The Denver Broncos shocked the Kansas City Chiefs and the football world on Sunday afternoon when the long-suffering Broncos finally ended their losing streak against the defending Super Bowl champions with a 24-9 home victory.
To the victors go the spoils, and following the victory, the Broncos — and their fanbase — were feeling themselves, celebrating as if they had won the Super Bowl. If you have watched Denver play this year, this may have been their Super Bowl. Denver took a tongue-in-cheek jab at Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, following the win.
Broncos Taunt Travis Kelce After Win
Following Denver’s colossal upset of the defending Super Bowl champions, the Broncos played Swift’s “Shake It Off” throughout Mile High. It is possible that playing the little diddy was a coincidence, but given the pop megastar’s relationship with the Chiefs TE Kelce, there’s a sneaking suspicion Denver was sending a not-so-subtle dig at KC.
After upsetting the #Chiefs, the Broncos decided to blast Taylor Swift in the stadium. pic.twitter.com/SWcJhHUx4w
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 29, 2023
Reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes entered the contest under the weather, and his performance suffered mightily. The Chiefs signal-caller — one of the most prolific players in the NFL and one of the most careful with the football — threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in an uncharacteristic outing.
Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense showed an unusual lack of continuity all afternoon long, including the legendary Mahomes-to-Kelce combination that wasn’t clicking the way fans have come to expect.
MORE: Travis Kelce and Andy Reid Sound Off on Taylor Swift at Games
The talented TE did lead the Chiefs in both receptions and receiving yardage, but 58 yards without a score isn’t what we have come to expect from the future Hall of Famer.
The Broncos had previously dropped 16 straight games to the Chiefs, and the once AFC West bitter rivalry had become a one-sided beatdown. It has been eight years since Denver could celebrate a victory over the Chiefs; let them enjoy this one a little, eh?
What’s Wrong With the Chiefs’ Offense?
Following Sunday’s loss, Mahomes tied for the league lead in interceptions. Mahomes makes precise passes and takes care of the ball, but so far in 2023, he has been uncharacteristically wild with his passes. Is there a reason behind that?
Outside of Kelce, the Chiefs pass catchers don’t threaten defenses. Skyy Moore made a critical fourth-down drop on what would have been a TD pass and has been wildly inconsistent throughout his two-year career. Rookie receiver Rashee Rice has shown glimpses but remains a work in progress during his first season. Kadarius Toney goes invisible at times.
There’s no reason to panic. Many around the league thought the sky was falling when the Chiefs dealt receiver Tyreek Hill before the 2022 season. Mahomes went on to win league MVP without the Cheetah, and the Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl. As long as Kansas City has Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid, they will be fine.
There’s also no reason to worry about Kansas City unless they have more results like Sunday in Mile High.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was melancholy following Sunday’s loss. Reid thought the Chiefs were close on several occasions but just missed on their opportunities. The future Hall of Fame head coach summed up the loss when speaking to the media after the game: “You miss off an inch in this league, it’s a mile.”
The Chiefs MVP signal-caller gave just due to the Broncos’ defense, stating that Denver has done a great job against them in both games this season. Mahomes accepted the blame and, like his head coach, pointed to several key missed opportunities: “We just didn’t execute.”
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