kansascity
For a while on Sunday, it seemed safe for Kansas City Chiefs fans to believe again. After a disheartening 20-3 loss in Seattle the previous week, the Chiefs had surged to a 24-13 third-quarter advantage over the host Denver Broncos in a crucial early-season AFC West showdown. At that point, it looked as though Kansas City would tighten its grip on the division and maintain its hold on the conference's top seed—at least for early November.
But the momentum shifted dramatically. Denver responded to a Kansas City touchdown with its third consecutive three-and-out of the second half, drawing boos from the home crowd. Then, early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs appeared to be driving again when Patrick Mahomes connected with rookie running back Emmett Johnson for a 5-yard gain on third-and-6 from the Kansas City 36-yard line. Initially, it looked as though Johnson was less than a foot short of the first down, and replay review seemed to confirm that assessment. However, the officiating crew spotted the ball 2 yards short of the marker, leading to a fourth-and-2 situation.
"We asked, and it was fourth and 2," Mahomes said. "And then when we got out of there, it was fourth and inches." The sequence left the Chiefs baffled and forced them to punt. The officiating confusion became another bizarre twist in a game full of them—the kind of oddity that seems to frequently surface in Kansas City's matchups. Head coach Andy Reid, visibly frustrated in the moment, later tempered his remarks: "Mechanically, I wasn't sure exactly how they were operating."
Yet while the questionable spot may have influenced the fourth-down decision and possibly the game's outcome, it was not the turning point. The real issue was how the Chiefs performed the rest of the way. When a great team typically clamps down, Kansas City instead let the game slip away. A critical breakdown occurred on Denver's next possession when Nick Bolton slipped in coverage on Adam Trautman; the 22-yard reception was compounded by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Alohi Gilman. Five plays later, the Broncos had trimmed the deficit to 24-21 with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Then came the now-expected Harrison Butker missed field goal, and almost immediately, Denver found the end zone to take the lead. The Chiefs appeared to reclaim the advantage with a game-winning touchdown pass from Mahomes to Rashee Rice on fourth-and-goal at the 1, but the play was nullified by a false start on Jaylon Moore. Though the call looked flimsy at first glance, replays showed Moore rocking back, and it became the 11th accepted penalty against Denver. Mahomes was sacked on the final play, sealing the outcome and underscoring the day's theme. "We did a lot of great; we did a lot of good," Mahomes said. "But when you make mistakes, you're going to lose."
Simple, but entirely accurate. For much of the game, Kansas City did so much well that it seemed poised for a heartening bounce-back. Even in defeat, Mahomes showed encouraging signs, completing 30 of 41 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns—including his longest regular-season completion since 2021, a 73-yard strike to Johnson. The rookie running back from Nebraska added a new dimension to the offense with five catches for 128 yards and the team's longest run of the day (15 yards), plus a 44-yard kickoff return that set up the would-be game-winning drive. Had the Chiefs won, the game might have been remembered as "The Emmett Johnson Game."
Losing doesn't diminish what Johnson demonstrated, and the offense clearly functioned better with the return of Rice, who had seven catches for 53 yards. But regardless of how different this loss felt from the Seattle debacle, it marked a clear pendulum swing: a second straight defeat after a 5-0 start and a squandered substantial lead. Especially considering Denver is a team the Chiefs blasted 31-10 in the season opener. In fact, the Broncos are the only team Kansas City has beaten with a winning record; the Chiefs' other four wins came against teams with a combined 7-23 mark.
Sure, the Chiefs might rebound soon with their next three games against the New York Jets (2-6), Atlanta Falcons (3-5), and Arizona Cardinals (3-5). But that won't matter much if they don't also improve during that stretch, because a defining crucible awaits: at Buffalo (6-1), at the Los Angeles Rams (4-4), and at Cincinnati (5-2) before closing out December at home against the Patriots (5-3) and 49ers (6-1). It could very well happen. Steve Spagnuolo's defenses tend to improve as the season progresses, and the modern Chiefs have a history of shaking off early funks to dominate the rest of the way. And as dispiriting as blowing a lead is, it beats getting outclassed like they did last week.
Even as he acknowledged that losses are losses, Mahomes added, "Last week, we didn't have the fight that we had this week. I thought the fight was better." It wasn't enough, though, and it leaves one wondering if the Chiefs have enough to return to their recent glory of five Super Bowls in six seasons before plummeting to 6-11 in 2025. Unless someone emerges soon, for instance, they're at least one receiver shy of being able to make defenses respect the passing offense enough to give Kenneth Walker some room to roam. After dominating through their first five games, Walker has 105 yards on 35 carries over the last two games.
And while Butker's latest miss didn't cost them the game, it certainly changed the final dynamics—including the fact that the Chiefs would have needed only a field goal at the end if he had made the one he missed. After the controversial signing of Justin Tucker to the practice squad last week, stay tuned for the even-more contentious prospect of him taking Butker's place. Meanwhile, a defense that entered the game second in the league in fewest points allowed (17.2) can't let Denver back in the game like that—unless it's just not that good after all.
Just the same, Mahomes was right when he said it's still early in the season and we can do whatever we want. "It's all out in front of us." It's going to be behind them soon, though, if they keep having these kinds of lapses and gaps in their game right when you might think they've got it back.
Originally reported by kansascity.