KANSAS CITY, Mo.: Every few years, an NFL group does the seemingly not possible by successful a recreation regardless of turning the ball over 5 instances.
The Jaguars did it of their wild-card playoff recreation towards the Chargers in January. The Dolphins did it a few years in the past towards the Texans, the 49ers towards the Steelers in 2019 and the Broncos towards the Chargers three years earlier.
But it’s laborious. So laborious that not even the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, with their reigning MVP quarterback, may pull off the feat towards Denver on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes misplaced a fumble and threw a pair of interceptions, Marquez Valdes-Scantling fumbled the ball away after a catch and, maybe most damaging, just lately reacquired Mecole Hardman muffed a punt on the Kansas City 5-yard line late within the third quarter and with the end result nonetheless very a lot within the stability.
The Broncos scored two performs later to take a two-possession lead, they usually solely prolonged it with a late area purpose, wrapping up a 24-9 victory that snapped their very own 16-game dropping streak to their AFC West rival.
“I haven’t seen five turnovers,” mentioned the Chiefs’ Andy Reid, who was teaching his 394th recreation and has witnessed tons of extra as an assistant through the years. “I saw people that were involved with that; I haven’t really been involved in those type of things.”
The turnovers have been essentially the most evident drawback Sunday, particularly provided that the Broncos turned it over solely as soon as. But they have been removed from the one ones, and that’s worrisome because the Chiefs put together to go to Germany to face the Dolphins this weekend.
Skyy Moore, their second-year broad receiver, dropped what ought to have been a straightforward fourth-down landing reception that might have gotten the Chiefs inside 21-16 halfway by way of the fourth quarter. The working recreation was bottled up once more, gaining simply 62 yards on 16 makes an attempt. The offensive line allowed three extra sacks.
Making issues worse: Mahomes was ailing and the protection was lacking playmaking linebacker Nick Bolton to damage.
“It kind of is what it is. It’s going to happen at some point,” mentioned Mahomes, who had by no means misplaced to the Broncos in his profession. “We try to do whatever we can to bounce back, because that’s all you can do. You’ve got to learn from the mistakes you made this game.
“I’m trying to be better going into Germany this next week and kind of getting the momentum back in our favor,” Mahomes added. “Obviously, it wasn’t our day, but we can continue to get better and better.”
WHAT’S WORKING
The Broncos did every part they might to remove tight finish Travis Kelce and he nonetheless managed six catches for 58 yards, and he remained the one sure-handed goal that Mahomes has had within the passing recreation this season.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
Rashee Rice continues to make strides as a rookie, however the Chiefs have little else to depend on within the passing recreation. They hoped the commerce for Hardman, who spent his whole profession in Kansas City earlier than signing with the Jets, would assist issues, however his muffed punt was one of the vital expensive performs of the sport. Moore’s dropped go may need been second, and Valdes-Scantling’s fumble may need been the third. The broad receiver corps in Kansas City stays a major drawback.
STOCK UP
George Karlaftis and Mike Danna are doing precisely what the Chiefs anticipated of them: reap the benefits of all the eye on All-Pro defensive deal with Chris Jones to get to the quarterback. Karlaftis had 2 1/2 sacks towards the Broncos to offer him a team-best six, whereas Danna had one other to offer him 5 1/2 this season.
STOCK DOWN
Derrick Nnadi and Tershawn Wharton are speculated to be the run-stuffing defensive tackles within the Kansas City protection, however they have been nonfactors on Sunday. The Broncos ran for 153 yards, the third straight recreation an opponent has topped the 100-yard mark.
INJURIES
LB Willie Gay harm his tailbone towards the Broncos. The lack of him solely magnified the truth that Bolton was not lively.
KEY NUMBER
59.2 — Mahomes was 24 of 38 for 241 yards with no touchdowns and two picks, giving him a quarterback ranking of 59.2. That’s the second-worst of his profession behind a recreation towards — coincidentally — the Broncos in 2021, when Mahomes was 15 of 29 for 184 yards with no TDs and a decide for a 57.3 ranking. (The Chiefs received that recreation 22-9.)
NEXT STEPS
The Chiefs plan to go to Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday. They will follow there Friday, with a standard Saturday walk-through earlier than enjoying previous good friend Tyreek Hill and the Dolphins at Deutsche Bank Park on Sunday.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
