Roach sack ends Chiefs' hopes

Malcolm Roach sacked Patrick Mahomes on the final play of the game, preserving Denver's 28-24 victory over Kansas City and placing the Broncos in first place in the AFC West.

The Broncos entered the fourth quarter trailing 24-13. Bo Nix threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Nate Adkins and completed a 2-point conversion to Jaylen Waddle, narrowing the deficit to 24-21. After Harrison Butker missed a 54-yard field goal, Nix drove Denver to the lead. He connected with Jonah Coleman for 51 yards, and Coleman scored from the 5-yard line to give Denver a 28-24 lead with 1 minute and 56 seconds remaining.

The Chiefs responded with a 32-yard catch by Travis Kelce and runs by Kenneth Walker III to reach the Denver 5-yard line. Walker ran for 3 yards on first down to move the ball to the 1-yard line. Mahomes threw an incomplete pass on second down. Walker was stuffed on third down. On fourth down, Roach brought Mahomes down, ending the Chiefs' drive.

Nix finished the game 20 of 32 for 222 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Mahomes went 30 of 41 for 321 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. This marked the second straight game Mahomes dropped, and the first time in his career he was held without a touchdown pass in consecutive games before scoring in this contest. Walker ran for 69 yards on 21 carries.

Mahomes found Rashee Rice for an 11-yard score in the first quarter, putting Kansas City ahead 7-3. Rice returned from a two-game absence with a pulled right hamstring. In the second quarter, Mahomes threw a 73-yard touchdown to rookie Emmett Johnson, who caught the ball near his own 40-yard line and raced untouched to the end zone. That play gave the Chiefs a 14-6 lead. Johnson's 38-yard catch-and-run set up Butker's 45-yard field goal before halftime, extending the lead to 17-13.

Injuries affected both rosters. For the Chiefs, defensive lineman Peter Woods left with a neck injury. Cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed and Mansoor Delane sat out with knee and shoulder issues, respectively. For the Broncos, cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine exited with an ankle injury, and safety Brandon Jones was ruled out at halftime. Running back RJ Harvey missed the game after being placed on short-term injured reserve following a knee injury in practice.

The Chiefs will host the New York Jets next Sunday. The Broncos will visit the Carolina Panthers next Sunday.