The Kansas City Chiefs went toe-to-toe with the Denver Broncos in a slugfest between two AFC West heavyweights, but the Broncos edged out the Chiefs, 22-19 in a back-and-forth battle that featured yet another aerial show by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a record-setting throwback performance by tight end Travis Kelce.
This one gets the nod for game of the year so far, with the second half being an epic back-and-forth battle that featured one white-knuckle moment after another. The key play was a blocked extra point after a fourth-quarter Kansas City touchdown that could have put the Chiefs up by four, 20-16, but Denver was able to come back and tie the game with the fourth of five Wil Lutz field goals before the Broncos kicker hit his 35-yard game winner.
Mahomes ended up throwing for 276 yards and going 29-for-45 while dealing with Denver’s constant pressure. Kelce, meanwhile, had nine catches for 91 yards, and his fourth quarter touchdown catch featured a 20-yard run after a missed tackle by safety Talanoa Hufanga, and that reception set the career franchise record of 84.
The heroes for Denver included quarterback Bo Nix, who threw for 295 yards as he went 24-for-37, with running back RJ Harvey scoring the Broncos’ lone touchdown to cap off an 11-play, 89-yard drive. Lutz was another obvious hero, along with the entire Denver defense, which sacked Mahomes three times for 27 yards and pressured him constantly while adding an interception.
The first half didn’t feature much scoring, however. The two teams swapped field goals, with Denver striking first, and after that they proceeded to do it again. Kicker Harrison Butker of the Chiefs tied the game at 3-3 before giving Kansas City a brief 6-3 lead, and Lutz countered by hitting another one to knot the game 6-6 at halftime.
Both offenses woke up in the third quarter. Denver struck first with its lone touchdown drive, but Mahomes quickly led Kansas City back with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a two-yard rushing touchdown by running back Kareem Hunt. Denver went back ahead by three on yet another Lutz field goal, and that set the stage for Kelce to work his magic.
As thrilling as Kelce’s achievement was, it was marred by that blocked PAT, which completely changed the way the last ten minutes of the game were played. The Broncos were able to tie the game with another Lutz field goal, and coach Sean Payton played the field-position game to set up the final Lutz field goal as the Denver defense stiffened.
Nix was simply nails in this one, while Mahomes didn’t get enough help beyond Kelce and Kareem Hunt, who was stout in the running game with 59 yards on 13 carries to go with his touchdown. The Chiefs’ speedy receivers largely disappeared after some early success, and the struggles of receiver Rashee Rice were especially noticeable as he had several key drops.
The Chiefs defense was strong through much of the game, but they allowed the Broncos to play ball control in the final minutes as Nix did his comeback act. His biggest throw was a 32-yard strike to receiver Troy Franklin in the final minute that gave Denver the opportunity to run down the clock and force the Chiefs to use all their time outs.
Lutz hit his game-winner with just three seconds left, and the Chiefs now drop to 5-5, with that record now including an 0-5 mark in one-score games. The Chiefs aren’t out of the playoffs hunt by any means, but they are currently on the outside looking in, and it will take a serious comeback and a bit of luck to win the AFC West again. This was the game where the Chiefs needed to conquer their one-score bugaboo, but Mahomes and company came up short once again.