Chiefs end skid with ugly victory over Broncos
The Kansas City Chiefs needed a win in the worst way following back-to-back close losses, and that was exactly what they got on Monday night: an ugly 29-19 victory over the Denver Broncos fueled by turnovers and field goals.
The Chiefs (6-2) forced five Denver turnovers, including three interceptions of Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian, and rookie Harrison Butker hit five field goals to help the Chiefs pull away in the second half.
Both offenses struggled much of the game. The Broncos did establish the run game, rushing for 177 yards. CJ Anderson picked up 78 yards on 15 carries for Kansas City, while former Chiefs running Jamaal Charles had 39 yards on eight carries in his return to Arrowhead Stadium.
While the Chiefs’ defense was opportunistic, the Kansas City offense rarely found a rhythm, scoring just 12 second-half points, all on field goals from Butker, who has connected on 18 consecutive field-goal attempts.
Tight end Travis Kelce paced the Chiefs offense, tallying 133 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. KC quarterback Alex Smith finished 14-of-31 for 202 yards a touchdown.
The Broncos’ attempt at second-half rally fell short as Siemian completed 19-of-36 passes for 198 yards and a TD.
On the trade front, The San Francisco 49ers traded a 2018 second-round draft pick for New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on Monday. New England seem to have bought into the idea that Tom Brady can play well into his 40s and are left without a backup at quarterback, having traded Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts in September.
In other NFL news, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension is again in effect after a ruling by US District Judge Katherine Polk Failla denied Monday a request for a preliminary injunction.
Failla, who heard arguments from the NFL and NFL Players Association in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, stayed the decision for 24 hours to afford Elliott and the NFLPA the opportunity to consider appellate options.
They have the option of appealing Failla’s decision to the US Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit, and seek a stay that would allow Elliott to continue playing during the appeal process.
The NFL dealt Elliott a six-game suspension August 11 for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy relating to domestic-violence allegations by a former girlfriend. He was never charged with a crime by authorities who investigated the allegations.
The NFLPA was granted a preliminary injunction by a federal judge in Texas on September 8, but a federal appeals court in New Orleans sided with the NFL on October 12 and lifted the injunction. The NFLPA then went to the Southern District Court in New York.
If Elliott – third in the NFL in rushing with 690 yards and tied for the league lead with six rushing touchdowns – serves the six-game suspension, he would be ineligible until the Cowboys play at Oakland on December 17.