KANSAS CITY – Everything the Kansas City Chiefs could have hoped for came into fruition on Sunday. As the sun was starting to peak over the east coast, K.C. was a game and a half back from the top seed in the AFC. Now, with Baltimore losing to Pittsburgh earlier in Week 13, the Chiefs entered their Sunday night matchup with a chance to tie the other AFC division leaders with an 8-4 record.
They did not disappoint.
Somehow, Kansas City’s defense, which is already playing on a high level, got even better against their division rivals. The Chiefs defensively came into Week 13, only allowing an average of 11.8 points per game since Week 8, ranking 2nd in the league. Tonight, they held quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and the Denver offense to just 9 nine points. Arguably the most significant play was linebacker Willie Gay and defensive end Melvin Ingram shutting running back Javonte Williams down in the backfield on 4th & 2 after the Broncos had traveled 80 yards on a 20-play drive to come up empty-handed late in the first half.
Defensive back Daniel Sorensen also made a huge defensive play that sealed the victory for K.C., picking off Bridgewater at the defense’s 25-yard line and evading tacklers on a 75-yard pick-6 in the fourth quarter. Juan Thornhill also picked a pass off of Bridgewater late in the third quarter.
Kansas City’s special teams unit also made a huge play to get the ball back. On the final play of the third quarter on fourth-down, punter Tommy Townsend drilled a punt 47 yards to the Denver 18-yard line, where returner Diontae Spencer was there waiting to fair catch it. As he was waiving for fair-catch, Chiefs wider receiver/gunner Byron Pringle shoved Caden Sterns into Spencer, forcing the muffed punt, which Pringle recovers for Kansas City. The turnover would be cashed in for a 26-yard field goal by Harrison Butker, his third of the night.
Butker’s also nailed field goals from 45 and 56 yards out.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ offense sputtered to get anything going again despite being at home. Aside from putting the Chiefs on the board early in the first half, scrambling 10 yards into the end zone, Patrick Mahomes was 15-of-29 for 184 yards. He also threw his 12th interception of the season as he was trying to rifle a pass to WR Tyreek Hill, but the ball bounced off his hands and into the arms of Denver DB Pat Surtain II. Luckily, the turnover resulted in a three-and-out for the Broncos.
Denver’s offense also struggled. Four of their five drives in the first ended with zero points scored in the first half, and it was more of the same in the second. Two of Denver’s drives ended in interceptions; however, the Broncos did find the end zone with a little over five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater completed 22 of 40 passes for 102 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Struggles in the passing game did no justice for how well both rushing attacks were in this game. Denver’s Javonte Williams took 23 handoffs for 102 yards averaging 4.4 yards per carries, while Kansas City’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 54 yards on 14 carries, averaging 3.9 yards per rush.
After Patrick Mahomes opened up the scoring, it was pretty nothing but defense the whole way in the first half. Denver’s drive ended with Bridgewater’s throwing the ball away on 3rd & 9, setting up punter Sam Martin to drill a 56-yard punt to Kansas City’s 18-yard line, which Mike Hughes moves up three yards before getting tackled at the 21. That drive would end with Harrison Butker sending home a 56-yard punt that bounced off the left upright before going in.
Denver would respond by making a 42-yard field goal from Brandon McManus following a 12-play drive that went for 71 yards. Kansas City went into the locker room with a 10-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Kansas City went three-and-out on both of their offensive drives; meanwhile, the Chiefs’ defense made a huge play by holding Denver out of the end zone despite being on the field for 21 consecutive plays on a drive that traveled 83 yards from the Bronco three-yard line.
Chiefs would carry their 10-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Kansas City got the ball to start the second half and were off to a good start before disaster struck as Mahomes zipped a pass for Tyreek Hill, which bounced off the receiver’s hands, and into the arms of defensive back Pat Surtain II, who was immediately tackled at the Bronco 21-yard line. However, Denver’s drive following the pick was an immediate three-and-out, and Kansas City went on another drive, this time setting up Butker to drill off another field goal from 45 yards out after the offense traveled 60 yards in eight plays.
Down 13-3, Denver tried to reel off their own productive scoring drive but turned the ball over seven plays in as Bridgewater’s pass intended for WR Jerry Jeudy was picked off by safety Juan Thornhill at Kansas City’s 35-yard line and returned by up to mid-field. But an illegal blindside block penalty on linebacker Anthony Hitchens nullified the run back and set the Chiefs up on their own 33.
However, Mahomes and Co. would fall five plays and out before going into the fourth quarter. That’s when Dave Toub’s special teams unit made a huge play to get the Chiefs the ball back. Byron Pringle shoved a Denver blocker into returner Diontae Spencer, forcing a muffed punt that Pringle recovered to gain Kansas City possession of the ball with a new set of down at the Denver 16-yard line. Unfortunately, the Chiefs offense didn’t make use of the short field in front of them and went three-and-out, forcing the bring Harrison Butker out once again, this time to boot a 26-yard field goal to extend Kansas City’s lead 16-3.
The game still in reach, Denver attempted to get down the field past the stingy Chiefs defense aggressively. Eleven plays into a 43-yard drive. Bridgewater was picked off for a second time by DB Daniel Sorensen, who dashed 75 yards the other way for a score to pad Kansas City’s lead to 22-3.
On the very next drive, Denver took another crack at making their way to the end zone and finally succeeded with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter. The Broncos moved 85 yards in 12 plays as Bridgewater delivered a nice pass to Javonte Williams in the flat for a walk-in score. Denver attempted a 2-point conversion on the very next play but was snuffed out by Daniel Sorensen, who denied Nah Fant from reaching the goalline after securing a short pass from Bridgewater.
The Broncos got a final chance with the ball after Kansas City stalled once ore going three-and-out late in the fourth quarter. However, Kansas City’s defense stepped up and forced the Broncos to turn the ball over on downs which secured the Chiefs a 22-9 win over their hated division rivals.
Denver falls to 6-6 on the season and will take on the Detriot Lions (1-10-1) next Sunday.
Meanwhile, Kansas City improves to 8-4 on the year, which ties them (for now) with the Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, and New England Patriots, all teams currently leading their respective divisions.
Kansas City now rides a five-game winning streak and will have an opportunity to make it six in a row when they face the Las Vegas Raiders (6-6) on December 12.
