Broncos win 31-24 and Jamaal Charles did not look too happy on the sidelines as he banged his helmet in frustration.
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There are only two people in the National Football League history books with 70,000 passing yards under their arm – Bret Favre and now, after last night’s win over the Chiefs, Broncos’ quarterback Peyton Manning is also in this exclusive club. Nonetheless, Denver came out on top 31-24 in a pretty insane final minute of the game. The Broncos were down 14 points to division rival Kansas City Chiefs and Manning was clearly struggling.
There would have been no fourth-quarter fumble, no unlikely comeback, and the Chiefs would have walked away with a convincing divisional victory. And then you have so many players for the Broncos and Chiefs Thursday night.
However, the Broncos’ quarterback wasn’t done. With 45 seconds remaining and the ball on the 19-yard line, the Chiefs called a timeout.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) leaps for a…
The critics were circling and moved in for the kill when Kansas City rookie cornerback Marcus Peters intercepted a Manning pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown to give Kansas City a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Charles had earlier, in the first half, fumbled on a carry that was recovered by Denver.
But even with the suddenness of the loss and how it transpired, the most important thing for the Chiefs is that this loss doesn’t become more than it is-simply one of 16 games on the schedule. Denver’s Brandon Marshall punched the ball loose from Charles’ grasp.
“We’re trying to help him, run the football better, do some things”, Kubiak said. Manning had seen his numbers drop over the last few games of the season, and new head coach Gary Kubiak is known for favoring an offense that puts emphasis on establishing the run.
Despite his two turnovers, Charles was the biggest contributor for the Chiefs on offense, rushing for 125 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown, a 34-yard rumble that gave Kansas City a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
“We thought we had it won”, Davis said.
“My thinking on it was, you pop one and you have a shot for a field goal and you win the game”, Reid said. “It was an emotional rollercoaster”.
Alex Smith threw for 191 yards for Kansas City, but he also was picked off twice. This would have made very little sense regardless of the situation, but Peyton Manning just completed a 10-play drive that ended in his first touchdown pass all season, and he finally appeared to have some rhythm going.
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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.
