Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Dimitri Nance ran for a pair of touchdowns, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 20-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the preseason debut for both clubs.
Nance carried the ball seven times for only six yards, but found the end zone twice for the Falcons, who are looking to build off a 9-7 season in 2010 that marked the first time in franchise history they have recorded back-to-back winning campaigns.
Matt Ryan played sparingly, completing 3-of-6 passes for 34 yards. Michael Turner ran four times for 29 yards, while Tony Gonzalez led the team in receiving with two catches for 28 yards.
Tyler Palko scored Kansas City's lone touchdown, as the Chiefs unveiled their revamped coaching staff that features a pair of Super Bowl champion coordinators. The Chiefs, who have only 10 wins in the last three years, hired Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel as the offensive and defensive coordinators, respectively, to take over in 2010. Both won a title in New England in those same roles earlier this decade, and both come to Kansas City after being fired from head coaching jobs.
Weis' job was very much in the public eye, serving as the head coach for Notre Dame from 2005-09. He was fired after going 6-6 last season without a bowl appearance. Crennel, meanwhile, was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2005-08, but was let go after a 4-12 mark in 2008.
Matt Cassel also played in limited action and completed 6-of-8 passes for 25 yards. Jamaal Charles carried the ball only four times for 37 yards, while rookie Dexter McCluster had five rushes for 25 yards and three receptions for 23 yards.
The first half was low-scoring, featuring only a field goal from each club. Matt Bryant's 30-yard attempt was good to get Atlanta on the board in the first quarter and was countered by Ryan Succop's 20-yard make in the second quarter.
Nance put the Falcons ahead for good in the third, capping a short 14-yard drive with a two-yard run. He finished a much longer drive in the fourth -- an 19-play, 81-yard jaunt that took 10 minutes -- with a one-yard plunge for a 17-3 Atlanta lead.
Steven Hauschka's 37-yard field goal later in the fourth finished Atlanta's scoring, and Palko's touchdown accounted for the final margin.