Kansas City Chiefs midfielder Patrick Mahomes (15) throws against the Denver Broncos in the second half of the NFL football game in Kansas City, Missouri, Sunday, December 6, 2020 (AP Photo / Charlie Riedel)
Kansas City, MO (AP) – Patrick Mahoms threw 318 yards and landed, Harrison Potker was perfect in five field goals, Kansas City chiefs overcame some red-zone problems and big mistakes that cost them two extra goals to keep the Denver Bronco off 22-16 Sunday evening.
Travis Kelce had eight receptions over 136 yards and earned the green light TD in late third quarter, and Tyrann Mathieu twice snatched Broncos full-back Drew Lock – second 24 seconds before the end to take the win – as The Chiefs clinched a supplement berth by improving to 11-1 for the second time in the franchise history.
It took some defense to do that.
The Broncos (4–8) forced the shooting heads after a hanging call spent on Tyreek Hill’s reception to land at 48 yards – he also missed TD due to a training bug earlier – and managed Denver to move into midfield before stalling. But instead of going into fourth and third places 6 minutes before the end, coach Vic Fangio chose to kick the ball away.
The Chiefs melted most of the time before Pottker fired a field goal from 48 yards before 1:06 left, and the Kansas City defense forced Locke to take a fourth overland throw intercepted by Matthew to push back the match.
Locke is back after missing last week’s game against New Orleans, along with the rest of the midfielders in Denver, due to positive tests for COVID-19 and contact tracing. The local boy finished off with a 151-yard pass and two touchdown throws to Tim Patrick, while Melvin Gordon ran 131 yards at just 15 carriages.
Broncos built a 10-9 first-half lead thanks to a strange streak of Tide Turning series.
It all started with the 3rd and 10th Presidents facing 40 Denver in the early second quarter. Mahomes found a wide open hill in the rear, only to look like he was dropping the designated landing. But the replay clearly showed that the ball was trapped between Hill and the defender, and had never touched the ground, which should have been the result of the green light.
Hill never argued when it was described as incomplete, and Andy Reed coach of the Chiefs did not throw the Red Challenge Flag. Instead, dispatch the bunting team quickly and try to install the Broncos deep into their territory.
After seven plays, the Bronco walked 90 yards the other way, and Locke’s short pass to Patrick ended the wild swing – instead of being 10-3 trailing, they were suddenly ahead with the same score.
The leaders finally took the lead in Potter’s fourth field goal early in the second half, then answered Luke’s second call to Patrick with their own TD. With a defender attached to his shirt, Mahomes threw a scoring pass from 15 yards to Kelce, ending their seven-game successive streak in the red without landing.
The presidents defense made sure that the only relegation they scored in the match was enough.
OUTSPOKEN is back
Bronco’s defensive end, Shelby Harris, who has contracted COVID-19 with his pregnant wife and three children, is back for the first time in about a month. But after describing his “strange headaches” and “nerve pain” in detail on Friday, however, Harris was shocked by the indolent approach some Chefs fans have taken to masks and social distancing. “They really don’t care about COVID in Missouri,” he said in a pre-match tweet.
Injuries
Broncos: C. Graham left Glasgow with a foot injury in the first quarter. CB Isang Basi, pressed for a bigger role after Bryce Callahan landed (his foot) on IR this week, leaving with a knee injury in the first round of the second half.
The Presidents: CB Antonio Hamilton had to be helped off the field after bunting his comeback early in the fourth quarter.
next one
Bronco: Visit the Panthers on Sunday.
Presidents: Visit dolphins on Sundays.
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