Sep 17, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby (29) recovers a fumble and runs for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Denver won the game 31-24. John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Linebacker Brandon Marshall forced a Jamaal Charles fumble, cornerback Bradley Roby scooped up the ball and ran for a 21-yard touchdown with 27 seconds left, and the Denver Broncos scored an improbable 31-24 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium.
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning led an 80-yard scoring drive to tie the game at 24 on a 19-yard pass to wider receiver Emmanuel Sanders with 36 seconds left in regulation.
On the Chiefs’ next play from scrimmage, Charles lost his second fumble of the game, and Kansas City coughed up its seventh consecutive loss to Manning.
The Broncos had five takeaways, including two red-zone interceptions, to spoil Kansas City’s home opener.
Backup running back Knile Davis sprinted 8 yards off left tackle untouched with 2:27 left as the Chiefs went in front 24-17.
Manning completed 26 of 45 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair to Sanders. Denver wide receiver Demaryius Thomas caught eight passes for 116 yards.
Charles had 21 carries for 125 yards.
The first half was marred by penalties (11 for 90 yards) and dominated by pass rushers until the Chiefs started the scoring with 9:11 left in the second quarter on a 34-yard Charles touchdown run. Six plays later, rookie first-round cornerback Marcus Peters’ pick-6 put the Chiefs ahead 14-0. Peters jumped in front of Thomas to nab a Manning floater — thrown off of his back foot on third-and-3 — for a 55-yard interception return.
Denver (2-0) fought back with Manning’s first touchdown pass of the season with 2:31 to go in the second, a 16-yard slant to Sanders, trimming the Chiefs’ lead to 14-7. Kansas City (1-1) gave the ball right back.
Cornerback Aqib Talib dove in front of wide receiver Jeremy Maclin on a telegraphed quick throw from Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, an interception that set up Manning at the Chiefs’ 15. The Broncos tied the game at 14 on a Manning toss to tight end Virgil Green in the back of the end zone on second down play-action from inside the 1.
Smith finished 16-for-25 for 191 yards with two interceptions.
NOTES: Broncos QB Peyton Manning, second on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list behind Brett Favre (71,838), joined the 70,000-yard club in the fourth quarter. … Chiefs FS Eric Berry, 26 and a three-time Pro Bowl selection, returned to the starting lineup for the first time since 2013. He missed all of last season to be treated for Hodgkin lymphoma. … Chiefs OT Eric Fisher, the No. 1 overall pick in 2013 who lost his starting job at left tackle, did not start but saw action one week after being one of the team’s seven inactives at Houston. He entered when LT Donald Stephenson left temporarily in the second half with a leg injury.
