KC Chiefs: Quarterbacks key to change of fortune in Broncos rivalry

The KC Chiefs went on to sweep the Broncos in 2016 and 2017 with Alex Smith at the helm.

Alex Smith might not have been a flashy quarterback, but he was consistent during his days with the Chiefs. A big moment for him in a Chiefs uniform was in the 2016 game against the Broncos held in Denver on Sunday Night Football where the Chiefs trailed 24-16 in the fourth quarter. Smith led his offense down the field and tied the game up in the final seconds while also succeeding on the two-point conversion.

That took the game into overtime where Smith continued to be masterful. The game-winning field goal might have bounced through the uprights and narrowly gave the Chiefs a win, but it continued their winning streak against a team who had pounded them for three and a half years. It felt good to see the tables officially turn when Kansas City made it three straight wins over Denver on Christmas Day in that same season, also knocking the Broncos out of playoff contention.

The final game of the 2017 season didn’t matter much to the Chiefs, who had already locked up the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. They elected to start rookie Patrick Mahomes for the first time and what transpired was something that Broncos fans are already sick of seeing.

Mahomes – who had actually been pulled in the second half to give Tyler Bray some playing time – came back into the game, led the Chiefs down the field, and got the win in comeback fashion. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?