DENVER (AP) — Cairo Santos’ 34-yard field goal hit the left upright and bounced through as the overtime period expired Sunday night to give the Kansas Chiefs a 30-27 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

That avoided the third tie in the NFL this season, something that hasn’t happened since 1973 before the league introduced overtime.

The winner followed a risky move by Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, who sent his kicker out for a 62-yard try with 1:01 left only to see Brandon McManus — who has hit from 70 yards in training camp — come up short.

“It’s on me,” Kubiak said, explaining he made the move because he had confidence in his kicker even with a new long snapper who joined the team on Friday. “We didn’t have any doubt that he could get the ball there. The thought process was on the other end: if we do punt, do we get the ball back?”

McManus practically begged to get a crack at the 62-yarder.

“That’s still well within my range. I just kind of hit the ground,” he said. “From that distance, everything kind of needs to be perfect just because of how far you are away. It didn’t happen for me.”

Instead of having to go 80 yards or more, however, the Chiefs got the ball at the Denver 48 with one timeout and just over a minute remaining. The Chiefs reached the Denver 16 before Santos ended the snoozer-turned-thriller in perfect fashion. Even his teammates hesitated as they ran out to celebrate, unsure if the ball had clanked through or not with the stadium rocking as if it hadn’t.

The Chiefs (8-3) kept up with the Oakland Raiders (9-2) in the AFC West race and the Broncos (7-4) could find themselves fighting for a wild card now.

Both teams kicked field goals on their opening possession of overtime, McManus from 44 yards and Santos from 37.

That followed Kansas City’s amazing tying drive in the final 3 minutes of regulation.

Alex Smith threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to rookie Tyreek Hill and a 2-point conversion pass to tight end Demetrius Harris with 12 seconds left to tie it at 24.

Hill’s third touchdown of the night capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive that included three defensive penalties, a fourth-and-10 conversion at the Broncos 3 and zero Kansas City timeouts.

The Chiefs had burned their last two timeouts just before Trevor Siemian’s 76-yard touchdown toss to Bennie Fowler, who got behind cornerback Phillip Gaines with three minutes left that seemingly sealed Denver’s win.

Siemian threw for 368 yards and three TDs with no interceptions in his best game as a pro. But he was sacked five times as his O-line proved just as porous as it has all season even after team made better protection a priority following at their bye.

The game turned into the white knuckler the NFL expected when it flexed the AFC West showdown to Sunday night rather than having the Patriots-Jets game in prime time as originally scheduled.

But the first half was laborious — Kansas City managed just 49 yards of offense but led 9-3 thanks to a safety and Hill’s 86-yard touchdown return on the ensuing free kick.

Smith finished 26 of 44 for 220 yards with one TD and six sacks, half of them by Von Miller.

INJURY UPDATE Denver RB Kapri Bibbs was evaluated for a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit from S Eric Berry but returned later in the first quarter. Houston left for a few series but returned and the Chiefs never announced what his injury was.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: K.C. continues its brutal road swing with a trip to Atlanta next weekend.

Broncos: After the lone November home game, the Broncos travel to Jacksonville.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jameis Winston sliced up a Kansas City defense missing top cornerback Marcus Peters, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held on for a 19-17 victory Sunday that snapped the Chiefs’ five-game winning streak.

Winston threw for 331 yards to help set up four field goals by Roberto Aguayo, and hit tight end Robert Cross for a touchdown with just over 6 minutes left to give the Buccaneers (5-5) a cushion.

The Chiefs (7-3) marched swiftly downfield, and Alex Smith hit Albert Wilson with a short touchdown pass with just over 2 minutes left. But their defense couldn’t stop Mike Evans on third-and-3 just moments later, and the big wide receiver’s sixth reception gave the Buccaneers a first down.

By the time Kansas City finally forced a punt, there was 8 seconds left in the game.

It was the Buccaneers’ fifth straight win over Kansas City dating to 1993, and it snapped a home winning streak for the Chiefs that dated to a loss to Chicago on Oct. 11, 2015.

The Chiefs, who had won 17 of their last 19 regular-season games, were done in by a popgun offense that has repeatedly fizzled in the red zone. They had to settle for a field goal by Cairo Santos on their first trip and Alex Smith threw an interception in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter.

Smith was 23 of 30 for 268 yards in another inconsistent performance, while Spencer Ware was bottled up much of the afternoon. The bruising running back finished with just 69 yards rushing.

WINCHESTER PLAYS

Chiefs long snapper James Winchester played one day after the funeral for his father, Michael, who was shot to death at an Oklahoma City airport on Tuesday. Police believe the elder Winchester, an employee for Southwest Airlines, was gunned down in retaliation for losing his own airline job.

HOUSTON RETURNS

Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston made his season debut , though he hardly factored into the game. The four-time Pro Bowl pick has been out after surgery in February to repair the ACL in his left knee.

INJURIES

Buccaneers: Starting cornerback Brent Grimes left in the first half with a quad injury and did not return. Backup offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk left with a knee injury.

Chiefs: Outside linebacker Dee Ford, the NFL sack leader with 10 coming in, did not play in the second half with a hamstring injury. Peters (hip pointer), starting defensive tackle Jaye Howard (knee) and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (groin) were inactive.

UP NEXT

Buccaneers: Return home next weekend to take on another Super Bowl favorite, Seattle.

Chiefs: Head to Denver for a Sunday night showdown between AFC West contenders.

— Associated Press —

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Marcus Peters stripped Kelvin Benjamin with 20 seconds left, Cairo Santos kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired, and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame a 17-point deficit to top the Carolina Panthers 20-17 on Sunday.

The game was tied when Benjamin caught a pass from Cam Newton, and Peters ripped the ball from his arms . Santos’ fourth field goal of the day split the uprights, lifting the Chiefs (7-2) to their fifth straight victory and 17th win in their last 19 games.

Eric Berry also returned a Newton interception 42 yards for a touchdown as Kansas City’s defense came up with big plays when needed. Alex Smith threw for 178 yards and Spencer Ware ran for 61 yards for the Chiefs, who failed to score an offensive touchdown.

Newton threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for 54 yards and a score for the Panthers (3-6).

The game turned late in the third quarter when Chris Jones sacked Newton for a 12-yard loss on third-and-18 at the Kansas City 28, taking the Panthers out of field goal range. Instead of making it a three-possession game, the Panthers were forced to punt.

The Chiefs kicked a field goal to make it 17-6 before Berry picked off a pass that Newton heaved into the air under pressure and returned it for the touchdown. Smith passed to Travis Kelce for the conversion, and Santos’ third field goal tied it with 4:25 left.

BERRY INTERCEPTION

Berry showed why he’s still one of the best safeties in the league with his first interception return for a touchdown since 2013 and the fourth of his career. He deftly made his way through traffic to get to the end zone.

NEWTON’S NUMBERS

Newton established franchise records for pass completions and touchdowns rushing.

Newton passed Jake Delhomme for the most completions in franchise history with 1,581 with a strike to Greg Olsen in the first quarter and DeAngelo Williams with his 47th career TD rushing.

ODD STAT OF THE DAY

The Panthers had a 20-play drive in the third quarter that took more than 10 minutes off the clock, but came away with no points. Newton took sacks on a second and third down, and the Panthers had to punt.

WHAT WAS THAT

Late in the fourth quarter Smith threw a pass that was batted up in the air. He caught the ball, which is legal, but then attempted to throw the ball a second time. At that point flags were flying everywhere and the Chiefs were penalized 5 yards for an illegal second forward pass.

INJURIES

Chiefs: Cornerback Phillip Gaines left with a neck injury in the third quarter.

Panthers: Kicker Graham Gano was forced to handle punting duties in the first quarter after Andy Lee injured his hamstring. Gano’s first punt since 2010 went for 42 yards but he struggled on trying to pin the Chiefs inside the 20.

UP NEXT

Chiefs: Return home to host another NFC South foe in Tampa Bay next Sunday.

Panthers: The Panthers have a quick turnaround, hosting the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Their starting quarterback and running back never dressed, their top wide receiver joined them on the sideline with an injury of his own, and their Pro Bowl tight end was ejected by an official who didn’t seem to think his antics were very funny.

Good thing for the Kansas City Chiefs that everything was status quo on defense.

That stout bunch kept Blake Bortles in check most of the afternoon, then stuffed the Jacksonville Jaguars on fourth down with less than 2 minutes remaining deep in their own territory, preserving a 19-14 win on Sunday made even more impressive by the long odds the Chiefs overcame.

“That’s what football is all about. You’re going to have weeks where you have injuries,” said Nick Foles, who started in place of injured quarterback Alex Smith. “You have to step up and make plays.”

Foles threw for 187 yards and a first-half touchdown toss to Albert Wilson, and helped to set up four field goals by Cairo Santos, as Kansas City (6-2) won its 10th consecutive home game.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars (2-6) couldn’t overcome four turnovers — including a fumble at the goal line in the fourth quarter — in their first game with quarterback coach Nathaniel Hackett directing the offense .

Bortles was 22 of 41 for 252 yards and two touchdowns with a pick, showing little improvement after a week spent with his personal coach, Adam Dedeaux . His wide receivers hardly helped him, dropping several passes, including an early fourth-down throw that cost Jacksonville a chance at points.

“I thought Nathaniel called a great game,” Bortles said. “To run for 200 yards and throw for 200, or whatever, I thought it was awesome. If you look at the stat sheet minus the turnovers there’s no way you say Kansas City won. But unfortunately, that’s part of the game.”

Chris Ivory rumbled for 107 yards in the biggest bright spot for Jacksonville, but he fumbled going over the goal-line with 8:28 left in the game. The Jaguars quickly got the ball back, and Bortles hit T.J. Yeldon to get within 19-14 with 4:10 to go, but the extra time it took to score proved costly.

They got the ball back with 3:01 remaining, and a long scamper by Bortles gave them a chance. But his pass on fourth-and-3 at the Kansas City 32 was batted to the ground and the Chiefs ran out the clock.

“We had four turnovers and when you do that, any game in the NFL is hard to win,” Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said. “And for us, we did it at critical times.”

The Chiefs played the whole way without Smith and starting running back Spencer Ware, who were out with head injuries, and offensive guard Parker Ehinger, who went on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin hurt his groin on the Chiefs’ first series and did not return, and tight end Travis Kelce was tossed from the game in the fourth quarter after arguing over a pass interference no-call, then tossing his towel at the official as if it was a flag.

“As soon as the ref took off his hat (to throw), I knew I was out. Felt like an idiot,” he said. “It was a terrible decision, but just have to learn from it and keep going.”

What did Kelce learn from it?

“I can’t throw my flag at the ref,” he replied. “He can throw his all day long.”

INJURIES

Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns left early in the second half with an ankle injury. He returned to the game, only to sustain a concussion while trying to make a catch later in the half. … Jacksonville linebacker Myles Jack left with a hip injury.

STATS AND STREAKS

The Chiefs have won three straight against Jacksonville. … The Jaguars still do not have a touchdown on their opening possession since Week 2 last season, an NFL-long stretch of 22 games. … Jacksonville has not forced a turnover in four games. … The Jaguars scored in the first half on the road for the first time this season. They’ve still been outscored 68-7. … Outside linebacker Dee Ford had both of Kansas City’s sacks, giving him 5 1/2 the past two weeks.

LONG TRIP NOWHERE

Chiefs running back Knile Davis played after re-signing with Kansas City on Saturday. Davis was traded to Green Bay three weeks ago, cut after two games and signed with the New York Jets. He was cut again hours later, allowing him to return to Kansas City. “It felt like I was home,” he said.

UP NEXT: The Jaguars return home to face the Texans on Sunday, while the Chiefs expect to have Alex Smith back when they visit Carolina.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs coach Andy Reid had just declared Alex Smith out with a head injury, announced Jamaal Charles was undergoing knee surgery and revealed that Spencer Ware had yet to pass a battery of concussion tests.

Then it started to rain.

It was a fitting soundtrack for a stunningly gloomy midweek briefing.

“It’s part of the National Football League,” Reid said with a shrug.

The biggest news was that Smith, whose head was slammed off the hard turf in Indianapolis twice last weekend, had been ruled out for the Chiefs’ game against Jacksonville.

Smith passed concussion tests after both of the hits, the second of which knocked him from the game, but decided to err on the side of caution.

The decision was made after consulting with an independent neurologist, talking with Reid and others in the front office — including team owner Clark Hunt — and having the results of his concussion tests reviewed by a concussion expert at the University of Pittsburgh.

“There’s no blood test where you can go in and take it and they say, ‘Yeah, you have a concussion,'” Smith said. “I’ve got three little kids. You only get one brain, far as I know. The last thing I wanted was to go out there and yeah, something happens again and all of a sudden you’re asking different questions.

“I’m not ready for that,” Smith added. “I don’t want to be thinking about any of that.”

Nick Foles will start in his place on Sunday and Tyler Bray will serve as the backup, and Smith and Reid both expressed confidence that he will be available the following week at Carolina.

“Any kind of head trauma, whatever you want to call it, time to heal is important. Precaution here was the weighing factor,” Smith said. “This was a decision we came to together.”

Foles was sharp in relief last Sunday, going 16 of 22 for 223 yards with two touchdowns and no picks in a 30-16 victory. While he does not have the scrambling ability of Smith, he has a bit more arm strength that could give the Chiefs a different look against the Jaguars.

“I feel pretty good that he’s got a grasp of the offense,” Reid said. “We didn’t have to change anything when he went in. I wasn’t looking at the sheet, wondering what I can call and can’t call.”

Just who Foles will be handing off to Sunday is another question.

Charles had exploratory surgery Wednesday to determine why there is lingering pain in his surgically repaired right knee. The operation was performed by Dr. James Andrews, who has repaired both of the running back’s ACLs, and the belief is that Charles may have some meniscus damage.

He’s been placed on injured reserve, which means he will miss at least eight weeks. The four-time Pro Bowl running back could conceivably return for the playoffs, though that appears to be a longshot.

“Since he’s come back from this rehab he’s had pain in both knees, it’s gone back and forth,” Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said. “He had some damage in that meniscus before. Dr. Andrews wants to see if it has a little flap in it or something that’s causing the discomfort.”

His loss is compounded by the fact that Ware is still going through the NFL’s concussion protocol. The Chiefs’ fill-in is unlikely to play against Jacksonville, even though he’s not been ruled out.

With only Charcandrick West available on the active roster, the Chiefs signed former second-round pick Bishop Sankey to shore up the position. Sankey has been on the Patriots practice squad, and Reid said it is possible that he will be active against the Jaguars.

“He’s got to get caught up, quickly, if he’s going to be in there,” Reid said.

The Chiefs also waived linebackers Sio Moore and Sam Barrington this week. They used the roster spots to add offensive lineman Mike Person and promote linebacker Terrance Smith from the practice squad.

The net result has been a chaotic three days for the Chiefs (5-2), who are a half-game back of Oakland and Denver in the AFC West after rattling off three consecutive wins.

“We’ve all got confidence in each other,” Reid said, “so we go out and next man comes in and goes. We’re not going to have to do a whole lot of different things. We’ll just play.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is going back on injured reserve after developing swelling in his surgically repaired right knee, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the Chiefs had not announced the move.

The designation means the four-time Pro Bowl running back will miss at least eight weeks, so he could return for the end of the regular season and the playoffs.

Charles only had 12 carries for 40 yards in three games this season.

The Chiefs, already thin at running back after Spencer Ware sustained a concussion Sunday, signed former Titans second-round pick Bishop Sankey on Tuesday.

They cut linebackers Sam Barrington and Sio Moore.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs defended their treatment of Alex Smith after their quarterback twice had his head slam into the turf in Indianapolis, saying Monday that he passed concussion tests both times.

Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder said that Smith passed a battery of sideline tests and additional tests in the locker room following the first blow.

When Smith returned to the game and was wobbly after another hit, he again passed all of the standard concussion tests.

The training staff decided at that point to keep Smith from the game anyway.

Running back Spencer Ware did not pass the concussion protocol and was ruled out after taking a similar hit, which has prompted some to question the hardness of the turf in Indianapolis.

— Associated Press —