The Kansas City Chiefs‘ chances at a perfect 2024 season were evaporating in front of the football world’s eyes.
Up just two points against their AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos, following a 20-yard field goal from kicker Harrison Butker, everything began to go wrong for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Butker’s kickoff hit short of the landing zone, and the ensuing penalty resulted in the Broncos starting their ensuing drive on their own 40-yard line. Fast forward to just over a minute left to play, and the Broncos were already at the Chiefs’ 15.
On the Kansas City sideline, there was talk of not tackling Denver ball-carriers and letting them go into the end zone for the go-ahead score. That way Mahomes could have some time to try and win the game on offense. However, four-time Super Bowl champion defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo advocated for his defense to win the game, and they, in tandem with special teams, did just that. Linebacker Leo Chenal blocked Broncos kicker Wil Lutz’s 35-yard field goal, and the Chiefs held on for a 16-14 win, sealing another climb back from the dead after trailing 14-3 in the second quarter.
“We were thinking about like all right maybe we should let them score here,” Chenal said postgame, via ProFootballTalk. “Give our offense a chance to get the ball back but Coach [Steve Spagnuolo], I mean one of the best if not the best defensive coordinator of all-time, and he was fighting, ‘No … we’re not going to do that, we trust our guys and we are going to get a stop here.'”
Kansas City has now won an NFL record nine games in a row when trailing by at least seven points, including the postseason, and its overall 15-game winning streak, including the postseason, is the longest in franchise history. Incredibly, the Chiefs have trailed in 12 of those 15 games. Patrick Mahomes‘ magic is overwhelming the rest of the NFL, and through nine games this season, there hasn’t been anything anyone has been able to do to stop it.