Chiefs top Broncos in overtime on pinball field goal
Denver and Kansas City traded field goals in overtime before Cairo Santos‘ 34-yard effort sent the Chiefs (8-3) home with a 30-27 victory over the Broncos (7-4) in Week 12.
1. Gary Kubiak’s decision to let kicker Brandon McManus attempt a game-winning 62-yard field goal with just over a minute to go in overtime might come back to bite him come late December. McManus missed what would have been a career-high wide left, giving Kansas City a short field to execute a game-winning drive. Given the opportunity to punt deep on fourth-and-10 and settle for a tie, Kubiak instead rolled the dice, as his division-leading compatriot, Jack Del Rio, would do. The losing result drops the Broncos two games behind the Raiders and one game behind the Chiefs in the AFC West. A tie would have kept Denver and Kansas City locked at 7-3-1 and still in the immediate playoff picture. But as the sun sets on Week 12, the Broncos are on the outside looking in, replaced by the surging Dolphins in the sixth seed.
2. The absence of Jeremy Maclin has limited Kansas City’s offense in many respects, but one positive to be drawn from his hiatus is the emergence of Tyreek Hill as an offensive threat and a name-brand fireball. Hill was responsible for all three of Kansas City’s touchdowns, earning them with a reception, a rush and a punt return. The rookie’s breakaway speed was a known commodity — Hill reached a max speed of 22.77 mph on his return score, a league-best — but Hill’s catching ability and route running have improved, showing up on his game-tying receiving TD…