The Chiefs received nearly each manner possible throughout an ideal 15-game streak relationship again to final season: Patrick Mahomes led last-second touchdowns, their protection held agency and Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning discipline objectives.
They added a block to the checklist towards the Broncos on Sunday.
Leo Chenal was a part of a purple wave that swept via the center of Denver’s discipline purpose unit, and the Chiefs linebacker bought his fingers on Wil Lutz’s 35-yard try as time expired, permitting Kansas City to flee with a 16-14 victory.
“It’s a complete shock, you realize? I can not say a lot about it,” Chenal mentioned. “I used to be actually praying for one thing to occur. That second is so heavy. There’s a second on the clock, they’re about to kick a discipline purpose and you are feeling the burden of the second.”
Chiefs coach Andy Reid indicated that they took benefit of one thing they noticed within the Broncos’ discipline purpose operation.
“We’ve performed it,” Reid mentioned, “nevertheless it’s additionally one thing we work like loopy on. Normally it simply would not work like that.”
The Chiefs had taken the lead on Butker’s discipline purpose with 5:57 remaining, however Bo Nix and the Broncos transformed a trio of third downs as they marched again down the sphere. They proceeded to arrange Lutz for the game-winner, however Chenal got here up the center amid a giant push by the Kansas City defensive position to get his hand on the soccer.
The ball skidded towards the Denver sideline because the Chiefs rushed the sphere to have fun.
“I felt like we beat them, however we weren’t performed,” Broncos coach Sean Payton mentioned. “It’s going to take some time. It’s going to burn.”
Mahomes completed with 266 passing yards and a landing for the Chiefs, who grew to become simply the fifth Super Bowl champion to win their first 9 video games of the postseason. It additionally matches one of the best begin to a season in franchise historical past, and their 15-game successful streak relationship again to final season is the longest within the NFL for the reason that Packers received 19 in a row in 2010-11.
Travis Kelce made eight receptions for 64 yards and a landing for Kansas City. DeAndre Hopkins caught 4 passes for 56 yards and Kareem Hunt was held to 35 dashing yards but additionally caught seven passes for 65 yards.
“Any manner you win is sweet on this league,” Mahomes mentioned. “You reside for these moments. When you develop up enjoying soccer, you reside for the top, no matter it’s. And I’m blissful that we will expertise it collectively.”
Nix completed with 215 passing yards and two touchdowns for the Broncos (5-5). Courtland Sutton made six receptions for 60 yards and a rating. And their 13-yard connection on third-and-6 with 1:45 left is what gave Denver the possibility to kick as time expired.
“They simply made yet another play. When we thought it was in our fingers, it wasn’t,” Nix mentioned. “It’s robust. And as soon as once more, there’s two good soccer groups on the market enjoying towards one another, and sooner or later it is going to go in our favor.”
The Broncos surprised the Chiefs a yr in the past, forcing them into 5 turnovers in a 21-9 win at Denver that ended a 16-game shedding streak within the collection. And they clearly had the identical intention in thoughts when the AFC West rivals met once more on Sunday.
Their protection tormented Mahomes all through the primary half, notably when an harm to Wanya Morris pressured the rookie to depart deal with Kingsley Suamataia within the sport. And the Broncos capitalized on the offense with two lengthy scoring drives, the primary ending with Nix discovering Devaughn Vele extensive open and the second with Sutton’s 32-yard landing run for a 14-3 lead.
It was Mahomes who bought the Chiefs again on observe, going 7-of-7 for 62 yards on the following drive. When it regarded like issues have been deadlocked on the Denver 2, Reid went towards his conservative nature on fourth down and Mahomes hit Kelce for the rating.
The Chiefs have been nonetheless down 14-10 at halftime, that means they’d Denver proper the place they wished them.
Unfazed to win their final eight video games when trailing within the second half, Kansas City closed to 14-13 on Butker’s basket late within the third quarter. The Chiefs protection then pressured consecutive punts, and Mahomes and the offense made it to the Denver 2, the place Butker added the go-ahead rating with just below six minutes left.
Plenty of time for the Broncos to get on the sphere. Not sufficient time to win.
“I informed our crew I used to be happy with the best way they fought. I believed we beat them,” Payton mentioned. “But regardless of that, you need to beat a champion and we weren’t in a position to do this, so clearly it is heartbreaking.”
Associated Press reporting.
(Want nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, observe leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a customized e-newsletter every day.)
Get extra from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get info on video games, information and extra
