Mahomes clutch, Keenum fades in Broncos 27-23 loss to Chiefs
Oct 1, 2018, 11:32 PM
The Denver Broncos defense seemed to have solved the riddle of the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs offense, piloted by second-year sensation Patrick Mahomes, through 45 minutes play on Monday.
Through three quarters, the only touchdown Kansas City had put on the board came midway through the second quarter, when Mahomes scrambled for an eight-yard touchdown.
Mahomes at the time had just 151 yards on 15-of-29 passing.
Then, as the fourth period hit, Mahomes and the Chiefs offense that scored just shy of 40 points per game Weeks 1-3 finally showed up.
On the way to a 27-23 lead via 14 unanswered points, Mahomes threw for 153 yards and a touchdown on 13-of-16 passing in the fourth quarter alone.
But despite surrendering the lead late, Denver still had just less than two minutes to mount a comeback.
Broncos quarterback Case Keenum led the Denver offense 50 yards to within striking distance at the Kansas City 28 less than 30 seconds left in the game.
However, Keenum missed an opportunity on third-and-10 to hit a wide-open Demaryius Thomas that likely would have scored a walk-off touchdown. The following fourth-down play fell short, and Kansas City escaped Denver with a win.
Said Keenum after the game: “There’s a few, especially those type of plays, that I’ll lose a little sleep over, thinking about it, laying at night in bed. It’s a tough one. It stings.”
After the game, “Pritchard and Cecil” co-host Mike Pritchard said how Mahomes thrived at the end of the game while Keenum faded uncovered how far apart the Chiefs and Broncos are.
“If you want to win a Super Bowl in today’s NFL, then you need a playmaking quarterback. The Kansas City Chiefs have one, and the Denver Broncos don’t,” Pritchard said.
Mike Evans, host of “Schlereth and Evans,” also criticized Keenum, saying that a “competent NFL quarterback” completes the pass to Thomas to win the game.
“We can look at this game a million ways, but the fact is Keenum has to make that touchdown throw to Demaryius Thomas,” Evans said. “That was a walk-off right there.”
“Pritchard and Cecil” co-host Cecil Lammey said after the game that the Broncos need to consider what they have, and what they don’t have, at quarterback in Keenum.
“Keenum has a two-year deal, and if he doesn’t start to take care of the ball better and win more games, then it won’t be any longer than that,” Lammey said.
Keenum was held without a passing touchdown for a third consecutive game while throwing one interception in each game in the same amount of time.
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
