Chiefs at Broncos: Mahomes’ record chase continues Monday night at Manning’s old home
One of the greatest seasons by a quarterback was authored by Peyton Manning in his second year with the Denver Broncos in 2013.
Manning set NFL records for touchdown passes with 55 and yards at 5,477. His 115.1 passer rating was the sixth greatest in league history.
A contender to approach some of those marks arrives on Monday night, when the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes come to town.
With 13 touchdowns in his first three games, Mahomes already has surpassed Manning’s record of 12 in a season’s first three games (2013).
The Chiefs’ offense has been sensational, accounting for all but one of the team’s 16 touchdowns. That’s helped translate to a 39.3-point scoring average.
Those Broncos were even more prolific, averaging 42.3 points in three games before rolling up 103 in their next two.
Mahomes has yet to throw an interception. Manning, who threw seven touchdown passes in his Broncos debut, ran his total to 20 touchdown passes before throwing his first pick in 2013.
The ages of the quarterbacks adds to the storyline. Manning was 37 that season, which ended with a Super Bowl loss.
Mahomes turned 23 last week and continues his incredible start on the home field of Manning’s season for the ages.
The details
Who: Chiefs at Broncos
When: 7:15 p.m. Monday
Where: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver
TV: ESPN
Radio: KCFX (101.5 FM)
Breaking from the gate
If the Chiefs win the coin toss, defer, kick off, hold the Broncos to a three-and-out, force a punt that sets them in with excellent field position and score a touchdown, it will have happened for the fourth straight game.
Woe Broncos
The Broncos are coming off a 27-14 loss in Baltimore to fall to 2-1, and for the second straight game an opposing quarterback came up big. Joe Flacco was 25-of-40 for 277 yards and didn’t throw an interception. A week earlier, the Raiders’ Derek Carr completed 91.4 percent of his passes, an NFL record for at least 30 attempts.
Long division
Kansas City, the two-time AFC West champ, has dominated division play, winning 17 of its last 18 games against the Broncos, Chargers and Raiders. The Chiefs have won three straight in Denver, including Mahomes’ first NFL start in last year’s regular-season finale. After Monday, he will have played more games in Denver than he has in Kansas City. Monday’s winner will lead the division.
Blair Kerkhoff
Blair Kerkhoff covers the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals and college sports for The Star.
This story was originally published September 24, 2018 at 12:02 PM.