KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. He is the digital reporter for our Chiefs game-day coverage. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Patrick Mahomes threw a pick-six on the third play of the second half Sunday in a 22-19 loss at the Denver Broncos only to be spared by a defensive penalty away from the playside.
When Jahdae Barron’s interception — and the return for a touchdown — were negated by Riley Moss’ illegal-contact penalty, it looked as if the Kansas City Chiefs would be spared.
Based on the typical NFL script in recent seasons, Mahomes and company would have taken that stroke of luck and turned it into points — maybe even the game-deciding points — but this year hasn’t followed the typical NFL script.
Eight plays and 44 yards of field position later, Mahomes went ahead and threw his interception.
It was the Broncos who turned that turnover into points — the game’s first touchdown, in fact — to take a 13-6 lead.
The Chiefs reached the red zone after the pick-six that wasn’t before a Jawaan Taylor illegal formation, short pass to Robert Tonyan and an incompletion left the offenses staring down third-and-14 from the Denver 21-yard line.
Kansas City was well within field-goal range, regardless of Harrison Butker’s struggles this season, but he never got a chance.
Mahomes rolled right to avoid pressure and fired downfield, hoping to lob the ball over cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian for a touchdown to running back Elijah Mitchell.
“I’ve made that throw before,” Mahomes said.
This time, it was McMillian — who finished with six tackles, including two sacks — that authored a game-changing moment.
“I got 29 (McMillian) to go to me, because he was guarding him (Mitchell),” Mahomes said. “I didn’t throw it high enough, he jumped up and made a good play.”
The Chiefs had a 9-6 lead in their pocket, for all intents and purposes, but instead found themselves behind by a touchdown before the offense took the field again.
Even after taking a 19-16 lead, a special teams gaffe led to a blocked extra point.
“They did a good job splitting us right there,” coach Andy Reid said. “We’ve been pretty good in that area, and they got us on that one.”
Giving away those four points changed the calculus in the closing minutes for Denver, which ruthlessly closed out the game — and perhaps Kansas City’s AFC West title hopes — with a 58-yard drive that devoured the final 2:59 before Will Lutz’s game-winning field goal as time expired.
Mahomes knew it.
“In the type of football game we’re in, don’t put the ball in harm’s way,” he said of the interception. “Take the three points and move on to the next possession. … We haven’t been consistent enough to win football games, and that starts with me.”
Certainly, the game didn’t come down to that one play.
The Chiefs scored touchdowns on their next two drives, grabbing a fourth-quarter lead, but the defense allowed scores on four of five second-half drives — a touchdown and three field goals — while the offense fizzled with, finishing the game with back-to-back three-and-outs to slide back to .500 on the season.
“We still had opportunities. You don’t want that — Pat doesn’t want it; I don’t want it,” Reid said of the interception. “But there were other opportunities as we went, and you’ve got to make sure you take care of business there.”
The next order of business for Kansas City (5-5) comes at noon Sunday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium against the Indianapolis Colts (8-2) in what very much will feel like a must-win to the Chiefs’ faithful.
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