The Kansas City Chiefs snapped a two-game losing streak with a 30-6 victory over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night at Empower Field at Mile High despite losing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a knee injury in the first half.

Mahomes exited the game with a right knee injury after being injured on a quarterback sneak five minutes into the second quarter. The initial diagnosis is a dislocated kneecap, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. Palmer noted there was no break and that an MRI will be performed to determine any ligament damage.

With Mahomes sidelined, the Kansas City defense put together a dominant effort. It recorded nine sacks on the night, as Alex Okafor, Anthony Hitchens and Frank Clark picked up two apiece.

The victory gives the Chiefs a two-game edge in the win column in the AFC West.

Notable Performances

Kansas City

QB Patrick Mahomes: 10/11, 76 yards, one touchdown

QB Matt Moore: 10/19, 117 yards, one touchdown

RB LeSean McCoy: 12 carries, 64 yards

WR Tyreek Hill: three catches, 74 yards, one touchdown

WR Mecole Hardman: two catches, 28 yards, one touchdown

TE Travis Kelce: six catches, 44 yards

Denver

QB Joe Flacco: 21/34, 213 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions

WR Courtland Sutton: six catches, 87 yards

WR Emmanuel Sanders: five catches, 60 yards

Patrick Mahomes Injury Overshadows Chiefs' Victory

The Chiefs picked up their fifth victory of the season Thursday night, but their Super Bowl hopes may have been dealt a blow in the process.

Looking to help Kansas City snap out of its recent funk, Mahomes led the offense to scoring drives on each of its two first-quarter possessions to grab a 10-6 lead. 

On his first drive of the second quarter, though, Mahomes was taken to the locker room with an apparent right leg injury suffered while running up the middle on a 4th-and-1.

He was ruled out for the remainder of the game almost immediately, and the injury caught the attention of the football world:

It's not known how much time Mahomes will miss, if any, following Week 7. The good news for the Chiefs is that No. 15 was upbeat following his injury, according to Fox Sports' Erin Andrews:

Kansas City's offense will have a hard time sustaining its explosiveness should Mahomes miss time. After all, last year Mahomes became just the second player in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a single season. That performance earned him the league MVP award in his first year as a professional starting quarterback.

The 24-year-old was once again in the MVP race this season, throwing for a league-best 2,104 yards and 14 touchdowns with just one interception through six games.

Depending on Mahomes' injury, Kansas City's fate may now rest in Moore's hands. The 35-year-old journeyman has put together a 15-15 record as a starter during his career, but only once has he been asked to make more than five starts in a season—and that was nearly a decade ago. He went 6-6 with the Miami Dolphins in 2011.

Of note, Moore was not on an NFL roster last season.

The Chiefs were unable to dethrone the New England Patriots last season despite having both Mahomes and home-field advantage in the AFC Championship Game. Without Mahomes, their championship hopes would take a significant hit unless Moore can channel his inner Nick Foles.

Broncos Miss Golden Opportunity to Make Presence Felt in AFC West

Kansas City entered the season with the expectation of running away with the division, but a recent two-game losing streak allowed the rest of the AFC West to hang around.

Thursday night provided the opportunity for the Broncos to make things interesting and pull within one game of first place. Instead, the Chiefs padded their division lead.

It appeared early on as though the Broncos were ready for the challenge, as they marched 75 yards down the field for a touchdown on the opening drive:

It would not be long before the Chiefs took control, though. Mahomes responded by leading Kansas City to scores on each of its two first-quarter drives to take a 10-6 lead.

Not wanting to fall too far behind, the Broncos opted for a fake punt on 4th-and-4 on the first play of the second quarter—and it did not go well.

That proved to be a crucial mistake. Although Mahomes was injured on the ensuing drive, the Chiefs took advantage of the short field and extended their lead with a field goal. The lead then grew to 14 on Denver's following drive:

And it would only get worse, as the Broncos could not protect Flacco. 

The AFC West race may be far from over if Mahomes' injury turns out to be serious. Regardless, Denver had an opportunity to shake things up while facing a backup quarterback on its home turf and failed to do so.

What's Next

Both teams will be back in action Sunday, Oct. 27. Kansas City (5-2) will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, while Denver (2-5) will hit the road for a clash with the Indianapolis Colts.