Broncos lose to Chiefs for 13th straight time, 28-24, finishing 7-10 and last in AFC West

As double-digit underdogs, the Broncos were yet successful a presumption to bushed their Goliath successful Saturday’s play finale astatine Empower Field.

But Melvin Gordon’s fourth-quarter fumble successful the reddish zone, returned for an 86-yard scoop-and-score by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton, changed everything successful Kansas City’s 28-24 victory. The Chiefs’ Melvin Ingram charged into the backfield untouched and blasted Gordon arsenic soon arsenic helium took the handoff. A two-point conversion gave KC a 28-21 lead.

Denver marched to a 1st-and-goal but connected 4th and nine, manager Vic Fangio elected to person Brandon McManus footwear a tract goal, making it 28-24, with conscionable implicit 4 minutes left.

Kansas City received the kickoff and ran retired the clock.

It’s Denver’s 13th consecutive nonaccomplishment to Kansas City, extending a franchise grounds and sending the Broncos (7-10) into the offseason with question marks astatine quarterback, caput manager and owner.

Saturday’s fourth-quarter meltdown didn’t bash thing to assistance the occupation information of manager Vic Fangio and his staff, who could beryllium fixed pinkish slips by wide manager George Paton arsenic soon arsenic Sunday. Fangio is 19-30 successful 3 seasons arsenic the Broncos’ caput coach.

Denver went three-and-out connected its archetypal drive, with Drew Lock’s downfield walk to Jerry Jeudy connected 3rd down glazing disconnected Jeudy’s fingertips.

Kansas City past marched 91 yards for a touchdown connected its opening drive, which was capped by Patrick Mahomes’ three-yard touchdown walk to Travis Kelce connected the Chiefs’ 4th third-down conversion of the possession.

The Broncos, aided by a mates of K.C. miscues, struck backmost connected its adjacent drive. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker slipped connected the kickoff, muffing it, past a roughing-the-punter punishment turned a three-and-out successful a touchdown drive. Courtland Sutton’s 2nd vocation completion, a 16-yard onslaught to Noah Fant connected a instrumentality play, acceptable Denver up for Lock’s five-yard scoring tally to marque it 7-7.

After forcing a punt, the Broncos past energized the stadium and took the pb with an 80-yard scoring drive. It began with Gordon’s 29-yard run, and was capped by Lock’s 23-yard TD tally that enactment the location squad up 14-7 midway done the 2nd quarter.

The Chiefs got 3 points backmost earlier the fractional by mode of a Butker tract goal, past re-took the momentum connected the opening possession of the 3rd quarter. Patrick Mahomes drove the Chiefs down the tract past recovered Jerick McKinnon for a 14-yard touchdown walk to marque it 17-14.

The Broncos swung close backmost connected their adjacent possession. Tim Patrick had a contested drawback connected third-and-13 to widen the drive, past Gordon popped disconnected for a 47-yard touchdown tally arsenic Denver went up again, 21-17. Gordon bushed the blitz connected the tally arsenic a consciousness of content grew amid the orange-clad faithful, adjacent if 14,571 of them no-showed connected Saturday.

After trading punts, the Chiefs got the shot backmost adjacent midfield and went to work. They converted a fourth-and-one connected a walk but were held up successful Denver territory acknowledgment to Shamar Stephen’s walk deflection connected 3rd down. K.C. had to settee for Butker’s 51-yard tract extremity instead.

Leading 21-20 aboriginal successful the fourth, the Broncos leaned heavy connected their tally game. They were 9 yards distant from different touchdown, but Ingram came successful unblocked to blast Gordon. Nick Bolton recovered and aft Lock whiffed tackling Bolton, the Chiefs linebacker ran it backmost 86 yards for a scoop-and-score.

A 28-yard drawback by Jeudy enactment the Broncos successful Chiefs territory connected the adjacent drive, but the Broncos’ thrust sputtered retired and resulted successful McManus’ 31-yard tract extremity instead.