NFL
NFL Week 17
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The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs are facing off in the finale of today’s Christmas Day NFL games.
The Chiefs lead 7-6 at the start of the third quarter. Follow for play-by-play updates and analysis of tonight's game.
Share your thoughts with us at live@theathletic.com and check out our live schedule here.
Is this Travis Kelce’s final game at Arrowhead Stadium? If so, he probably will want to pick things up in the second half. Kelce has two catches for 13 yards in the first half.
Q3 15:00 – Chiefs 7, Broncos 6
The Chiefs have the ball first to start the second half.
The Chiefs' first half was highlighted by a play that basically hasn't happened all season: a deflected ball landing in the hands of a defender.
Repeatedly this season, Kansas City's defense has tipped balls during pressures, with those passes seemingly always finding open turf for incompletions.
On this first-quarter occasion, though, cornerback Kristian Fulton's pass breakup found the arms of linebacker Nick Bolton, who cradled it on the sideline for an interception.
K.C.'s defense remains bottom 10 in the NFL in takeaways, but in a low-possession game, that was the turning point that's helped the Chiefs hang in this game with a 7-6 halftime lead.
A bit of a surprising result in the first half… can the Chiefs, in rare position as underdogs, keep it rolling in front of their home fans? Here’s what you had to say.
Remember, you can share your thoughts by heading over to the “Discuss” tab on our game page or emailing us at live@theathletic.com.
Denver has scored twice tonight, but both scores have come on field goals to wrap up long scoring drives. The opening drive lasted 14 plays, and the Broncos’ final drive of the half lasted 16 plays.
Wil Lutz finished off both drives with field goals. Bo Nix has to be better on the money downs.
Making his first career start, Chris Oladokun has been OK. He looked good on the Kansas City scoring drive, but it’s clear the coaches are being conservative with the game plan.
The long-time practice squad member has completed 5-of-9 passes for just 27 yards in the first half.
The Broncos dominated time of possession in the first half by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. They converted 5-of-9 third-down attempts. They had drives of 14 and 16 plays in the first half.
Yet, the Broncos trail, 7-6, and find themselves in a dogfight as they try to keep their quest for the AFC's No. 1 seed alive. The Broncos squandered both of their red-zone chances. The Chiefs intercepted by Bo Nix on an acrobatic tipped grab by Nick Bolton and turned the short field into a touchdown.
The red-zone and turnover margins have plummeted for the Broncos across the last two games — and it's why the find themselves in a sticky situation in Kansas City.
So far, a very blue Christmas for Bo Nix. That interception he threw changed the complexion of this game, and his first-half stat line. Nix is 13-for-22 with 86 passing yards, no touchdowns and the one pick. He also has 23 rushing yards on four carries.
Total Yards
Passing Yards
Rushing Yards
First Downs
Turnovers
Possession Time
Q2 0:00 – Chiefs 7, Broncos 6
The Chiefs were big underdogs entering this game, but they have a one-point lead after making two big red-zone stops. Kansas City will have the ball first in the second half.
Q2 0:22 – Chiefs 7, Broncos 6
Bo Nix finds tight end Adam Trautman, who makes a terrific sliding catch to the Chiefs’ 11, but that is followed by two incompletions from Nix.
On third-and-10, Nix targets Courtland Sutton in the end zone, and the ball is there. But Sutton takes a big hit and can’t hold on.
Wil Lutz caps the drive with a 29-yard field goal.
Q2 1:20 – Chiefs 7, Broncos 3
Big hole for Jaleel McLaughlin on third down, and the Broncos are inside the Chiefs’ 25-yard line with plenty of time to do some damage.
Q2 2:00 – Chiefs 7, Broncos 3
After the two-minute warning, Denver will face a third-and-2 from the Chiefs’ 39-yard line. The Broncos have the advantage in yards and time of possession, but they trail on the scoreboard.
After Bo Nix threw four touchdown passes in a Week 14 win against the Packers, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi pointed to the quarterback's footwork as the foundation behind a career-best performance.
The early portion of this game, though, is an illustration of the trouble Nix can get into when that isn't the case. He's had three wayward throws on the move through three possessions, one of which resulted in an interception. Early on that first quarter drive, Nix threw behind Marvin Mims despite having ample time and space while moving to his left, ruining a chance to strike for a quick, explosive play.
Nix can be playmaker when he works outside the pocket, but when his feet start working too quickly, it can lead to the inaccuracy issues we are seeing early in this game.
Fun note from Chiefs' 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Brashard Smith: It was the exact same play that coach Andy Reid faced widespread criticism for when it didn't work on a fourth-and-1 late against the Houston Texans. Execution of a play matters, and you see a noteworthy example there.
GO FURTHER
Why Chiefs’ fourth-and-1 play didn’t work — and what Andy Reid thinks about it now
Q2 9:45 – Chiefs 7, Broncos 3
Isiah Pacheco with a nice start to the Chiefs’ drive: A 13-yard carry jump-starts Kansas City as it tries to extend its lead or at least flip the field.
But then the drive stalls, and the Chiefs have to punt. Denver’s defense gets a nice stop, and the Broncos will have the ball after a timeout.
Q2 10:41 – Chiefs 7, Broncos 3
Denver moves to midfield, but Bo Nix’s third-down throw is just off the hands of Courtland Sutton. The Broncos have to punt, and the Chiefs will start their next drive at their 17-yard line.
After hitting his first five throws, Nix has been off target the past couple of drives.
Q2 12:49 – Chiefs 7, Broncos 3
The Chiefs pay off the turnover with a touchdown. Chris Oladokun faces a third-and-6 and hits Brashard Smith with a short pass. Smith fights into the end zone for his first career touchdown to give Kansas City the lead.
That was a nice drive by Oladokun, who looks calm and collected in his first career start.
Q2 13:45 – Broncos 3, Chiefs 0
Travis Kelce gets his first catch of the night, but it’s short of a first down. But then Kareem Hunt gets the first down on fourth-and-1 and moves the Chiefs to the Denver 6.
