KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs secured a hard-fought 16-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, thanks to a crucial block by Leo Chenal on a 35-yard field goal attempt by Denver kicker Wil Lutz as time expired. This win extends the Chiefs’ impressive winning streak to 15 games, dating back to last season.
The Chiefs momentarily took the lead with a field goal from Harrison Butker at the 5:57 mark in the fourth quarter. However, the Broncos, led by quarterback Bo Nix, maintained composure, converting three crucial third downs to march down the field. They set up Lutz for a potential game-winning kick, but Chenal burst through the line to deflect the ball amid strong pressure from the Kansas City defensive unit.
Patrick Mahomes showcased his skills, completing 266 yards and throwing a touchdown pass for Kansas City, which became only the fifth team in history to follow a Super Bowl victory with nine consecutive wins to start the season. This remarkable start also ties for the best in franchise history.
The current winning streak for the Chiefs, which began last season, marks the longest in the NFL since the Green Bay Packers managed 19 straight wins from 2010 to 2011. Travis Kelce was a standout performer with eight receptions totaling 64 yards and a touchdown, while DeAndre Hopkins and Kareem Hunt contributed with four catches for 56 yards and seven receptions for 65 yards, respectively. Hunt was limited to 35 rushing yards.
Nix finished the game with 215 passing yards and two touchdown passes for the Broncos (5-5). Courtland Sutton was instrumental in the Broncos’ offense, hauling in six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. His crucial 13-yard catch on a third-and-6 with just 1:45 left in the game set the stage for the final play attempt.
The Broncos had achieved a surprising victory over the Chiefs in the previous season, ending a lengthy losing streak against their rivals. With this context, they came into Sunday’s game looking to replicate that success. Denver’s defense put pressure on Mahomes early, especially when an injury to Wanya Morris forced rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia into action. The Broncos capitalized on this with a pair of extended scoring drives that resulted in a 14-3 lead, which included a touchdown pass from Nix to Devaughn Vele and another to Sutton.
Mahomes led the Chiefs back into contention, completing seven consecutive passes for 62 yards on the next drive. After a fourth-down conversion at the Denver 2-yard line, he connected with Kelce for a touchdown. However, the Chiefs still found themselves trailing 14-10 at halftime, leaving them in a familiar position.
With a history of performing well when behind, Kansas City trimmed the deficit to 14-13 with a short field goal from Butker late in the third quarter. The Chiefs’ defense then forced consecutive punts, enabling Mahomes to drive the team back to the Denver 2-yard line for Butker’s go-ahead kick with less than six minutes remaining in the game.
In attendance again was Taylor Swift, who supported Kelce and the Chiefs just a week after her appearance at their match against Tampa Bay. The pop icon is set to resume her Eras Tour in Toronto on Thursday night.
Injury updates revealed that Morris suffered a knee injury but was able to return early in the fourth quarter.
Looking ahead, the Broncos will face the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday, while the Chiefs are scheduled to visit the Buffalo Bills on the same day.