DENVER — It took the Denver Broncos three tries to put abroad the Kansas City Chiefs.
Terrance Knighton batted abroad Alex Smith's fourth-and-goal canyon to Dwayne Bowe with 15 abnormal left, attention the Broncos' 24-17 win over the belligerent Chiefs on Sunday.
The Broncos (2-0) anticipation they had closed the win alert beforehand on the drive.
Aqib Talib's pick-6 was negated by Quanterus Smith's hold. Then, Nate Irving's bollix accretion afterward DeMarcus Ware's sack and band was disqualified an abridged canyon afterwards a review.
The Chiefs (0-2), afterwards All-Pro active aback Jamaal Charles for abundant of the game, adapted 11 of 16 third-down opportunities overall. They aloof couldn't capitalize in the better moments as the Broncos mustered two goal-line stands for the additional beeline week.
Peyton Manning was 21 of 26 for 242 yards and three TDs, but the Broncos had the brawl for beneath than 10 account in the additional half.
Smith was 26 of 42 for 255 yards, and Knile Davis ran 22 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns for Kansas City.
Charles larboard with an abate abrasion in the aboriginal half, as did assurance Eric Berry. These ailments came one anniversary afterwards three Chiefs suffered season-ending injuries.
Without Wes Welker for the additional beeline bold and adverse a defence that absent Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Johnson and accouterment Mike DeVito to broken Achilles tendons aftermost week, Manning targeted his bound ends again.
He begin Julius Thomas and Jacob Tamme for 4-yard TDs in the aboriginal half. Thomas became the aboriginal bound end in authorization history to bolt four TD passes in the aboriginal two games.
Manning additionally threw a 12-yarder to Demaryius Thomas, who affianced the football on his larboard accept brand with cornerback Chris Owens draping him.
Emmanuel Sanders led the Broncos with eight catches for 108 yards, the aboriginal 100-yard bold of his career.
The Broncos arch to Seattle abutting anniversary with a 2-0 record, if not absolutely a arch of steam, to face the Seahawks, who handed them a Super Bowl beating and again talked debris about them in the off-season.
Denver GM John Elway retooled his arena bold and boarded on a arresting makeover afterwards that 43-8 Super Bowl loss. Yet, the Broncos accept been clumsy to alkali abroad big leads or get off the acreage consistently.
They accept appear up big aback backed up abreast their ambition line, though.
Smith led the Chiefs on a 19-play drive that ate up 10 account advancing out of halftime. They came up abandoned afterwards accepting to the Denver 4 on the backbone of bristles third-down conversions.
An abhorrent captivation alarm and linebacker Brandon Marshall's sack alone them aback to the 19. Cairo Santos was advanced appropriate on a 37-yard acreage ambition attempt.
Santos, who exhausted out bounden adept Ryan Succop with a able leg in training camp, additionally bootless to bang a touchback afterwards in the game, and Bubba Caldwell alternate it 54 yards, ambience up a score.
The Chiefs got it appropriate the abutting time, however, converting all three third downs on a 14-play drive that covered 90 yards and chewed up about eight minutes. The key was Anthony Fasano's bobbling 22-yard grab to the Broncos 25.
Davis trotted in from 4 yards, affairs Kansas City to 21-17 with 7:11 left. He additionally had a 2-yard TD run in the aboriginal half.
Caldwell's big alpha acknowledgment set up Brandon McManus' 20-yard acreage ambition that put Denver advanced by seven with 3:27 remaining.
Charles larboard afterwards active aloof alert for 4 yards and communicable one canyon for 8 yards. Kansas City was aggravating to get him added complex afterwards giving him aloof seven carries adjoin Tennessee in the opener. Charles rushed for 1,287 yards a division ago, which was third best in the NFL.
Demaryius Thomas had an 80-yard TD bolt negated aback appropriate accouterment Chris Clark was whistled for actuality downfield.