Chiefs 28–24 Broncos: Score, Stats & Recap | Week 18, 2021

Q: How did the quarterbacks play in Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos?

P. Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), 50.9% completion, -3.1% CPOE, +0.31 EPA per dropback, +16.25 total passing EPA. D. Lock (Denver Broncos), 41.4% completion, -8.6% CPOE, +0.29 EPA per dropback, +8.51 total passing EPA.

Q: Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos?

P. Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +16.25 total EPA on Passing plays. across 53 snaps. Their top snap (+3.21 EPA): (10:52) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 1-J.McKinnon for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. DEN-29-B.Callahan was injured during the play..

Quick answer

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs
Final score: Kansas City Chiefs 28–24 Denver Broncos
Halftime: Kansas City Chiefs 10–14 Denver Broncos at halftime
FantasyHQ MVP: Patrick Mahomes
Top passer: Patrick Mahomes
Biggest EPA play: (7:57) 25-M.Gordon right guard to KC 13 for -4 yards (24-M.Ingram). FUMBLES (24-M.Ingram),…
Game date: 2022-01-08

Game summary

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 28–24 on 2022-01-08, overcoming Denver Broncos's 14–10 halftime lead. Patrick Mahomes posted a game-high +16.25 total EPA in the passing.

The highest-scoring period was Q1 with 14 combined points.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	—	T
Kansas City Chiefs	7	3	7	11	0	28
Denver Broncos	7	7	7	3	0	24

Scoring Map

Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.

KCKansas City Chiefs

DEN 3

KC 5

KC 23

KC 47

+3DEN 32

KC 9

+2DEN 2

DENDenver Broncos

FantasyHQ Analytics

Scoring timeline

15 scores

Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.

KCKansas City Chiefs
Q1 6:13TD
Travis Kelce
Points+6
Yard line
DEN 3
Score
6-0
(6:13) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 87-T.Kelce for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
KCKansas City Chiefs
Q1 6:08XP
Harrison Butker
Points+1
Yard line
DEN 15
Score
7-0
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
DENDenver Broncos
Q1 0:32TD
Drew Lock
Points+6
Yard line
KC 5
Score
7-6
(:32) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock scrambles up the middle for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
DENDenver Broncos
Q1 0:26XP
Brandon McManus
Points+1
Yard line
KC 15
Score
7-7
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.
DENDenver Broncos
Q2 7:57TD
Drew Lock
Points+6
Yard line
KC 23
Score
7-13
(7:57) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock scrambles up the middle for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
DENDenver Broncos
Q2 7:49XP
Brandon McManus
Points+1
Yard line
KC 15
Score
7-14
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.
KCKansas City Chiefs
Q2 2:22FG
Harrison Butker
Points+3
Yard line
DEN 16
Score
10-14
(2:22) 7-H.Butker 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
KCKansas City Chiefs
Q3 10:52TD
Jerick McKinnon
Points+6
Yard line
DEN 14
Score
16-14
(10:52) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 1-J.McKinnon for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. DEN-29-B.Callahan was injured during the play.
KCKansas City Chiefs
Q3 10:43XP
Harrison Butker
Points+1
Yard line
DEN 15
Score
17-14
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
DENDenver Broncos
Q3 9:11TD
Melvin Gordon
Points+6
Yard line
KC 47
Score
17-20
(9:11) 25-M.Gordon left guard for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
DENDenver Broncos
Q3 9:02XP
Brandon McManus
Points+1
Yard line
KC 15
Score
17-21
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.
KCKansas City Chiefs
Q4 14:49FG
Harrison Butker
Points+3
Yard line
DEN 32
Score
20-21
(14:49) 7-H.Butker 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
KCKansas City Chiefs
Q4 7:57TD
Melvin Gordon
Points+6
Yard line
KC 9
Score
26-21
(7:57) 25-M.Gordon right guard to KC 13 for -4 yards (24-M.Ingram). FUMBLES (24-M.Ingram), touched at KC 13, RECOVERED by KC-54-N.Bolton at KC 14. 54-N.Bolton for 86 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
KCKansas City Chiefs
Q4 7:42Safety
Patrick Mahomes
Points+2
Yard line
DEN 2
Score
28-21
TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 15-P.Mahomes rushes right guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.
DENDenver Broncos
Q4 4:41FG
Brandon McManus
Points+3
Yard line
KC 13
Score
28-24
(4:41) 8-B.McManus 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).

1Patrick Mahomes · Kansas City Chiefs · Passing · +16.25 total EPA · 53 snaps · +0.31 EPA/play
2Drew Lock · Denver Broncos · Passing · +8.51 total EPA · 29 snaps · +0.29 EPA/play
3Tim Patrick · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +6.73 total EPA · 10 snaps · +0.67 EPA/play
4Travis Kelce · Kansas City Chiefs · Receiving · +5.63 total EPA · 5 snaps · +1.13 EPA/play
5Mecole Hardman Jr. · Kansas City Chiefs · Receiving · +3.97 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.36 EPA/play
6Byron Pringle · Kansas City Chiefs · Receiving · +3.19 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.40 EPA/play
7Jerick McKinnon · Kansas City Chiefs · Receiving · +2.79 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.93 EPA/play
8Da. Williams · Kansas City Chiefs · Receiving · +1.80 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.45 EPA/play

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Patrick Mahomes — KC · Passing

Patrick Mahomes posted the highest total EPA (+16.25) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Kansas City Chiefs. Across 53 counted snaps, they averaged +0.31 EPA per play.

Patrick Mahomes's top snap (+3.21 EPA): (10:52) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 1-J.McKinnon for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. DEN-29-B.Callahan was injured during the play.

Biggest single play (-12.14 EPA): Melvin Gordon — (7:57) 25-M.Gordon right guard to KC 13 for -4 yards (24-M.Ingram). FUMBLES (24-M.Ingram), touched at KC 13, RECOVERED by KC-54-N.Bolton at KC 14. 54-N.Bolton for 86 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Quarterback report card

Patrick Mahomes led all passers in efficiency for Kansas City Chiefs, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) · 53 dropbacks · 50.9% completion · -3.1% CPOE · +0.31 EPA/play · +16.25 total EPA
Drew Lock (Denver Broncos) · 29 dropbacks · 41.4% completion · -8.6% CPOE · +0.29 EPA/play · +8.51 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.

Stat	Kansas City Chiefs	Denver Broncos
Offensive EPA/play	+0.138	+0.086
Offensive success rate	46.2%	47.1%
Pass EPA/play	+0.307	+0.317
Rush EPA/play	+0.025	-0.310
Defensive EPA/play	-0.086	-0.138
Defensive success rate	52.9%	53.8%

Drive & efficiency notes

Despite the final score, Kansas City Chiefs generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.14 vs +0.09), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.

Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):

Kansas City Chiefs: +0.14 EPA/play (83rd percentile vs. 2021 team-game averages)
Denver Broncos: +0.09 EPA/play (72nd percentile vs. 2021 team-game averages)

Denver Broncos: 8 drives, +6.01 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
Kansas City Chiefs: 9 drives, +12.84 total EPA, 4 scoring drives

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

Kansas City Chiefs — Travis Kelce (Patrick Mahomes pass) (Q1 6:13)
Denver Broncos — Drew Lock (Q1 0:32)
Denver Broncos — Drew Lock (Q2 7:57)
Kansas City Chiefs — Jerick McKinnon (Patrick Mahomes pass) (Q3 10:52)
Denver Broncos — Melvin Gordon (Q3 9:11)
Kansas City Chiefs — Melvin Gordon (Q4 7:57)

Field goals

Kansas City Chiefs — Harrison Butker (Q2 2:22)
Kansas City Chiefs — Harrison Butker (Q4 14:49)
Denver Broncos — Brandon McManus (Q4 4:41)

Quarter by quarter

Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.

The opening quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Kansas City Chiefs found the end zone from the DEN 3 (Q1 6:13) — (6:13) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 87-T.Kelce for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Kansas City Chiefs added 1 points from the DEN 15 (Q1 6:08) — 7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the KC 5 (Q1 0:32) — (:32) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock scrambles up the middle for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the KC 15 (Q1 0:26) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin..

The second quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 7–3. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the KC 23 (Q2 7:57) — (7:57) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock scrambles up the middle for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the KC 15 (Q2 7:49) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.; Kansas City Chiefs connected on a field goal from the DEN 16 (Q2 2:22) — (2:22) 7-H.Butker 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend..

The third quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Kansas City Chiefs found the end zone from the DEN 14 (Q3 10:52) — (10:52) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 1-J.McKinnon for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. DEN-29-B.Callahan was injured during the play.; Kansas City Chiefs added 1 points from the DEN 15 (Q3 10:43) — 7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the KC 47 (Q3 9:11) — (9:11) 25-M.Gordon left guard for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the KC 15 (Q3 9:02) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin..

The fourth quarter: Kansas City Chiefs won the period 11–3. Kansas City Chiefs connected on a field goal from the DEN 32 (Q4 14:49) — (14:49) 7-H.Butker 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.; Kansas City Chiefs found the end zone from the KC 9 (Q4 7:57); Kansas City Chiefs registered a safety from the DEN 2 (Q4 7:42) — TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 15-P.Mahomes rushes right guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.; Denver Broncos connected on a field goal from the KC 13 (Q4 4:41) — (4:41) 8-B.McManus 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most.

Denver Broncos (Q4 7:57) — (7:57) 25-M.Gordon right guard to KC 13 for -4 yards (24-M.Ingram). FUMBLES (24-M.Ingram), touched at KC 13, RECOVERED by KC-54-N.Bolton at KC 14. 54-N.Bolton for 86 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -61.1% · EPA -12.14]
Denver Broncos (Q3 9:11) — (9:11) 25-M.Gordon left guard for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +18.8% · EPA +4.31]
Denver Broncos (Q4 6:06) — (6:06) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass deep left to 10-J.Jeudy pushed ob at KC 14 for 28 yards (21-M.Hughes). [WPA +16.1% · EPA +2.92]
Denver Broncos (Q3 10:01) — (10:01) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass deep right to 81-T.Patrick to KC 47 for 31 yards (49-D.Sorensen). [WPA +12.7% · EPA +4.03]
Kansas City Chiefs (Q3 10:52) — (10:52) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 1-J.McKinnon for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. DEN-29-B.Callahan was injured during the play. [WPA +10.5% · EPA +3.21]

Impact plays

Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.

Denver Broncos (Q4 7:57) — (7:57) 25-M.Gordon right guard to KC 13 for -4 yards (24-M.Ingram). FUMBLES (24-M.Ingram), touched at KC 13, RECOVERED by KC-54-N.Bolton at KC 14. 54-N.Bolton for 86 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -61.1% · EPA -12.14]
Denver Broncos (Q3 9:11) — (9:11) 25-M.Gordon left guard for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +18.8% · EPA +4.31]
Denver Broncos (Q3 10:01) — (10:01) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass deep right to 81-T.Patrick to KC 47 for 31 yards (49-D.Sorensen). [WPA +12.7% · EPA +4.03]
Denver Broncos (Q1 5:22) — (5:22) 6-S.Martin punts 43 yards to KC 22, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, fair catch by 21-M.Hughes. PENALTY on KC-39-Z.Anderson, Roughing the Kicker, 15 yards, enforced at DEN 35 - No Play. [WPA +7.2% · EPA +3.73]

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.

Kansas City Chiefs TD (+6) — Q1 6:13 · DEN 3 · Score 6-0
(6:13) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 87-T.Kelce for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Kansas City Chiefs XP (+1) — Q1 6:08 · DEN 15 · Score 7-0
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q1 0:32 · KC 5 · Score 7-6
(:32) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock scrambles up the middle for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q1 0:26 · KC 15 · Score 7-7
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.
Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q2 7:57 · KC 23 · Score 7-13
(7:57) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock scrambles up the middle for 23 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q2 7:49 · KC 15 · Score 7-14
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.
Kansas City Chiefs FG (+3) — Q2 2:22 · DEN 16 · Score 10-14
(2:22) 7-H.Butker 34 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
Kansas City Chiefs TD (+6) — Q3 10:52 · DEN 14 · Score 16-14
(10:52) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 1-J.McKinnon for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. DEN-29-B.Callahan was injured during the play.
Kansas City Chiefs XP (+1) — Q3 10:43 · DEN 15 · Score 17-14
7-H.Butker extra point is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q3 9:11 · KC 47 · Score 17-20
(9:11) 25-M.Gordon left guard for 47 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q3 9:02 · KC 15 · Score 17-21
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.
Kansas City Chiefs FG (+3) — Q4 14:49 · DEN 32 · Score 20-21
(14:49) 7-H.Butker 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-41-J.Winchester, Holder-5-T.Townsend.
Kansas City Chiefs TD (+6) — Q4 7:57 · KC 9 · Score 26-21
(7:57) 25-M.Gordon right guard to KC 13 for -4 yards (24-M.Ingram). FUMBLES (24-M.Ingram), touched at KC 13, RECOVERED by KC-54-N.Bolton at KC 14. 54-N.Bolton for 86 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Kansas City Chiefs Safety (+2) — Q4 7:42 · DEN 2 · Score 28-21
TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 15-P.Mahomes rushes right guard. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.
Denver Broncos FG (+3) — Q4 4:41 · KC 13 · Score 28-24
(4:41) 8-B.McManus 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.

Kansas City Chiefs earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
Patrick Mahomes (KC) finished below expected efficiency despite volume.

Frequently asked questions

Who won Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos on 2022-01-08?

The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 28-24 in Week 18, 2021.

What was the score by quarter in Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos?

Q1: Kansas City Chiefs 7, Denver Broncos 7; Q2: Kansas City Chiefs 3, Denver Broncos 7; Q3: Kansas City Chiefs 7, Denver Broncos 7; Q4: Kansas City Chiefs 11, Denver Broncos 3; Final: Kansas City Chiefs 28, Denver Broncos 24.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos?

Kansas City Chiefs touchdown — T. Kelce (P. Mahomes pass) (Q1 6:13) Denver Broncos touchdown — D. Lock (Q1 0:32) Denver Broncos touchdown — D. Lock (Q2 7:57) Kansas City Chiefs touchdown — J. McKinnon (P. Mahomes pass) (Q3 10:52) Denver Broncos touchdown — M. Gordon (Q3 9:11) Kansas City Chiefs touchdown — M. Gordon (Q4 7:57) Kansas City Chiefs field goal — H. Butker (Q2 2:22, 3 pts) Kansas City Chiefs field goal — H. Butker (Q4 14:49, 3 pts) Denver Broncos field goal — B. McManus (Q4 4:41, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.

How did the quarterbacks play in Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos?

Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), 50.9% completion, -3.1% CPOE, +0.31 EPA per dropback, +16.25 total passing EPA. Drew Lock (Denver Broncos), 41.4% completion, -8.6% CPOE, +0.29 EPA per dropback, +8.51 total passing EPA.

Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos?

Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +16.25 total EPA on Passing plays. across 53 snaps. Their top snap (+3.21 EPA): (10:52) (Shotgun) 15-P.Mahomes pass short left to 1-J.McKinnon for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. DEN-29-B.Callahan was injured during the play..

Was Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos a close game?

Yes — the margin was 4 points. Kansas City Chiefs won 28-24 in a game that stayed within one score into the fourth quarter.

Season records after this game

Kansas City Chiefs

Entered 11-5 Now 12-5 W

Denver Broncos

Entered 7-9 Now 7-10 L

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos: 2021 Week 18 Recap

Top fantasy performers · Chiefs

Top fantasy performers · Broncos

Quick answer

Game summary