Patrick Mahomes' Remarkable 80-2 Record Takes Rare Hit in Chiefs Loss to Broncos

Patrick Mahomes has built his reputation on protecting leads and delivering victories for the Kansas City Chiefs.

But one of the quarterback's most remarkable career statistics took a rare hit Sunday.

Kansas City's stunning 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos marked just the third time Mahomes has lost a game after holding a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.

According to the Associated Press, Mahomes entered Sunday's contest with an extraordinary 80-2 career record in those situations.

That mark now stands at 80-3.

The Chiefs appeared positioned to extend that dominance after Mahomes connected with tight end Noah Gray for a 4-yard touchdown in the third quarter, giving Kansas City a 24-13 advantage.

The lead held into the fourth quarter, but Denver scored 15 unanswered points to complete the comeback.

Bo Nix found Nate Adkins for a 2-yard touchdown before connecting with Jaylen Waddle on the two-point conversion, trimming Kansas City's advantage to 24-21.

Then came another costly missed opportunity.

Harrison Butker pushed a 54-yard field goal attempt wide right with 2:31 remaining, continuing the struggles that prompted a recent warning from coach Andy Reid.

Denver needed only two plays to capitalize.

Nix connected with rookie running back Jonah Coleman for a 51-yard gain before Coleman scored on a 5-yard run, giving the Broncos their first lead.

Mahomes still had an opportunity to rescue Kansas City.

He moved the Chiefs inside Denver's 5-yard line, but a false start penalty wiped out a potential game-winning touchdown pass to Rashee Rice.

On the final play, Malcolm Roach sacked Mahomes to preserve Denver's victory.

Mahomes finished 30-of-41 for 321 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, a significant improvement after Kansas City's offensive struggles against Seattle.

But his individual performance wasn't enough.

The defeat also underscored concerns raised in a pregame examination of Kansas City's biggest challenges against Denver, particularly the importance of Butker in a close contest.

The Chiefs have now lost consecutive games after opening the season 5-0.

More importantly, Kansas City slipped to 5-2 and surrendered first place in the AFC West to Denver, which improved to 6-2.

For Mahomes, Sunday's collapse was an exceptionally rare blemish on a record built around finishing games.