When Courtland Sutton caught a 13-yard pass on third-and-6 to move the chains late in the fourth quarter, it looked like the Broncos were about to beat the Chiefs.
Denver even had enough time to set up an ideal 35-yard field goal for kicker Wil Lutz, moving the ball over to the right hash before taking a timeout with one second left.
But when Lutz lined up for a 35-yard, game-winning field goal, the Chiefs weren’t ready to let their winning streak go.
Leo Chenal got up, blocked the attempt, and Kansas City escaped with a 16-14 victory over division-rival Denver.
In a game that did not feature a turnover, the Chiefs had their opportunities to be up by more. Their offense sustained drives and got down into the red zone but had a tough time punching the ball in. Kicker Harrison Butker hit a 28-yard field goal late in the third quarter to put the Chiefs down by one point at 14-13.
Then in the fourth quarter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes missed a wide-open Travis Kelce in the back of the end zone on third-and-goal, inducing the Chiefs to settle for a 20-yard field goal to take a slim 16-14 lead.
Getting the ball back with 5:57 left in the contest, the Broncos did well to bleed the clock and set themselves up to win the game. Nix connected with Sutton for a 3-yard pass to move the chains, then running back Audric Estime moved the chains on third-and-1 with a 6-yard run.
That set up Nix’s 13-yard pass to Sutton on third-and-6 at the Kansas City 30.
But in the end, the Chiefs’ special teams made the one play they had to make.
Mahomes finished 28-of-42 for 266 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He’s now gone two consecutive games without a pick. Mahomes is now 13-1 as a starter against the Broncos.
Tight end Travis Kelce caught Mahomes’ TD pass, which was the 76th touchdown reception of his career — tying the all-time franchise record set by Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez.
On the other side, Bo Nix finished 22-of-30 for 215 yards with two touchdowns. Sutton led with six catches for 70 yards with a TD.
Chiefs left tackle Wanya Morris had to exit the game in the second quarter with a knee injury, but returned in the fourth. Rookie Kingsley Kingsley Suamataia had struggled at left tackle in Morris’ place.
Now at 9-0, the Chiefs will be in Buffalo next weekend to take on the Bills.
At 5-5, the Broncos will host the Falcons in Week 11.
