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First quarter
On the Kansas City Chiefs’ first play from scrimmage against the Denver Broncos, quarterback
Patrick Mahomes connects with wide receiver Hollywood Brown for a huge 38-yard gain to flip the field. Mahomes follows it up by hitting wide receiver Rashee Rice over the middle, moving Kansas City inside the red zone at the 20-yard line.
The Chiefs work their way to a first-and-goal from the three. But disaster strikes when a handoff to running back Kareem Hunt is blown up by a Denver defender, forcing a fumble that the Broncos recover near the goal line.
Quarterback Bo Nix quickly gives Denver breathing room, taking a direct snap and rushing 29 yards to get out of the shadow of its own end zone. Denver gives the ball right back when linebacker Nick Bolton strips running back RJ Harvey. Defensive end George Karlaftis falls on the loose ball for Kansas City.
Hunt makes sure to secure the ball this time around. He plays a key role on the ensuing drive, catching a couple of passes — including a screen from Mahomes at the 3-yard line — for the touchdown to give the Chiefs an early lead.
End of first quarter: Chiefs 7, Broncos 0
Second quarter
For the first time in the game, Denver manages to cross midfield into Chiefs territory. Rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant II hauls in a slant pass from Nix, taking the Broncos all the way to the Kansas City 2-yard line.
With their backs against the wall, the Chiefs’ defense stands tall. Nix tries to scramble his way into the end zone but is stopped at the 1-yard line. A handoff to Harvey goes nowhere, and backup running back Tyler Badie fares no better, getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage. On fourth down, Nix keeps it on an RPO, but defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi reads it perfectly and drags him down for a 2-yard loss.
Denver is forced to settle for a short Will Lutz field goal, cutting into Kansas City’s lead.
Kansas City wastes no time answering back. Mahomes quickly finds Rice for another big gain, setting the Chiefs up inside the red zone. Facing third-and-seven, Mahomes takes off himself, scrambling 15 yards before being stopped at the Denver 3-yard line. The Chiefs go back to what worked earlier — another screen to Hunt. He bulldozes through a defender at the goal line and powers in for his second touchdown of the day.
With under twenty seconds left in the quarter, Nix launches a deep shot downfield that finds wide receiver Troy Franklin in stride. Franklin nearly breaks free but is tackled just short of the end zone at the 1-yard line as the clock expires.
End of second quarter: Chiefs 14, Broncos 3
Third quarter
Denver’s opening possession takes an early turn when Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill goes down with an injury.
The Broncos’ offense leans heavily on wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., who is targeted multiple times and keeps the chains moving with several key catches. Facing 15 yards to the end zone, Mims runs a crisp deep in-route and hauls in the pass from Nix for Denver’s first touchdown of the game. The offense stays on the field for a two-point conversion, and a quick toss to Harvey allows him to stroll untouched into the end zone, cutting Kansas City’s lead to just three.
On the ensuing drive, Mahomes faces a third-and-5 and rolls right, looking for space to scramble. Before he can reach the marker, linebacker Jonathan Cooper meets him with a hard hit, stopping him a yard short and forcing a Chiefs punt.
Kansas City’s defense responds with a statement, forcing a quick three-and-out to get the ball right back.
After a few exchanged punts in a battle for field position, the Chiefs’ offense finally breaks through again. Mahomes looks deep for Brown on a fly route and trusts his speed and hands. Brown elevates and secures the 50/50 ball for a touchdown, living up to his nickname and extending Kansas City’s lead once more.
End of third quarter: Chiefs 21, Broncos 11
Fourth quarter
Denver’s offense stalls near midfield, failing to convert on a third-and-1 and punting the ball back to Kansas City.
Mahomes wastes no time making the Broncos pay. He rifles a strike to Rice for 30 yards, then hands it off to Hunt, who powers his way for another 36 on the ground. On third down, Mahomes finds rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy in heavy traffic. Worthy slips past two defenders, breaks a tackle, and leaps into the end zone to extend Kansas City’s lead to three scores.
Nix leads a late drive for Denver, capping it off with a slant to wide receiver Courtland Sutton for a garbage-time touchdown. Denver’s onside kick attempt fails, effectively sealing its fate.
Just to add insult to injury, Hunt punches in his third touchdown of the game on Kansas City’s final possession — slamming the door shut on the Broncos once and for all.
Final score: Chiefs 35, Broncos 18
Notable stats
- Patrick Mahomes: 25 for 28 passing, 295 yards, 4 touchdowns
- Bo Nix: 26 for 32 passing, 260 yards, 2 touchdowns, 5 carries, 47 yards
- RJ Harvey: 10 carries, 45 yards, 1 fumble, 5 receptions, 26 yards
- Kareem Hunt: 8 carries, 46 yards, 1 touchdown, 6 receptions, 26 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Rashee Rice: 9 receptions, 128 yards
- Xavier Worthy: 4 receptions, 39 yards, 1 touchdown
- Travis Kelce: 3 receptions, 42 yards
- Hollywood Brown: 3 receptions, 60 yards, 1 touchdown
- Marvin Mims Jr.: 6 receptions, 72 yards, 1 touchdown
- Evan Engram: 5 receptions, 37 yards
- Courtland Sutton: 5 receptions, 47 yards, 1 touchdown
- Jaden Hicks: 9 tackles (6 solo), 1 tackle for loss
- Trent McDuffie: 8 tackles (5 solo)
- Drue Tranquill: 5 tackles (4 solo), 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass deflection
- George Karlafits: 4 tackles (2 solo), 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss
- Chris Jones: 1 solo tackle
In Week 12, the Chiefs will be back home at GEHA Field of Arrowhead Stadium, taking on Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts — and we’ll give you a preview from the EA Universe!
