Four Takeaways From the KC Chiefs' 24-9 Loss to the Denver Broncos
The Kansas City Chiefs entered hostile territory on Sunday afternoon, squaring off against the Denver Broncos for the second time in three games.
Like the Week 6 meeting between these two clubs, the hosts seemed in control despite there not being a wide margin on the scoreboard at halftime. In this instance, though, it was the Broncos' defense that did a good job slowing down the Chiefs' offense in the first half and Kansas City making multiple mistakes that had the team behind the eight-ball entering the break. After a quiet third frame, a Broncos touchdown gave them a 12-point advantage in the fourth. That was all they ended up needing, with Sean Payton's team later rising to 3-5 on the year after a 24-9 victory.
Here are four takeaways from Sunday's game.
Turnovers put the Chiefs in a downright terrible spot
Entering Week 8, the Chiefs had a total of 11 takeaways but also handed the ball to the opposing squad the exact same amount of times. A net zero turnover differential is far from a glaring red flag, but it highlighted Kansas City's struggles to separate in either direction. They managed to create a bit of a discrepancy in Sunday's game, albeit way in the wrong direction.
The positive: George Karlaftis got a strip-sack of Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson near the end of the half. That took some potential points off the board and served as a swing once the Chiefs kicked in a field goal not too long thereafter. That's where the good news stopped, however, as Patrick Mahomes had an ugly interception and a fumble. Wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling hauled in a pass for a first down but fumbled on the same play. In the fourth quarter, Mecole Hardman muffed a punt that set Denver up in good scoring position. The visiting team simply couldn't get out of its own way in Week 8. A late 'arm punt' from Mahomes could even count here, too, although it was more of a circumstantial pick.
Kansas City's run defense is something to keep an eye on
Whenever fans, analysts and media members provide their lists of ways to beat the Chiefs, a lot of them mention running the football effectively. Not only is that a good method of establishing a mental advantage and wearing down a defense, but it also leads to the clock running more and keeping the opposing offense off the field. The downside is that for a lot of teams, it's hard to churn over first downs while remaining committed to that area of the game. Some mistakes from the other side can help. The Broncos got those miscues, and winning with the run wasn't much of a problem.
Wilson attempted just 19 passes on Sunday, with Denver going to the ground 40 times overall. Eight of those were rush attempts by Wilson, which undoubtedly skewed the numbers a bit. The flip side of that argument is that some of his rushes were of a lower yardage variety than some other true team rushes. The Broncos' offense amassed 153 yards on the ground against the Chiefs, adding fuel to the narrative that Kansas City's run defense is a sore spot. Steve Spagnuolo's unit is terrific as a whole, yet it entered Sunday ranking 30th in rush EPA allowed and didn't do much to boost its stock. It's worth wondering whether some other teams may attempt to copy this risky plan.
Sunday was a notable step back for the wide receivers and offensive line
Justin Watson's return was expected to help elevate a wide receiver room that was starting to show a couple of signs of life recently. On Sunday, no such thing occurred. Watson did his part by chipping in 42 receiving yards, but the Chiefs' inexperience and lack of high-end talent at the position reared their ugly heads when anyone stepping up in a big way would've been greatly appreciated by Mahomes and the coaching staff. Rookie Rashee Rice, who's been very solid in his rookie year, had a rough drop in the second half. In the fourth quarter, Mahomes hit Skyy Moore right in the hands on a last-ditch fourth-down effort but the second-year wideout couldn't complete the grab. As previously mentioned, Valdes-Scantling didn't help his case.
While there's some level of correlation between receivers struggling to get open and their quarterback holding the ball for longer, the Chiefs' offensive line still needs to do a better job than it did on Sunday. Inside gives in the run game were poorly blocked and in the second half, Mahomes's pockets fell apart and he was hit several times. A group that has generally kept its signal-caller clean all year did the opposite of that down the stretch. Considering the Broncos' inconsistencies along the defensive line, that's a step back.
The streak is snapped, and tougher times are ahead
Each time the Chiefs and Broncos have played in recent years, much has been made about Kansas City's streak of success. With each passing win, that discussion grew louder and louder. A 16-game stretch of success over any opponent is extremely impressive but as the old adage goes, all good things must come to an end. Denver rose up and overcame the challenge of Kansas City for the first time since September of 2015. To add insult to injury, some more serious challenges are coming up.
From here, the Chiefs go on to Germany for a Week 9 matchup against the (also) 6-2 Miami Dolphins. That contest can and likely will have some sort of playoff seeding implications and also serve as a barometer for Andy Reid's squad as it heads into the bye week. Following the bye, the Philadelphia Eagles will be waiting for a rematch of Super Bowl LVII. The pressure is on for the Chiefs to correct their issues soon, as superior opponents won't be nearly as kind.
