Broncos @ Chiefs · Week 5

WEEK 5 · FINAL

THE READ

Chiefs edge Broncos by 3

A 3-point game to the end, and Chiefs had it 27-24. Bo Nix threw for Broncos — 12/22, 240 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT — in a losing effort. Patrick Mahomes threw for Chiefs — 16/26, 226 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. A season best for Kenneth Walker. On the ground: Chiefs 138, Broncos 121.

Devon Walker Beat reporter

THE WIDER PICTURE

Team	SRS	SOS	MARGIN	TO +/-
Broncos	+10.8	-4.4	+15.2	+13
Chiefs	+1.2	-0.5	+1.7	+2

SRS is how many points a side beats an average team by once you account for who they played — beat a good team by 3 and it counts for more than beating a bad one by 20. SOS is how hard that schedule has been. Full table.

Broncos — AFC #1 · division · 7-2 Chiefs — in the hunt · 5-4 Playoff picture →

In the MVP race

#7 Bo Nix QB · Broncos · 0.8% of the field

The whole board →

IN THE BOOTH

Ava Collins Beat reporter

Denver's two turnovers against Kansas City's one decided a 3-point game where both teams moved the ball about equally well—Bo Nix threw 3 touchdowns but couldn't afford the 2 interceptions in a this-close division matchup.

Jaylen Rivers The insider · replying

Both teams are exactly where we thought they'd be at 3-2, but Denver just learned what it means to be the second-best team in this division when it matters—Kenneth Walker, Noah Gray, and RJ Harvey all had their best days in the same game.

They only ever read the box score and this league's own numbers — none of them has a source, and none of them can report anything that did not happen.

Bo Nix

Broncos

12/22, 240 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Patrick Mahomes

Chiefs

16/26, 226 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

R Mason Thomas

Chiefs

2 sacks

THE STORY SO FAR

⭐ Kenneth Walker has not had a better afternoon this season.

⭐ Noah Gray has not had a better afternoon this season.

⭐ RJ Harvey has not had a better afternoon this season.

WHAT DECIDED IT

On the ground Chiefs 138, Broncos 121 Chiefs

Through the air Broncos 240, Chiefs 226 Broncos

Total yards Chiefs 364, Broncos 361 Chiefs

Giveaways Chiefs 1, Broncos 2 Chiefs

THE ROOM Final. The recap is below.

📺 THE WEEK 5 SHOW this game is in the week's show ▶ Watch the show

THE MATCHUP SCOUT every number below is counted from the export or read off the roster — nothing is inferred about playcalling

LEAGUE DATA counted by Madden, and arithmetic on top of it

Pass-heavy Pass 60% · Rush 40% · 33.3 scored, 18.1 allowed

9.1 yds/att 66.7% completions 5.4 yds/carry 384.9 yds/game 1.0 giveaways/game 6.2% sack rate last 5: 4-1

Primary weapon: Courtland Sutton WR — 26% of the receiving yards · DEPENDENCY MODERATE

SAPPHIRE METRICS QB efficiency 82 · Efficient Balance 90 Ball security 72 Back usage 36% QB runs 1.7/game

PERSONNEL off the roster — unit averages, best starters only

QB 85 WR 84 TE 78 RB 82 OL 82 DL 86 LB 78 DB 88

Best: Patrick Surtain II CB 98 Fastest: Jaylen Waddle WR 96 SPD 3 at star dev or better

YOUR NOTEBOOK what you wrote about them — private, and never a Sapphire statistic

HOW THEY PLAY the man, not the franchise — only weeks the record attributes to him, this season

Psychthedelic

Chiefs · his last 8 games

Balanced One back

Pass / run60% / 40% Points for / against24.5 — 22.2 Margin+2.2 Giveaways a game1.0 Sacks taken7.2% of dropbacks Lead backKenneth Walker · 14.2/g Top targetXavier Worthy · 29% QB carries2.8 a game

KodakBoppin

Broncos · his last 8 games

Balanced One back

Pass / run61% / 39% Points for / against31.4 — 20.4 Margin+11.0 Giveaways a game1.1 Sacks taken5.9% of dropbacks Lead backRJ Harvey · 14.1/g Top targetCourtland Sutton · 27% QB carries1.4 a game

Counted from the weeks each man actually held his team — so a franchise that changed hands is not credited to whoever has it now. Nothing above is a playcall: the export does not carry those, and neither does this.

THE SERIES KodakBoppin against Psychthedelic — the men, not the teams

All square at 1-1. KodakBoppin won the last one.

2 meetings avg 25.5 — 23.5 biggest: 7 pts to KodakBoppin

S2 · week 8 KodakBoppin 27 — 20 Psychthedelic KODAKBOPPIN

S2 · week 5 KodakBoppin 24 — 27 Psychthedelic PSYCHTHEDELIC

Only meetings Sapphire can attribute to both men are counted — a Madden export never says who owned a team last season, so the series starts where the record does.

MATCHUP ADVANTAGES unit averages against each other — inside three points is a push

Broncos receivers vs Chiefs secondary 84 v 80 BRONCOS

Chiefs receivers vs Broncos secondary 84 v 88 BRONCOS

Broncos line vs Chiefs front 82 v 80 EVEN

Chiefs line vs Broncos front 85 v 86 EVEN

Broncos backs vs Chiefs run defence 82 v 79 BRONCOS

Chiefs backs vs Broncos run defence 85 v 83 EVEN

Broncos passer vs Chiefs secondary 85 v 80 BRONCOS

Chiefs passer vs Broncos secondary 95 v 88 CHIEFS

TOP PERFORMERS

Bo Nix QB Broncos 240 pass yds

Patrick Mahomes QB Chiefs 226 pass yds

Kenneth Walker HB Chiefs 114 rush yds

RJ Harvey HB Broncos 111 rec yds

RJ Harvey HB Broncos 108 rush yds

Noah Gray TE Chiefs 94 rec yds

R Mason Thomas LEDG Chiefs 2 sacks

Jaden Hicks SS Chiefs 1 INTs

Riley Moss CB Broncos 1 INTs

KJ Bolden FS Chiefs 1 INTs

🎬 The Game Recap
this game as an episode -- the score, the stars, the numbers that decided it -- and a video you can post ›

BOX SCORE

BRONCOS

PLAYER	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT	SCK	LNG	RTG
Bo Nix QB	12/22	240	3	2	3	83	94.6

CHIEFS

PLAYER	C/ATT	YDS	TD	INT	SCK	LNG	RTG
Patrick Mahomes QB	16/26	226	1	1	4	29	86.3

BRONCOS

PLAYER	CAR	YDS	AVG	BTK	YAC	LNG
RJ Harvey HB	11	108	9.8	1	24	34
Jonah Coleman HB	2	12	6	0	2	12
Bo Nix QB	1	1	1	0	0	1
Adam Trautman TE	0	0	0	1	0	0

CHIEFS

PLAYER	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	BTK	YAC	LNG
Kenneth Walker HB	8	114	14.2	1	1	13	81
Patrick Mahomes QB	3	21	7	0	0	0	9
Brashard Smith HB	1	3	3	0	0	1	3
Jared Wiley TE	0	0	0	0	1	0	0

BRONCOS

PLAYER	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	YAC	LNG
RJ Harvey HB	3	111	37	1	83	83
Jonah Coleman HB	2	47	23.5	1	37	31
Jaylen Waddle WR	2	37	18.5	1	20	24
Troy Franklin WR	1	16	16	0	0	16
Pat Bryant II WR	2	12	6	0	1	11
Courtland Sutton WR	1	11	11	0	2	11
Adam Trautman TE	1	6	6	0	3	6

CHIEFS

PLAYER	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	YAC	LNG
Noah Gray TE	7	94	13.4	0	34	29
Xavier Worthy WR	3	44	14.7	1	27	24
Jared Wiley TE	2	38	19	0	15	22
Tyquan Thornton WR	3	35	11.7	0	10	21
Kenneth Walker HB	1	15	15	0	20	15

BRONCOS

PLAYER	TKL	SCK	INT	PD
Talanoa Hufanga SS	6	0	0	0
Brandon Jones FS	5	1	0	1
Malcolm Roach DT	2	1	0	0
SirVocea Dennis MIKE	2	0	0	0
Nik Bonitto REDG	1	1	0	0
Riley Moss CB	1	0	1	0
Mac McWilliams CB	1	0	0	0
Jonathon Cooper LEDG	1	0	0	0
Tyler Onyedim DT	1	1	0	0
Patrick Surtain II CB	1	0	0	1

CHIEFS

PLAYER	TKL	SCK	INT	PD	TD
Mansoor Delane CB	4	0	0	0	0
R Mason Thomas LEDG	3	2	0	1	0
KJ Bolden FS	3	0	1	0	1
Jaden Hicks SS	2	0	1	1	0
Jadon Canady FS	2	0	0	0	0
George Karlaftis LEDG	1	1	0	0	0
Alohi Gilman FS	1	0	0	0	0
Willie Gay Jr SAM	1	0	0	0	0
Nick Bolton MIKE	0	0	0	1	0
Nohl Williams CB	0	0	0	1	0

BRONCOS

PLAYER	FG	XP	LNG
Wil Lutz K	1/1	3/3	30

CHIEFS

PLAYER	FG	XP	LNG
Harrison Butker K	2/3	3/3	45

RECENT FORM

Broncos

L 28–34 vs Browns WK 4

W 38–14 vs Texans WK 3

W 31–28 vs Raiders WK 2

Chiefs

L 24–28 vs Steelers WK 4

W 32–31 vs Raiders WK 3

W 30–3 vs Chargers WK 2

TEAM STATS

Broncos		Chiefs
361	TOTAL YARDS	364
240	PASSING YARDS	226
121	RUSHING YARDS	138
3	SACKS ALLOWED	4
4	SACKS MADE	3
2	GIVEAWAYS	1
1	TAKEAWAYS	2

Bold is the side that won that line. Giveaways come off a team's own offensive rows and takeaways off its own defensive rows — two separate payloads, so they need not tie out against each other.

ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD

1 BRONCOS — 1 CHIEFS

🎰 Bet this game at The Book 🏟️ Your Franchise HQ 🗓️ Full league schedule