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Hunt misses out, but Chiefs come through

Owner who pushed for extra Turkey Day game misses it; Broncos fall 19-10

Denver Broncos v Kansas City ChiefsBrian Bahr / Getty Images
NFL rushing leader Larry Johnson gained 157 yards on the ground for the Chiefs against the Broncos on Thursday.

The Broncos did not even snap the ball in Kansas City territory until after Jake Plummer hit Javon Walker with a 21-yard pass to the 47 with 1:30 left in the half. Nine plays later, Jason Elam kicked a 31-yard field goal that made it 10-3 at halftime.

Plummer dropped to 0-6 in six starts in Kansas City and had his second pass intercepted when tight end Stephen Alexander tipped the ball into the hands of cornerback Ty Law, leading to KC’s first field goal. He was 25-for-39 for 216 yards and no doubt speculation will pick up steam over whether rookie Jay Cutler is about to be promoted.

“We’ll see what happens there,” safety John Lynch said. “That is the other side of the ball. We’ve got to look at our side.”

With Pro Bowl players Brian Waters back at guard Tony Gonzalez back at tight end, KC’s offense was back to nearly full strength for the first time since Sept. 10. Green, who made his return seven days earlier after a 10-week absence with a concussion, was 13-for-22 for 161 yards and his first interception in two games.

The Broncos, in contrast, were more crippled than they’d been all year. Safety Nick Ferguson was lost for the season this week with a knee injury and Tatum Bell, their leading rusher, was sidelined by turf toe. Earlier, defensive end Courtney Brown and star offensive tackle Matt Lepsis were also lost for the season.

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The Broncos got a huge break in the third quarter when Patrick Surtain’s interception of Plummer’s pass was nullified by an illegal contact penalty on Kansas City cornerback Lenny Walls.

Surtain returned the ball to the Denver 17, but the Broncos wound up with a first down on their own 40 and Plummer immediately connected with David Kircus for a 36-yard gain, Denver’s biggest of the night.

A few minutes later, Plummer’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Alexander made it 13-10.

Notes: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was in town for the game and said the league had not discussed how the third leg of the Thanksgiving tripleheader would be rotated. Clark Hunt said the Chiefs would try to get it next year. The Broncos have lost two straight for the first time since late in the 2004 season.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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