Coming off their bye week, the Kansas City Chiefs were supposed to look refreshed, refined, and ready to reclaim control of the AFC West. Instead, they walked into Mile High and played like a team still stuck in neutral. The result was a crushing 22-19 road loss to the Denver Broncos. Wil Lutz sealed it with a 35-yard field goal as time expired.
Reality check
The Chiefs’ second straight defeat dropped them to 5-5. It's their worst record this late in a season since Patrick Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback. Kansas City’s offense sputtered for much of the afternoon. They were undone by penalties, a costly red-zone interception, and misfires on key third downs. The defense held up for most of the first half but faltered late. It allowed Bo Nix to drive Denver into field-goal range on the game’s final possession.
For a team chasing its tenth consecutive AFC West title, the loss was a gut punch. More than that, it was self-inflicted. The Chiefs just displayedof undisciplined play and questionable decision-making that made the Broncos’ job far too easy.
Here we'll try to look at and discuss the Kansas City Chiefs most to blame for their Week 11 loss to Denver Broncos.
Patrick Mahomes wasn’t sharp
Of course, Mahomes is the most gifted quarterback in football. He’s earned the benefit of the doubt countless times. Even the greats have bad days, though. This was one of Mahomes’ worst outings in recent memory.
From the opening series, Mahomes looked a step off. He overthrew deep routes to Marquise Brown and other receivers, missed on timing throws to Travis Kelce, and forced passes into double coverage that had no chance of success. The most damaging moment came in the third quarter. That's when he threw an interception in the red zone that killed a promising drive and flipped the game’s momentum.
Denver’s defense deserves a lot of credit. They disguised coverages and forced Mahomes into uncomfortable decisions. However, his internal clock seemed off all afternoon. He took unnecessary sacks, hesitated on checkdowns, and couldn’t establish a rhythm against light pressure. The Broncos didn’t need to blitz often. They just baited Mahomes into mistakes.
Andy Reid’s questionable playcalling
It’s rare to criticize future Hall of Famer Andy Reid. He is known for offensive innovation. That said, when his team looks this undisciplined after a bye week, scrutiny is fair game. Reid’s game plan against Denver simply didn’t make sense.
The Broncos dared Kansas City to run the football. They showed light boxes and dropped linebackers into coverage. Yet Reid refused to adjust. Despite Kareem Hunt finding early success with runs between the tackles, the Chiefs abandoned the ground game at critical junctures. The result was a one-dimensional attack that let Denver sit back and anticipate passing routes.
Reid also mismanaged key downs late in the fourth quarter. Recall that the Chiefs were at third-and-two near midfield with just over two minutes left. He called a slow-developing pass play that fell incomplete. That stopped the clock and gave Denver the ball back for the game-winning drive.
Even more puzzling was Kansas City’s continued insistence on deep drops despite a shaky offensive line performance. The Chiefs have the personnel to play a quick-strike, tempo-based style. However, Sunday’s playcalling felt outdated and reactive. It wasn’t the crisp, efficient Chiefs offense we’ve come to expect under Reid.
Special teams blunders
For years, the special teams unit has been one of Kansas City’s competitive advantages. On Sunday, though, it was part of the problem. The miscues started early when Harrison Butker kicked the ball out of bounds. That gifted Denver excellent field position. Later, Butker had an extra point blocked. That play loomed large as the Chiefs chased points in the second half.
Kevin Knowles also committed a questionable penalty on a return. That backed the offense into poor field position. Punt returner Nikko Remigio made several head-scratching decisions to field balls he should’ve let bounce. That cost the Chiefs valuable yardage.
Yes, punter Matt Araiza did his part flipping the field several times. Butker also hit his field goals. Still, the overall performance was sloppy and lacked the attention to detail Kansas City fans have come to expect. In a three-point game, every small mistake is magnified. Special teams contributed far too many of them.
Second-half defensive collapse
The Chiefs' defense dominated early. They allowed just one first down after Denver’s opening drive. As the game wore on, though, the energy faded and so did the discipline. The Broncos adjusted with play-action passes, and Kansas City’s defense struggled to respond.
After halftime, Denver scored on its first two possessions. They turned a sluggish first half into a momentum swing. The final two drives were especially painful. The Chiefs couldn’t get off the field on third down. They allowed Bo Nix to convert twice on long-yardage situations.
The lack of pass rush on those third-and-longs was baffling. Nix isn’t particularly comfortable under pressure. However, their defense dialed back the blitzes and allowed him to operate in clean pockets. The Broncos methodically marched 56 yards on their final possession. They bled the clock before setting up Wil Lutz’s game-winning field goal.
The defense just faltered when it mattered most.
Self-inflicted loss
The Chiefs didn’t lose because Denver was better. They lost because they beat themselves. Turnovers, penalties, conservative playcalling, and late-game execution failures all combined to waste a winnable divisional matchup.
At 5-5, Kansas City faces an uphill climb to keep its AFC West crown. With the Broncos now three games ahead, the margin for error is gone. Mahomes can’t carry this team alone. The coaching staff must rediscover the discipline and adaptability that made them champions.
For now, though, this loss feels symbolic. It's the kind of stumble that forces a franchise to look in the mirror. The Chiefs are too talented to be mediocre. Until they stop sabotaging themselves, though, that’s exactly what they’ll be.
