In a high-stakes game for the Kansas City Chiefs, they lost 22-19 to the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. The defeat dealt a severe blow to the Chiefs’ hopes of sustaining their streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles and 10 straight playoff appearances, as they now sit at 5-5 on the season. Meanwhile, Denver improved to 9-2, taking a healthy 3.5-game lead over Kansas City in the division with a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes finished the game with 276 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception, but the offense couldn’t secure the win despite giving the Chiefs a temporary fourth-quarter lead. Wil Lutz of the Broncos converted a 54-yard field goal to tie the game and a 35-yard kick to win it.
Come what may, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce had a stellar performance amid the loss, scooping up nine receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. His 21-yard fourth-quarter catch from Patrick Mahomes was Kelce’s 84th career touchdown, breaking the franchise record previously held by Priest Holmes. It was Kelce’s fourth receiving touchdown of the season and his 50th reception for 631 yards through 10 games, averaging 12.6 yards per catch.
After the game, Kelce was conspicuously standoffish with the media, declining to discuss his personal milestone.
“If you’re going to ask me about the record, I could care less about that right now,” he said, via The Athletic’s James Palmer.
His comments betray the urgency of the Chiefs' current situation, as they are now outside the top seven in the AFC wild-card race, behind the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens due to tiebreakers and conference records.
Kansas City’s path back into the playoffs is now precarious. Through the seven games remaining, including crucial matchups against the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Texans, and Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs may need a 6-1 or 5-2 finish just to remain in contention. Even winning out could leave them at 12-5, potentially behind teams holding tiebreakers like the Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and Jaguars.
