Denver Broncos place kicker Wil Lutz (3) tries a field goal attempt, which was blocked, and then recovered by Kansas City cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the second half of an NFL football game on Nov. 10 in Kansas City, Mo.Reed Hoffmann/The Associated Press
Kansas City blocked Broncos kicker Wil Lutz’s 35-yard field goal attempt as time expired on Sunday, and KC escaped with a 16-14 victory over the Broncos to extend its winning streak to 15 games dating to last season.
KC had taken the lead on Harrison Butker’s field goal with 5:57 left, but Bo Nix and the Broncos converted on a trio of third downs while marching right back down field. They proceeded to set up Lutz for the winner, but Leo Chenal was given credit for coming up the middle amid a big push by the Kansas City defensive line to get his hand on the kick.
Patrick Mahomes finished with 266 yards passing and a touchdown for Kansas City.
KC’s winning streak dating to last season is the longest in the NFL since the Packers won 19 in a row from 2010-11.
Travis Kelce had eight catches for 64 yards and a touchdown for Kansas City. DeAndre Hopkins caught four passes for 56 yards, and Kareem Hunt was held to 35 yards rushing but also caught seven passes for 65 yards.
Nix finished with 215 yards passing and two touchdowns for the Broncos (5-5). Courtland Sutton had six catches for 60 yards and a score, and his 13-yard reception on third-and-six with 1:45 left gave Denver a chance to kick as time expired.
The Broncos stunned KC a year ago, forcing five turnovers in a 21-9 win at Denver that ended a 16-game losing streak in the series. And they clearly had the same intention in mind as the AFC West rivals met again Sunday.
Their defence harassed Mahomes throughout the first half, particularly when an injury to Wanya Morris forced rookie left tackle Kingsley Suamataia into the game. And the Broncos capitalized on offence with two long scoring drives, the first ending with Nix finding Devaughn Vele wide open and the second with Sutton’s 32-yard TD catch for a 14-3 lead.
It was Mahomes who got KC on track, going 7 for 7 for 62 yards on the ensuing drive. When it looked like it stalled at the Denver two, KC coach Andy Reid went for it on fourth down, and Mahomes hit Kelce for the score.
KC still trailed 14-10 at the break – so it had the Broncos right where it wanted them.
Unflappable in winning its past eight when trailing in the second half, Kansas City closed within 14-13 on Butker’s chip-shot field goal late in the third quarter. The KC defence then forced back-to-back punts, and Mahomes and the offence drove to the Denver two, where Butker added the go-ahead kick with a little less than six minutes left.