The Chiefs
Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, KUSA-9 For the record: Kansas City (10-4) fell a full game behind Oakland (11-3) after a last-second, 19-17 loss to Tennessee (8-6) at home Sunday. Ryan Succop kicked a 53-yard, walk-off field goal. Who’s hot: Tyreek Hill. The speedy slotback-returner torched the Broncos in November with three scores, including a kickoff return for a touchdown. On Sunday, he took a fake-option inside handoff 68 yards for a touchdown. Who’s not: Alex Smith. K.C.’s quarterback threw an interception in the end zone with six minutes remaining. A field goal there could have put the game out of reach. It was not a blip for Smith. Before Sunday, he had completed just 25 percent of his passes into the end zone, the second-worst mark in the NFL according to ESPN stats. Key stat: 0. Since a 30-27 overtime victory over the Broncos, Kansas City’s offense has not scored a point in the second half. The Chiefs have scored 67 points as a team in those three games, going 2-1. But they’re scoring early, then trying to hold on late. They defeated Atlanta by one point and Oakland by eight points, then lost to Tennessee by two points. FYI: The thermometer read 1 degree at the time of kickoff Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, with a wind chill of minus-19 — the coldest game in Kansas City since the team started keeping track in 1994. This week, the temperatures are expected to warm some, but the weather may be messy Sunday. The forecast calls for possible rain Sunday night. Against the Broncos: Kansas City can sweep a season series against Denver for the first time since 2000. That year, K.C. went 7-9 and finished third in the AFC West. The Broncos went 11-5 and qualified for the playoffs. They said it: “There are situational plays and situations in games. … There’s a time and a place for everything. I wouldn’t necessarily say that (we’re being too conservative), but when you don’t win the game, you’re going to definitely look at something like that.” — Kansas City coach Andy Reid, on criticism that his offensive playcalling is too safe