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Russell Wilson has thrown two touchdown passes. Vance Joseph’s Denver D has thwarted the Chiefs three times in red zone.
DENVER — Those winter-coated fans who made it to the game here Sunday came in chatting about two topics.
One, the weather. It snowed like it hasn’t snowed in October in 14 years. It was cold, too. The snow stopped well before game time and the field looked nice by kickoff. It was still cold, though. Twenty-five degrees at kickoff.
Two, the fans wondered out loud if their beloved but disappointing Broncos could finally beat the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes woke up sick Sunday. So maybe. Lord knows, and the football gods know, the Broncos were due.
So far, so good. Russell Wilson threw touchdown passes to Javonte Williams and Jerry Jeudy and the Broncos were leading the Kansas City Chiefs, 14-9 at halftime on a late-October Sunday afternoon before a bundled up, but highly energized crowd at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Chiefs came in 6-1 and off to a good start toward their eighth consecutive AFC West Division title. The Broncos were 2-5, losers of 16 in a row to the Chiefs, and seemingly headed to their eighth consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
Better check all that to this: It’s still early.
After the Denver defense stymied Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense for an opening series three-and-out, Broncos rookie Marvin Mims Jr. returned a punt 31 yards to the Chiefs’ 39.
Great field position was not wasted. The Broncos didn’t hurry – they used 10 plays with Wilson only completing two passes that were both thrown behind the line of scrimmage. But Jaleel McLaughlin and Javonte Williams made them count. Williams took a roll-right, throw-left pass from Wilson and powered his way in for a 4-yard touchdown.
The Broncos were up on the mighty Chiefs – the defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs, 7-0.
Mahomes made a couple stellar plays on his second possession, most notably a 27-yard throw on the run to Justin Watson and an 8-yard scramble for a first down. But while the Chiefs pushed it to the Denver 4-yard line, they settled for a 23-yard Harrison Butker field goal.
Vance Joseph’s defense stopped the Chiefs on four of five red zone trips three weeks ago at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium and the bend-but-not-break strategy worked again.
While Mahomes is always the best player on the field in any game he plays, he was not feeling himself Sunday morning. The Chiefs announced his illness on their pregame injury report, while also making a designation that meant he would play. He was out on the field warming up three hours before the game despite the frigid conditions and he was playing well against a Denver defense that didn’t bring much pressure but seemed to confuse Mahomes at times with their coverage.
On one deep middle completion thrown by Mahomes early in the second quarter, receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling had the ball stripped by Broncos’ linebacker Josey Jewell and safety Justin Simmons recovered at midfield.
On his first play, Wilson checked out of a run play, dropped to the shotgun position and gunned a deep pass on a line down the middle of the field. Bronco receiver Jerry Jeudy outmaneuvered a Chief defender to make a contested catch for a 39-yard gain, setting up first down at the Chiefs’ 11. On second down, Broncos coach Sean Payton for the second week in a row called on a multi-receiver route combination, this time shaking Jeudy free on a right to left pattern to the deep corner of the end zone. Wilson lofted it in there perfectly and while Jeudy juggled momentarily, review upheld the touchdown call and the Broncos were up 14-3 with 11:51 remaining in the second quarter.
Later, Mahomes would again push the Chiefs to the red zone, third-and-2 and the Broncos’ 13. But nickelback Ja’Quan McMillian blew up a short completion and again Kansas City settled for a short, Butker field goal to make it, 14-6 with 5:39 left in the half.
After Wilson fumbled with 9 seconds left in the half, Butker nailed a 56-yard field goal as the half expired.
Broncos take on AFC West rival Kansas City
Denver’s defense forced three turnovers in the half – the fumble forced by Jewell, and interception by McMillian, who broke underneath to intercept Mahomes near midfield, and a strip sack by Baron Browning on Mahomes, whose fumble was recovered by Jonathan Cooper. …
Wilson was only 6 of 12 for 70 yards at the half, but two completions went for touchdowns. …
Mahomes was 16 of 20 for 167 yards at the half, but he had no touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble.
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