Final-Second Sack Hands Broncos Division Lead
Malcolm Roach's sack of Patrick Mahomes on the final play preserved a 28-24 comeback win that puts Denver atop the AFC West.
By Harper Laurent ·
With under two minutes left and the ball on the one-yard line, Malcolm Roach dropped Patrick Mahomes on fourth-and-goal to end the game and give the Denver Broncos the division lead. The sack preserved a 28-24 comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, moving Denver to 6-2 and into first place in the AFC West.
The Broncos trailed 24-13 late in the third quarter after a slow start. Bo Nix, who went 20 of 32 for 222 yards and two touchdowns, drove Denver back into the game. He first connected with Jaylen Waddle for a fourth-down touchdown and a two-point conversion to make it 24-21. After Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker missed a 54-yard field goal attempt in the rain, Nix threw a 51-yard pass to rookie Jonah Coleman. Coleman then scored from the five-yard line to put Denver ahead 28-24 with 1:56 remaining.
Kansas City, which fell to 5-2, responded quickly. Kenneth Walker III ran for 69 yards on 21 carries to help drive the Chiefs inside the Denver five. Walker’s three-yard run on first-and-goal placed the ball on the one-yard line. Mahomes threw an incomplete pass on second down, and Walker was stopped short on third down. On the final play, Mahomes was sacked by Roach, ending the Chiefs’ drive and their two-game win streak.
Mahomes finished 30 of 41 for 321 yards and three touchdowns. His longest play was a 73-yard pass to rookie Emmett Johnson, which gave Kansas City a 14-6 lead in the second quarter. Johnson caught the ball near his own 40-yard line and ran untouched to the end zone. Mahomes also connected with Rashee Rice for an 11-yard score in the first quarter and tight end Noah Gray for a four-yard touchdown in the third. The Chiefs had led 24-13 before Denver’s fourth-quarter surge.
The game featured several injuries. For the Chiefs, defensive lineman Peter Woods left in the first quarter with a neck injury. Cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed and Mansoor Delane were out, leaving Kristian Fulton and Nohl Williams to start. For the Broncos, cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine exited in the second quarter with an ankle issue, and safety Brandon Jones was ruled out at halftime with a hamstring injury. Running back RJ Harvey was placed on short-term injured reserve after a knee injury in practice.
The Chiefs will host the New York Jets next Sunday. The Broncos will travel to play the Carolina Panthers the same day.
