Chiefs lose to Broncos on last-second field goal: Reaction from defeat in Denver
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Broncos beat Chiefs 22-19 at Mile High, dropping Kansas City to 5-5 in 2025.
- Mahomes took late hits; McMillian’s sack produced Broncos’ decisive possession.
- Chiefs went 5-of-13 on third downs and reached end zone once in four red-zone trips.
The Denver Broncos defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 22-19 on Sunday afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High stadium.
With the loss, the Chiefs dropped to 5-5 on the 2025 NFL season.
Here are some immediate observations from the Chiefs’ Week 11 NFL setback:
Turning point: Bo Nix steps up in a big moment
After a sluggish, low-scoring first half, both teams came alive in the second — trading scores before settling at a 19-19 tie.
Kansas City had the ball, but after two incompletions intended for Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes faced third-and-10 at their own 26-yard line. The Broncos sent cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian streaking down with a blitz, and he dropped Mahomes for an 11-yard sack.
The sack forced a punt, giving the Broncos the ball and a chance to win the game. After moving to the Kansas City 49-yard line, Denver quarterback Bo Nix took the snap out of the shotgun.
With a clean pocket, Nix floated a strike to wide receiver Troy Franklin, good for the first a first down and providing his team a chance to melt the clock down to zeroes.
Last year, the Chiefs blocked the kick in a similar situation. This year, they didn’t.
Rapid reaction: Disappointment abounds
The 2025 Denver Broncos remain a fascinating — and frustrating — watch. Week after week, they drag opponents into ugly games and usually come out on top.
Especially in the first half, the Chiefs were the latest team to dip down to Denver’s level.
It’s rare to say this, but at that point in the game, I thought the Chiefs were playing well, outside of Patrick Mahomes. My other (lingering) gripe is Kansas City’s refusal to stick with the run, especially while Kareem Hunt was averaging 4.9 yards a carry at the conclusion of the second quarter.
The other aspects of the team that had questions at the bye week — the protection up front, the defensive line and the linebackers — seemed better at the half.
For both teams, the second half felt like a completely different football game, one that saw Mahomes finally connect on a downfield pass to Tyquan Thornton, momentarily flashing the offense we saw during the three-game winning streak.
Mahomes and Kansas City managed to score 13 points in the second half, but it wasn’t good enough because the Broncos’ offense woke up, too. In the end, Kansas City’s defense couldn’t get one last stop, and the much-criticized Nix outplayed his counterpart when it mattered most.
The Chiefs aren’t dead yet, but they have to start playing complete games — not relying on late-game magic to save them.
Let’s be honest: That magic is gone, and with it, almost definitely the AFC West division title streak is history, too.
Critical stat: Bad on third down, bad in the red zone
The Chiefs were 5 of 13 on third own (38%) and converted touchdowns only once in four red-zone trips (25%).
This story was originally published November 16, 2025 at 6:57 PM.
