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Chiefs sustain hopes of NFL playoff top seed
Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdown passes and the Kansas City Chiefs kept alive their chances of an NFL playoff top seed by defeating the Denver Broncos 28-24 on Saturday.
Mahomes completed 27 of 44 passes for 269 yards (246 meters) without an interception and ran nine times for 54 yards as the Chiefs rallied to beat the Broncos for a 13th consecutive time since 2015.
"It was tough," Mahomes said. "We didn't play the way we wanted, especially in the first half. It was great to find a way to win."
The 2020 Super Bowl champion Chiefs (12-5) need a Sunday loss by the Tennessee Titans (11-5) at Houston (4-12) to claim the AFC top seeding, which brings a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage.
Kansas City's victory ended New England and Cincinnati's chances to take the top seed.
Denver was clinging to a 21-20 lead in the fourth quarter and had driven to the Chiefs' nine-yard line when disaster struck.
Kansas City linebacker Melvin Ingram knocked the ball from the grasp of Broncos running back Melvin Gordon and Chiefs rookie Nick Bolton scooped up the fumble and ran 86 yards for a touchdown - the longest fumble recovery scoring run of the NFL season.
Mahomes ran in a two-point conversion and the Chiefs seized a 28-21 edge.
Brandon McManus kicked a 31-yard field goal with 4:37 remaining to lift the Broncos to 28-24 but the Chiefs got the ball and ran out the clock.
The Broncos (7-10) had already been eliminated from playoff contention.
The contest marked the first time in NFL history that teams played a 17th game in a regular season, the league having expanded the schedule by one game per club starting this year.
The Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon caught a screen pass from Mahomes and eluded three Denver defenders to complete a 14-yard touchdown play that gave Kansas City a 17-14 lead 4:17 into the third quarter.
Denver's Gordon answered with a 47-yard touchdown run to put the hosts back in front, but the Chiefs trimmed the Broncos' lead to 21-20 on Harrison Butker's 51-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Mahomes flipped a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce to cap a 91-yard drive as the Chiefs took a 7-0 lead but Denver's Drew Lock ran five yards for a touchdown to pull the Broncos level 7-7 after one quarter.
Lock scrambled 23 yards up the middle for another touchdown to give the Broncos the lead but the Chiefs pulled within 14-10 at halftime on a 34-yard Butker field goal.
Mahomes completed 27 of 44 passes for 269 yards (246 meters) without an interception and ran nine times for 54 yards as the Chiefs rallied to beat the Broncos for a 13th consecutive time since 2015.
"It was tough," Mahomes said. "We didn't play the way we wanted, especially in the first half. It was great to find a way to win."
The 2020 Super Bowl champion Chiefs (12-5) need a Sunday loss by the Tennessee Titans (11-5) at Houston (4-12) to claim the AFC top seeding, which brings a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage.
Kansas City's victory ended New England and Cincinnati's chances to take the top seed.
Denver was clinging to a 21-20 lead in the fourth quarter and had driven to the Chiefs' nine-yard line when disaster struck.
Kansas City linebacker Melvin Ingram knocked the ball from the grasp of Broncos running back Melvin Gordon and Chiefs rookie Nick Bolton scooped up the fumble and ran 86 yards for a touchdown - the longest fumble recovery scoring run of the NFL season.
Mahomes ran in a two-point conversion and the Chiefs seized a 28-21 edge.
Brandon McManus kicked a 31-yard field goal with 4:37 remaining to lift the Broncos to 28-24 but the Chiefs got the ball and ran out the clock.
The Broncos (7-10) had already been eliminated from playoff contention.
The contest marked the first time in NFL history that teams played a 17th game in a regular season, the league having expanded the schedule by one game per club starting this year.
The Chiefs' Jerick McKinnon caught a screen pass from Mahomes and eluded three Denver defenders to complete a 14-yard touchdown play that gave Kansas City a 17-14 lead 4:17 into the third quarter.
Denver's Gordon answered with a 47-yard touchdown run to put the hosts back in front, but the Chiefs trimmed the Broncos' lead to 21-20 on Harrison Butker's 51-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
Mahomes flipped a three-yard touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce to cap a 91-yard drive as the Chiefs took a 7-0 lead but Denver's Drew Lock ran five yards for a touchdown to pull the Broncos level 7-7 after one quarter.
Lock scrambled 23 yards up the middle for another touchdown to give the Broncos the lead but the Chiefs pulled within 14-10 at halftime on a 34-yard Butker field goal.
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