DENVER — Since their last home loss on Oct. 13, 2024, the Broncos have defeated 10 consecutive opposing quarterbacks at Empower Field at Mile High. On Sunday, Denver added an impressive 11th to that list: three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Led by slot cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian, the Broncos held Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to their second-lowest point total of the season and emerged victorious with a 22-19 walk-off win. Denver recorded the game's only takeaway on McMillian's red-zone interception of Mahomes in the second quarter, but the unit played at its best in the clutch moments. In its final two drives, Kansas City recorded minus-3 yards in six plays, creating an opportunity for the Broncos to tie, and then win, the game.
"We're sitting on the bench, and there wasn't a thought that crossed our mind in terms of losing," cornerback Riley Moss said. "We were confident the entire game, ups, downs, sideways. It didn't matter. Continue to play, continue to grind, continue to chip away. That's what we did, and that's why we won."
The Broncos' defense has staked its claim as an elite defense week after week in 2025, from a strong performance against the reigning champion Eagles to repeated goal-line stops against the Texans on the road to limiting five opponents to 15 points or fewer.
On Sunday, the defense's greatest feat came in the fourth quarter, at a stage of the game that is typically the domain of Mahomes. Kansas City had two possessions in the final eight minutes of regulation and did not manage a single first down, while the Broncos scored game-tying and game-winning field goals on their final two drives. In what turned out to be the Chiefs' final offensive play on third-and-10 deep in Kansas City territory, McMillian exploded off the line of scrimmage and took down Mahomes for an 11-yard loss, forcing Kansas City to punt.
"We knew we needed to make a play," McMillian said. "I knew it was going to be one of us. [Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph] just happened to call the right play for me, [and] I kind of timed it up well off Mahomes' hands. I went in there and made a play on him."
Speed and tenacity were at the center of Joseph's approach to limiting Mahomes, and the Broncos' defense accomplished that aim well before the crucial fourth-quarter stretch.
According to defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, the Broncos' defense aimed to use its speed to pressure Mahomes early in plays and to prevent his improvisation and athleticism from opening up big-play opportunities.
"He just turns into a different beast when the play's extended," Roach said. "We knew he was going to get to those extended plays, but the thing was [for us] to get to him early when he can't extend the plays. … I think we did a good job, especially on the back end, plastering to the receivers and things like that. We did a good job staying hungry."
While Mahomes recorded 276 passing yards, the Broncos' defense held the Chiefs to 5-of-13 on third-down attempts and a single touchdown on their four red-zone trips, while rendering the run game close to a non-factor.
Head Coach Sean Payton gave Mahomes his due after the game and underscored the defense's creativity in its pressures as an important aspect of the Broncos' defensive performance.
"I think changing the looks, in respect to Patrick," Payton said of the reason behind the Broncos' defensive success. "Man, he's something. Trying to keep him in the pocket and eliminate some of the third-and-20 [plays]. … Rushing him the right way and then playing coverage the right way [is important]. It's tough, especially when they're healthy with all their skill players like they were tonight."
McMillian embodied both, with the Broncos' defense employing him as a surprise blitzer in the pass rush in addition to his typical responsibilities in the Denver defensive backfield. The undrafted corner out of East Carolina took down Mahomes on the final play of the first half for a turnover on downs on a Hail Mary opportunity, then added to his sack total with his clutch third-down pressure in the fourth quarter.
In between the two sacks, McMillian changed the course of the game with his first interception of the season.
Mahomes directed a 47-yard drive out of the halftime break and threatened to take the lead from right outside the Denver red zone. On third-and-14, Mahomes extended the play by rolling out to his right side, then attempted to loft a pass over McMillian to running back Elijah Mitchell. Instead, McMillian leapt up and secured the interception, and while his 63-yard interception return was called back due to a penalty, the turnover prevented a go-ahead Kansas City score and set up a Broncos touchdown drive.
For a defense short of Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II and linebacker Alex Singleton, McMillian's efforts proved instrumental to the Broncos' success in containing Mahomes.
"J-Mac does it all," defensive end John Franklin-Myers said. "... He's going to mix it up with everybody. I appreciate him. We blitz him, he covers. 'Mac' caught a pick, he had [five] tackles, two sacks. Man, he played better than the defense himself. That's a good player."
With the win, the Broncos improved to 9-2 and will enter their bye week tied for the best record in the NFL. The victory came with an added bonus of widening Denver's lead in the AFC West to two games and defeating the Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High for the third-straight year.
Now victorious over both of last year's Super Bowl participants, the Broncos and their defense are confident in their chances against the league's best.
"Obviously, [those] guys have been on top for a while," McMillian said of the Chiefs. "As a team, we wanted to take that next step. In order for us to take that next step, we had to beat them guys, get through them and it was a wonderful win for us."
