{"id":31157,"date":"2023-10-13T05:50:25","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T11:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/mahomes-throws-td-pass-kelce-has-big-game-as-chiefs-beat-broncos-19-8\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:35:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:35:45","slug":"mahomes-throws-td-pass-kelce-has-big-game-as-chiefs-beat-broncos-19-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/mahomes-throws-td-pass-kelce-has-big-game-as-chiefs-beat-broncos-19-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Mahomes throws TD pass, Kelce has big game as Chiefs beat Broncos 19-8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Kansas
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) makes a catch against Denver Broncos' Pat Surtain II (2) during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday in Kansas City. (Ed Zurga\/The Associated Press)<\/span>Ed Zurga<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. \u2013 Patrick Mahomes knows the Kansas City Chiefs\u2019 offense is still trying to put everything together.<\/p>\n

It was evident in the way they struggled against Denver on third down Thursday night. The way they kept getting bottled up in short-yardage situations. And in how they failed time after time to turn red-zone trips into touchdowns.<\/p>\n

\u201cLuckily for us,\u201d Mahomes said, \u201cour defense is playing great.\u201d<\/p>\n

So great that Mahomes\u2019 lone touchdown pass and Harrison Butker\u2019s four field goals were enough to squeak out a 19-8 victory over the Broncos, whose own woeful offense could only manage 197 yards behind a shaky performance from Russell Wilson.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have guys that are starters on other teams that are trying to find a way on the football field, and when they get on the field, they\u2019re making plays,\u201d Mahomes said of the Kansas City defense. \u201cAnd they\u2019re playing with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mahomes finished with 306 yards passing and an interception, and a big chunk of his production went to Travis Kelce, who had nine catches for 124 yards with Taylor Swift again cheering him on<\/a> from an Arrowhead Stadium suite.<\/p>\n

Still, the inability of the Chiefs (5-1) to score touchdowns rather than field goals nearly proved costly.<\/p>\n

Butker\u2019s first three field goals helped them to a 16-0 lead, but Wilson\u2019s touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton \u2014 ruled incomplete but overturned upon review \u2014 with about six minutes remaining kept the Broncos (1-5) alive. And when Javonte Williams bulled into the end zone for the 2-point conversion, what had been a one-sided shutout was a one-possession game.<\/p>\n

The Broncos\u2019 league-worst defense couldn\u2019t make a stop, though. Mahomes converted third-and-2 with a 28-yard pass to Rashee Rice, and that put Butker in position for a 52-yard field goal with 1:55 left that put the game away.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur defense was incredible tonight, as it has been,\u201d Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. \u201cBut we have to take care of business in the red zone. We had a lot of yards, positive yards, but you can\u2019t stall down there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Broncos have not beaten the Chiefs since Sept. 17, 2015, the year Peyton Manning led Denver to the Super Bowl. That was six head and interim coaches ago, and nothing changed with Sean Payton leading them Thursday night. In a league built for parity, their losing streak is the fourth-longest for any team against another in NFL history.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m disappointed but I\u2019m not discouraged,\u201d Payton said. \u201cOffensively we struggled throwing the ball. Our third-down numbers were poor. The turnovers, against a team like this, it\u2019s going to be tough to win the game, and yet we were still in it going into the fourth quarter. Sometimes you don\u2019t know how a game is going to unfold.\u201d<\/p>\n

As bad as the Broncos\u2019 defense has been this season, it was Wilson and their offense that kept dragging them down. He had 37 yards passing in the first half, and the only drive Wilson led past midfield ended on fourth down.<\/p>\n

The Chiefs weren\u2019t doing a whole lot better.<\/p>\n

Their first three forays into the red zone netted three points, thanks to an interception by Justin Simmons and a failed tush push out of a field-goal lineup on fourth down. Mahomes, who has struggled by his standards all season, only found his rhythm once in the first half, when he ended a 62-yard drive with a short touchdown pass to Kadarius Toney.<\/p>\n

Butker made it 13-0 at the break when he drilled a 60-yard field goal as time expired.<\/p>\n

The Chiefs\u2019 red-zone woes continued in the second half. They began by swiftly marching downfield and setting up first-and-goal at the Denver 8, but that soon turned into fourth-and-goal at the 7-yard line and Butker had to kick another field goal.<\/p>\n

That was all Kansas City could muster until his clinching kick in the final minutes.<\/p>\n

\"Kansas
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo\/Charlie Riedel)<\/span>Charlie Riedel<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Thanks to the defense, that was all the Chiefs needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we did a lot of good things, just obviously red zone and some third downs we didn\u2019t execute at a high enough level,\u201d Mahomes said. \u201cI still think there were a lot of good things we can take from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

SWIFT IN THE HOUSE<\/p>\n

Swift watched Kelce and the Chiefs for the third time Thursday night. The two began a relationship a few weeks ago, when he invited Swift to a Chiefs game after failing to meet her during her Eras Tour. Swift flew in from Los Angeles, where she walked the red carpet on Wednesday night for the premiere of her concert film.<\/p>\n

SACK SITUATION<\/p>\n

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones had a sack in his eighth straight regular-season game, which trails only his own 11-game streak in 2018 for the longest in franchise history. With at least one in his first five this season, Jones broke the club record to start the season held by Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas.<\/p>\n

INJURIES<\/p>\n

Broncos: TE Greg Dulcich, who had just come off injured reserve, left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. It\u2019s the same injury that landed Dulcich on IR after hurting it in Week 1 against the Raiders.<\/p>\n

Chiefs: S Justin Reid, who had an interception earlier in the game, briefly left in the second half. WR Justin Watson left in the fourth quarter with an elbow injury sustained while trying to make a diving catch.<\/p>\n

UP NEXT<\/p>\n

Broncos: Host Green Bay on Oct. 22.<\/p>\n

Chiefs: Host the Los Angeles Chargers the same day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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