Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t finish last year’s Chiefs-Broncos game at Mile High because of a dislocated knee cap.
Mahomes didn’t finish Sunday’s game either, but for a far different reason: The Chiefs were routing the Broncos.
Mahomes left with 6:50 remaining and the Chiefs en route to a 43-16 win over the Broncos.
The weather conditions were frigid — 14 degrees (wind chill of 1) at kickoff — and so is the Chiefs-Broncos rivalry. Kansas City (5-1) made it 10 consecutive wins over the Broncos (2-4).
The other gory details:
- The Broncos have started 0-3 at Mile High for the first time since 1994.
- The Broncos committed a season-high four turnovers.
- The 43 points allowed were the most in Broncos coach Vic Fangio’s 22-game tenure.
- And Mahomes improved to 6-0 all-time against the Broncos. He was 15-of-23 passing for 200 yards and one touchdown on Sunday.
Kansas City ended the third quarter with no third-down conversions and one offensive touchdown … and led by three touchdowns. The Chiefs had an interception of Drew Lock and a kickoff returned for first-half touchdowns.
Making things worse for the Broncos: Injuries. In the first half, they lost running back Phillip Lindsay (concussion), outside linebacker Derrek Tuszka (hamstring) and nose tackle Mike Purcell (foot). Defensive end Shelby Harris (wrist) and receiver Tim Patrick (hamstring) were injured in the second half.
Trailing 24-9 at halftime, the Broncos tried to put together a drive to get back in the game. Instead, they gifted Kansas City more help. On a flea-flicker play, running back Melvin Gordon’s flip back to Lock was errant and scooped up by the Chiefs’ Frank Clark. Kansas City turned that into a Harrison Butker 31-yard field goal and a 27-9 lead.
The Broncos moved into Chiefs territory on their next drive, but receiver KJ Hamler was stopped short a yard short on fourth-and-5. Kansas City tacked on another Butker field goal (26 yards) to make it 30-9.
By this point, the Chiefs had scored one offensive touchdown and were 0 of 6 on third down … and led by three touchdowns.
The Chiefs got back into the end zone off of — what else? — a Broncos turnover. Tyrann Mathieu intercepted a Lock pass and returned it 18 yards. Mahomes threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill for a 37-9 lead with 11:15 remaining.
The Chiefs built a 15-point halftime lead and Mahomes and Co., only had a little bit to do with it.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio went against the grain when he elected to take the football first after winning the coin toss.
It didn’t work out, Part 1: The Broncos went three-and-out.
It didn’t work out, Part 2: The Chiefs went right down the field, covering 68 yards on eight plays, including gains of 13, 11, 19 and 11 yards. Receiver Mecole Hardman’s one-handed catch gained 19 yards and on the next play, Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran through at least three Broncos missed tackles for an 11-yard touchdown.
After another three-and-out by the Broncos’ offense, inside linebacker Alexander Johnson gave the football right back by forcing a fumble by tight end Nick Keizer (recovered by cornerback Bryce Callahan at the Chiefs’ 37. The Broncos cashed in. Lock threw 27 yards to Tim Patrick and three plays later, on third-and-goal, Lock ran for a two-yard touchdown on a play that was well-designed — jet sweep motion by receiver Jerry Jeudy and play-fake to Gordon — twisted up the Chiefs’ defense.
Kicker Brandon McManus was wide left on his extra-point attempt.
The Chiefs used a 38-yard catch by Hardman to move into scoring territory, but Bradley Chubb’s sack of Mahomes (2.09 seconds) forced a Butker 40-yard field goal and a 10-6 Chiefs lead.
The Broncos overcame Gordon’s second lost fumble of the year, forcing a Chiefs punt. On the ensuing possession, on second-and-23, Kansas City rushed six and an under-pressure Lock tried to throw it to tight end Noah Fant on the right side, but safety Daniel Sorenson intercepted the pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.
The second quarter got worse for the Broncos.
After McManus’ 43-yard field goal cut the lead to 17-9 with 5:49 left in the first half, his ensuing kickoff was returned 102 yards for a touchdown by Byron Pringle. It was the first kick return touchdown allowed by the Broncos since 2017.
Late in the first half, Lindsay was injured after helmet-to-helmet contact by Sorenson.
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