The Denver Broncos lost 16-14 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. It looked for a moment like they were going to hand their division rivals their first loss of the season. After another red zone stand by the defense, Bo Nix led Denver into field goal range with no time left. Will Lutz lined up for the kick and the Chiefs blocked it to beat the Broncos. The kicker reacted postgame, as caught by Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports.
“Didn’t go in, from my vantage point,” Lutz started. When asked if it came out low, he said “I can’t give you that answer right now. We’re all still trying to take it in right now.
The reporters gave him another chance to throw his teammates under the bus by asking about penetration. The Broncos’ kicker responded, “That’s not for me to say. Our job as the field goal unit is to put it through the uprights and they got it.”
The replay shows that there was penetration on the left side that allowed the Chiefs to block the try. Lutz’s kick never got above the line, as an interior rusher blocked it right off the foot. While the field goal is the lowlight coming out of this one, there are many more issues for the Broncos.
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The Broncos have had some solid wins this season, like the blowout over the Saints, but also some brutal losses. They were run out of the building against the Ravens last week and now lost in a very different way. It was another game where the Chiefs felt inevitable and like they physically could not be beaten. The Broncos are the 15th consecutive team KC has beaten.
The season is not over for the Broncos, however. The AFC West crown will almost certainly remain in Kansas City, but the Wild Card is still a possibility for Denver. Even at 5-5, they have a chance to edge out a few teams for the seventh playoff spot. The most intriguing one is the Chargers, who they played only once.
With a win over the Chargers, the Broncos could potentially flip the tiebreaker and get the advantage. They also have games against the Browns, Colts, and Bengals which could all be important in the race. They play the Chiefs in Week 18, which could be good as they might have nothing to play for.