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Broncos defense slows Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs offense in 22-16 loss

The Chiefs made four trips to the red zone Sunday night and all four resulted in field goals. 

The Broncos’ defense was up to the task at Arrowhead Stadium, facing the NFL’s top offense as 13.5-point underdogs. And while Denver lost 22-16, its defense proved it can play with the best in the NFL. 

“Obviously, getting them stopped, and some of them were in very tough situations,” Denver coach Vic Fangio said of his defense’s performance. “They’re really good down there, and we are too. It was just our night in the red zone.”

The Broncos gave up 447 total yards — 318 of which came from quarterback Patrick Mahomes through the air — but was rock solid in the red zone, allowing only one touchdown, a 20-yard pass to tight end Travis Kelce. The Broncos came into the game leading the league in red zone defense, allowing touchdowns only 48 percent of the time. 

One of the biggest reasons the Broncos found success against the Chiefs was the return of defensive lineman Shelby Harris. 

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Harris, who missed the last four weeks for COVID-19 reasons, was stellar in his return to the field. Though he was on a limited snap count, he totaled two tackles, two pass deflections and one quarterback hurry. 

“I feel good, but I think we had the perfect plan (in terms of his snaps),” Harris said. “The trainers and coaches came up with a great plan for me. I’m truly blessed to be able to come back and play football. It was so special to get back out on that field with my boys.”

Harris and the Broncos now rank 11th in total defense in the NFL after Sunday night’s performance, holding the Chiefs to their lowest point total this season. 

Still, the Broncos aren’t happy about the result, even if it was one of their best all-around performances this season. 

“We went in there, we played our tails off and we lost,” Harris said. “You go into the game trying to win. So my biggest thing really is that, we can play with the best of them. When we don’t turn the ball over and when we don’t do all this crazy stuff, we can play with the best of them — so let’s keep playing like this.”

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