Chiefs defeat Broncos to keep AFC West lead
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The resurgent Kansas City defense shut down Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos, Daniel Sorenson returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown, and the Chiefs beat Denver 22-9 on Sunday night for their fifth straight win.
Patrick Mahomes had 184 yards passing with a touchdown run and an interception for the Chiefs (8-4), who now lead the Chargers by a game and the Broncos and Raiders by two in their race for a sixth straight AFC West championship.
Things went haywire for the Broncos early in the game, when a 20-play drive ended with a failed fourth-down play rather than an easy field goal. And they didn’t get a whole lot better when Bridgewater threw a pair of second-half interceptions, including the one that Sorensen picked off with 91⁄2 minutes left to put the game away.
Bridgewater was held to 257 yards passing for the Broncos (6-6), who have lost 12 in a row to their longtime AFC rival dating to the 2015 season. Javonte Williams started in place of injured running back Melvin Gordon III and had 102 yards rushing along with a touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter.
Thanks to his defense, Chiefs coach Andy Reid improved to 20-3 after a week off. The once-maligned bunch stopped Denver on fourth down three times while holding an opponent to fewer than 10 points for the third time in its last four games.
The Chiefs must have spent their entire week off working on their opening offensive script, because they effortlessly flew downfield for a score. They overcame an offensive pass-interference call before Mahomes scampered for a touchdown. After the Chiefs forced a second straight three-and-out, Harrison Butker made a 56-yard field goal.