The Kansas City Chiefs had not suffered a loss since December 25, 2023, a 14-game winning streak when including the season and playoffs.
The Chiefs’ streak came close to ending Sunday afternoon against the Denver Broncos, but a heroic streak from Leo Chenal on the final play of the game allowed the Chiefs to defeat the Broncos by a score of 16-14 , to remain undefeated in nine games this season.
The Broncos, however, had all the pieces in place to surprise the Chiefs, while Wil Lutz had a 35-yard field goal for the victory in front of him. Chenal, however, managed to force his way through the scrum and a brilliant dive allowed him to block Lutz’s kick. The Chiefs regained the ball to confirm their victory.
“It’s a total shock. I can’t say anything more, Chenal said. I wasn’t necessarily praying for anything to happen. This moment is so heavy. There’s one second left on the clock, they’re going to kick a field goal and you feel the weight of the moment. »
Coach Andy Reid said the Chiefs took advantage of a flaw he saw in the Broncos’ field goal process.
“We did it,” Reid said. But we also worked like crazy on this thing. It doesn’t normally work like that. »
Kansas City thus triumphed for a 15th outing in a row, dating back to Christmas 2023.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 28 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown pass in the victory, to Travis Kelce.
“Any way to win is good in this league,” Mahomes said. We live for these kinds of moments. When you grow up playing football, you live for those moments at the end of the match. I’m glad we had this experience. »
In the setback, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will have nothing to reproach himself for. He gained 215 yards on 22 completions and found Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele in the end zone for majors.
“They just made an extra play,” Nix said. When we thought we had it in our hands, we didn’t. It’s hard. These are two football teams facing each other, one day luck will be on our side. »
The game didn’t start the way the Chiefs would have hoped. After a scoreless first quarter, Kansas City saw the Broncos control part of the second quarter to take a 14-3 lead.
From the first seconds of the second quarter, Nix found Vele alone in the end zone and his six-yard pass allowed the Broncos to open the scoring. A seventh-round pick by the Broncos in 2024, Vele scored the first touchdown of his NFL career.
Nix came back with a bang with just under seven minutes remaining in the quarter. This time, Nix turned to the veteran Sutton and they put on a spectacular play. Nix completed a long 32-yard pass to Sutton and the Broncos increased their lead to 14-3.
But Mahomes and the Chiefs had not said their last word. A short two-yard pass from Mahomes first allowed Kelce to cut the lead to 14-10 after two quarters with his third touchdown of the season.
Harrison Butker then made a field goal in the third quarter as well as another in the fourth quarter to give the Chiefs the lead for the first time in the game, by a score of 16-14.
Nix wasn’t done with Kansas City, however.
With the Broncos moving down the field with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Nix completed a big 14-yard pass to Sutton on third down to give the Broncos possession.
Denver’s success hinged on a 35-yard field goal by Wil Lutz on the final play of the game. The Broncos’ hopes were dashed when Chenal blocked the punt.
The Chiefs’ unbeaten streak will be challenged by the Buffalo Bills next week, while the Broncos face the Las Vegas Raiders.
