THE KANSAS CITY Chiefs snapped a two-game skid Thursday but their 30-6 NFL victory against the Broncos in Denver may have come at a cost as quarterback Patrick Mahomes departed with a knee injury in the first half.
Mahomes, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, went down after a quarterback sneak with what the Kansas City Star reported was a dislocated right knee.
Mahomes, who picked up a first down on the fourth down play, was down for some minutes before he managed to stand and make his way to the sidelines with help from team personnel.
The third-year star, was due for an MRI exam to determine the extent of an injury, which comes on the heels of left ankle trouble.
Matt Moore replaced Mahomes with the Chiefs leading 10-6 and with the help of a standout performance from Kansas City’s defense had the visitors up 20-6 by halftime.
The Chiefs had nine sacks — eight of Broncos quarterback Joe Flacco and one of punter Colby Wadman.
They held Denver scoreless after an opening drive touchdown capped by a one-yard TD plunge from Royce Freeman.
“It’s never easy,” said Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark, who had two sacks. “It’s the game plan. We studied. Last couple of weeks we haven’t been able to get that rolling … nine sacks later, we got the job done.”
Moore completed 10 of 19 passes for 117 yards with a touchdown and LeSean McCoy rushed for 64 yards on 12 carries.
After Freeman’s touchdown was followed by a failed two-point conversion attempt, Mahomes connected with Mecole Hardman for a 21-yard touchdown on the Chiefs’ first possession for a 7-6 advantage.
After two Harrison Butker field goals, Anthony Hitchens stripped Joe Flacco on a sack which was recovered by Reggie Ragland and returned for a 5-yard touchdown to extend the Chiefs’ lead.
Moore hit Tyreek Hill for a 57-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Butker added a third field goal in the fourth.
“That’s how you respond,” Clark said. “We’ve got a great backup in Matt Moore. He came in and led our team to the victory.
