The Denver Broncos produced one of the most impressive wins by any team this season on Sunday, erasing an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 28-24 and move into first place in the AFC West. Denver improved to 6-2 with its fourth consecutive victory and wiped out the head-to-head advantage Kansas City held entering the game.
The record is remarkable given Denver's opening schedule, which included two meetings with the Chiefs along with games against the Jaguars, Rams, 49ers and Seahawks. A winning mark through that stretch alone would have qualified as a success. Sitting at 6-2 is something far more resounding.
For three quarters, quarterback Bo Nix struggled, drawing boos from the crowd as he went 15 of 26 for 153 yards, with only seven of those attempts producing first downs. Then the final period arrived. Nix completed 5 of 6 passes for 84 yards in the fourth quarter, capitalizing on a pair of Kansas City coverage breakdowns for a touchdown to Nate Adkins and a key quick pass to Jonah Coleman.
The late surge continued a striking pattern. Since entering the NFL in 2024, Nix has produced 15 game-winning drives, the most ever by a quarterback in his first three seasons, and 12 fourth-quarter comebacks, tied with Derek Carr for the most in that span. Denver has averaged 8.1 points per fourth quarter with Nix, the highest rate for any starting quarterback since at least 1950. Broadcasters Jim Nantz and J.J. Watt said that when they met with Nix, he could not explain his late-game exploits.
Denver's defense made the comeback possible, capped by a last-second goal-line stand. The run defense in particular showed how far it has come since Week 1, when Kenneth Walker III ran for 173 yards and 7.8 yards per carry after contact in a 31-10 Chiefs win, a game in which Denver missed 24 tackles. In the rematch, Denver still missed 16 tackles but held Walker to just 69 yards and 2.1 yards per carry after contact.
Kansas City coach Andy Reid, meanwhile, faces renewed questions about his late-game management. Leading by three with under three minutes left, Patrick Mahomes took a costly sack, and Reid then chose to kick on fourth and 8 from the Denver 36-yard line. Harrison Butker, now 2 for 7 from 50 yards or more this season, missed wide right in the rain, leaving the Broncos down only three with favorable field position. For comparison, Mahomes has converted three of six career fourth-down attempts between fourth and 8 and fourth and 12.
The collapse obscured an otherwise outstanding performance from Mahomes, who completed 30 of 41 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns without an interception against a fierce pass rush, posting his best efficiency mark since Week 3. But the Chiefs' lack of downfield options was glaring. Running back Emmett Johnson led the team with five catches for 128 yards, tight end Travis Kelce added five for 67, and Rashee Rice's seven receptions went for just 53 yards. Kansas City has not completed a pass thrown 20 or more yards downfield in three straight games since Tyquan Thornton's injury, tying the longest such drought of Mahomes' career, and adding receiving help appears to be a pressing need.
Both teams also showcased promising young running backs. Coleman led Denver in carries (11), rushing yards (41) and receiving yards (63) and scored the game-winning touchdown, looking like a lead back with RJ Harvey out. Johnson found the end zone as well for Kansas City, adding a 15-yard carry and a 44-yard kickoff return to his big receiving day.
