A 35-yard field goal by Wil Lutz as time expired allowed the Denver Broncos to take firm control of the AFC West, downing the Kansas City Chiefs 22-19 on Sunday, Nov. 16 at Mile High Stadium.
Lutz had five field goals in the game, including the first six points of the game. Harrison Butker leveled the score with a pair of 31-yarders in the first half. Kansas City struggled to break through the Denver defense, even with star cornerback Patrick Surtain out with an injury. On the Chiefs’ first drive of the third quarter, Patrick Mahomes was intercepted at the five-yard line by Ja’Quan McMillan, who saw most of his return wiped out by a teammate’s blindside block penalty. That only made Denver’s lone touchdown drive take longer, as Bo Nix led the Broncos 89 yards on 11 plays, capped by Jaleel McLaughlin’s four-yard run to the end zone.
The Chiefs responded with a touchdown drive of their own, going 75 yards in six plays, capped by a two-yard scamper from Kareem Hunt. Lutz reclaimed the lead for Denver with a 39-yard field goal, but the Chiefs would claim their only lead on the next drive with Travis Kelce’s franchise record-setting catch. His 21-yard touchdown catch was the 84th touchdown he recorded as a Chief, breaking Priest Holmes’ record for most by an individual player.
However, that would be all the Chiefs could get on the board, as Butker’s extra-point attempt was blocked. The Chiefs would not have a first down the rest of the game, going three-and-out on their final two drives. Meanwhile, the Broncos would get prime field position with Marvin Mims returning a punt 24 yards, setting up a 54-yarder from Lutz to tie the game. Nix would complete passes of 20 yards and 32 yards on the final drive to set up Lutz’ game-winning chip shot.
Mahomes went 29-for-45 for 276 yards, completing one touchdown pass and throwing one interception. He was sacked three times for 27 yards. Kelce had the most receptions, catching nine passes for 91 yards, while Tyquan Thornton went 61 yards with his only reception. For Denver, Nix went 24-for-37 for 295 yards, with Troy Franklin making four catches for 84 yards while Pat Bryant hauled in five throws for 82 yards. The running game took a backseat for both teams, as Kareem Hunt recorded 13 carries for 59 yards for KC, while RJ Harvey had 11 carries for 30 yards for the Broncos.
The loss sends Kansas City to 5-5, 3.5 games behind the Broncos in the AFC West and a game behind Jacksonville for the seventh playoff position. The AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts will visit Arrowhead next Sunday, with kickoff at noon. Pregame is at 11 a.m. on KMMO-FM 102.9.