Sports
Broncos heartbroken by blocked field goal loss to Chiefs: ‘We were right there’
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike McGlinchey turned around, spotted his rookie quarterback and let out a guttural yell.
Bo Nix had just found Courtland Sutton for a third-down conversion late in the fourth quarter, putting the Denver Broncos in position to slay the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. McGlinchey, the veteran right tackle, pumped his fist as he and right guard Quinn Meinerz embraced Nix. Under two minutes remained after the play that gave the Broncos a first down at the Chiefs’ 17-yard line. The home team was out of timeouts. A couple of run plays and a kneeldown and the Broncos would be in position to end a losing streak at Arrowhead Stadium that has lasted nine agonizing years. The Broncos had outplayed the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, coach Sean Payton said afterward, and all they needed was one kick to make that count.
Thirty minutes later, the Broncos were left only to grapple with the most excruciating loss many of them had ever experienced.
“This is something that’s going to be hard to forget about,” cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “We were right there.”
IT’S BLOCKED! @CHIEFS WIN! STILL UNDEFEATED! pic.twitter.com/hMLhAgbRpf
— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024
The locker room scene told the story of devastation — the kind only a loss suffered this way could inflict. Evidence of the hurt welled in the eyes of players at all positions and all experience levels. Where words failed, the long stares, puffy eyes and bewildered expressions illustrated the pain.
“Games like this are supposed to hurt, man,” defensive tackle Malcolm Roach said of Denver’s 16-14 loss. “We see the faces on everybody in this locker room. It’s supposed to hurt because we’re so invested, man. Everybody works their tail off every day, and we see it. If you’re not invested in it, it wouldn’t feel this way. It wouldn’t feel this bad. We know where we want to go, where we’re trying to go, where we’re fighting to go. We’ve got to give this city something to be proud of.”
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The Broncos sacked Patrick Mahomes four times and pressured him relentlessly. They forced Kansas City to kick field goals on three of its four trips into the red zone. Nix led the Broncos on two of the season’s prettiest drives — both ending in touchdown passes by the rookie quarterback — to stake Denver to an early 14-3 lead. Then, after scuttling through much of the second half, he led the Broncos on a final drive that lasted nearly six minutes, chewing all of the remaining clock before leaving the field. He settled in to watch what he expected would be a game-winning 35-yard field goal by Wil Lutz.
“We gave ourselves a chance,” Nix said. “They just made one extra play.”
In a blink, hope died. Hope of the first win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium since 2015. Hope of a victory that would have given the Broncos a 6-4 record and a huge boost in the chase for an elusive playoff spot. Hope that they had done enough to finally pin the team that always seems to find an escape hatch.
It was all extinguished when linebacker Leo Chenal bulldozed Broncos offensive lineman Alex Forsyth and other Chiefs rushed in from the left side. Chenal blocked the kick just after it left Lutz’s right foot. The Chiefs streamed onto the field in celebration. Mahomes sprinted through the end zone, hands open wide, as a delirious crowd roared. Payton said the final play was caused by “penetration from the left side,” but he didn’t delve any further.
“It didn’t go in,” Lutz said. “That was my vantage point. We’re all still trying to take it in right now.”
Nix took a deep breath and stared at the sky. Other Broncos stood in their spots, coming to grips with the heartbreaking reality.
“It hurts,” McGlinchey said. “That would have been a good one. And we would have won it the right way, from a full-team perspective. I think our defense played their butts off today to hold them to 16 points. We had a couple opportunities in the second half offensively that we could have done a better job with to get the lead going and make the game more in our control. To do what we did on that last drive and essentially do what you thought would end the game — and then, you know, you can’t fall asleep on one play. It can change the face of the game. It can change the face of a season.”
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Had the wall held and Lutz’s kick sailed through — he has missed only two of 34 kicks under 40 yards since joining the Broncos in 2023, and both were Chiefs blocks — the Broncos would have celebrated a resilient performance by their defense. The unit harassed Kansas City’s two-time MVP quarterback and responded when Mahomes created magic. The Chiefs scored a touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play at the 2-yard line — a drive that was extended after a questionable illegal contact call on safety Brandon Jones on third down — but settled for field goals on their other three trips inside the 20-yard line, including two inside the 10. The Broncos limited the Chiefs to just 57 yards on 19 carries. The Broncos have allowed only two Chiefs touchdowns in their past two games at Arrowhead Stadium, but they have only two losses to show for it.
“One of the keys was going to be third downs and red zone efficiency,” Payton said. “Man, we did it a year ago really well here, if you recall. They moved the ball but held them to field goals, and we were able to do that today.”
Mahomes still had his highlights, like when he escaped a would-be sack from Nik Bonitto on third-and-13 and found former Broncos running back Samaje Perine for a 31-yard gain. But the Broncos kept answering, their last goal-line stand forcing a field goal that gave the Chiefs a 16-14 edge with 5 minutes, 57 seconds remaining.
Had the final kick gone down as it should have, the winning celebration would have included hefty praise for Nix, who had more yards per attempt (7.2 to 6.3), more touchdown passes (two to one) and a better passer rating (115.3 to 92) than Mahomes. On back-to-back touchdown drives in the second quarter, Nix completed 7 of 8 passes for 114 yards. Both of his scoring throws in that stretch — a 6-yard slant to Devaughn Vele and a 32-yard deep ball for Sutton — came on third down.
🔟➡️1️⃣4️⃣
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/bU0I65Txmo
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 10, 2024
“I thought the ‘Q’ played real well,” Payton said of Nix. “Poised. Gutsy.”
Had the kick made an entire stadium groan, a subplot to the winning story would have been the ever-growing contribution from Denver’s young offensive weapons. Rookie running back Audric Estimé, in his most expansive action of the season, rushed for 53 yards on 14 carries. He figured prominently on Denver’s first two touchdown drives in the first half and ran for 6 yards on third-and-1 to extend Denver’s final drive in the fourth quarter. Vele, meanwhile, caught four passes for 39 yards and his first career touchdown, with two of his grabs made through contact on third down. The Broncos punted on their first three possessions of the second half. Their first series was stalled by a holding penalty, and the Broncos didn’t have answers for some of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s third-down pressure looks. Still, in a season that could be defined by development, young players, including second-year wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr., showed more growth.
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All those silver linings might emerge through the hurt at some point. McGlinchey said the loss “will be more fuel to the fire.” Nix praised the fight of a team that bounced back from last week’s lopsided loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, who sacked Mahomes one week after signing a four-year contract extension, insisted there would be no finger-pointing as the Broncos picked up the pieces. Surtain noted the Broncos still have seven games, beginning with Sunday’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons. The teams chasing the Broncos for wild-card positioning in the AFC — the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets — all lost Sunday. Their performance on the road was evidence, the Broncos claimed, that they can beat anyone down the stretch. The franchise’s first playoff berth since 2015 doesn’t look like some faraway pipe dream based on how the Broncos looked for the first 59 minutes, 59 seconds against the Chiefs.
But there was no easing the pain produced by a final second gone wrong. Not yet, anyway.
“The easy thing to do is give in and stop, say that it’s too hard,” Nix said. “I feel like our locker room is going to respond better and consistently find ways to improve, find ways to keep going toe-to-toe with teams like this. One time, it’ll go our way.”
Payton has suffered brutal losses in his career. Anyone who lasts nearly two decades as a head coach will experience his share of them. Payton lost a playoff game on the final play at the Minnesota Vikings. He missed out on a trip to a second Super Bowl after the “NOLA no-call” in the 2018 NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams. He told players in the locker room that Sunday’s loss was right up there with the toughest he’s had to stomach.
“That one will take a while” to get over, Payton said. “That one will sting. … As a coach, you hurt for your players.”
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(Photo of Garett Bolles after Sunday’s loss: David Eulitt / Getty Images)
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New details have emerged surrounding the arrest of former Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch, who is facing two misdemeanor charges following a run-in with law enforcement just days ahead of the NFL Draft.
Branch, who is a projected second-round pick, was arrested early Sunday morning in Athens, Georgia, and charged with two counts of obstructing public sidewalks/streets – prowling and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch celebrates after a touchdown catch against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Nov. 28, 2025. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
He was released after more than two hours in jail after posting $39 in bonds.
The NFL Network obtained the police report from Branch’s arrest, which described an encounter over an alleged sidewalk incident with law enforcement, in which police alleged that the former Bulldogs star failed “to comply with multiple verbal lawful commands.”
“A male, later identified as Zacharia Branch, continued to stand on the sidewalk without making an attempt to move. I continued to give Zacharia Branch verbal commands to move from blocking the sidewalk and advised that if he did not, he would receive a citation for blocking the sidewalk,” the excerpt from the report read.
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch runs during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 28, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
TOP NFL DRAFT PICK ZACHARIAH BRANCH ARRESTED IN GEORGIA ON TWO MISDEMEANOR CHARGES
“Zacharia Branch smirked, then stepped backwards and to the right, then remained standing upon the public sidewalk, so as to obstruct, hinder, and impede free passage upon the sidewalk as well as impede free ingress/egress to or from the adjacent places of business,” the report continued.
“Due to those actions and Zacharia Branch’s failure to comply with multiple verbal lawful commands, he was placed under arrest for misdemeanor Obstruction of LEO and received a citation for Obstructing Public Sidewalks.”
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch celebrates with wide receiver Colbie Young after scoring a touchdown against Ole Miss during the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La., on Jan. 1, 2026. (IMAGN)
Branch transferred after two seasons at Southern California and immediately became quarterback Gunner Stockton’s favorite target. He finished the season with a team-high 811 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.
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His status as a projected second-round pick was bolstered after an impressive showing at the combine, where he clocked a 4.35-second 40-yard dash.
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For two-thirds of Sunday’s Long Beach Grand Prix, Alex Palou bided his time … waiting for the one break he needed.
It came in the form of a caution on the 58th lap, allowing him to overtake front-runner Felix Rosenqvist exiting pit lane and hold the lead the rest of the way, taking the checkered flag by 3.96 seconds for his third triumph in five IndyCar Series races this season and his first at Long Beach.
Right after being showered with applause and confetti at victory lane, the 29-year-old Spaniard thanked his crew, whose quick work on the last pit stop proved to be the difference.
“Everyone was coming in on that yellow and they did an incredible job,” he said. “We were either going to win it or not win right there.”
Rosenqvist settled for second and Scott Dixon, Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, was third.
It was the 11th win over the last 22 races dating to 2024 for the Barcelona native and the 22nd win of his career, tying Tony Bettenhausen and Emerson Fittipaldi. It also vaulted Palou to the top of the series standings as he chases his fourth series championship in a row and fifth overall. Palou won the opener March 1 in St. Petersburg (also a street course) and the fourth race March 29 in Alabama.
Palou led for only 32 of the 90 laps Sunday and acknowledged it would have been difficult to catch Rosenqvist if not for the stoppage.
“I wasn’t giving up but it would’ve been tough to get him today,” Palou acknowledged. “He was already three seconds ahead. I was happy with my car but I was struggling more on the soft tires than the hards so I’d say my chances were low. The feeling was great seeing all the open space coming out of pit lane because when you spend 60 laps behind a car it disturbs you. I tried to match him on soft tires but it wasn’t working.”
Alex Palou speeds through a curve of the track.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
In six starts at Long Beach, Palou never has finished lower than fifth.
There is little room to maneuver on the 1.968-mile course with 11 tight turns, but after starting in the third position next to defending champion Kyle Kirkwood, Palou managed to sneak past Pato O’Ward into second place heading into the first turn on Lap 2.
“Making that move on the straightaway was big because I knew it was one of our only chances to get a pass on Pato,” Palou said. “I got that good run on that last corner and he didn’t expect it.”
This year marked the 51st edition of the longest-running major street race in North America, which started in 1975 as part of the Formula 5000 Series, switched to the CART/Champ Car World Series in 1984 and joined the IndyCar Series in 2009.
The top four qualifiers started on softer, high-grip “alternate” tires to establish position while the rest of the grid started on harder, more durable “primaries” to manage degradation on the 110-degree track surface. Of the 25 starters, 24 completed the 177.12 miles.
“We were going to make the two-stop strategy work but didn’t know if it would be doable or not,” Palou added. “As soon as I saw I couldn’t get Felix it was all about patience, fuel and waiting for the right time. I owe this win to my team. Without that pit stop I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now. It only takes one mistake to go from second to seventh, but they’re great under pressure.”
Cars make their way down a straightaway during Long Beach Grand Prix.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Past winners Will Power and Josef Newgarden moved into the top two positions after Rosenqvist pitted, but the Swede regained the lead when Newgarden pitted for the first time on Lap 37 and dropped back to 14th.
The first 45 laps were caution-free as Rosenqvist, Palou, Kirkwood, David Malukas and O’Ward held the top five spots. Newgarden’s chances declined upon discovering a flat spot on his left front tire, and he dropped back to 14th.
Rosenqvist’s three-second lead was erased when debris on the track exiting the Aquarium Fountain drew the only yellow flag all afternoon and narrowed the gap. Capitalizing on favorable pit position, Palou emerged from the lane just ahead of Rosenqvist.
Rosenqvist. who won the pole position with a lap time of 1 minute 7.4625 seconds in qualifying, had mixed emotions as the runner-up after leading for 51 laps with no win to show for it.
“You want to win when you have an opportunity, but I’m proud of today,” Rosenqvist said.
“We weren’t as good as Alex on the blacks … the last pit cycle was the defining moment. We had to come around 14, he had more of an opening, and his crew nailed it. That happens.”
Kirkwood, who was vying for his third win in four years, finished right where he started in fourth.
“I had a good cushion and figured even with a bad stop I’d probably stay ahead but I knew there’d probably be a yellow at some point and there it came,” Rosenqvist lamented. “Considering Alex had primary [tires], also I think we would’ve been able to hold him off. It’s definitely disappointing when you can’t wrap it up.”
Dixon, who started in the sixth position, was third and earned his first podium this season and the 136th of his career.
Fans watch with two laps left in the race.
(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
“The race itself was a bit blah — I sat in the same position for most of it,” Dixon said. “Luckily for us we had it easy out of that last stop.”
Al Unser Jr. holds the record for most wins at Long Beach, chalking up six in eight years, including an unmatched four in a row from 1988 to 1991.
Tom Sargent is becoming a fan of street circuits after two wins this weekend. Driving the Porsche 911 Cup for GMG Racing in the Mobil Pro Class, the 22-year-old Australian led from start to finish in Race 1 of the Carrera Cup North America on Saturday. In Race 2 on Sunday morning, he again started from the pole and claimed a 0.965-second victory over Aaron Jeansonne to complete the double.
In his last bid at Long Beach three years ago, he hit the wall on Lap 2 but still finished second.
“Momentum in sports is critical and the past few weeks have been really cool for me,” Sargent said. “I didn’t do any street circuit racing before I came to the States. Maybe it fits my driving style.”
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LAS VEGAS – Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio were once brothers in arms in the Judgment Day. The two helped the faction run “Monday Night Raw” for several years.
As championships and opportunities came and went, the rift between Balor and Mysterio grew. It came to a head when Balor caused Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Balor leaving the Judgment Day left Mysterio and Liv Morgan as the leaders with JD McDonagh, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez sticking around.
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.
The bitter war led to a match Sunday night at WrestleMania 42. To make matters more interesting, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the match a street fight hours before the show was set to begin.
Balor had vowed to bring the “Demon” out and he certainly did.
JACOB FATU PUTS DREW MCINTYRE IN THE ‘REAR VIEW’ IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA 42
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Balor made his way to the ring in his “Demon” gear, dripping with red and black paint. Mysterio was in a mask with other Mysterio supporters.
The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.
Mysterio wrapped Balor’s head in between a chair and hit a 619 on him. He tried to pin Balor, but to no avail. At another point, Mysterio tossed Balor through a table set up in the corner.
As many have learned, it’s hard to keep your demons down. Mysterio learned the hard way.
Balor would not give up. Balor clotheslined Mysterio, hit him with a chair multiple times before wrapping his head in between the chair and drop-kicking him into the corner. Balor put Mysterio onto a table and hit the Coup de Grâce for the win.
Dominik Mysterio is introduced before his match against Finn Balor during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.
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