DENVER — Let that be a lesson to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Nobody, not even the mighty Chiefs, beats the Denver Broncos 17 times in a row.
Losers of 16 straight to the Chiefs -- a skid that started when Peyton Manning was the Broncos' quarterback in 2015 -- Denver finally defeated turnover-marred Kansas City, 24-9, on a wonderfully cold, late-October Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High.
For Broncos players with the most seniority like Justin Simmons, Garett Bolles, Courtland Sutton and Josey Jewell, the win means no more having to hear about the Chiefs' skid.
"It comes with the business,'' said Jewell, a starting inside linebacker who forced a big fumble in the first half. "If you keep on losing to people, you're going to keep getting that question asked. It was a tough deal. Finally we broke that. It was good."
Beat a team once out of 17 and the Empower Field marketing people started playing a Taylor Swift song "Shake It Off," soon after the win. It was meant to poke some light-hearted fun at the Chiefs whose superb tight end Travis Kelce is dating the world-famous singer and entertainer. Yeah, maybe the Chiefs might have thought it was Bush League. But when beating the Chiefs has been such a long time coming, why not?
“It’s an important game for us. It wasn’t streak-driven,'' said Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who is 1-1 against the Chiefs as Denver's football boss. "It was important for us to play well before the bye. Getting our third win—we dug ourselves in a hole. Obviously, we’re playing a good team.
"Honestly, and I told you guys during the week, not once has (the streak) come up. I recognize there are a few players that have gone through that time frame, but when you have a new roster, the focus was really on this game. I thought we did the things you do when you win. ...
"We’re going to play in bigger games than that, but it is a division game, and I’m glad we won.”
It not only was a win, it was a win where the Broncos ran the ball well on offense (Javonte Williams rammed his way for 85 yards on 27 carries and Jaleel McLaughlin scooted for 33 yards on just 4 carries), the quarterback threw three touchdowns, the defense forced four turnovers and special teams came up with a huge fumble recovery.
"I take full responsibility for it,'' said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. "The guys saw things that I, this afternoon, that I haven't seen before from the guys, so that's my responsibility to make sure they're right, and we weren't ready today.”
Those winter-coated fans who made it to the game here Sunday -- 12,281 understandably did not show given the elements and the odds, but the 64,005 brave souls who were in the house were rewarded -- came in chatting about two topics.
One, the weather. It snowed like it hasn’t snowed in October around here in 14 years. It was cold, too. The snow stopped well before game time and the field looked nice by kickoff. It was still cold, though. Twenty-five degrees at kickoff.
Two, the fans wondered out loud if their beloved but heretofore disappointing Broncos could finally beat the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs' great quarterback, was reported sick Sunday. So maybe. Lord knows, and the football gods know, the Broncos were due.
“I get from the outside looking in, you look at it as a fan base and things like that, that there is this streak and everybody wants to talk about it,'' said the safety Simmons. "But literally, each and every year, it is a new team. It is a new head coach, a new staff in general. You come into this, like I told you guys heading into this week, we’re only 0-1 (against the Chiefs this season). We lost to them on Thursday night two weeks ago, and we’re coming into this game expecting to win. It’s a new team, it’s a new look, and that is kind of how it is.
"I know some guys have been here, myself obviously the longest, have been here and have faced them multiple times, but it is a new team. It is a new year, and that is kind of the mindset you have to have going into it. Really happy we won.”
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson threw touchdown passes to Javonte Williams, Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton and the no-longer beleaguered defensive coordinator Vance Joseph held the high-scoring Chiefs without a touchdown.
“Every win in the National Football League is a good one,'' Wilson said. "But this one meant a lot. Winning matters and this one meant a lot, obviously. I know there's been a lot of tough times over the years here with the Chiefs. It's a really good football team on that side. Obviously, they're champions and everything else, but we had a great week of practice. We knew that we could come out and win this football game and play great in front of our fans. Just to win, beat the Chiefs at home in front of our fans [and] in front of Broncos Country.
"The crowd was amazing tonight, and they brought us that extra energy when guys made plays on defense, guys made plays on offense, special teams. It was an amazing team effort and there's nothing better than winning.”
After week 3, a 70-20 loss to Miami that dropped the Broncos to 0-3, Joseph became the scapegoat much of Broncos Country wanted to see fired. Five weeks later, the Denver D is on an impressive run that includes giving up just one touchdown in two games to the Chiefs, who have the best quarterback and one of the most high-scoring offenses in the league.
"People have to just settle down a little bit,'' Jewell said. "And that's (the Dolphins game) not his fault. That was a lot of players trying to do too much, not doing the details and finally getting that now with our guys. Get that feel of each other and play as a team."
Give credit to head coach Sean Payton and owner Greg Penner for not making such emotional, impulsive decisions and sticking with Joseph and company. One tactic he used Sunday was to play a football version of the box-n-one on Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce. There was mostly zone coverage except for Kelce, who had cornerback Pat Surtain on him some plays, inside linebackers Alex Singleton or Josey Jewell on him others.
Kelce had 21 catches for 303 yards in his previous two games, inclding 9 catches for 124 yards against the Broncos. He had 6 catches for 58 yards in this game. No team can completely stop Kelce. But Denver did contain him.
“‘V.J.has been nothing but outstanding,'' Simmons said. "I can speak for the defensive room when I say this: We’ll go to war for ‘VJ,’ week-in and week-out. He never flinched, he never wavered. He knows how good we can be and how well we can execute. Today I think kind of showed that.''
The Chiefs came in 6-1 and off to a good start toward their eighth consecutive AFC West Division title. The Broncos were 2-5, losers of 16 in a row to the Chiefs, and seemingly headed to their eighth consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
Better check all that to this: It’s still early. The Broncos now go into their bye week with a 3-5 record. They don't play again until Monday night, Nov. 13 at Buffalo.
After the Denver defense stymied Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense for an opening series three-and-out, Broncos rookie Marvin Mims Jr. returned a punt 31 yards to the Chiefs’ 39.
Great field position was not wasted. The Broncos didn’t hurry – they used 10 plays with Wilson only completing two passes that were both thrown behind the line of scrimmage. But Jaleel McLaughlin and Javonte Williams made them count. Williams took a roll-right, throw-left pass from Wilson and powered his way in for a 4-yard touchdown.
The Broncos were up on the mighty Chiefs – the defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs, 7-0.
Mahomes made a couple stellar plays on his second possession, most notably a 27-yard throw on the run to Justin Watson and an 8-yard scramble for a first down. But while the Chiefs pushed it to the Denver 4-yard line, they settled for a 23-yard Harrison Butker field goal.
Joseph’s defense stopped the Chiefs on four of five red zone trips three weeks ago at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium and the bend-but-not-break strategy worked again.
“They did pretty much the same as they did last time they played us,'' Mahomes said. "It worked once and they ran again and obviously it worked again.”
While Mahomes is always the best player on the field in any game he plays, he was not feeling himself Sunday morning. The Chiefs announced his illness on their pregame injury report, while also making a designation that meant he would play. He was out on the field warming up three hours before the game despite the frigid conditions and he was playing well against a Denver defense that didn’t bring much pressure early but seemed to confuse Mahomes at times with their coverage.
“I started feeling bad last night,'' Mahomes said after the game. "I got up pretty well in the morning, so just kind of trying to do whatever I can to go out there and play my best football.''
On one deep middle completion thrown by Mahomes early in the second quarter, receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling had the ball stripped by Jewell and safety Justin Simmons recovered at midfield.
On his first play, Wilson checked out of a run play, dropped to the shotgun position and gunned a deep pass on a line down the middle of the field. Bronco receiver Jerry Jeudy outmaneuvered a Chief defender to make a contested catch for a 39-yard gain, setting up first down at the Chiefs’ 11. On second down, Payton for the second week in a row called on a multi-receiver route combination, this time shaking Jeudy free on a right to left pattern to the deep corner of the end zone. Wilson lofted it in there perfectly and while Jeudy juggled momentarily, review upheld the touchdown call and the Broncos were up 14-3 with 11:51 remaining in the second quarter.
Later, Mahomes would again push the Chiefs to the red zone, third-and-2 and the Broncos’ 13. But nickelback Ja’Quan McMillian blew up a short completion and again Kansas City settled for a short, Butker field goal to make it, 14-6 with 5:39 left in the half.
After Wilson fumbled with 9 seconds left in the half, Butker nailed a 56-yard field goal as the half expired.
To start the second half, the Broncos methodically marched from its own 25 to the Chiefs' 13 before the drive stalled and a Wil Lutz field goal attempt was blocked by Justin Reid.
Early in the fourth quarter, a Broncos' drive inside Chiefs territory was stopped and Riley Dixon hung a high, short punt inside the 10 yard line. But Mecole Hardman dropped it and rookie Drew Sanders recovered at the 10 yard line.
It was the Chiefs' fourth turnover of the game. After a Javonte Williams run to the 6, Wilson stepped up away from pressure and found Sutton breaking open in the left corner of the end zone. Wilson delivered and the Broncos had the big touchdown to go up two scores, 21-9 with 10:33 left in regulation.
Reid made a couple unusual tactical decisions as his team fell behind in the fourth quarter. First, he burned all his timeouts with 7:26 still left in the game. And then on fourth and 27 from his own 14 yard line and trailing, 21-9 with 4:59 remaining, Reid went for it.
Mahomes chucked it up for grabs and Simmons intercepted, returning it 33 yards to the Chiefs' 20. The Broncos were able to eat up most of the clock while kicking a short, game-clinching field goal.
“We go into the game thinking we’re going to win but as Broncos Country, knowing the history behind this game, I know it’s a special moment for them,'' Jeudy said. "I hope everybody enjoys it.”
And then, at long last, there was the sunken feeling from the other side. The Chiefs' side.
“Obviously I felt the worst I’ve felt walking out of the stadium,'' said Mahomes, who is now 13-1 lifetime against the Broncos. "It's a great environment, I actually had a lot a lot of fun playing here. The fans are awesome. They enjoy the game and know the game. They beat us, they were a better football team today and I give them their props.”
Broncos take on AFC West rival Kansas City
Trade?
As the Broncos were struggling through a 1-5 start, there had been speculation for weeks about which players would be dealt in return for future draft picks as the 2 p.m. Tuesday trading deadline approached.
Truth is, as of Sunday morning, the Broncos did not have a trade in place, a source told 9NEWS. The team was still in it to win, and believing it still could as the team continues to gell under new coach Payton and his staff.
Then again, trade talks around the league figure to heat up Monday and Tuesday morning. And remember in two previous years, Broncos' general manager George Paton traded away Von Miller after a win heading into the trade deadline in 2021 and Bradley Chubb after a win heading into the trade deadline in 2022. Jeudy has been the most speculated trade candidate among Broncos this year.
“Honestly, and you guys know this, it’s a busy time of the year and there’s pressure on news media to be on top of potential stories, trade stories,'' Sean Payton said. "The teams that aren’t doing as well always fall into this position, and I understand it, but we’re not the team looking to go out and buy. We can’t control the buyers that call. We always pick the phone up—you have to professionally, but that’s it.
"We have a plan on where we see ourselves, and that’s an honest answer. When I see or hear things, I chuckle because I’m thinking, ‘Well I haven’t talked to anyone about that,’ and if I haven’t, then it’s probably not true.”
Bronco Bits
Denver’s defense forced three turnovers in the half – the fumble forced by Jewell, an interception by McMillian, who broke underneath to intercept Mahomes near midfield, and a strip sack by Baron Browning on Mahomes, whose fumble was recovered by Jonathan Cooper. …
Browning had 2.0 of the Denver D's 3 sacks on Mahomes. ...
Besides a fumble recovery, Simmons nabbed his second interception of the season. Simmons now has at least 2 interceptions in each of his eight NFL seasons, a remarkable run of consistency. ...
Wilson was only 12 of 19 for 114 yards, but three completions went for touchdowns without an interception for a 119.1 rating. Wilson averaged just 104.5 passing yards in two games against the Chiefs but he threw four touchdowns and picked up a win. He was sacked 6.0 times Sunday, with George Karlaftis picking up 2.5. Wilson was sacked 10 times in two games against the Chiefs this year. ...
Mahomes was 24 of 38 for 241 yards and two blatant drops -- one by Skyy Moore that would have been a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter -- but he had no touchdowns, two interceptions and a lost fumble.
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