Here are four things that stood out in Chiefs' loss to Broncos
Chiefs have lost seven of the last eight games
The Chiefs were in a spoiler mood during Thursday night’s clash against the heavily favored Denver Broncos at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
But the Broncos pounced on a critical defensive mistake by the Chiefs late in the game.
With the Broncos facing fourth-and-2 at the Chiefs’ 9-yard line, defensive tackle Chris Jones drew a neutral zone infraction to give the Broncos a first down just shy of the 2-minute warning.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix then threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to rookie running back RJ Harvey three plays later, giving Denver a 20-13 lead and eventually the game by the same score.
Nevertheless, give the undermanned Chiefs a lot of credit for making it interesting and not getting blown out at home.
The Chiefs are now 6-10 and have gone down in seven of the last eight games, including five in a row. The last time the Chiefs lost five straight games was in 2012.
Here are four things that stood out:
DEFENSE KEEPS IT CLOSE
Denver outpaced the Chiefs in total yards, 303-139, and ran more plays, 71-42. The Broncos also controlled time of possession by a wide margin, 39:28-20:32.
So, how was this even a close game on the scoreboard against a Broncos team favored by 13.5 points in the game?
Thank the Kansas City defense.
The Chiefs held back the Broncos in the first half, limiting Denver’s offense to two field goals despite two time-consuming drives that got inside the Chiefs’ 15-yard line.
With the defense holding strong, the Chiefs went into halftime with a 7-6 lead and extended it to 10-6 early in the third quarter.
The Broncos, however, were able to generate two touchdown-scoring drives in the second half to jump ahead of the Chiefs and secure the win.
The Chiefs’ defense finished the game with a sack, six quarterback hits and an interception.
WHERE HAS IT BEEN?
Cornerback Kristian Fulton has been an afterthought this season despite signing a two-year deal during free agency.
Fulton’s season was stalled by an ankle injury to start the 2025 campaign, but he couldn’t get on the field even when he was healthy until recently.
Well, Fulton showed what he could do against the Broncos by recording three tackles and a team-high three passes defensed.
While his increased playing time coincides with cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (knee) and Jaylen Watson (groin) recently landing on injured reserve, Fulton’s performance turned heads.
Rookie running back Brashard Smith is another player who flashed a versatile skill set against the Broncos.
Smith, who is behind Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco on the depth chart, snared a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chris Oladokun.
With primary punt returner Nikko Remigio (knee) on injured reserve, Smith filled in and had an explosive return of 44 yards down the left sideline.
QB STRUGGLES
Expecting a No. 1 quarterback to do well against the stingy Broncos defense is a huge ask.
So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Oladokun, the Chiefs’ third quarterback, couldn’t gain much traction.
Oladokun completed 13-of-22 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown for a 79.0 passer rating, averaging a paltry 3 yards per completion.
Sure, he accounted for a scoring pass and rushed for 11 yards on two carries, but the offense lacked any sort of rhythm in the passing game.
Not having a full deck to work with contributed to the offensive struggles, as Oladokun didn’t have wide receivers Rashee Rice (concussion) and Tyquan Thornton (concussion), both of whom landed on injured reserve earlier in the week.
It might get easier for Oladokun in the Week 18 season finale against the dismal Las Vegas Raiders.
HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED
The Chiefs will close out the 2025 season getting swept by the Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West.
The last time the Broncos and Chargers swept the Chiefs in the same season was in 2013.
Denver (13-3) remains the team to catch for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The Broncos can also clinch the AFC West in Week 17 if the Los Angeles Chargers lose to the Houston Texans this upcoming weekend.