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NFL Christmas

Chiefs Face Christmas Challenge

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – The Kansas City Chiefs don’t resemble a formidable football team with three games remaining in the regular season. However, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes insists there is still time to get into top form.

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Kansas City (9-5) is just one victory away from clinching its eighth straight AFC West title as it enters a Monday contest against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders. The Chiefs can also clinch if they tie the Raiders and the Denver Broncos lose to the New England Patriots on Sunday.

The Chiefs have lacked the consistency this season of some of their recent Mahomes-led squads, but the man who makes the offense go believes that can be turned around.

“You always want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs,” Mahomes said. “Let’s put that complete game together. I think if we can do that and start getting better and better these last few games, we can get to the playoffs and be playing our best football.

“Then I think the AFC is wide open and we’ll be able to go out there and try to find a way to get to the Super Bowl.”

Kansas City enters the weekend with the third-best record in the AFC behind the Baltimore Ravens (11-3) and the Miami Dolphins (10-4), so there is plenty of work to do in terms of home field advantage.

Standing in their way is a Las Vegas squad that set a franchise record for points with a 63-21 steamrolling of the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 14.

“We know it won’t be easy,” Mahomes said. “The Raiders are playing good football and they definitely want to beat us. And so we have to come in with the mentality that we’re gonna play our best game and have our best week of practice in order to go out there and win that game.”

Kansas City posted a 31-17 road win over the Raiders on Nov. 26 for their 18th victory in the past 21 meetings. Mahomes passed for 298 yards and two touchdowns.

But Las Vegas is well-rested and should be full of confidence after the wipeout of the Chargers.

Raiders cornerback Jack Jones went the bravado route while expressing that the Kansas City receivers are not a concern.

“We’re not worried about them,” Jones said. “It’s Patrick Mahomes we’ve got to stop. You stop the magician, then the act is over.”

Patriots Upset Broncos Hopes

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DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New England PK Chad Ryland drilled a 56-yard field goal with two seconds left on Sunday night as the New England Patriots upset the host Denver Broncos 26-23, dealing a serious blow to their playoff hopes.

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The Broncos (7-8) missed out on a chance to join Indianapolis, Houston, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati at 8-7 with two weeks left in the regular season. They will have to win their final two games — against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders — if they want to have any chance of securing an AFC playoff berth.

On its final drive of the game, New England (4-11) went 43 yards in seven plays, the big one Bailey Zappe’s 27-yard pass to DeVante Parker that set the Patriots up at the Denver 47. Zappe hit a couple of short passes to get one more first down, and Ryland then delivered the game-winner.

Zappe was 25-of-33 passing for 256 yards and two touchdowns, which both came in a 20-point third quarter. He found Ezekiel Elliott and Mike Gesicki for 15 and 11-yard scoring strikes, respectively, as the Patriots built a 23-7 lead that they took into the fourth.

Russell Wilson, who completed 25 of 37 passes for 238 yards, headlined a Broncos rally with two touchdown passes and two two-point conversion throws in a 5:40 span of the fourth quarter. He connected with Brandon Johnson for a 21-yard TD with 2:53 left, then tied things with a two-point pass to Javonte Williams.

Denver missed a chance to score in the game’s first two minutes. D.J. Jones strip-sacked Zappe on the first offensive snap of the contest and returned the fumble to the New England 6. But the Patriots came up with a goal-line stand, as Williams’ fourth-down run at the 2 was stopped after a gain of 1.

However, the Broncos were able to score first with 5:15 left in the first quarter, as Williams barged in from the Patriots 3. Ryland hit a 33-yard field goal with 13:30 left in the first half to get New England on the board.

It stayed 7-3 at the break after both teams missed field goals in the final minute of the half.

After Zappe’s TD throw to Gesicki, Marvin Mims Jr. fumbled on the ensuing kickoff. Cody Davis recovered at the Denver 1 and fell into the end zone to put the Patriots up 23-7.

Wilson hit Lucas Krull for a 3-yard touchdown and found Johnson on the two-point try to make it 23-15 and ignite the Broncos’ rally.

–Field Level Media