Denver Broncos 16-22 Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes leads Chiefs into AFC playoffs
Patrick Mahomes threw for 318 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs clinched an AFC playoff berth despite being pushed close by the Broncos; Travis Kelce surpassed 1,000 yards receiving on the season
Monday 7 December 2020 09:50, UK
The Kansas City Chiefs survived a scare on Sunday night before eventually overcoming a stubborn Denver Broncos side 22-16 to clinch a playoff berth.
Patrick Mahomes completed 25 of 40 passes for 318 yards and a third-quarter touchdown pass to tight end Travis Kelce, after the Chiefs had failed to score TDs on their first four trips inside the red zone, settling instead for Harrison Butker field goals.
- Chiefs stats: Patrick Mahomes, 25/40, 318 yards, 1 TD
- Rushing leader: Le'Veon Bell, 11 carries, 40 yards
- Receiving leader: Travis Kelce, eight catches, 136 yards, 1 TD
Butker's efforts saw Kansas City pull to within a point of Denver at half-time, trailing 10-9. Though that scoreline could have looked different but for a bizarre incident where Tyreek Hill didn't realise he had caught a deflected touchdown pass from Mahomes, the Chiefs failed to review it and so ultimately ended up punting.
A further Butker kick - his fourth of five - edged the Chiefs ahead after the break, but then Broncos quarterback Drew Lock engineered a near seven-minute drive capped with a 10-yard strike to Tim Patrick to put the Broncos back in front.
The touchdown was the second scoring connection between Lock and Patrick on the night. Running back Melvin Gordon also provided a spark with 131 yards rushing as Denver looked to cause an upset.
- Broncos stats: Drew Lock, 15/28, 151 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
- Rushing leader: Melvin Gordon, 15 carries, 131 yards
- Receiving leader: Tim Patrick, four catches, 44 yards, 2 TDs
However, Mahomes' lone touchdown of the game, to Kelce - who passed 1,000 yards receiving - ensured Kansas City nudged ahead once more and this time they wouldn't relinquish their lead.
In the fourth quarter, Denver's decision to punt while facing fourth-and-3 from midfield enabled Mahomes to take over with six minutes left. The Chiefs whittled that down to one minute before Butker connected on his fifth field goal, from 48 yards, and the defence held out.
Tyrann Mathieu snagged the second of his two interceptions in the contest to clinch victory for Kansas City, their 11th-straight over Denver.
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