Chiefs’ AFC West Hopes Take Hit After Broncos Loss

1st Quarter

Kansas City's defense took the field to start the game, and it was immediately evident that the players understood the significance of this matchup. Chamarri Conner made an impactful play right from the beginning, recording a huge sack on Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

But just because the Chiefs' defense started hot didn't mean that the Broncos' offense would comply, as their first drive of the game ended with putting three points up on the board. 3-0 Broncos.

Patrick Mahomes took the field looking to continue his success over the Broncos in his career, entering the game with a 13-1 record against the franchise. Kansas City tried two deep balls and got denied, forcing them to punt the ball away.

A costly penalty on the Chiefs' kicking team gave the Broncos a prime position on the field, but the Kansas City defense held them out of the end zone once more, forcing another three-point attempt. 6-0 Broncos on two drives.

Mahomes targeted Xavier Worthy on a deep ball, yet it was incomplete and ruled pass interference, giving Kansas City a chance to take the lead. Denver's defense did what the Chiefs' did, keeping Kansas City out of the end zone.

Harrison Butker did get the Chiefs on the board, cutting the lead in half. 6-3 Broncos.

2nd Quarter:

The Chiefs took nine minutes and 32 seconds off the clock after the Broncos punted the ball following three plays. Kansas City drove down to the red zone, but the Broncos' defense held strong, preventing them from scoring a touchdown. As a result, Kansas City settled for a field goal, resulting in a 6-6 tie with less than five minutes left in the first half.

Denver once again couldn't do anything with their drives, as the Kansas City defense forced another punt from the Broncos. With just over three minutes left in the game, this gave the Chiefs all the time in the world to get something done and take a lead.

Neither franchise would score again before half.

3rd Quarter:

The Chiefs and Broncos started to both show some fight, knowing now that this game would be closer and low-scoring than originally thought. Mahomes tossed an interception near the Broncos' end zone, which would have given them the lead. Instead, Denver would find the end zone on their next drive. 13-6 Broncos.

Tyquan Thornton again showed his worth to this Chiefs offense by hauling in a deep pass from Mahomes to get into Denver territory. Kareem Hunt rushed his way into the end zone, and they head to the fourth quarter of the game with a 13-13 tie. The game would come down to the wire.

4th Quarter:

The Broncos opened the fourth with another field goal drive, giving them a 16-13 lead with plenty of game left. But on the back of Travis Kelce's 21-yard reception, the Chiefs took the lead at 19-16. The extra point was denied, making this anyone's game still.

Denver would respond, adding three of their own, bringing it to a 19-19 tie with under five minutes of the game. Fans on both sides were biting their fingernails; the competition ramped up immensely.

The Broncos had the ball with one minute left in the game, the Chiefs' AFC West division hopes seemingly on the line. A big pass and not enough time left in the game, the Broncos would take this game, forcing the Chiefs to a 5-5 record.

Final: Broncos 22, Chiefs 19.