Despite their best efforts, the Denver Broncos fell short in a Week 13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, 22-9. The loss saw the Broncos dip to 6-6 on the year and fall into last place in the tight-knit NFC West division, while also dampening their playoff chances.
Patrick Mahomes recorded another mortal outing, but the Broncos' offense wasn't able to get much of anything going throughout the game. Teddy Bridgewater struggled, completing 22-of-40 pass attempts for 257 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, including a pick-six to Daniel Sorensen of all people. The key performer on offense was Javonte Williams, who impressed in his first game as the team's workhorse back while Melvin Gordon was sidelined.
It was always going to be a tough matchup for the Broncos in Week 13, but the team kept it relatively close. A big play or two on offense could have swung this one in their favor, but unfortunately it just was not to be. At .500, the Broncos will need a strong finish to the season in order to have a chance at postseason football. Their remaining schedule pits sees them host the Lions and Bengals before setting off for a grueling three-game road trip against their division rivals in the Raiders, Chargers, and Chiefs. It's not an easy schedule to close out the year, so the entire team will need to be at its best.
Let’s take a look at three takeaways from the Broncos-Chiefs game in Week 13.
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Broncos Week 13 Takeaways
3. The Defense contained Mahomes
This loss absolutely cannot be placed on the defense. The Broncos' defense was at the top of its game virtually all night, shutting Patrick Mahomes down in what was one of his worst-ever performances. The Chiefs' star didn't throw a single touchdown pass, though he ran for one. He completed 15-of-29 pass attempts for 184 yards and an interception, though the pick was hardly his fault. The KC run game was stagnant too. Clyde Edwards-Helaire led all Chiefs' rushers with just 54 yards, and the team put togehter just 89 rushing yards throughout the game. Despite walking away with an L, this Broncos defense, one that just recently watched Von Miller depart for greener pastures, showed that they are still an elite group.
2. Decision-making needs improvement
In the loss to KC, there were a few head-scratching decisions made by some members of the franchise. One glaring one occurred in the second quarter, after Denver led a remarkable 20-play, 10-minute drive down field. After using up virtually every ounce of time in the quarter, the Broncos found themselves deep in Chiefs' territory, starting at a 4th-and-2 from the 8-yard line. Trailing 10-3 at the time, head coach Vic Fangio had no interest in getting three points. Instead, the team rushed the ball up the gut and Javonte Williams was stuffed for a loss of one. Denver got nothing out of their huge drive, apart from keeping the ball out of the Chiefs' hands. While that may have been a win on most nights, the way KC's offense was struggling on Sunday, Denver had no reason to turn away free points in what was a low-scoring affair.
Denver played this entire game on the defensive, but they should ahve realized far soon that if they put their foot on the gas pedal, this was a very winnable game. Kansas City's offense was a shell of its usual self, with Mahomes and Tyreek Hill clearly out of sync, yet the Broncos failed to take advantage.
1. Javonte Williams can absolutely be a workhorse RB
Not much was inspiring on offense, but if Broncos Nation is looking for a reason for optimism, they have it in their rookie running back. Javonte Williams had his best game of his career on Sunday, playing for the first time without being handcuffed alongside veteran Melvin Gordon. Williams made the most of his opportunity, picking up 102 rushing yards on 23 carries, alongside six receptions, 76 yards, and a receiving touchdown. The breakout game for Williams was a joy to watch, as he regularly carved positive gains out of nothing and exploded through gaps at will.
The 21-year-old North Carolina product lived up to the hype in his first start of the year, and could change the way the coaching staff looks at the running backs room going forward. Williams was impressive while working in tandem with Gordon, but seeing how he operated when he had the backfield practically to himself was truly eye-opening.
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