KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Chiefs could have Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dontari Poe and offensive tackle Eric Fisher back for their season opener Sunday in Houston.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey said Monday that both were progressing nicely from injuries. Poe had back surgery that kept him out all of training camp, and Fisher had a sprained ankle that kept him from playing the final three preseason games.

Reid also said that Fisher, the former No. 1 overall draft pick, would move from left tackle to right tackle. Donald Stephenson has been handling the quarterback’s blindside while Fisher has been out, and Reid has been pleased with the way he has performed.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Dale Pierson goes by SACKMAMBA45 on Twitter, and he showed why in Iowa State’s season opener. The senior had three sacks and an interception in the Cyclones’ 31-7 victory over Northern Iowa on Saturday. Pierson will face a better offensive line when Iowa visits next Saturday, but his effort and the talent on the rest of the defensive line have fueled hopes that this unit could be one of the best in coach Paul Rhoads’ tenure.

Pierson decided on his Twitter handle after announcing that he would sign with Iowa State and learning that a Cyclone fan had posted that the team just picked up a sack mamba.

ST. LOUIS (AP) – Dexter Fowler had a leadoff home run and two-run double the first two innings and Dan Haren worked seven innings for the Chicago Cubs, who whipped the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0 on Monday. The NL Central-leading Cardinals maintained a 5 1/2-game lead over Pittsburgh, which lost 3-1 to Cincinnati. The Cubs are 7 1/2 games back. Addison Russell’s three-run homer capped a five-run third that made it 8-0. The Cubs have won four in a row and got an 11-game trip off to a rocking start.

Haren (9-9) had five strikeouts and two walks. He contributed a single and sacrifice fly in Chicago’s second victory in eight games in St. Louis this season. Lance Lynn (11-9) surrendered six runs in 2 1-3 innings on nine days rest after getting extra time to recover from a sprained ankle in his last start.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Gerrit Cole pitched seven scoreless innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates used home runs from Aramis Ramirez, Sean Rodriguez and Starling Marte to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-1 Sunday night. Cole (16-8) gave up two hits, struck out seven and walked three as he bounced back from his worst start of the season. He threw a 99 mph fastball on his 94th pitch.

Second-place Pittsburgh cut the Cardinals’ lead in the NL Central to 5 1/2 games and earned its first series victory at Busch Stadium since April 2013. The teams are 8-8 against each other with one series to play at Pittsburgh in the final week of the season. John Lackey (11-9) gave up three runs and 10 hits in 7 1-3 innings but extended his streak of quality starts at home to 15.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Cameron Dye and Sarah Haskins both finished Sunday’s Des Moines Triathlon more than two minutes ahead of the competition. The Des Moines Register reports that Dye finished the swimming, biking and running competition in 1 hour, 47 minutes and 48 seconds.

The former University of Iowa swimmer finished 2:05 ahead of the next finisher. Haskins claimed the women’s title by finishing in 2:00:28. She never lost the lead after the second bike leg.

(2-1) Adair-Casey 18-21-15, Iowa Christian Academy 21-16-12
(2-1) Adair-Casey 19-21-15, Coon Rapids-Bayard 21-19-7
(2-0) Adair-Casey 21-21, Paton-Churdan 11-18
(2-0) AHSTW 21-21, Whiting 7-12
(2-0) Ankeny Centennial 21-21, Lewis Central 12-11
(2-1) Ankeny Christian Academy 12-21-16, CAM, Anita 21-12-14
(2-0) Audubon 21-21, Greene County 14-19
(2-0) Boyer Valley 21-21, AHSTW 14-14
(2-0) Boyer Valley 22-21, Exira-EHK 20-11
(2-0) Cedar Rapids, Kennedy 21-21, Harlan 15-16
(2-0) Clarinda 21-21, East Mills 15-12
(2-0) Clarinda 21-21, Griswold 11-11
(2-0) Clarinda 21-21, Shenandoah 12-14
(2-0) Clarinda 25-25, East Mills 15-11
(2-1) Coon Rapids-Bayard 21-19-18, CAM, Anita 19-21-16
(2-0) Coon Rapids-Bayard 21-21, Ankeny Christian Academy 14-11
(2-0) Coon Rapids-Bayard 21-21, Iowa Christian Academy 15-16
(2-1) Exira-EHK 21-21-15, AHSTW 23-13-7
(2-1) Exira-EHK 24-21-16, Whiting 26-14-14
(2-1) Harlan 18-21-16, Ankeny 21-10-14
(2-1) Harlan 21-11-15, Valley, West Des Moines 9-21-9
(2-0) Harlan 21-21, A-D-M, Adel 8-18
(2-0) Harlan 21-21, Des Moines, Abraham Lincoln 11-16
(2-1) IKM-Manning 21-11-15, Manson-NW Webster 15-21-7
(2-0) IKM-Manning 21-21, Glidden-Ralston 18-16
(2-0) IKM-Manning 21-21, South Central Calhoun 18-18
(2-0) Missouri Valley 21-21, AHSTW 4-10
(2-0) Missouri Valley 21-21, Exira-EHK 9-14
(2-0) Missouri Valley 21-21, Whiting 5-2
(2-0) Missouri Valley 21-22, Boyer Valley 11-20
(2-1) MOC-Floyd Valley 16-21-15, Denison-Schleswig 21-19-11
(2-0) Shenandoah 25-25, Bedford 22-20
(2-0) Sidney 21-21, AHSTW 6-19
(2-0) Sidney 21-21, Boyer Valley 11-13
(2-0) Sidney 21-21, Exira-EHK 11-9
(2-0) Sidney 21-21, Whiting 7-8
(2-0) Sidney 21-23, Missouri Valley 14-21
(2-0) South Central Calhoun 21-25, Audubon 12-23 (Game 1)
(2-0) South Central Calhoun 23-21, Audubon 21-15 (Game 2)
(2-1) South Hamilton 21-15-15, IKM-Manning 18-21-10 (1st game)
(2-0) South Hamilton 21-21, IKM-Manning 15-11 (2nd game)
(2-1) St. Albert, Council Bluffs 16-22-15, Treynor 21-20-8
(2-0) St. Albert, Council Bluffs 21-21, Bedford 9-7
(2-0) St. Albert, Council Bluffs 21-21, Stanton 8-11
(2-1) St. Albert, Council Bluffs 25-19-15, Treynor 18-25-13
(2-0) St. Albert, Council Bluffs 28-25, East Mills 26-5
(2-0) St. Mary, Storm Lake 21-21, Coon Rapids-Bayard 16-15
(2-1) Stanton 21-18-15, Bedford 12-21-8
(2-0) Treynor 21-21, Bedford 11-12
(2-0) Treynor 25-25, Clarinda 9-16
(2-0) Tri-Center, Neola 21-21, AHSTW 18-6
(2-0) Tri-Center, Neola 21-21, Boyer Valley 14-11
(2-0) Tri-Center, Neola 21-21, Exira-EHK 15-4
(2-0) Tri-Center, Neola 21-21, Missouri Valley 19-17
(2-0) Tri-Center, Neola 21-21, Sidney 15-15
(2-0) Tri-Center, Neola 21-21, Whiting 4-7

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Sam Richardson threw two touchdown passes and Iowa State got rolling in the second half to open the season with a 31-7 victory over Northern Iowa on Saturday night. Iowa State bottled up its FCS opponent for most of the steamy night and provided a key victory for coach Paul Rhoads, who is under scrutiny after winning only five games over the last two seasons.

The Cyclones also ended a two-game losing streak to FCS teams and won its opener for the first time since 2012, delighting a record crowd of 61,500 in newly expanded Jack Trice Stadium. Illinois transfer Aaron Bailey totaled 199 yards and threw a touchdown pass in his first game at quarterback for the Panthers. But he was sacked five times and UNI was hurt throughout by poor field position.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Conley Wilkins ran for three touchdowns to lead Drake past William Jewell 44-30 Saturday night. Drake built a 26-9 in the third quarter on Andy Rice’s 48-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Yarwood with 7:54 left. But the Cardinals’ Anthony Mullins ran the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown making it 26-16. Josh Lee hit a 24-yard field goal making it 29-16 to end the quarter.

Nick West then led the Cardinals 69 yards in eight plays, capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass to Cody Edwards cutting the lead to 29-23. Drake countered with its own eight-play drive, which ended with a 22-yard touchdown toss from Rice to Eric Staubert with 9:08 left. The two-point conversion extended the lead to 37-23. Wilkins, who had 110 yards rushing, concluded the Bulldogs’ scoring with a 4-yard run.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — C.J. Beathard threw for 211 yards and a touchdown in his first career start at Kinnick Stadium and Iowa pounded Illinois State 31-14 on Saturday. Beathard also ran for two touchdowns, and LeShun Daniels, Jr. had 123 yards rushing for the Hawkeyes in their opener.

Iowa held the FCS Redbirds to just 231 yards — roughly half of what they averaged per game last season. Iowa raced out to a 17-0 halftime lead and pushed it to 31-0 on Beathard’s 1-yard plunge midway through the fourth quarter. Jake Kolbe had 147 yards passing and two meaningless late TDs for Illinois State.