FULL BOX SCORE

Nick Shook’s takeaways:

1. Chiefs escape to remain undefeated. Offensively, the Chiefs remained the same team they’ve been all season, slowly moving the football down the field with drives of 10, 11 and 16 plays. But unlike past weeks, the Chiefs couldn’t impose their will on Denver’s defense, and when Patrick Mahomes missed an open Travis Kelce in the end zone on third down, they were forced to settle for a field goal with zero protection against a last-second defeat. The Chiefs stared defeat in the face in the final minute Sunday because when they needed to get a stop to preserve their lead, they failed. Broncos rookie Bo Nix led a patient 43-yard drive that required 13 plays to move into field goal range, and with their timeouts exhausted, all the Chiefs could do was hope for a spectacular play to keep their winning streak alive. Their prayers were answered on the final snap, when a host of Chiefs blasted their way through the interior protection for Denver’s field goal unit, clearing a path for Leo Chenal to block Wil Lutz‘ game-winning try. The play sent Mahomes into a celebratory sprint around the field at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs have repeatedly proven they’re outrageously difficult to defeat. Hopefully, it also serves as a reminder that they’ll still need their best efforts to win on a weekly basis.
2. Nix, Broncos deliver performance deserving of win. Denver jumped all over Kansas City in the first half Sunday, racing out to a 14-3 lead by stringing together two scoring drives of 70-plus yards and ending both with touchdowns. The latter of the two scores — a perfectly placed 32-yard touchdown pass from Bo Nix to Courtland Sutton — stood as the sign the Broncos were not about to kneel at the feet of the defending champion Chiefs. Nix was sharp all afternoon, completing 22 of 30 passes for 215 yards and the two touchdowns, but Denver’s offense wilted in the second half, failing to back a Broncos defense that capitalized on the loss of left tackle Wanya Morris, harassed Mahomes all day (four sacks, 40.8% pressure rate) and gave Denver a legitimate chance to win. Still, Nix delivered in the clutch, completing a key third-down pass to Sutton to move the Broncos into Kansas City’s red zone, where they wisely drained the remaining clock and positioned themselves for a game-winning field goal. That’s where the true heartbreak arrived, though, as Kansas City blocked Wil Lutz’s 35-yard attempt, preserving the Chiefs’ undefeated record by the thinnest of margins. It’s tough to win games in this league, but the Broncos should feel proud of their efforts Sunday.
3. Steve Spagnuolo’s adjustments pay off. Kansas City found itself in an unfamiliar position just before halftime, trailing the Broncos, 14-3, after surrendering two shockingly efficient touchdown drives to a rookie quarterback. Everything was working for the Broncos: They averaged 6.1 yards per carry, and Nix reached halftime with a 14-of-20 passing line for 160 yards and two scores. The Chiefs needed an answer and Spagnuolo delivered, limiting Denver’s offense to 68 yards in the second half and keeping them from adding even a single point to their total. This effort bought the methodical Chiefs offense enough time to claw their way back into the game, leading two long field-goal drives to take a 16-14 lead. All of that effort was nearly wasted when the same defense couldn’t stop Nix and the Broncos late in the game, allowing them to move into field goal range in the final minute. Fortunately, though, the special teams unit saved the Chiefs, lifting them to a win that might not have been possible had their defense not kept things close in the second half.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Broncos-Chiefs (via NFL Pro): Patrick Mahomes faced pressure on 20 of 49 dropbacks (40.8%), the highest pressure rate he’s faced since Week 8, 2023 (which was also against the Broncos). Mahomes was 5 of 14 for 92 yards when pressured, leading to a -17.8% CPOE, his lowest mark of the season. Meanwhile, his +5.8% CPOE when not facing pressure was his highest mark of the season, and from a clean pocket, he was 23 of 28 for 174 yards and his only touchdown.

NFL Research: The Chiefs lead the NFL with seven one-possession wins this season. The most one-score wins by an eventual Super Bowl champion is nine by both the 2015 Broncos and 1986 Giants.