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Just call Priest Holmes the touchdown king.
The three-time Pro Bowl running back of the Kansas City Chiefs reached the end zone twice in Sunday's 31-3 rout of the Chicago Bears to set a pair of NFL records - most touchdowns and most rushing scores in a single season with 27.
"We wanted
Priest Holmes to leave with both records today," said Chiefs coach Dick
Vermeil. "That's an unbelievable accomplishment when you stop and think
how many running backs have carried the ball in the National Football League
and nobody's done it more efficiently in the goal line area, scoring touchdowns
than that guy."
Holmes entered the day tied with Emmitt Smith for most rushing touchdowns with
25 and was one behind Marshall Faulk's total of 26. Faulk had 18 rushing and
eight receiving scores in 2000 for the St. Louis Rams.
Holmes eclipsed Smith's mark on a one-yard scoring run with 13:40 left in the second quarter. He took a pitch from Trent Green on a sweep play to the left and tip-toed into the end zone.
The crowd responded with a standing ovation as Holmes celebrated with his teammates in the end zone before running to the sideline to hug Vermeil.
Holmes then surpassed Faulk when he leaped into the end zone from the two-yard line on a fourth-down play with 58 seconds left in the third quarter.
"Well, the first one I wanted to savor the moment so I had to walk in and the second one was a matter of getting up high enough off the ground to get across the line of scrimmage," Holmes said.
Smith rushed for 25 touchdowns in 1995 for the Dallas Cowboys. John Riggins is now third on the list with 24 rushing touchdowns for the Washington Redskins in 1983.
Last season, Holmes amassed 24 total touchdowns. But his bid for the record fell short when he missed the last two games with a hip injury.
Last week, Holmes put himself in position for the record by rushing for three touchdowns in a 45-20 loss at Minnesota.
Holmes finished the day
with 50 yards on 20 carries, giving him 1,420 yards this season.