The Kansas City Chiefs shook off the snowy weather to earn a 23-3 win over the divisional rival Denver Broncos on Sunday, pushing them to 10-4 on the season.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes finished with 340 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill was the recipient of both touchdowns, and tight end Travis Kelce also had a big day, going for over 100 receiving yards for just the second time this season.
Denver rookie quarterback Drew Lock did not have nearly as much success. He completed less than 50 percent of his passes for 208 yards and an interception in his first loss as an NFL quarterback.
Mahomes showed that the snow was not going to slow him down. He threw for at least 100 yards in each of the first three quarters. Four different receivers had a catch of at least 20 yards. It looked as though Denver's secondary was having a difficult time moving around in the snow. Safety Justin Simmons, who is having a fantastic season, finally got an interception late in the game, but it was too late for Denver.
Comparatively, Denver did not have luck pushing the ball downfield. They had 96 yards of total offense in the first half, and the second half was not much better. Nearly half of their first-half yardage came on one reception to rookie tight end Noah Fant. Neither team was able to run the football. The difference in the game proved to be the inability of the Broncos' wide receivers to get open. Nine players caught passes from Lock, but most were close to the line of scrimmage.
Kansas City scored on their first five possessions of the game and Denver was unable to keep pace. If the Broncos are trailing at halftime, they essentially have no hope of a comeback. In 14 games this season, Vic Fangio's team has been outscored 172-86 in the second half. The snow did not help.
Chiefs fans did not have to wait long for their explosive offense to make a play. On their first possession of the game, quarterback Patrick Mahomes found wide receiver Tyreek Hill downfield for a 41-yard touchdown. Hill was able to slip behind two defenders for his first touchdown since Nov. 10.
Hill now has seven receiving touchdowns this season.
Kelce became the first tight end in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receiving yards in four consecutive seasons. He averaged 868.5 receiving yards over the first two seasons.
Veteran pass rusher Von Miller reacted to the Broncos being officially eliminated from the playoff hunt.
"We tried everything on and off the field. We tried all different coaches, all different players. I really don't know what's going on. And if I did I would be the first to execute whatever plan it is to get everything better," he said, via Mike Klis of 9News.
The Broncos are 5-9 with two games remaining against the Lions and Raiders. They have committed to Lock, so there should be an emphasis on developing him over those final two games.
Kansas City has an entirely different outlook on their season. Winners of four straight, the 10-4 Chiefs are just a game back of the second seed in the AFC. They have games remaining against the Bears, which will not be flexed out of Sunday Night Football next week, and Chargers.
That will do it from snowy Kansas City. The Chiefs emerge with a 23-3 victory over the Denver Broncos today. Kansas City remains at the top of the AFC West with a 10-4 record. The Broncos fall to 5-9. Thank you for tuning into CBS Sports' coverage of today's game! See you all next week!
Kansas City is being outscored 65-97 by opponents in the fourth quarter this season. Their opponent this week, the Broncos, is being outscored 40-92. In heavy snow conditions, fans should not expect a high-scoring finish to this Week 15 showdown.
Kansas City is outscoring opponents 160-60 in the second quarter this season including today's game against the Broncos. Denver is now being outscored 76-75 in the second quarter this season. The first quarter is now the only quarter that Vic Fangio's team is outscoring their opponents.
