Denver Broncos complete dramatic late comeback win over Kansas City
Friday 18 September 2015 12:25, UK
Denver cornerback Bradley Roby returned Jamaal Charles' second fumble 21 yards for a touchdown with 27 seconds remaining to complete a stunning comeback and seal a 31-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.
Peyton Manning threw for 256 yards - becoming the second NFL quarterback to pass 70,000 career yards in the process - and three touchdowns, the last of which was a toss to Emmanuel Sanders with 36 seconds left with a score that looked to have forced overtime.
But on the next play, Brandon Marshall stripped the ball from Charles, allowing Roby to recover and romp home.
The win was the Broncos' (2-0) seventh straight against the Chiefs (1-1) as Manning continued to prove his doubters wrong by improving to 14-1 over Kansas.
"I'm not quite sure I'd ever been in one quite like that," he said. "That was a new one for me."
Charles finished with 125 yards rushing and a touchdown, but he will only remember his fumbles - one in the red zone early in the game, the other deep in his own territory late in the game.
Alex Smith threw for 191 yards for Kansas City, but was also was picked off twice.
Manning blotted his copybook with a pick-six, but responded when it mattered with a crucial drive that began on the Broncos 20 with Denver trailing 24-17 and only 2:27 left on the clock.
The seven-time All-Pro quarterback marched them calmly down field, finding Demaryius Thomas for three long receptions to get deep into Chiefs territory, before hitting Sanders over the middle on third-and-10 from the Chiefs 19 for the tying touchdown that kept the Broncos alive.
The Chiefs had earlier bolted into a 14-0 lead before Manning answered with an 80-yard TD drive late in the first half - Sanders somersaulting into the end zone for a 16-yard reception.
In the third, Manning connected with Sanders to reach a milestone only achieved by Brett Favre. Favre is the all-time leading passer in NFL history with 71,838 yards but Manning is now nipping at his heels with 70,122.
