Denver's Fourth-Quarter Surge: Broncos Overtake Chiefs in AFC West
A late-game collapse by Kansas City and a historic performance by Bo Nix secured a 28-24 victory that shifts division standings.
By Amelia Gupta ·
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix led a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 28-24 on Sunday. The victory moved Denver to first place in the AFC West with a 6-2 record, while Kansas City fell to 5-3.
Nix entered the final period with a 15-for-26 completion rate for 153 yards. He converted only seven of his 26 attempts into first downs, including just one of eight on third down. The fourth quarter saw a sharp turnaround in efficiency. Nix completed five of six passes for 84 yards, capitalizing on two defensive coverage errors to secure the win.
Since entering the league in 2024, Nix has completed 15 game-winning drives, a record for a quarterback in his first three seasons. He has also engineered 12 fourth-quarter comebacks, a mark tied with Derek Carr for the most in that timeframe. The Broncos have averaged 8.1 points per fourth quarter under Nix, the highest rate for any starting quarterback in the league since at least 1950.
Head coach Sean Payton’s squad has won four consecutive games after a difficult start to the season. They have already faced the Chiefs twice, along with the Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks. The team’s defensive performance remained strong throughout the contest, culminating in a goal-line stop in the final seconds of play.
The Broncos’ run defense showed marked improvement from Week 1. Kenneth Walker III ran for 173 yards in the opening game, averaging 7.8 yards per carry after contact. In Sunday’s contest, Walker managed just 69 total yards and averaged 2.1 yards per carry after contact, despite 16 missed tackles by Denver.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid faced criticism for a conservative play call in the late stages. With Kansas City leading by three points and under three minutes remaining, the team faced a fourth-and-8 situation from the Denver 36-yard line. Placekicker Harrison Butker attempted the field goal from 54 yards out and missed wide right. He is now 2 for 7 on field goal attempts from 50+ yards this season.
Patrick Mahomes finished with 30 completions on 41 attempts for 321 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked twice and recorded a 0.16 expected points added per dropback, his best mark since Week 3. On third down, Mahomes converted 6 of 10 attempts for 113 yards and a score, including first-down conversions on third-and-10 and third-and-12.
Kansas City’s receiving corps struggled to generate downfield production. Running back Emmett Johnson led the team with five catches for 128 yards. Tight end Travis Kelce had five receptions for 67 yards, while wide receiver Rashee Rice recorded seven catches for 53 yards. The Chiefs have completed zero passes of 20+ yards downfield in the last three games, a streak tied for the longest of Mahomes’ career.
Drafted in the mid-rounds, Jonah Coleman and Emmett Johnson both contributed significantly to their teams' offensive output. Coleman led Denver with 11 carries for 41 rushing yards and 63 receiving yards, and scored the game-winning touchdown. Johnson added a 15-yard carry and a 44-yard kick return in addition to his receiving production, suggesting a larger role in the Chiefs' offense moving forward.
