The Kansas City Chiefs built a 24-13 lead against the Denver Broncos before a 15-point fourth quarter gave Denver the win in a pivotal AFC battle; final score: 28-24. Here’s the biggest takeaway from the game:
The (5-2) Chiefs were the better team on Sunday afternoon… until they weren’t. It was an all-around effort to blow a 24-13 lead in the fourth quarter and screw up two potential game-sealing possessions. There goes the massive lead in the AFC West standings; the (6-2) Broncos now have the leg
up on winning the division for the second consecutive season.
This article was supposed to highlight a solid defensive performance and an offense carried by the running backs and tight ends as pass-catchers to reach the finish line. Together, those positions accounted for 17 receptions, 231 receiving yards, and two scores.
The headliner was supposed to be rookie running back Emmett Johnson, who totaled 143 yards from scrimmage, scored his first career touchdown, and also had a 44-yard kick return late in the fourth quarter. He was tremendous anytime he touched the ball, including one run where he shed at least five tackles while moving the chains.
We were supposed to be talking about which wide receiver on the trade market could elevate the offense; CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson shared word that general manager Brett Veach will be active before the trade deadline targeting that specific position.
However, this article is now about everything that went wrong after Johnson and lead back Kenneth Walker muscled their way into a third-and-2 situation from Denver’s 30-yard line with 2:44 to go after an effective, long possession. It all went south once Mahomes took the snap on that play; a roll-out right that the Broncos were all over, leading to a flustered Mahomes eventually taking a sack.
Instead of punting to Denver and making their offense drive the length of the field, the Chiefs elected to kick a 54-yard field goal in the rain, trusting Harrison Butker — who has struggled so much recently that the team brought in competition this week.
When the kick was missed, a 51-yard catch-and-run by the Broncos’ rookie running back Jonah Coleman followed it, and suddenly Denver was up by four points.
The heroic rookie Emmett Johnson tried to spark a game-winning possession with a long kick return following the score — and tight end Travis Kelce found room for 32 yards down the right sideline as well — but the Chiefs failed to reach the end zone despite getting to the four-yard line with 35 seconds remaining and a timeout.
A false start by right tackle Jaylon Moore negated a potential game-winning touchdown by Rashee Rice, which was a theme of this game. According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, the Chiefs committed eight penalties for 75 yards in the first half — the fourth time a Chiefs team has done that with Andy Reid as head coach.
Overall, the team finished with 11 penalties and 105 penalty yards going against them, but there was still a chance on fourth-and-6. With nowhere to go with the ball, Mahomes succumbed to a sack, and the game was over.
So the big takeaway is…
This team still has some of the same situational issues that plagued them in 2025. It doesn’t feel like a wide receiver will fix that. Head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes deserve a lot of blame for not managing this winnable game to the finish, and these types of games will only become more frequent as the team navigates the rest of the regular season into a (now) potential playoff run.
