Broncos play Chiefs tough again but losing streak reaches 13 as season concludes

The Denver Broncos gave the Kansas City Chiefs all they wanted but came up short in the end… once again.

The Broncos have now lost 13 games in a row to the Chiefs and will carry that monkey, which is growing into a gorilla, on their backs. With the loss, the Broncos finish the 2021 season at 7-10, having lost four games in a row to close things out.

That could lead to sweeping changes as early as Monday.

The Broncos played well and this was one of those games they definitely should have won. Like the game a few weeks ago against the Cincinnati Bengals, a fumble deep in their opponent’s territory cost the Broncos the game.

Drew Lock completed just 12-of-24 passes for 162 yards but he also ran for two touchdowns including a terrific 23-yard scamper in the first half. But the Broncos just couldn’t hold off the high-powered Chiefs, who still sit in position to have home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs.

The turning point in the game came about halfway through the fourth quarter. Holding a 21-20 lead with 7:42 left to play, the Broncos had the ball at the Kansas City 9-yard line, facing a 2nd-and-2 play.

Lock handed the ball to Melvin Gordon but he was hit by Melvin Ingram and coughed the ball up. Nick Bolton scooped it up and raced 86 yards the other way for a touchdown. The Chiefs then converted a 2-point play and never looked back.

Melvin Gordon’s late fumble proves costly

For Gordon, who had a nice 47-yard touchdown run just a bit before this disastrous play, it was his third lost fumble on the season.

The Broncos were able to get the ball back and they moved the ball into Kansas City territory again but on a key third-down play, Lock missed Noah Fant badly. Rather than going for it on fourth down, Denver elected to kick a field goal, hoping to get the ball back.

That didn’t happen.

The Chiefs were able to run out the rest of the clock, with Patrick Mahomes completing a pass to Travis Kelce on 3rd-and-8 deep in Denver territory to seal the win.

It was a hard-fought loss for the Broncos, who have played the Chiefs tough several times in recent years, but it goes in the loss column like all of the rest.

This brings a disappointing end to a disappointing season for the Broncos. Fans will now wait to see what happens next as it should be an interesting offseason in Denver.