Denver’s defense denied Kansas City a last-second comeback Sunday, preserving a 28-24 home victory after a false-start penalty wiped out what appeared to be a winning touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes. The Broncos finished the AFC West matchup at 6-2, while the Chiefs fell to 5-2.
Kansas City’s final opportunities came near the goal line. Denver stopped running back Kenneth Walker III on a short attempt from the 1-yard line before Mahomes found Rashee Rice in the end zone with four seconds remaining. But offensive tackle Jaylon Moore was called for a false start, nullifying the score and moving the Chiefs back 5 yards. Denver then sacked Mahomes on the last play.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid questioned the penalty afterward. “I didn’t see it,” Reid said. “I saw him move his head, but I didn’t see” a penalty. The call and the defensive stops made the closing sequence decisive in another narrow Denver win.
Kansas City also had an earlier opportunity to extend its advantage. Leading 24-21 with 2:36 remaining in regulation, the Chiefs sent Harrison Butker out for a 54-yard field goal attempt. He missed after having connected from 45 yards earlier in the game. Denver responded by covering 56 yards in two plays to take a 28-24 lead, giving Kansas City 116 seconds to answer.
Butker’s miss added to questions about his future with the team. Kansas City’s kicker since 2017, he signed a four-year deal in 2024 reportedly worth more than $25 million. At that point, he had converted 89.1% of his field goal attempts and helped the Chiefs win three Super Bowls. His accuracy over the three years since had declined to 82%, with nine successful kicks in 19 attempts from at least 50 yards.
This season, Butker had made 11 of 16 field goal attempts overall and two of six from 50 yards or longer. Kansas City increased competition last week by adding veteran Justin Tucker to its practice squad. Tucker had been out of action for more than a year following a suspension for off-field conduct.
The result was the season’s 71st game settled by one score or less, matching the highest total through Week 8 since the 1970 merger. It also marked the 35th game this season in which the winning score came during the final four minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime, one below the NFL record through eight weeks.
Denver has been particularly successful in those tight finishes. Its 16-2 record in one-score games over the past two seasons is the league’s best. Asked about that success, Broncos coach Sean Payton said, “It has to come from we’ve done it before.”
