The haters, as the great Taylor Swift reminds us, are gonna hate, hate, hate, so we can't say that NFL analyst Chris Simms speaks for everyone here. But other than those who just can't bring themselves to appreciate the Kansas City Chiefs, you're going to find yourself nodding along to what Simms had to say about the Chiefs on Sunday.
The Chiefs came into Week 10 with an NFL-leading 8-0 record through 9 weeks (and the bye), the league's only undefeated team remaining by quite a bit. In the AFC West, K.C. already had a full three-game lead through the first half season and they led everyone else in the conference by 1.5 games. In short, they were a team with all the momentum.
Then they ran into the Denver Broncos. For the last decade, that phrase would be sarcastic, since the Broncos have proven to be the opposite of a wall (maybe a foamy pillow), but Sean Payton has helped turn things around. Last year, the Broncos split the season series with the Chiefs, giving them their first head-to-head victory since 2015. (Yep.)
On Sunday, the Broncos looked like the most deserving team for any win. Their defensive front made life miserable for Patrick Mahomes, who took four sacks and was under constant pressure, while their defense kept K.C. from keeping pace with Bo Nix and company on offense. (Yep.)
For most of 60 minutes on the field at Arrowhead on Sunday, it was a reversal of fortunes for the Chiefs, a team that looked beat up, fatigued, and overmatched. The playcalling was suspect and so was the play itself, especially in the red zone. The Chiefs took their first lead with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter on yet another Harrison Butker field goal and the Broncos had the ball when it mattered most.
You likely know what happened next. The Broncos put together a methodical drive down the field to give kicker Will Lutz a chip shot of an attempt to seal the victory as the clock would expire. Fans at Arrowhead were stunned into silence until something crazy happened: linebacker Leo Chenal broke through and blocked the kick to preserve the Chiefs lead and give them a surprise victory.
NBC football analyst Chris Simms, a former quarterback himself, has seen a lot of football in his lifetime, so its noteworthy when even he gets hyped for something he sees. Check out his reaction to the final play of the Broncos-Chiefs game:
While rules about being proper on the internet will keep us from transcribing what he says, we're pretty sure he speaks for all of us. At least those of us who aren't haters.