Final Score: Broncos defeat Chiefs 20-13 in NFL Week 17

In their Christmas night matchup against the Denver Broncos, the Kansas City Chiefs were facing what amounted to a preseason game. With a long list of players out for the season with injuries — and no

opportunity for the team to reach the playoffs — it was primarily a chance for young Chiefs to show their stuff. The team had lost all three of its 2025 preseason games, so Thursday’s 20—13 defeat to one of the AFC’s top teams wasn’t a surprise, but Kansas City did avoid the beatdown that almost everyone had expected.

First quarter

The Chiefs won the coin toss and deferred. Harrison Butker’s kickoff hit the end zone, bringing the Broncos out to their own 35-yard line to start the opening drive. Quarterback Bo Nix immediately found rookie running back R. J. Harvey for a nine-yard pass. A play later, Harvey moved the Broncos to midfield on a second down carry. The Chiefs held the Broncos to a third-and-2 on the next set of downs, but Nix connected with Harvey again to the Kansas City 36. Running back Jaleel McLaughlin carried for six yards before Nix found wideout Troy Franklin to the 25. A Harvey carry and Nix pass to wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey set up third-and-1 — and Nix moved the chains on a quarterback sneak. The drive would then stall after Harvey was held to no gain on third down. The Broncos only managed a four-yard completion before Nix fell incomplete on third down. After 13 plays taking eight minutes of the opening frame, kicker Will Lutz was good on a 27-yard field goal to give the Broncos a 3-0 lead.

Running back Brashard Smith fielded Lutz’s kickoff in front of the end zone and returned to the Chiefs’ 26-yard line. Running back Isiah Pacheco took carries on the first two plays — gaining nine combined yards. Kareem Hunt took the carry on third-and-1 for a new set of downs. Pacheco took another carry on first down for one yard. Oladokun’s first pass attempt appeared to net a first down to Xavier Worthy — but the wideout stepped out of bounds making the catch. Oladokun was incomplete on a deep pass on third down. Matt Araiza came on to punt and sent the ball to the Denver 11-yard line. Return man Marvin Mims fielded the punt and advanced eight yards to start the Broncos’ second possession at their own 19.

Nix went right to Mims on the drive’s first play but the two could not connect. On a second down run, Nix went out of bounds at the 17 for a two-yard loss. On third-and-12, cornerback Kristian Fulton made a dramatic pass breakup on a pass intended for Humphrey. The tipped ball landed in the hands of linebacker Nick Bolton for an interception. The Chiefs took over at the Denver 35-yard line.

The drive started with another short Pacheco run followed by a short pass from Oladokun to Gray. On third-and-6, Oladokun found tight end Travis Kelce — and heard roaring applause upon the legend’s first reception in possibly his final home game. The first quarter came to an end after a four-yard scramble by Oladokun followed by a three-yard Pacheco carry. The Chiefs would face third-and-3 from the Denver 13-yard line on the other side of the break.

Second quarter

Kelce made the third-down catch but narrowly missed the line to gaine. The Chiefs kept their offense on the field for fourth down, and Hunt bowled forward for five yards to set up first-and-goal at the six. Oladokun threw the ball away under pressure on first down, and Pacheco could only gain a yard on second down. On third down, Oladokun was complete to running back Brashard Smith — who broke a tackle while scoring his first career touchdown. Butker’s extra point gave the Chiefs a 7-3 lead.

Running back Tyler Badie took Butker’s kickoff at the one-yard line and returned to the Denver 35 to start the drive. Nix immediately found tight end Evan Ingram for nine yards before fullback Adam Prentice moved the chains on a short second down carry. Nix was incomplete on first down and Harvey gained only two yards on the next play. On third-and-8 from the Denver 48-yard line, Nix appeared to find wideout Courtland Sutton for a deep completion, but the veteran could not hold onto the ball. Punter Jeremy Crawshaw came on to punt. Smith took the kick at the Kansas City seven-yard line before advancing 11 yards on the return to start the drive at the 18-yard line.

Pacheco got loose on the drive’s first play for 13 yards. He was stopped for no gain on the next snap, and Oladokun was incomplete to Worthy on second down. A third down throw went for seven yards to set up fourth down. Araiza’s punt rolled into the end zone for a touchback, but a ten-yard penalty would start Denver at their own 10-yard line.

Nix and Sutton connected for four yards on first down followed by a three-yard carry by McLaughlin. Sutton then held on to his next third down opportunity to advance to the 24. Nix scrambled and threw the ball away on first down. A screen to Harvey went for four yards on the next play, setting up another third down. Nix escaped the pocket for a 14-yard scramble to the 42-yard line. Short passes to Franklin and then Mims gave the Broncos a new set of downs at the Chiefs’ 47. After a five-yard penalty, Nix took off again on first down for nine yards. A four-yard gain by McLaughlin brough the first half to the two-minute warning with Denver facing third-and-2 at the Chiefs’ 39-yard line. McLaughlin then burst to the 24-yard line. Nix then found tight end Adam Trautman for a 13-yard gain to the 11. A first down throw to Sutton bounced off of his hands and was nearly intercepted. On the run, he found Sutton on second down but the wideout ran out of room in the end zone. After going incomplete again to Sutton on third down, Lutz came on for a 30-yard field goal that trimmed the Chiefs’ lead to 7-6.

Smith took Lutz’s kickoff in the end zone and advanced to the Chiefs’ 24. The first half came to an end with a nine-yard run by Hunt.

Third quarter

Smith took the second half kickoff at the six-yard line. A 31-yard return would start Kansas City at their own 37. After Pacheco gained three yards on first down, Oladokun averted disaster on the next play as he picked up his own fumble and heaved the football to JuJu Smith-Schuster at the Denver 48. The next play saw Oladokun target Worthy deep, and a pass interference call on Denver moved the ball to the 21. Unfortunately, Oladokun took a ten-yard sack on first down. On second-and-19, the quarterback could not connect with Brown. To make things worse, Smith-Schuster was tackled for a five-yard loss on third down. Despite a season of struggle, Butker was good on a 53-yard field goal to extend the Chiefs’ lead to 10-6.

Badie fielded Butker’s kick in front of the end zone and returned the ball to Denver 28-yard line to start the possession. Harvey broke a tackle and turned a would-be loss into a five-yard gain, and Sutton moved the chains a play later. McLaughlin then turned in a six-yard carry, but Harvey only gained a yard on the next play. On third-and-3 from the Denver 46, Nix found Trautman for 11 yards to the Chiefs’ 43-yard line. Engram appeared to haul in a 16-yard pass to the 27, but he was called for offensive pass interference. On first-and-20, however, Nix and Sutton connected for 23 yards to the 30. Rookie cornerback Nohl Williams dropped Harvey for a five-yard loss on first down, but the running back broke a tackle on the next play to gain 13 yards. Nix found Franklin on third down just in front of the line to gain. McLaughlin gained three yards on first down, and Nix gained two more with his legs on second down. On third-and-5 from the 14, Franklin brought in Nix’s pass just short of the first down. Nix gained the needed inches on a sneak to set up first-and-goal at the nine. On the next play, the quarterback found the end zone on another run. Lutz’s extra point gave the Broncos a 13-10 lead.

Lutz’s kickoff landed in the end zone for a touchback to the 35. Worthy went nowhere on a first down designed carry. After an offsides penalty on Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonito, Hunt barely made the line of scrimmage on a second down carry. On third-and-4 from the 41, Oladokun found Smith, but the rookie back was tackled for a two-yard loss to close the third quarter.

Fourth quarter

Araiza’s punt found the end zone for a touchback.

Mims caught the first down pass for six yards, but Nix could not find Sutton on the next play. On third down, Nix went to Michael Bandy to move the chains. Harvey and McLaughlin each had a three-yard carry over the next two plays. On third-and-4 from the Denver 38, Chris Jones dropped Nix for a seven-yard loss. Smith fielded Crawshaw’s punt at the ten-yard line, but the rookie turned in a 45-yard return to start the drive at the Denver 45.

A scrambling Oladokun escaped a sack to find Smith-Schuster for nine yards to start the drive, and Hunt moved the chains a play later. Hunt gained only a yard on the next play, and Oladokun’s second down pass was batted away. On third-and-9 from the Denver 31, a throw to Smith went for only two yards. Butker was good on a 47-yard field goal to tie the score 13-13.

Another touchback on Butker’s kickoff brought the ball to the 35. Nix started the drive with a six-yard throw to Engram. Harvey carried for three yards to set up another short third down attempt. The rookie then rumbled for 11 yards to the Kansas City 45-yard line. Nix then did not connect with Sutton on first down with cornerback Kristian Fulton continuing a solid night of coverage on Denver’s top receiver. Nix was incomplete on second down to Humphrey to set up third-and-10 from the Chiefs’ 45. Nix was successful to Humphrey for 17 yards. Harvey gained six yards on first down to the 22. Harvey moved the chains, and the clock ran under four minutes before a Denver timeout. Williams timed a throw to Mims perfectly to force a three-yard loss. Nix scrambled on second down for eight yards to set up third-and-5 at the 12. Nix found Engram, but Bolton tackled him just short of the line to gain as the game hit the two-minute warning and Denver facing fourth-and-2 from the nine. Denver left the offense on the field, and they succeeded in drawing Jones offsides for a new set of downs. On the next play, Harvey reached the one-yard line, and the Chiefs had to take their first timeout. Pentice was short of the end zone on the next play, and the Chiefs called timeout again. Finally, Nix found Harvey in the back of the end zone on third down for the touchdown. Lutz’s extra point gave the Broncos a 20-13 lead with 1:45 remaining.

Lutz’s kickoff found the end zone, starting the Chiefs at their own 35. The drive started with a short throw to Kelce for four yards. Oladokun went right back to the tight end on second down for five yards, and the Chiefs called their final timeout. On third-and-1, Hunt went for 14 yards to the Denver 42. A Denver injury forced the Broncos to call their final timeout and stop the clock. Kelce made a spectacular catch at the 28 on first down. Oladokun ran for seven yards and then used second down to spike the ball and kill the clock. The Chiefs did not get the play off in time, causing third-and-3 to become third-and-8. Oladokun was incomplete deep to Kelce on third down. On fourth down, Oladokun was too high to Brown in the end zone. The Broncos took over at their own 26, and Nix kneeled to end the game.