49ers 24, Chiefs 6

By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Ken Dorsey threw two touchdown passes and Tim Rattay added one as the San Francisco 49ers won their first exhibition game under new coach Dennis Erickson, 24-6 over the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night.

Rattay, who started at quarterback while Jeff Garcia rested his ailing back, was 8-for-9 for 90 yards, including a 39-yard scoring strike to Brandon Lloyd in the second quarter.

Dorsey, battling Brandon Doman for the third-string quarterback job, connected with Arnaz Battle on a 15-yard scoring pass that made it 14-6 in the third.

Following a fumble by Chiefs rookie running back Larry Johnson on the 29, Dorsey hit a wide-open Jason Isem on a 2-yard TD pass with 7:46 left in the game. Dorsey was 4-of-7 for 39 yards and the two TDs.

Erickson succeeded Steve Mariucci this season after going 31-17 in four years at Oregon State. From 1995-98, he was 31-33 as head coach at Seattle.

The Chiefs (1-1), who led the NFL last season in scoring, have not had a touchdown in two exhibition games. They won 9-0 with three field goal against Green Bay last Monday in a game that was stopped in the third quarter because of lightning.

Against the 49ers, they managed only two field goals by Morten Anderson, from 23 and 26 yards.

Nevertheless, Priest Holmes continued to look good after his hip surgery. The NFL's offensive player of the year last season, Holmes carried three times for 9 yards.

The 49ers had 321 total yards, but also had five fumbles without losing one.

They lost the ball on their own 2 in the first quarter after stopping the Chiefs on fourth and goal. Then they fumbled twice on one play in the third.

Rashaan Salaam took a short pass from Doman but fumbled the ball into the hands of guard DeMingo Graham, who proceeded a few steps before coughing up the ball himself. Craig Osika fell on the second fumble for the 49ers.

Salaam, a former Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado who's trying to resurrect his career after being out of football last year, rushed nine times for 27 yards and caught four passes for 34.

Jamal Robertson rushed 10 times for 70 yards for the 49ers.

Jason Baker, who's battling Leo Araguz for Kansas City's punting job, unloaded a 56- and a 57-yarder and averaged more than 52 yards on his first three kicks.

Jeff Chandler kicked a 27-yard field goal to put the 49ers on top 17-6 in the fourth quarter, but missed on a 34-yard attempt earlier. Nate Fiske missed a 40-yard attempt in the final minutes for the 49ers.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)