Patrick Mahomes Throws 4 TD in Stellar Performance as Chiefs Beat Broncos

The Kansas City Chiefs completed their 2018 sweep of the Denver Broncos and continued their march toward a playoff spot with a 30-23 victory over their AFC West rivals on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.  

Patrick Mahomes already beat Denver in Week 4 and directed his team to another win by going 24-of-34 for 303 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He wasn't the only offensive weapon to finish with impressive numbers, as Sammy Watkins (eight catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns) and Travis Kelce (six catches for 79 yards and a score) bolstered the passing game.

Kansas City is now 7-1 and well on its way to a fourth straight postseason appearance with one of the league's most explosive offenses. Denver fell to 3-5 with its fourth loss in five games despite two passing touchdowns from Case Keenum and a rushing score from Phillip Lindsay.

Chiefs Defense Must Improve for Real Title Shot

The Chiefs offense has generated most of the headlines with an embarrassment of riches in Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Kelce and Watkins. 

Kansas City entered Sunday's showdown first in the league in points per game and third in yards per game, and Mahomes added to his head-turning start with four more touchdown throws.

However, the defense remains a concern considering it was last in the league in yards allowed per game and 21st in points allowed per game prior to this win. Kansas City's one loss came in a 43-40 shootout against the New England Patriots in a potential AFC Championship preview and highlighted the defensive shortcomings.

It isn't difficult to envision a scenario come January where the offense scores enough points to win but still comes up short as the defense fails to corral a quarterback such as Brady, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger or Deshaun Watson.

There is still reason for optimism, though, especially after the defense allowed just 10 points in a Week 7 win over a playoff-contending Cincinnati Bengals.

The defense picked up where it left off in the early portion of Sunday's game and held the Broncos without points on three of their first four drives. That allowed the Chiefs offense to gain traction after scoring just three points in the first quarter, and Mahomes' two second-quarter touchdown passes gave them the halftime lead.

Although the momentum dissipated when the defense allowed a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in just 49 seconds to end the half, Kansas City could have fallen into a daunting initial hole if the defense that played against the Patriots showed up instead of an improved version. In all, the Chiefs finished with five sacks and forced two turnovers.

This unit doesn't have to be lights-out with Mahomes directing the explosive offense, and it figures to play at a higher level when four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Justin Houston and five-time Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry return from injuries.

The Chiefs have entered Super-Bowl-or-bust territory with this start, but they still haven't made it past the AFC Divisional Round since 1993. The only way they can be taken seriously as a January threat is with better play on the defensive side after the NFL's gold standard dropped 43 points on them.

There have been flashes of recent improvement, including Sunday, but those must continue to result in a Lombardi Trophy.

Kareem Hunt Makes Balanced Chiefs Offense Unstoppable

One play highlighted how unfair it is to play against the Chiefs offense.

With Kansas City nursing a nine-point lead late in the third quarter, Mahomes dumped a shovel pass to Hunt on fourth down. The running back did the rest, hurdling over a defender and finding the end zone for a 23-yard score.

The defense couldn't take its attention off Mahomes after he threw for touchdowns on the prior three drives, and that opened lanes for Hunt to exploit in the box. However, opponents can't afford to stuff the box against Hunt either lest Mahomes beat them over the top with the weapons on the outside.

Hunt led the league in rushing yards last season as a rookie and has somehow already become underrated because of all the attention Mahomes, Kelce and Hill receive.

The Chiefs are the ultimate pick your poison opponent, and Hunt's presence makes them almost impossible to consistently stop.

Overmatched Broncos Must Make Coaching Change

The Broncos hung with one of the NFL's toughest teams in one of the league's most daunting environments, but they are still two games under .500 after going 5-11 last season in head coach Vance Joseph's first year.

Denver finished with a winning record five straight years before Joseph arrived, but it is on the path to a second straight losing effort. There is plenty of talent in place with Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders and Von Miller, and even Keenum took the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game last season.

However, there is a disconnect between the talent and results, as inconsistency on both sides of the ball has prevented the Broncos from winning more close games. Denver entered Sunday's contest 20th in the league in points per game offensively and 22nd in the league in yards allowed per game defensively.

The buck stops at the head coach when things aren't clicking in the NFL, and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated noted “it's quite obvious” that general manager John Elway "does not approve of the job head coach Vance Joseph is doing." Orr pointed to when Elway called the Broncos "soft" and said that "is typically a code word aimed directly at the person in charge."

Elway is not going anywhere, so that spells trouble for Joseph.

The coach didn't do himself many favors Sunday either seeing how a lack of innovative play-calling or risk-taking undercut a comeback effort in the fourth quarter:

Frankly, the Broncos need some type of spark if they want to turn things around in the second half. Joseph has been unable to parlay the talent in place into wins for the second straight season and isn't earning the approval of those in charge.

It's not too late for a rallying cry in 2018, and a coaching change can serve as just that.

What's Next?

Both teams are in action in Week 9 with the Broncos hosting the Houston Texans and the Chiefs at the Cleveland Browns.