The Kansas City Chiefs’ chances for a 10th consecutive AFC West title likely ended after losing, 22-19, to the Denver Broncos.
And the play that truly turned the tide in the AFC West was a crucial interception thrown by Patrick Mahomes.
While facing perhaps the NFL’s best defense, the Chiefs knew points would be at a premium.
They faced a 3rd and 14 on the Denver 21 with 10:23 left in the third quarter. Throw an incompletion, and the Chiefs could still settle for a field goal to go up 9-6. Instead Mahomes threw his sixth interception of the year.
“You can’t do it,” Mahomes said. “The type of football game we’re in, don’t put the ball in harm’s way. Take the three points.”
The pass intended for running back Elijah Mitchell, who the Chiefs signed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract as a free agent and saw his first action of the season, was errant.
“I was going to give him a chance,” Mahomes said. “I just didn’t throw it high enough.”
Ja’Quan McMillian picked it off, And the Broncos responded with an 11-play, 89-yard drive to take a 13-6 lead.
It was the only turnover of the game.
“It’s not what you want,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “We still had opportunities.”
In fact, on the very next Chiefs possession, Mahomes and wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, two players who impressively chased down McMillian, connected on one of the Chiefs’ best plays of the game.
On a 3rd and 7 from the Kansas City 28, Thornton hauled in a 61-yard catch. Mahomes got off the pass despite being hit by defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers.
Three players later a Kareem Hunt touchdown tied the score.
Travis Kelce and Chris Jones Step Up
The loss to the Broncos came despite vintage performances from two Chiefs veterans who played on the 2016 team that started the streak of nine straight AFC West titles.
The 36-year-old Travis Kelce, who is in the last year of his contract and in what many think will be his final season, led all players with 91 receiving yards.
On the first drive of the third quarter, there was a stretch where he converted three first downs in a four-play sequence.
And on a 3rd and 6 with 10:04 left in the game, Kelce broke the tackle of Talanoa Hufanga and hurdled over Riley Moss for a 21-yard touchdown.
In true Kelce fashion, he showed his feisty competitiveness, yelling at the Empower Field crowd and putting his hand to his ear, imploring them to make more noise.
Another player from the 2016 team that preceded Mahomes, 31-year-old Chris Jones, who has been criticized for not playing up to his five-year $158.75 million contract and having his fewest sacks through nine games since his rookie year, responded with five quarterback pressures, including a sack.
But it wasn’t enough.
AFC West Race
Now with the Broncos three-and-a-half games up in the division and holding the tiebreaker over the 5-5 Chiefs, the Chiefs likely have to play for a wild-card berth.
“It’s going to be tough to get back in the division race,” Mahomes said.
Heading into Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Broncos, Mahomes noted that winning the AFC West is always the Chiefs’ first goal heading into a season.
“It kind of checks that first box,” he said, “for you to show that you’ve accomplished something.”
It also makes the playoff path easier as the division winner gets at least one home game.
“You get the home game at Arrowhead, which, I think, is huge,” Mahomes said. “We’ve proved that we can go on the road and win, but just being able to play at Arrowhead is an advantage, I mean, with the noise and the atmosphere, and you can feed off the crowd.”
But if the Chiefs hope to reach a fourth straight Super Bowl appearance, they likely will have to go on the road — where they have just one win in five tries this season.
