DENVER: Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos handed Kansas City their first defeat of the NFL season yesterday, beating the Chiefs 27-17 to join them atop the AFC West.
Manning’s tender ankle wasn’t a factor, thanks in part to the stellar job his offensive line did against a Chiefs defense that came in leading the league with 36 quarterback sacks.
He wasn’t touched once, completing 24-of-40 passes for 323 yards. Manning threw one touchdown pass and Montee Ball ran for two more touchdowns for the Broncos, who denied the Chiefs their first 10-0 start in club history.
“The protection was outstanding,” Manning said. “Really proud of those guys up front.”
The game was the day’s hot ticket, with the sports power-couple of golf superstar Tiger Woods and Olympic ski champion girlfriend Lindsey Vonn spotted by television cameras watching from a sideline. Knowshon Moreno rushed for 79 yards on 27 carries for Denver, the first team this season to score more than 17 points against the Chiefs.
“We knew they were going to have some stops,” Manning said of the stingy Kansas City defense. “We knew once we got down to the red zone, touchdowns were critical. Most of the time they make teams settle for field goals.”
Quarterback Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes for the Chiefs, who will be out for revenge when they host the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium in a fortnight in what promises to be a rollicking rematch.
While the Chiefs-Broncos clash was the marquee matchup of the day, the Bears and Ravens found themselves in the headlines thanks to the deadly storms that battered the US Midwest.
Tens of thousands of fans at Chicago’s Soldier Field were forced from the stands to seek shelter in the covered stadium concourses as the game was delayed for almost two hours as a storm swept through.
The Bears trailed 10-0 at the time of the stoppage but returned to beat Baltimore 23-20 in overtime. AFP
