The Chiefs had this one in hand, or so it seemed, until the fourth quarter turned into a slow-motion collapse in Denver.
Kansas City carried a 24-13 lead into the final period at Empower Field at Mile High, then watched the Broncos storm back for a 28-24 win on Sunday. The finish was ugly, and it came down to a handful of plays the Chiefs could not survive.
Harrison Butker’s missed 54-yard field goal in the rain loomed large, especially after he had already made a field goal and three extra points. The miss gave Denver the opening it needed to finish the comeback.
Bo Nix and the Broncos wasted no time taking advantage. Starting at their own 44, Nix hit rookie running back Jonah Coleman on a short pass, and Coleman found open space on the wet turf. He ripped off a 51-yard gain, then scored on the next snap.
Kansas City still had one more chance to salvage the game, driving all the way to the Broncos’ goal line. But a Chiefs go-ahead score was wiped out by a false start, and Denver finished the job by sacking Patrick Mahomes to end it.
The fourth quarter unraveled after a punt gave Denver the ball at its own 20 with 13 minutes left. Three plays later, the key mistake arrived.
With rain falling in the second half, linebacker Bick Bolton slipped on the Broncos’ explosive 22-yard play to Adam Trautman. Kansas City eventually forced fourth-and-2 at the goal line, but Nix found tight end Nate Adkins for the touchdown.
For much of the afternoon, the Chiefs had reasons to feel good about the way they were playing. Running back Emmett Johnson broke out for 143 scrimmage yards, while Rashee Rice made an immediate impact in his return from a hamstring injury with seven catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
Rice’s return also underscored what Kansas City had been missing. Tight end Travis Kelce added five catches for 67 yards and a score, giving the offense another productive piece.
Xavier Worthy, though, remained hard to unlock. He finished with three catches on six targets for 13 yards, and a late-second-quarter miscue only added to the frustration. With the trade deadline approaching next week, that performance will only fuel more talk about the Chiefs needing help at wide receiver.
There were other signs the roster is still being shuffled. For the second time in a month, left guard Kingsley Suamataia was benched for what the team called a “coach’s decision,” and veteran Mike Caliendo took over at left guard.
Defensively, Kansas City had stretches that looked solid, even with cornerbacks Mansoor Delane (shoulder) and L’Jarius Sneed (knee) unavailable. George Karlaftis led the charge up front, batting down three passes and making sure the Chiefs did not leave without a sack.
But all of that was swallowed up by the final 15 minutes. Denver’s late rally erased what had been a promising day on both sides of the ball, and even with Kansas City still holding a lead under 10 minutes left, the game slipped away.
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