Chiefs game day: Kansas City dominates Denver 43-16

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 6:43 | Watch Chiefs coach Andy Reid, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and additional players discuss Kansas City's 43-16 victory Sunday afternoon against the Broncos in Denver:

6:23 p.m. | Final: Chiefs 43, Broncos 16

Mahomes finishes 15 of 23 for 200 yards, Clyde Edwards-Helaire total 63 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, Le'Veon Bell gains 39 yards on six carries in his debut.

Drew Lock finishes 24 of 40 for 254 yards, but he was picked off twice and sacked three times. Melvin Gordon fumbled twice in his return from strep throat (and a DUI).

Charvarius Ward, who had a sack, and Daniel Sorenson, who returned a Lock interception 50 yards for a touchdown, led the defense with nine tackles apiece.

Rookie linebacker Willie Gay Jr. totaled four tackles, including one for a loss, and defended two passes in an impressive showing.

6:16 p.m. | A desperate Denver team tried an onside kick, but Demarcus Robinson returned the ball to the Broncos 21-yard line.

Seven plays and a key unsportsmanlike conduct penalty later, Chad Henne scored on a 1-yard run as Kansas City's lead grew to 43-16.

6:07 p.m. | Patrick Mahomes' day is finished. The chiefs have turned to Chad Henne for the final few minutes with a three-touchdown lead on the Broncos.

Mahomes finishes 15 of 23 for 200 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers.

David Zalubowski/AP

6:03 p.m. | Denver gets its first touchdown since the opening 10 minutes of the game, but the Chiefs' 37-16 feels safe with 6:54 remaining.

5:52 p.m. | Tyreek Hill scampers 10 yards for a touchdown from Patrick Mahomes and Drew Lock's interception proves costly.

Mahomes now has a TD pass in a franchise record 17 consecutive games and the Chiefs lead 37-9 with 11:15 to go in Denver.

5:49 p.m. | Tyrann Mathieu with his second turnover of the day.

Jack Dempsey/AP

As Broncos wide receiver K.J. Hamler rolls on the ground and pops a Drew Lock pass into the air, Mathieu snatches for an interception to set up the Chiefs offense near midfield to start the fourth quarter.

5:36 p.m. | The Chiefs take advantage of the short field for another field goal.

Harrison Butker converts from 26 yards away and it's 30-9 Kansas City with 2 minutes left in the third quarter as the #RunItBack Tour takes aim at 6-1 overall.

5:29 p.m. | Denver gambled on fourth-and-5 near midfield, but Bashaud Breeland stops K.J. Hamler short of the stick for a turnover on downs.

5:19 p.m. | Denver's failed flea flicker, a fumble recovered by Frank Clark in the Broncos' red zone, leads to a Kansas City field goal.

Harrison Butker connects on a 31-yard boot one play after running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire dropped a possible scramble-drill touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs lead 27-9 early in the third quarter.

5:10 p.m. | The second half begins with a sack of Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs go three-and-out on the opening drive.

4:54 p.m. | Charvarius Ward's first sack of the season and pressure from Tanoh Kpassagnon to force an intentional grounding on back-to-back plays prevent Denver from scoring on the first half's final drive.

Kansas City takes a 24-9 lead into halftime in the quest to improve to 6-1.

4:30 p.m. | Former Kansas State star Byron Pringle returns a kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown, the Chiefs' second non-offensive score of the game, in answer to the Broncos' touchdown.

It's now 24-9 good guys in the snow at Denver on the fourth-longest kickoff return in Chiefs history.

4:18 p.m. | The Chiefs blitz Drew Lock, who tries to throw an out route before he gets clocked.

Safety Dan Sorenson, who was sitting on the route, breaks hard and picks it off for a 50-yard interception return touchdown and a 17-6 lead approaching the midpoint of the second quarter.

4:05 p.m. | The Chiefs lead 10-6 after the first quarter in Denver.

Undrafted rookie defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton's hustle downfield to force a third-down fumble, which safety Tyrann Mathieu recovered for Kansas City, has Patrick Mahomes and company in position to add to the lead early in the second quarter.

3:58 p.m. | A third-down sack forces Kansas City to go for a field goal.

Harrison Butker connects from 40 yards out for a 10-6 lead with 2:04 remaining in the first quarter.

3:54 p.m. | LeVeon Bell's first carry with the Chiefs is a 17-yard run and Kansas City is on the march.

Justin Edmonds/AP

3:48 p.m. | Nick Keizer's fumble proves costly as Denver gets on the board four plays later.

Quarterback Drew Lock, a Lee's Summit native now in his second season with Denver, caps a 37-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run on a keeper.

Brandon McManus' missed extra points means the Chiefs still lead 7-6 midway through the first quarter.

3:35 p.m. | For the first time since the season opener, Clyde Edwards-Helaire finds the end zone. His stiff-arming, tackle-breaking 11-yard run stakes the Chiefs to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter at Denver.

3:25 p.m. | Denver won the toss and elected to receive. The Broncos will start at their own 25 after a touchback to begin the game.

3:20 p.m. | Yeah, the white uniforms are nice, but Le'veon Bell (No. 26) looks especially good in that Chiefs uniform!

2:59 p.m. | As game time approaches, here's your reminder that it's expected to snow this afternoon during the game in Denver.

And Patrick Mahomes is just fine with that.

2:02 p.m. | Running back Darwin Thompson is inactive for the Chiefs' game at the Denver Broncos. The second-year running back became the odd man out in Kansas City's backfield with the addition of Le'Veon Bell.

Bell is active for the first time in the first game he's eligible to play for the Chiefs.

Three injured players who had been ruled out earlier in the week also are inactive. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz (back), defensive end Taco Charlton (knee) and wide receiver Sammy Watkins (hamstring) won't play.

Defensive end Alex Okafor (hamstring) doesn't appear among the inactives, because he was moved to injured reserve to make room for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders' return from an elbow injury.

This is the first game Schwartz has ever missed. It's the second straight game Watkins has missed.

Linebacker Darius Harris and tight Ricky Seals-Jones also are inactive.

1:58 p.m. | Former Chiefs outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu is inactive along with rookie guard Netane Muti for the Broncos, but former Kansas State standout Dalton Risner will play.

Risner, who starts at left guard, has been battling a shoulder injury.

The other inactives for Denver are quarterback Jeff Driskel, wide receiver Diontae Spencer, tight ends Jake Butt and Andrew Beck, and defensive lineman McTelvin Agim.

1:55 p.m. | Nick Jacobs breaks down the keys for a Chiefs victory in Denver.

1:39 p.m. | Here are Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz's thoughts on missing his first career NFL game with a back injury.

"Going to be strange watching tomorrow but there will be no bigger Chiefs fan!" Schwartz said in an Instagram post.

PREGAME | Lee’s Summit native Drew Lock gets another crack at his hometown team on Sunday afternoon.

Lock returned after missing two games with a shoulder injury last week and led the Denver Broncos to a win at the New England Patriots.

He faces a tougher test against the Chiefs, who bring a more potent offense and a strong pass defense to Empower Field at Mile High. The game is set for a 3:25 p.m. kickoff.

Our “4th & 1” podcast crew explains why Denver is better than its 2-3 record indicates, the challenges the Broncos’ defense presents and how Lock’s weapons match up in the latest episode.

The Chiefs will be without wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a second straight week and might need another big game from Demarcus Robinson.

Defensive ends Taco Charlton and Alex Okafor also have been ruled out.

Kansas City also will deploy a reimagined offensive line again with left guard Kelechi Osemele (knees) on the shelf and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz (back) set to miss his first career game.

Left tackle Eric Fisher and right guard Andrew Wylie are the only season-long starters up front with Nick Allegretti stepping in at left guard, Daniel Kilgore taking over at center and Mike Remmers stepping in at right tackle.

Le’Veon Bell is expected to make his debut with the Chiefs, a nifty new weapon for coach Andy Reid to scheme up plays for and a shifty new target for Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes has some fond memories in Denver, including his first career start in the final game of his rookie season and the fabled left-handed pass during a Monday night comeback in 2018. He also suffered a dislocated kneecap during last season's visit to Mile High.

Kansas City improved to 5-1 with a win Monday at the Buffalo Bills and can open a 3.5-game lead over Denver in the standings with a win.