Chiefs vs. Broncos score, results: Patrick Mahomes, KC grind out ugly win, clinch playoff spot

Jacob Hancock

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Chiefs vs. Broncos score, results: Patrick Mahomes, KC grind out ugly win, clinch playoff spot image

Aside from some fancy sidearm and cross-body throws from Patrick Mahomes, there wasn't much pretty about the Chiefs' 22-16 win over the Broncos on "Sunday Night Football."

Kansas City moved the ball decently most of the game but struggled to convert in the red zone, settling for five field goals from Harrison Butker. The lone Chiefs touchdown came on a 20-yard strike from Mahomes to Travis Kelce, who hauled in eight catches for 136 yards and the TD.

Mahomes completed 25 of 40 passes (62.5 percent) for 318 yards and a touchdown but could have easily had at least two more scores.

The first came on a 40-yard heave toward Tyreek Hill in the end zone. The pass was ruled incomplete on the field, but replays showed that Hill somehow came down with a miraculous catch and didn't even realize it. Kansas City punted before the play could be challenged or reviewed. On the ensuing Denver possession, the Broncos marched 90 yards for a touchdown, making it a 14-point swing on the play.

The second missed opportunity came in the fourth quarter with the Chiefs up 19-16. Mahomes connected with Hill this time, completing what would have been a 48-yard touchdown punctuated by another Hill backflip into the end zone. The play was nullified by a holding penalty, and Kansas City ended up punting.

Still, the Chiefs were able to overcome those missed opportunities thanks to a couple of timely picks by Tyrann Mathieu. The first interception came on the opening possession with Denver in Kansas City territory, and it led to Butker's first field goal. The second interception came on the Broncos' final possession as Drew Lock threw downfield in a desperate fourth-down effort with time winding down.

Lock finished the game completing 15 of 28 passes (53.6 percent) for 151 yards, with two TDs and two INTs. Both touchdowns were completed to Tim Patrick, who finished with four grabs for 44 yards.

The Chiefs (11-1) clinched a playoff spot with the win and hold a four-game lead over the Raiders in the AFC West. The Broncos (4-8) are now four games out of the AFC wild-card race with four games to go, all but extinguishing their postseason hopes.

Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Chiefs vs. Broncos on "Sunday Night Football." Follow below for complete results from the NFL Week 13 game.

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Chiefs vs. Broncos score

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Chiefs 3 6 10 3 22
Broncos 3 7 6 0 16

Chiefs vs. Broncos live updates, highlights from 'Sunday Night Football'

(All times Eastern)

FINAL: Chiefs 22, Broncos 16

11:22 p.m. — INTERCEPTION. The Honey Badger comes up with his second pick of the night, and that ought to seal it with 24 seconds remaining.

11:18 p.m. — FIELD GOAL, CHIEFS. Butker connects from 48 yards to extend Kansas City's lead to 22-16 with 1:04 remaining.

11:14 p.m. — Two-minute warning. Chiefs have it, third and 12 at the Broncos 34-yard line. Broncos have used all three timeouts.

Mahomes has worked his magic a couple times already on this drive; can he do it again?

11:04 p.m. — Broncos punt. Hamler can't haul it in on third down and Denver has to kick it away. Kansas City takes over at its 15-yard line with 6:07 left to play.

10:55 p.m. — Chiefs punt. Tyreek Hill is robbed of another TD, this time on a holding penalty. He had a hell of a celebration for this one too. Instead, Denver takes over at its 8-yard line with 9:49 remaining.

10:42 p.m. — Broncos punt. Lock can't connect with K.J. Hamler on the deep ball on third down and Kansas City gets the ball back at its 26-yard line, 13:18 remaining in the fourth quarter.

10:37 p.m. — END OF 3rd QUARTER: Chiefs 19, Broncos 16. Denver has it, first and 10 at its 36-yard line to start the fourth quarter.

10:32 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, CHIEFS. Mahomes evades the pass rush and hits Kelce on the out route, and Kelce takes it into the end zone for the 20-yard score. Kansas City leads 19-16 with 1:06 left in the third quarter.

10:22 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, BRONCOS. Tim Patrick comes down with his second TD of the night with a nice toe tap on the 10-yard grab in the end zone. Lock can't complete the pass on the 2-point conversion, but Denver leads 16-12 with 3:50 remaining in the third quarter.

10:07 p.m. — FIELD GOAL, CHIEFS. Kansas City gets the ball in the red zone once again but can't punch it in the end zone, settling for a 31-yard field goal from Butker to take a 12-19 lead with 10:32 left in the third quarter.

9:44 p.m. — HALF: Broncos 10, Chiefs 9. Butker hits from 23 yards to make it a 1-point game as time expires in the first half.

9:41 p.m. — WIDE LEFT. McManus misses from 57 yards and the Chiefs take over at their 47-yard line with 28 seconds remaining.

9:30 p.m. — Two-minute warning. Broncos have it, second and 2 at their 43-yard line, two timeouts remaining.

9:26 p.m. — FIELD GOAL, CHIEFS. Kansas City gets all the way down to the 1-yard line but can't punch it in, settling for a 24-yard field goal from Butker to cut the deficit to 10-6 with 2:42 remaining in the first half.

9:18 p.m. — TOUCHDOWN, BRONCOS. Denver caps a 90-yard drive with a 5-yard pass from Lock to Tim Patrick to make it 10-3 with 6:26 left to play in the first half.

9:06 p.m. — Chiefs punt. Hill can't quite hang on to a deep ball in the end zone (or maybe he did. . . replay looks like he might have actually caught it). Kansas City punts before the call can be reviewed though, so Denver takes over at its 10-yard line with 10:37 left in the second quarter.

8:58 p.m. — Broncos punt. Chiefs get the ball back at their 21-yard line, 13:29 left in the second quarter.

8:53 p.m. — END OF 1ST QUARTER: Broncos 3, Chiefs 3. Denver has it, first and 10 at its 32-yard line to start the second quarter.

8:50 p.m. — FIELD GOAL, CHIEFS. Mahomes can't connect with Travis Kelce on third down and Kansas City has to settle for a 35-yard field goal from Harrison Butker to tie the game at 3-3 with 20 seconds left in the first quarter.

8:43 p.m. — FIELD GOAL, BRONCOS. Brandon McManus connects from 53 yards after Lock scrambles for 8 yards on third and 10. Denver takes a 3-0 lead with 3:58 remaining in the first quarter.

8:31 p.m. — Chiefs punt. Patrick Mahomes just missed a big play opportunity to Tyreek Hill on third down. Broncos take over at their 23-yard line with 9:48 left in the first quarter.

8:26 p.m. — INTERCEPTION. Drew Lock's pass is picked off by Tyrann Mathieu and the Chiefs take over at their 10-yard line with 12:27 left in the first quarter.

8:20 p.m. — Chiefs win the toss. They'll defer and the Broncos will receive the ball to start the game.

Chiefs vs. Broncos start time

All "Sunday Night Football" games in 2020 have the same start time of 8:20 p.m. ET. There are Sunday night games scheduled for every week of the season except Week 17, though the NFL has the ability to flex a game into a Week 17 "SNF" window.

'Sunday Night Football' schedule 2020

Week 1 Sept. 10 (Thu.) Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans
  Sept. 13 Los Angeles Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys 
Week 2 Sept. 20 Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
Week 3 Sept. 27 New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 4 Oct. 4 San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 5 Oct. 11 Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 6 Oct. 18 San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week 7 Oct. 25 Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week 8 Nov. 1 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 9 Nov. 8 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 10 Nov. 15 New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 11 Nov. 22 Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 12 Nov. 29 Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears
Week 13 Dec. 6 Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos
Week 14 Dec. 13 Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 15 Dec. 20 Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 16 Dec. 27 Green Bay Packers vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 17 Jan. 3 TBD

Jacob Hancock