Roach sack seals Broncos win

Malcolm Roach stripped Patrick Mahomes on the final play of the game on fourth-and-goal, securing a 28-24 victory for the Denver Broncos over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The result moved Denver into first place in the AFC West with a 6-2 record.

The Broncos trailed by 11 points in the third quarter but mounted a comeback in the fourth. Quarterback Bo Nix connected with tight end Nate Adkins on a two-yard touchdown pass. He then found Jaylen Waddle for a two-point conversion, narrowing the deficit to 24-21.

Kansas City’s Harrison Butker missed a 54-yard field goal attempt to the right in steady rain. The miss came after Alex Singleton sacked Mahomes for a six-yard loss. Denver needed only two plays and 35 seconds to take the lead.

Nix threw a 51-yard pass to rookie running back Jonah Coleman. Coleman then scored from the five-yard line on the next snap. The touchdown put Denver ahead 28-24 with 1 minute and 56 seconds remaining on the clock.

The Chiefs drove inside the Denver five-yard line with less than a minute left. Kenneth Walker III ran for six yards on 21 carries in the game. A 32-yard catch by Travis Kelce and runs by Walker helped move the ball to the one-yard line.

Mahomes threw an incomplete pass on second down from the one-yard line. Walker was stuffed on third down. On fourth down, Roach sacked Mahomes, ending the game and preserving the Broncos’ lead.

Nix finished 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Mahomes completed 30 of 41 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns. The Chiefs dropped their second straight game after a loss to Seattle last week.

Mahomes threw his first consecutive games without a touchdown pass before finding Rashee Rice, Emmett Johnson, and Noah Gray for scores. Johnson caught a 73-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that extended the Chiefs’ lead to 14-6. The pass came after Johnson caught the ball near his own 40-yard line under pressure.

Rice returned from a two-game absence due to a pulled right hamstring. He caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to give Kansas City a 7-3 lead. Denver’s Wil Lutz kicked field goals of 39 and 45 yards during the game.

Injuries affected both teams. Chiefs defensive lineman Peter Woods left the game in the first quarter with a neck injury. Cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Mansoor Delane sat out due to knee and shoulder issues. Broncos cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine left in the second quarter with an ankle injury, and safety Brandon Jones was ruled out at halftime with a hamstring issue.