Four Takeaways From the Chiefs' 27-24 Win Over the Broncos
Entering Week 17, the Kansas City Chiefs were still very much alive in the hunt for the AFC's top playoff seed. While it remains to be seen whether the Cincinnati Bengals can help them out on Monday, Kansas City held up their end of the bargain on Sunday by defeating the visiting Denver Broncos by a final score of 27-24. With the win, the Chiefs are now 13-3 on the year and have only a Week 18 outing against the Las Vegas Raiders remaining on their regular season schedule.
Here are four takeaways from Sunday's game.
1. Patrick Mahomes joins some elite company
It's hard to believe that Patrick Mahomes is in just his fifth full season as the Chiefs' starting quarterback, as the 2018-19 MVP winner has accomplished so much in his still young career. Against the Broncos, he checked off yet another box by joining some all-time greats in an exclusive list. With his performance on Sunday, Mahomes is now the third quarterback in NFL history to have multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons. Being in the same company as Drew Brees and Tom Brady is another testament to how dominant Mahomes has been. By crossing that yardage mark and also hitting the 40-touchdown benchmark, another MVP is likely in the cards this season.
2. Jerick McKinnon remains a huge part of the offense
Jerick McKinnon is having arguably the best year of his career in his age-30 season, which defies the odds in a significant way for a running back. Additionally, he hauled in a pass in the first half that made him the first running back since 1970 to record a touchdown catch in five straight games. For good measure, he added another one later on that broke the franchise record for touchdown catches by a Chiefs running back in a single season. Over the past several weeks, McKinnon has caught fire and emerged as a pillar of Andy Reid's offense. That was the case once again on Sunday, and it could continue into the playoffs for the second year in a row.
3. A mixed bag of an afternoon on defense
Through three quarters, Steve Spagnuolo's defense looked relatively stout against Russell Wilson and company. Allowing just 13 points, Wilson wasn't gashing Kansas City through the air and punter Corliss Waitman was getting plenty of work. A fourth-quarter performance that saw Denver score 14 points was worrisome, however, as the Broncos consistently attacked the middle of the field. The defense ultimately stepped up when needed via a key stop after the two-minute warning, capping off what was an up-and-down afternoon overall. The Chiefs' defense seems to be improving a bit, but there are still things to figure out as the playoffs approach.
4. Special teams mistakes could be the Chiefs' downfall
Another week, another suspect performance from Dave Toub's special teams unit. Not only did a botched snap on a first-quarter extra point raise more questions about the kicking and holding operations, but a missed field goal at the end of the half added more fuel to that fire. Kadarius Toney's fumble on a punt return isn't a direct indictment on Toub, however it is another example of an unnecessary mistake from a Chiefs special-teamer. Winning playoff games is already difficult enough and if Kansas City continues this level of play in the third phase of the game, it very well could get sent home early because of it.
