Chiefs lose to Broncos after false start erases winning touchdown

A false start by Kansas City right tackle Jaylon Moore decided the AFC West standings. The penalty wiped out a touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Rashee Rice with time expiring, preserving a 28-24 victory for the Denver Broncos and handing them a half-game lead over the Chiefs.

The flag appeared on a fourth-and-goal play from the one-yard line. Officials initially stopped the play due to the infraction. Instead of scoring, Mahomes faced a new down from the six-yard line. On the next snap, Jonathon Cooper and Nick Bonitto pressured him from the edges. Malcolm Roach sacked Mahomes, ending the game and securing the win for Denver.

The penalty was the second major procedural error involving Moore in the final quarter. Earlier, with the Chiefs leading 24-13, an illegal man downfield flag appeared on a pass to rookie Emmett Johnson. After a long discussion, the ball was spotted two yards short of the first-down marker. Sean Payton declined the penalty, forcing Kansas City to punt.

After the punt team took the field, the officials re-spotted the ball less than a foot from the first-down marker. Head coach Andy Reid did not call a timeout to reconsider the spot. Matt Araiza punted through the end zone, giving Denver possession at its 20-yard line. Reid later suggested the decision would have been different had the original spot been known before the punt.

The Broncos have won 15 consecutive one-score games. Bo Nix has completed 15 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime during his first three seasons. The team scored 70 points in the fourth quarter this season, compared to 79 points across the first three quarters. Nix pulled Denver within 24-21 on a two-yard touchdown pass to Nate Adkins. Waddle added a two-point conversion.

The Chiefs failed to score on the next possession. Harrison Butker missed a 54-yard field goal attempt in the rain. It was his fifth miss from 50-plus yards this season. The Broncos then took the lead on a five-yard touchdown run by Jonah Coleman. The run followed a 51-yard catch-and-run by Coleman. Mahomes led the Chiefs to the one-yard line with 15 seconds remaining.

The Broncos defense stopped the Chiefs on the goal-line stand. The win gave Denver a 6-2 record and a top spot in the division. Kansas City fell to 5-2. Payton credited the home crowd for the victory, stating that the loud noise contributed to Moore's infraction. Reid called the flag one man's opinion. Mahomes noted that such details are often not called in big moments. Moore acknowledged the pain of the loss in such a tight situation.