KANSAS CITY, Mo — KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
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If we assume that Las Vegas’ start was a mirage and the Raiders aren’t truly contenders in the AFC West, it comes down to Kansas City and Denver, which have already split the season series.
The Broncos (6-2) now own a half-game lead over the Chiefs (5-2) after a 28-24 comeback win, leaving the only loss in division and conference play suffered so far this season by coach Andy Reid's and Sean Payton's squads against each other.
In blowing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium, Kansas City also blew its chance to take command of the division.
The Chiefs effectively would have left Denver with a three-game lead in the AFC West had they won.
“Obviously, it was a big game,” Mahomes said. “I mean, I’m not going to hide from that, but now you’re kind of in a dogfight for the division."
Now, the Broncos may be favored slightly to repeat as division champs thanks to a schedule that seems to be easier, though Bo Nix and company rarely seem to make it look very easy.
Denver, which has one more game — at Carolina — before a Week 10 bye, only has three games remaining against teams who currently boast a winning record.
Aside from games on Nov. 27 at Pittsburgh (6-2), Dec. 25 against Buffalo (6-1) and Week 17 at New England, every other team on the Broncos’ schedule has a losing record except Las Vegas (4-4), which might be feisty enough to take a game off their longtime rivals.
Meanwhile, Kansas City faces a stretch beginning on Thanksgiving with five straight games against teams at .500 or better before wrapping up the season at the Los Angeles Chargers and against the Raiders at Arrowhead.
A brutal stretch from Nov. 26 to Dec. 27 — at Buffalo (6-1), at the Los Angeles Rams (4-4), at Cincinnati (5-2), then home against New England (5-3) and San Francisco (6-1) — could imperil the Chiefs’ position in the standings, so that puts a premium on getting results during the next three games.
The Chiefs’ easiest stretch of the season, at least on paper, kicks off next week with a home game against the moribund New York Jets (2-6) followed by a visit to Atlanta (3-5) and a visit from Arizona (3-5).
Those are three games Kansas City can’t afford to lose.
The 5-0 start had Chiefs Kingdom dreaming of adding to its dynasty, but two straight losses — in Seattle and Denver — have dampened that enthusiasm.
But there’s still a long way to go.
“You have to take it a week at a time, a day at a time, a play at a time really,” Mahomes said. “You just try to get better and better, so at the end of the year you’re playing your best football and you’ve put yourself in position to go out there and make a run for it.”
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