NFL highlights on Oct. 29: Broncos beat Chiefs for 1st time in 8 years

The Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs 24-9 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Sunday, ending their 16-game losing streak against the opponents.

The last time the Broncos secured a win over the Chiefs was September 17, 2015. The Chiefs’ current quarterback (QB), Patrick Mahomes, was still playing for Texas Tech University then; the Broncos’ QB, Russell Wilson, was playing for the Seattle Seahawks and became the National Football League (NFL) passer rating leader of that season.

“Man, it’s a complete effort. … Really proud of how the guys battled and played,” the Broncos’ safety Justin Simmons said. “I get from the outside looking in that there’s this streak, but every year, it is a new team. … Some guys who have been here, myself having been here the longest, I’m just happy we won. Just feels good to win.”

Wilson had been struggling since being traded to the Broncos in March 2022, but his performance on Sunday night reminded people of what he used to be like. He completed 12 of his 19 passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 30 yards with eight carries.

The three touchdowns the Broncos scored were between Wilson and three teammates: wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, plus running back Javonte Williams. The team didn’t do well protecting Wilson, which explained the low number of his passes as well as the six sacks he suffered, but Wilson managed to make the best use of the passing chances he had. Jeudy had two catches, the longest at 39 yards. Sutton also connected with Wilson at 23 yards.

Williams and his running back teammate Jaleel McLaughlin also joined Wilson to cause a lot of trouble for the Chiefs’ defensive group by rushing for 153 yards.

Sunday’s loss ended the Chiefs’ six-game winning streak. However, it was also their first time scoring fewer than 10 points in a game, conceding 24 points this season. It’s not surprising that their poor running defense failed to stop the Broncos on the ground, but the offensive underperformance was worth a wake-up call.

Mahomes was reportedly dealing with flu symptoms ahead of Sunday’s game. He completed 24 of his 38 passes for 241 yards, no touchdown, but with two interceptions. He wasn’t in his best form, yet his teammates also missed some good passes that should have ended with big downs or touchdowns.

“He’s OK,” the Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid said of Mahomes. “He was sick. He’s not going to use that as an excuse.”

Other games on Sunday (away teams come first):

Houston Texans 13-15 Carolina Panthers

Los Angeles Rams 20-43 Dallas Cowboys

Minnesota Vikings 24-10 Green Bay Packers

New Orleans Saints 38-27 Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots 17-31 Miami Dolphins

New York Jets 13-10 New York Giants

Jacksonville Jaguars 20-10 Pittsburgh Steelers

Atlanta Falcons 23-28 Tennessee Titans

Philadelphia Eagles 38-31 Washington Commanders

Cleveland Browns 20-24 Seattle Seahawks

Baltimore Ravens 31-24 Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals 31-17 San Francisco 49ers

Chicago Bears 13-30 Los Angeles Chargers