Kansas City rested its starters in Week 18 — and Denver ran up the score.
Resting many of their top players after clinching the AFC’s No. 1 postseason seed, the Kansas City Chiefs registered a 38-0 loss to the Denver Broncos on Empower Field at Mile High. The Chiefs now get a week off before their Divisional playoff game on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, while the Broncos will move on to their Wild Card road matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
The Broncos moved right down the field on their opening drive, gaining 70 yards on six plays and scoring with a 32-yard catch-and-run from Bo Nix to Marvin Mims that gave them a 7-0 lead just three minutes into the game. The Chiefs went nowhere on their first possession, punting after two runs by Carson Steele and Carson Wentz’s incomplete pass to Noah Gray.
The Broncos again marched down the field against the Kansas City reserves, converting a fourth-and-1 before Courtland Sutton caught a 47-yard pass to put Denver in the red zone. One play later, Sutton caught a 10-yard touchdown pass to extend the Broncos’ lead to 14-0. Kansas City’s next possession ended short of midfield with another punt.
On the next Denver drive, the Broncos downshifted, taking more than 11 minutes off the clock with an 18-play, 89-yard drive that ended with an end zone pass that bounced out of two players’ hands before Devaughn Vele brought it in, making the score 21-0. The Chiefs actually drove to the Denver 22-yard line on their next possession, but after Wentz was sacked on back-to-back plays, Harrison Butker’s 51-yard field goal attempt was wide left.
After the Broncos got the ball back with 1:04 remaining, Nix scrambled for big gains on two consecutive plays — but both were reduced by penalties. He then found Sutton for a 32-yard gain — and after Nix’s first incompletion on 19 attempts, Will Lutz’s 33-yard field goal gave Denver a 24-0 halftime lead.
The third quarter opened with three punts — two by the Chiefs and Denver’s first of the game. Then the Kansas City defense gave up two big plays that set up a 7-yard touchdown pass to Mims that extended the Broncos’ lead to 31-0. The Chiefs then gave up the ball on downs, giving the Broncos a short field as the third quarter ended. Denver then drove 51 yards on 10 plays, extending their lead to 38-0 with a 1-yard touchdown run by Audric Estime.
Chris Oladokun replaced Carson Wentz at quarterback on Kansas City’s next drive, but the Chiefs went three-and-out again. Jarrett Stidham then replaced Nix on the next Denver possession, which also ended with a punt. Getting the ball with 1:06 left, Kansas City let the clock drain on an ugly 38-0 defeat.