- The Denver Broncos defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 22-19 with a last-second field goal.
- This victory marked the Broncos’ eighth consecutive win and extended their lead in the AFC West.
- Denver’s win was their fifth fourth-quarter comeback of the season.
- The Chiefs, now 5-5, have lost all five of their one-score games this season.
DENVER – They’ve done it again.
This time, the Denver Broncos comeback victory came with an added layer of purpose: They slayed the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Broncos hung one on their arch AFC West rival, 22-19, winning with a 35-yard Wil Lutz field goal as time expired in a thriller at Invesco Field. The kick, Lutz’s fifth field goal, was set up by a 32-yard completion to Troy Franklin in the final minute.
Oh, my.
The result, which was Denver’s eighth consecutive win and fifth seized with a fourth-quarter comeback, gave the Broncos (9-2) a commanding lead in the division while putting the Chiefs (5-5) further in jeopardy of not making the playoffs.
And no, there was no counter-magic coming from Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs took a 19-16 lead early in the fourth quarter with Mahomes’ 21-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, but the Broncos rode the back of their vaunted defense to give them a chance in crunch time.
Denver thwarted Kansas City’s final two drives, which sandwiched a 54-yard try from Lutz.
Broncos keep winning one-score games, once a Chiefs trademark
The ending followed what has become a familiar script. The Broncos are now 7-2 in one-score games – which used to be a Chiefs trademark.
Consider how it’s flipped, along with the prospects of Kansas City winning a 10th consecutive division crown. The Chiefs are 0-5 in one-score game this season.
Last season, in advancing to their third consecutive Super Bowl, the Chiefs were 11-0 in one-score games and set an NFL record with 17 consecutive victories in one-score games.
The latest close call, though, stings more than most – and not only because the Chiefs’ chances of rallying to repeat as division champs are slipping away.
Is it time to believe in the Broncos?
It was a legitimate question, despite the winning streak. The offense has struggled. The Broncos have been hit by key injuries. And until now, there was still the Chiefs monster.
Ironically, Lutz’s winning kick came from the same distance as the kick in Kansas City in November last year, which was blocked as time expired to preserve a KC win.
But times have changed.
And with a 3½ game lead on the Chiefs, the Broncos are forcing us to believe.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell
