Kansas City Chiefs search for answers

DENVER — A blowout loss followed by a fourth-quarter collapse in back-to-back road games sent the Kansas City Chiefs into a tailspin, and it’s anyone’s guess what comes next for the team of the decade.

The franchise that has dominated the NFL since quarterback Patrick Mahomes became its leader eight years ago is searching for answers after blowing an 11-point lead Sunday night in a 28-24 loss to the Denver Broncos.

After Denver scored 15 straight points in the game’s final nine minutes — including a touchdown with 1:56 left — it appeared Mahomes had engineered another of his signature victories that, along with the Super Bowl championships, have defined his career to this point.

In what would have been a fitting closing act for one of his best performances of the season, Mahomes expertly drove the Chiefs to the Broncos’ one-yard line. On fourth down with four seconds left, Mahomes connected with wide receiver Rashee Rice in the end zone as time expired, sparking a celebration along the Chiefs sideline.

Ah, not so fast.

Officials called Chiefs right tackle Jaylon Moore a false start, negating the apparent game-winning touchdown. The penalty pushed the Chiefs back 5 yards and added four seconds to the clock. Kansas City failed to capitalize on its final play; Mahomes was sacked to end the game.

Head coach Andy Reid preferred the outcome of the Chiefs’ first play on fourth down.

“I didn’t see it,” Reid said of the false start. “One man’s opinion. I saw him (Moore) move his head, but I didn’t see (a false start).”

Most of the 76,831 fans in attendance at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium lingered to celebrate a big Week 8 victory over the visiting AFC West rival Broncos, lifting the Broncos (6-2) to the top of the division. Denver has won four straight games to strengthen its position heading into the middle of the season.

And the Chiefs, well, they’re going in the opposite direction. Their 11 penalties for 105 yards certainly didn’t help against the Broncos.

In seasons past, the Chiefs would have made the plays necessary to win on Sunday. Their history created this expectation.

Although they played much better than in their Week 7 flop against the Seattle Seahawks, the Chiefs lost their way after a fast start this season. On the other hand, they have managed to navigate bumpy roads several times throughout their long journey of excellence. Anyone who chooses to ignore them does so at their own risk.

Clearly, Mahomes knows things aren’t going well for the Chiefs. It’s not in his nature to sugarcoat that.

But when you’ve won three Super Bowl championships and racked up a long list of other accomplishments, you can draw on deep belief.

“I mean, it’s obviously a big game. I’m not going to hide from that. Now you’re kind of in a dogfight for the division,” Mahomes said. “You just try to get better and better, so that at the end of the year you’re playing your best football. … We lost these last two games to two good football teams. We’ll learn from that.”

From the start against the Broncos, the Chiefs showed they had learned from their humiliating experience last week in Seattle.

They were much sharper than in their previous match – especially their best player.

With Rice and Moore back in the starting lineup after being sidelined against the Seahwaks due to injuries, Mahomes looked more comfortable in the pocket and running the offense. He went 30 for 41 for 321 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

It was his second game this year with more than 300 passing yards and three touchdowns, eight weeks into his first season after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery last December.

With less than two minutes left in the third quarter, Mahomes teamed up with tight end Noah Gray on a 4-yard touchdown pass that helped the Chiefs take a 24-13 lead. But the Broncos were not deterred.

Denver quarterback Bo Nix led two touchdown drives and the Broncos added a 2-point conversion to take a 28-24 lead. Meanwhile, struggling Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker missed a 54-yard field goal that would have given the visitors a 27-21 lead with 2:36 to play.

More on Butker in a moment.

After the Broncos’ final touchdown, the Chiefs got a 44-yard kickoff return from rookie running back Emmett Johnson, who had a breakout game with 128 receiving yards on five catches, including a spectacular 73-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Mahomes only needed seven plays to lead the Chiefs to the Broncos’ one-yard line. Then he connected with Rice on what appeared to be a clean touchdown as time expired. At least that’s what he thought.

Like Reid, Mahomes didn’t notice anything of significance during the false start called Moore.

“I didn’t see it (on film). But it didn’t captivate me,” the 31-year-old quarterback said. “Like, it (Moore’s move) didn’t surprise me or catch me or anything like that. So it couldn’t have been big, but it was called.”

“I mean, at the end of the day, you have to choose what gets called. But a lot of times in these big moments, the little things don’t get called.”

Of course, Butker missing the field goal – which has happened too often lately – changed the Chiefs’ strategy on their final possession. Instead of needing a touchdown, they could have won on a clean field goal.

“I just missed it,” Butker said. “(I) didn’t even give him a chance. … When I say bad mistake, like I completely missed the ball. I didn’t even give him a chance. My foot didn’t feel good. Just not good.”

“This could have been one of my best weeks of training,” he added. “…It was a good week of practice, but regardless, you have to get them through the game.”

A key contributor to the Chiefs’ success in the Mahomes era, Butker has missed 16 shots (11 field goal attempts and five PATs) since the start of last season — the most in the NFL during that span, according to an Associated Press study.

Concerned by the 10-year veteran’s prolonged struggles, the Chiefs made the controversial decision last week to sign five-time All-Pro kicker Justin Tucker to their practice squad. Tucker did not play last season while serving a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

The former Baltimore Ravens star was accused of sexual misconduct by 16 massage therapists at eight high-end spas and wellness centers in the Baltimore area, according to The Baltimore Banner. The alleged misconduct allegedly occurred from 2012 to 2016, during Tucker’s first five seasons with the Ravens.

Chiefs fans heavily criticized the signing. After Butker disappointed again on Sunday, the team could make the even more unpopular decision to replace him with Tucker.

There’s a lot going on with the Chiefs. And make no mistake, most of them aren’t great.