The Broncos kicked off the second quarter in Chiefs territory, fresh off a big Courtland Sutton catch, looking to make a statement. But even after Wil Lutz split the uprights from 45 yards out, cutting the Chiefs lead to 7-6, the second quarter became a story of missed opportunities and then a straight-up gut punch for Denver.
So Much Promise, So Few Points
Bo Nix was battling, no doubt about it. He had two passes batted down at the line, one of which directly led to that field goal. You gotta protect that ball, man! Then you had Alex Singleton making moves, forcing a fumble on Travis Kelce, only for the officials to call it an incomplete pass. A net positive since KC would have gained yards, sure, but a huge play wiped off the board. You felt the energy shift there.
But the real head-scratcher? J.K. Dobbins. He took a sweep for a loss of NINE yards. Nine! Sean Payton is sticking with Dobbins as the primary back, but anyone watching can see the spark Jonah Coleman brings. It is like watching a different game when Coleman touches the ball. Nix did connect with Jaylen Waddle for a monster 35-yard gain into Chiefs territory right after that Dobbins whiff, but another batted pass and a couple of penalties pushed them back to a third and 25. An offsides call made it third and 20. No points. Again. It is enough to make you pull your hair out!
Mahomes Finds a Gear, And KWIII Makes His Mark
The Chiefs, after a three-and-out of their own, got a lucky break with a great punt from Jeremy Crawshaw and a block in the back penalty, pushing them all the way back to their own five yard line. You think, okay, Denver’s got them pinned, right? Nope. Mahomes needed just three plays to churn out 30 yards. Just like that.
Then came the wild sequence. An egregious holding call backed them up to a second and 13. And who do you think Mahomes tossed it to? Our very own Kenneth Walker III! Yeah, you heard that right, our former Seahawk Kenneth Walker III got the ball. He was immediately met by Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian, who converged for a solid open-field tackle, bringing up third and 10. You think Denver made the stop, right? Wrong. Mahomes found Emmett Johnson wide open, and the rookie took it 73 yards to the house for a touchdown. Just like that, the Chiefs extended their lead to 14-6.
The Broncos tried to answer. Dobbins got another two-yard carry, bringing his stat line to seven carries for a paltry 12 yards. An incompletion later, Nix threaded the needle to Lil’Jordan Humphrey for a first down. A facemask penalty on Jonah Coleman kept the drive alive, moving them to the Chiefs 41. Nix then fired an 18-yard bullet to Courtland Sutton on the sideline, putting them just outside the 20-yard line.
That’s where the second quarter left off, with Denver clawing for points. They have gotta capitalize on these chances. They need to turn these big plays into actual points, especially when the Chiefs are out there making plays with players like Kenneth Walker III.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mile High Report.
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