Chiefs edge Broncos on wild overtime fin

If we were to give a pithy name to what just transpired in Denver over 75 minutes of football, we would probably go with something like "Death by 1,000 dump-off pa ses." Because for much of the evening, that's what the ' Drew Lock Jersey offense consisted of -- well, that and Smith taking six sacks and countle s other hits behind the line of scrimmage -- but Captain Checkdown was just getting warmed up.In the fourth quarter, and then in overtime, Smith shed the game-manager label and looked as much like a franchise quarterback as we're ever going to see. When it was over, the Chiefs outlasted the 30-27 thanks to a bank shot as time expired.OFF. THE. POST.Are you kidding?!?? WIN! NFL (@NFL) No idea if he called it but either way, . Smith never gets this chance if the Broncos convert on their second overtime series. But facing a fourth-and-10 from the Chiefs' 44-yard line with 1:08 left, coach Gary Kubiak didn't punt, but rather sent out kicker to attempt a 62-yarder. It never had a chance, and that set up Smith and the Chiefs for the winning drive. And that's exactly what happened.Here are eight more takeaways from an unforgettable night in Denver.1. Smith wins battle of game managers The largest takeaway, and one that we've heard pretty much since Smith was the first overall pick back in 2005, is that he's a game manager.Alex Smith, a sistant to the game manager. Roy Drones Jr (@chiweethedog) This is considered a slight because game managers aren't labels we a sign to the likes of or or or . But it definitely applies to Smith -- and, perhaps to a le ser degree, his Sunday night counterpart -- which is exactly what coach Andy Reid is looking for. Yes, Smith is the definition of replacement level (he came into this game as the 18th-ranked quarterback, according to , and finished 15th in 2015, 14th in 2014 and 20th in 2013), and it can be frustrating as hell to watch.Took until 6:41 to go in the 4th quarter for Alex Smith Cody Conway Jersey to attempt a throw more than 10 yards down the field Billy Moy (@PFF_Billy) But gue s what? Since Reid and Smith joined forces, Kansas City has finished 11-5, 9-7, 11-5 -- and is now sitting at 8-3. That's good for second place in the AFC West, a game behind the upstart , which also makes the Chiefs a wild-card team (while the Broncos ). The le son: There is no shame in being a game manager, particularly one that plays in Reid's West Coast offense. Because history tells us that if you're the beneficiary of a good defense, Death by 1,000 Dump Offs can actually pay dividends. Hey look, QB Wins!Brady. Rodgers. Smith.Three QBs with 55+ wins since 2011. SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) Yes, we know, quarterback wins is a terrible stat, one that doesn't come close to measuring what John Elway Jersey you would like it to. But it's worth mentioning that Siemian, the 2015 seventh-round pick who didn't see the field until this season, was impre sive against the Chiefs. He finished 20 of 34 for 368 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. That's impre sive enough that you could make a case that Siemian deserved to win. But this is football, where countle s variables can affect an outcome; anything from Santos' kick bouncing off one upright and behind another to the Broncos' right tackle repeatedly whiffing on early in the game. "He played like a champ," Kubiak . "We struggled in the first half being able to protect him in any way." Ah yes, that first half ...2. Justin Houston is a matchup nightmare (duh) and Justin Houston are two of the league's best pa s rushers, and that was made abundantly clear Sunday night. Early in the second quarter, Houston so thoroughly destroyed Broncos right tackle that Kubiak had no choice but to bench him for Siemian's safety. This one play serves as a microcosm of what Houston was doing to Sambrailo early in the game: Houston is destroying Sambrailo. Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) Brutal. Mercifully, Sambrailo was pulled, replaced by . The Chiefs then moved Houston to the other side, where he promptly split left tackle and left guard and demolished Siemian -- forcing a fumble in the proce s, mind you -- which led to the first two points of the game.Sack. Fumble. SAFETY. 's THIRD sack of the first half gives the 2 points! NFL (@NFL) So how did Houston's first half end up? . is DOMINATING.5 tackles. 3 sacks. Forced fumble.In ONE half. NFL (@NFL) And that, folks, is how your defense can take over a game. It's a good thing, too, because as you may have heard, Smith is a game-managing, no-points-scoring quarterback. Which brings us to the Chiefs' special teams ...3. Hi, this is and he's very, very fast We mention this because Bradley Chubb Jersey rarely does it make sense to kick to him, under any circumstance, even following a safety. Tyreek Hill is GONE.86 yard return TD on the free kick! NFL (@NFL) Seriously, the man runs a 4.24 40 -- kick it somewhere else. Every time. Just to be clear: The Chiefs without the offense touching the ball. 4. Get to know Jordan Taylor isn't a household name, but he has been integral to Denver's succe s, even when he was toiling away on the practice squad. As an undrafted rookie last season, he had a very important job: catching pa ses from while the quarterback rehabbed a foot injury that sidelined him for seven games. Taylor would do his part in the early-morning throwing se sions before joining the rest of the team for afternoon workouts. His hard work didn't go unnoticed. "I feel bad because I was running him into the ground and he hadn't even started practice yet," Manning said days before the Super Bowl. "I have a bad habit of saying, just one more, and one more can turn into 10 more. I don't think I could have gotten though my rehab and gotten back if it had not been for him. I am very grateful for his help." How grateful? to wear on the flight from Denver to San Francisco for Super Bowl week. Fast forward to Sunday night and Taylor looked plenty sharp in his team-i sued uniform, finding a way to create space between the Chiefs' Shelby Harris Jersey defensive back and the boundary and hauling in this nifty Siemian touchdown pa s midway through the third quarter.. evades Houston.Runs ALL the way acro s the field.And finds Jordan Taylor for the TD! NFL (@NFL) 5. Friendly reminder: Special teams are important How important? According to this 2007 study, "Special teams accounts for about 20 percent of the game in terms of winning and losing." . can't handle the punt. recover! NFL (@NFL) That 20 percent may not sound like much, but keep reading: Special teams plays comprise far fewer than one in every five plays on the field. General managers may want to take another look at how much they're paying their punters, kickers and returners. Perhaps the league is noticing the importance of special teams evidenced by the recent attention return specialists have received in the draft. The Chiefs didn't score following 's muffed punt, but the muff did switch field position, at lea