DENVER -- Marcus Peters doesn’t know the Kansas City Chiefs’ history of futility against Peyton Manning and probably wouldn’t care if he did. Peters is more about putting his own stamp on the Chiefs’ AFC West rivalry with the eventual Hall of Fame quarterback and the rest of the Denver Broncos.
The rookie cornerback did it again Sunday and in doing so he helped the Chiefs rid themselves of a demon. Peters intercepted a Manning pass on the game’s third play from scrimmage, setting the tone for the Chiefs’ first win over Manning since he joined the Broncos in 2012.
The Chiefs went on after Peters’ interception to score a touchdown and they controlled the game from there. They intercepted Manning three more times and got their long-awaited win over Manning and the Broncos with ease. The Chiefs, who won 29-13, whipped Manning so thoroughly he was pulled from the game in the middle of the third quarter in favor of Brock Osweiler.
If this is indeed Manning’s final season and his last game against Peters, the rookie can have some pleasant memories. He returned an interception for a touchdown against Manning when the Chiefs played the Broncos in Kansas City in September.
Though Peters didn’t score on his interception on Sunday, this pick was even more significant. It sparked a Chiefs victory and may have removed the aura Manning enjoyed over the Chiefs.
Back in the playoff race: The Chiefs, at 4-5, are back in the race for an AFC wild-card spot. They are just one game out of the final wild-card spot in the AFC. They are at 2-7 San Diego next Sunday, then will play four of their final six games at Arrowhead Stadium.
Winning the turnover battle: The Chiefs didn’t commit a turnover while intercepting Manning four times and replacement Brock Osweiler once. Against the Broncos in September, the Chiefs committed five turnovers, including a fumble in the game’s final minute that was returned for the winning touchdown.
One reason to get excited: The Chiefs have more than one reason, but they have now outscored their opponents 74-23 over the last two games.
One reason to panic: After scoring a touchdown on their opening possession, the Chiefs went well into the fourth quarter before they scored another one. They had to settle for five field goals.
Another busy day for Cairo Santos: The Chiefs kicker hit five field goals, making it the second time this season he’s done that in a game. He hit seven in an October game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The rest of the NFL kickers have kicked five field goals in a game a total of three times this season. Santos missed an attempt from 48 yards late in the game.