KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Broncos coach Sean Payton sent the offense back down the field on fourth down Thursday night with the ball inside the Kansas City Chiefs' 10-yard line and less than 2 minutes left on the clock — and with no intention of ever intercepting it.
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones didn't know that. And when he jumped and an offsides penalty gave Denver another set of downs, Bo Nix needed just three plays to hit RJ Harvey with the go-ahead touchdown pass in a 20-13 win Thursday night.
One was secured when the Broncos made a last-second stop on their own end of the field.
“We were going to go ahead and postpone the game,” Payton said later. “Obviously it changed the color of the clock and it was a big play. We were going to take the penalty and kick the field goal. That was the plan.”
Now the Broncos (13-3) are one step closer to locking up the AFC West, which they can do while watching at home if Houston beats the Chargers on Saturday. They also have a chance to secure a No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
“It would be relaxing,” Payton said of the clinch this weekend. “That would be great.”
Nix also scored a touchdown, throwing for 182 yards as the Broncos beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since Sept. 17, 2015. They also won four of their last five matches in the series after a streak of 16 straight losses.
“It feels good to get this win,” Payton said. “You always have to remember that: you're playing in the heart of a champion, Andy Reid and this team. I don't care who comes out of that dressing room. This is a team that has essentially been at the top of our league for the better part of this century and we have the utmost respect for what they've been able to achieve.”
Third-string back Chris Oladokun and tight end Travis Kelce tried to give Kansas City a chance in the final seconds by driving quickly down the field after the Broncos took the lead. But a third-down pass at the Denver 26 was out of Kelce's reach, and Oladokun beat Marquise Brown into the end zone on fourth down to seal the score.
The Chiefs (6-10) were missing Patrick Mahomes and backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, both of whom tore ligaments in their knees in consecutive weeks and had to watch the game together from their hotel room. They were also missing Rushie Rice and several players on both sides of the ball who were crucial in their three straight Super Bowl appearances.
Oladokun completed a 66-yard pass. Kelce had five catches for 36 of those yards in what may be the last game the Pro Bowl tight end plays at Arrowhead Stadium – he plans to announce soon whether he's retiring from the sport.
“I will allow myself to make this decision with my family, friends and the Chiefs organization when the time comes,” Kelce said.
The Broncos were nearly two-touchdown favorites, according to BetMGM, but the Chiefs may have been inspired by rumors of the Vikings, who earlier in the day knocked off the favored Lions behind their defense and their own third-string quarterback.
After abandoning a tight 14-play drive that consumed more than half the first quarter and set the Broncos on a field goal, Kansas City allowed little in the first 30 minutes. And along the way, the defense, which placed its two best defenders on injured reserve this week, managed to fend off Nix, setting up a short field that Oladokun turned into his first career touchdown.
It also turned out to be Brashard Smith's first career touchdown.
The Broncos tried to respond with another 8-minute drive late in the half, but Courtland Sutton dropped a potential touchdown in the final seconds and Wil Lutz had to kick his second field goal to make the score 7-6 at halftime.
However, in the third quarter, Denver finally made one of its long, labor-intensive runs into the end zone. The Chiefs extended their lead to 10-6 when the Broncos drove 72 yards in nearly 10 minutes and Nix finished with nine yards for the score.
And the Kansas City offense's inability to do anything was its undoing.
The Chiefs managed just 16 yards on their first three possessions of the second half, giving the Broncos a chance. They drove 65 yards late in the fourth quarter, converted twice on third down, and then got a gift on fourth down when Jones entered the 10-yard line early, allowing Nix to find Harvey in the back of the end zone for the eventual winning score.
“We just did what we had to do,” Nix said.
Broncos: Luke Wattenberg (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve earlier in the day.
Chiefs: WR Nikko Remigio (knee) was placed on IR. OL Jaylon Moore (knee) and DT Derrick Nnadi (illness) were inactive.
Denver will close out the regular season next week against the Chargers.
Kansas City will finish its season next week in Las Vegas.
