Bo Nix, Broncos Beat Chiefs as Roach Sacks Mahomes

Fourth-and-goal from the 1, final play, game on the line. Malcolm Roach got to Patrick Mahomes and dropped him, and the Denver Broncos held on for a 28-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. Bo Nix led two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to set it up.

The win moves Denver to 6-2 and into first place in the AFC West, per the AP. Kansas City drops to 5-2 after its second straight loss.

How Nix Brought Denver Back

The Broncos trailed 24-13 in the third quarter and went three-and-out on all three of their drives in that period. Then Nix found tight end Nate Adkins for a 2-yard touchdown and hit Jaylen Waddle on the two-point try to cut it to 24-21.

Kansas City had a chance to push the lead back out, but Harrison Butker missed a 54-yard field goal wide right in a steady rain, one play after Alex Singleton sacked Mahomes. Denver needed only two plays. Nix hit rookie running back Jonah Coleman for 51 yards, and Coleman scored from 5 yards out to make it 28-24 with 1:56 left.

Nix finished 20 of 32 for 222 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also threw a fourth-and-goal touchdown to Waddle in the first half.

Mahomes Was Back, Then Stopped at the 1

This was a bounce-back day for Mahomes, who had been held without a touchdown pass in two straight games for the first time in his career. He went 30 of 41 for 321 yards and three touchdowns, including a 73-yard catch-and-run by rookie Emmett Johnson, who finished with 128 receiving yards. Rashee Rice returned from a two-game absence with a hamstring injury and caught seven passes for 53 yards and a score.

The final drive got inside the 5 on a 32-yard Travis Kelce catch and several big runs by Kenneth Walker III. Walker got it to the 1, Mahomes threw incomplete, Walker was stuffed on third down, and Roach finished it.

Next Up and the Smacktok Lean

Denver visits Carolina on Sunday, Nov 8 at 10 AM PT. Kansas City hosts the Jets at the same time.

Denver played without RJ Harvey, who went on short-term IR with a knee injury, and Coleman took over: 11 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, plus four catches for 63 yards on five targets. With Harvey still on IR, my Smacktok lean is higher on Coleman's scrimmage yards at Carolina.