyn Ross available on their practice squad.
“Really all those guys on the practice squad we’ve got a lot of trust in, and feel good about,” Reid said. “We’ve talked about it a little bit. We’ll go through everything. But I just came out of an offensive meeting and had a chance to talk to those guys and see what their thoughts were. We’ll just see.”
The Chiefs ran for a season-best 184 yards, even though they continue to play without starter Isiah Pacheco because of a broken bone in his leg. Kareem Hunt has been a revelation, with 78 yards rushing and two touchdowns against the 49ers, while Mecole Hardman took two jet sweeps for 38 yards and another score.
The Chiefs have struggled most of the season to cover tight ends, and George Kittle was the latest to cause them problems. While they were busy shutting down a San Francisco wide receiver group thinned by injuries, Kittle was providing the team's only sustained offense, catching six passes for 92 yards.
Tight end Noah Gray, who signed a contract extension earlier this season, had a team-best four catches for 66 yards against San Francisco. As teams blanket Travis Kelce, and with so many injuries to the Kansas City wide receiver corps, the ability for Gray to take advantage of his one-on-one matchups will be crucial going forward.
Perhaps for the first time in his career, the arrow on Patrick Mahomes has been trending downward. He threw two picks against the 49ers and did not throw a TD pass for the second straight game. But the body of work, which includes just six TD passes and eight interceptions this season, must be viewed through the lens of the injuries to his supporting cast.
The Chiefs came out of Sunday healthy besides the injuries to Watson and Smith-Schuster.
3 — The number of time Kansas City picked off 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
The Chiefs continue their West Coast swing when they head to Las Vegas on Sunday.
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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, right, runs against Kansas City Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, bottom, catches a pass against Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, left, is congratulated by quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after scoring against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, middle, celebrates after scoring against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt, middle, runs for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jacob Cowing (19) catches a pass against Kansas City Chiefs safety Nazeeh Johnson (13) during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace, middle, celebrates after intercepting a pass with safety Justin Reid, left, and safety Nazeeh Johnson during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates after a touchdown by Mecole Hardman during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid reacts on the sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The 250th anniversary of American independence is colliding with a country gripped by political polarization and a heat wave bearing down on millions of people across multiple states as celebrations get underway across the United States on Saturday.
The signing of the Declaration of Independence, one of history's most celebrated articulations of democratic ambitions, is being marked in myriad ways. President Donald Trump, set to take a central role in festivities, plans to speak on the National Mall in Washington ahead of what's being billed as a historically enormous fireworks show that will rain down over the nation's capital. The president was in South Dakota at Mount Rushmore on Friday, where he delivered a dark speech about the threat of communism in the U.S. as the chiseled images of four of his most prominent predecessors loomed behind him.
Elsewhere, fireworks are scheduled to be set off Saturday over Navy Pier in Chicago and against the skyline of New York City, which also hosted a ball drop at midnight to usher in the holiday with the same fanfare as New Year's Eve. Bristol, Rhode Island, describes itself as home of the nation's oldest Independence Day celebrations dating to 1785. In Los Angeles, Queen Latifah will host a concert featuring performances by The Smashing Pumpkins and Chris Stapleton. Chaka Khan is billed as a special guest.
Anticipation for the milestone holiday has been building for much of the year, serving as an opportunity for Americans to reflect on their complicated history as onetime colonists of an empire who became a superpower of their own. Celebrations months in the making had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered under heat that approached and in many cases surpassed triple digits.
In Washington, the Great American State Fair was closed for several hours Friday afternoon during the worst of the heat. The city's Independence Day parade scheduled for Saturday was canceled.
To the chagrin of many on the East Coast, the weather was downright pleasant on the other side of the country. The Pacific Northwest enjoyed temperatures in the 60s on Friday with a few light showers.
In the Seattle suburb of Issaquah, Megan Kurowski, 31, brought her two dogs to the dog park so they could get some exercise before she went to work. Kurowski said she was feeling positive about America’s 250th anniversary and was planning a possible paddleboard to watch the fireworks.
“Everyone’s just, from what it seems, been pretty excited about celebrating 250 years,” she said.
Other American pastimes are overlapping with the holiday.
More than a dozen Major League Baseball games are on the schedule for Saturday. The World Cup, being hosted in the U.S. for the first time in 32 years, will have matches in Houston and Philadelphia on Saturday following a nail-biter overtime win by Argentina over Cape Verde on Friday outside Miami. Pop culture enthusiasts can obsess over Taylor Swift's Friday wedding to football player Travis Kelce at New York City's Madison Square Garden. And Madonna released her 15th studio album, a collection of dance tracks.
The celebrations are unfolding against the backdrop of a deep divide that has been expanding for years, visible in everything from political expression to cultural norms to age-old questions over race, class and immigration.
At Mount Rushmore on Friday, Trump spoke of communism as a "mortal threat to American liberty.”
“It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor or even 9/11,” he said.
Without naming Trump, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat who is also a democratic socialist and recently backed several successful congressional candidates in their primaries, appeared to reference Trump during a speech Friday.
“Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them,” he said.
Ahead of the holiday, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano in Topeka, Kansas, sized up “what makes us awesome” as a people. It is clearly not the politics, in his view, but rather resilience.
“We’ve just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that’s in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,” he said from the fireworks stand where he is doing a booming business as a side hustle.
Jerry Chin of Newcastle, Washington, said he wasn’t aware that the U.S. was celebrating its 250th anniversary and planned to stay low-key around the holiday. He and his wife generally skip the fireworks and instead stay home with their fearful dogs to keep them calm.
“America’s a great place," he said, “but there are some concerns.”
Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle and John Hanna in Topkea, Kansas contributed to this report.
Law enforcement secure the area as people evacuate because of incoming storms that will delay the program at a Salute to America Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
People dance in the street as they wait for the National Mall to reopen after being evacuated due to weather during Independence Day events honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
The White House is seen in the distance as people evacuate the area after people were told of incoming storms that will delay the program at a Salute to America Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
People arrive for a Salute to America Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Brian White, dressed in a bald eagle costume and patriotic U.S. flag-based clothing, stands along the route of an Independence Day parade in Huntington Beach, Calif., Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A National Park Service employee distributes free water at the national mall during Independence Day events honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
The Statue of Liberty is framed by Argentina's Ara Libertad in the New York harbor during the International Parade of Sail, part of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New U.S. citizen and twice-deployed U.S. Marine Sgt. Diakaria Sangare, from Guinea, poses for a portrait following the naturalization ceremony on Independence Day at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Military planes perform a flyover of the Hudson River, above the the Manhattan skyline, as seen from Weehawken, N.J., Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
The Statue of Liberty is seen as sailors of a tall ship sail past in the New York harbor during the International Parade of Sail, part of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
People stand and take the Oath of Allegiance on Independence Day during a naturalization ceremony at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Children line up to watch an Independence Day parade, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Deforest, Wis. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
Members of the National Guard patrol the National Mall before Independence Day events honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Members of the National Guard patrol near the Washington Monument before Independence Day events honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Vice President JD Vance arrives on the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) in the New York harbor during The International Naval Review during Sail250 honoring America's 250th Anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The USS Farragut sails past the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor during The International Naval Review, ahead of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Members of the National Guard direct a person riding a bicycle with various flags attached to a cart before an Independence Day event honoring the nation's 250th anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
Runners draped in American flags participate in a run on Independence Day in Huntington Beach, Calif., Saturday, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The French Air Force acrobatic squad Patrouille de France perform a flyover during the International Aerial Review, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Sydney Schaefer)
The Statue of Liberty is seen as Argentina's Ara Libertad sails past in the New York harbor during the International Parade of Sail, part of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel sits with other pleasure craft below the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor ahead of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships honoring America's 250th Anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Military personnel stand on the wet flight deck of the USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) anchored in the New York harbor ahead of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships honoring America's 250th Anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
A U.S. Coast Guard vessel sits with other pleasure craft below the Statue of Liberty in the New York harbor ahead of Sail250, a gathering of tall ships and military ships honoring America's 250th Anniversary, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Rain runs down a sculpture of George Washington at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Matt Gade)
President Donald Trump speaks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2026, near Keystone, S.D. (AP Photo/Matt Gade)
Duane Schwingel plays a harmonica on the National Mall, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Todd Shaw, left, kisses his wife Shannon Shaw, right, as they pose for portrait during the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Thursday, July 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
A flight of F-18s, F-35s and a F-22 fly past a picture of President Donald Trump hanging on the U.S. Department of Labor near the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard)
