ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) – Vance Joseph has been fired as coach of the Denver Broncos after back-to-back double-digit losing seasons.

Joseph met with general manager John Elway on Monday after completing a 6-10 season and was dismissed with two years and about $6 million left on his contract.

Joseph acknowledged after the Broncos’ 23-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in which there were more than 12,000 no-shows at Mile High Stadium that an 11-21 record wasn’t good enough by Broncos standards.

Still, he said, “I think we’ve put a lot of work in. There’s a foundation that’s been laid here that should pay off in the future.” Joseph said he wanted to “come back and make this thing right.”

Several players, including star Von Miller, said they wanted Joseph to return for a third season. Instead, Elway decided to embark on a search for his fourth head coach in six seasons.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes stalked Chiefs wide receiver Damarcus Robinson on the sideline as chants of “MVP” echoed throughout Arrowhead Stadium, trying to track down a football that would serve as a keepsake not only of this night but of this season.

The first-year starter had just thrown an 89-yard scoring strike to Robinson, the 50th time one of his passes ended up in the end zone. It also gave Mahomes more than 5,000 yards passing, not to mention put a dagger in Oakland and clinched the AFC West title and No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

“They’re special,” Mahomes said after securing that memento, and after Kansas City had wrapped up a 35-3 whitewash of the Raiders on Sunday. “To do those things in this league, that doesn’t happen.”

Not very often anyway.

Mahomes finished with 281 yards passing, the highlights the strike to Robinson and a 67-yard TD pass to Tyreek Hill. That gave him 5,097 yards and 50 touchdown passes, and allowed Mahomes to join Peyton Manning as the only QBs to hit 5,000 and 50 in the same season.

“This team, we love each other. We root for each other. And that’s why we’ve had so much success,” said Mahomes, who already had shattered just about every franchise passing record.

Hill finished with five catches for 101 yards, becoming the Chiefs’ single-season leader for yards receiving with 1,479, while adding a fourth-quarter touchdown run. Damien Williams added 51 yards and a score on the ground as the Chiefs (12-4) beat the Raiders for the eighth time in nine games.

The decisive win came after Kansas City squandered a chance to clinch the division with a fourth-quarter collapse against the Chargers and again in a shootout loss last weekend in Seattle.

“This was a tricky game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We felt like we let off the accelerator there lately and we didn’t take advantage of opportunities.”

No problem with that on Sunday.

Derek Carr had his league-leading streak of 332 passes without an interception snapped when the Chiefs’ Daniel Sorensen returned a pick for a touchdown in the first quarter. Carr threw another pick and lost a fumble as Oakland (4-12) turned the ball over on its first four possessions.

He finished 23 of 32 for 184 yards, and Doug Martin ran for 100 yards but also lost a fumble, as the Raiders headed into an offseason of uncertainty surrounding where they will play next season.

“Obviously, we got a lot a work to do,” said Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who wrapped up his first season back with the franchise. “I know today was not a good note, but it’s a great group of guys who laid quite a foundation and I think we can build on that. I’m excited about that.”

The Chiefs eliminated any drama in the first 20 minutes.

Mahomes started the scoring barrage when he threw a perfect post pass to Hill, who waltzed into the end zone for his long touchdown reception. And a few minutes later, Sorensen stepped in front of tight end Jared Cook — who had inexplicably stopped his route — for a 54-yard pick-6.

The Chiefs defense kept causing turnovers, and Williams capped another effortless drive with a short touchdown run, giving Kansas City a comfortable 21-0 lead late in the first half.

“This was a tricky game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said, “and the guys took care of business.”

The league’s highest-scoring offense continued its onslaught after the break.

Mahomes delivered the clincher when he floated a pass deep downfield to Robinson, who ran out of the grasp of his would-be tackler. Robinson was so far ahead of the defense that he turned around at the 15-yard line and backpedaled into the end zone — getting a taunting call as his reward.

Not that it mattered for the Chiefs, who were already celebrating their postseason bye and what they hope is a Super Bowl road through Arrowhead Stadium. Hill merely added to the party when he added his rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

“We’re all trying to reach a goal,” Hill said, “and that’s the Super Bowl. Head down, and we’re all focused, man. Like I said, it feels great, but right now, I just want to win the Super Bowl. We just want to win the Super Bowl.”

KELCE’S CATCHES

The Chiefs’ Travis Kelce had five catches for 62 yards, giving him 1,336 yards this season. That broke the NFL record for tight ends set by the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski in 2011, only for the 49ers’ George Kittle to pass him a few minutes later. “The individual accolades in this game alone, I think, are a bit overrated,” Kelce said. “You’ve got 11 guys out there trying to push for one goal and sure enough, we achieved that as a team.”

MORE RECORDS

Mahomes was 14 of 24, giving him a franchise-record 383 completions this season. He began the day tied with Trent Green with 369. … Reid broke a tie with former Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer for seventh on the NFL’s career wins list with his 206th.

INJURIES

Raiders: DT Maurice Hurst was inactive after dealing with an ankle issue all month. He finished with four sacks, matching the lowest total to lead the Raiders since sacks became a stat in 1982.

Chiefs: SS Eric Berry (heel), WR Sammy Watkins (foot) and RB Spencer Ware (hamstring) were among the inactives. … LB Reggie Ragland left after his interception with a hip injury. FS Jordan Lucas (neck) and DT Derrick Nnadi (concussion) also left the game.

UP NEXT

Raiders: Draft prep begins with Oakland holding three first-round selections.

Chiefs: A postseason bye and divisional-round game at home await.

DENVER (AP) — Philip Rivers is back in the playoffs for the first time in five years and he’s not about to judge the quality of the latest one, a hard-fought 23-9 win Sunday over the scrappy Denver Broncos.

“It’s hard to win 12 games,” Rivers said after accomplishing the feat for just the third time in his 15-year NFL career and for the first time since 2009.

Were it not for a last-second loss to the Broncos at home in November, the Chargers would have supplanted the Chiefs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Instead, they’ll go in as a wild-card next weekend and visit Baltimore. They were thumped by the Ravens 22-10 last week at home.

“It’s a heck of a challenge,” Rivers said. “I don’t there was a team that wasn’t going to be a heck of a challenge. … They’re all good. That team outplayed us last week and it will be a new game, new everything. We’ll see who can play the best this time.”

The Broncos (6-10) careened into an offseason of uncertainty after posting double-digit losses in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1966-67, an ignominy that could cost second-year coach Vance Joseph his job.

“I want to come back and make this thing right,” said Joseph, who’s expected to meet with general manager John Elway on Monday morning.

Joseph acknowledged an 11-21 record isn’t good enough by the Broncos’ standards, “but I think we’ve put a lot of work in. There’s a foundation that’s been laid here that should pay off in the future.”

That bedrock, said defensive end Derek Wolfe, is a never-quit attitude that was on display again Sunday.

“V.J., he’s one of my favorite people on this planet. I love that guy with all my heart and I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” Wolfe said.

Rivers was just 14 of 34 for 176 yards and a touchdown and he threw two interceptions in the first quarter, something that’s happened just twice before in Rivers’ 15-year NFL career.

Denver pulled to 14-9 on fullback Andy Janovich’s 20-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter, the first TD of his career. Case Keenum’s 2-point conversion throw, however, was picked off by cornerback Casey Hayward Jr., who slipped a tackle attempt by receiver Courtland Sutton at the left pylon and rumbled 102 yards for a pick-2 that gave Los Angeles a 16-9 lead with 10:10 remaining.

Then, Rivers had his only sustained drive, capped by Austin Ekeler’s 1-yard TD run.

Neither team got much going offensively.

The Chargers took a 7-3 halftime lead thanks to a defensive touchdown . Rivers’ 3-yard TD toss to Mike Williams that made it 14-3 came after Joey Bosa’s fumble recovery at the Denver 16.

Broncos offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave’s script proved ineffective again — for the ninth straight week, Denver punted on its opening drive.

The Broncos failed to convert interceptions by rookie Isaac Yiadom and Will Parks into points in the first quarter.

The Chargers’ only first-half score came when Keenum hit Royce Freeman with a low screen that was ruled a backward pass. Freeman didn’t secure it and a hard hit by cornerback Desmond King II to a prone Freeman popped the ball loose.

Linebacker Kyle Emmanuel scooped it up and ran 11 yards for a 7-0 L.A. lead with 5:42 left in the first half.

FLAG FOOTBALL

Denver left tackle Garett Bolles was whistled for holding, his 10th and 11th of the year. His first flag negated a 54-yard touchdown run by Devontae Booker.

The Broncos were about to tie it when a pass glanced off tight end Matt LaCosse and into the hands of safety Jahleel Addae, who tried to lateral the ball as he was getting tackled, fumbling the football that was recovered by Broncos guard Elijah Wilkinson at the Chargers 20.

The Broncos reached the 6, but had to settle for Brandon McManus’ 28-yard field goal.

STRIP-SACK-RECOVERY

Von Miller pulled off the trifecta with his strip sack of backup quarterback Geno Smith, and his recovery of the loose ball in the final minutes. Miller had another sack that was negated by a holding call on Yiadom.

INJURIES:

Chargers: LB Jatavis Brown injured his right ankle tackling Royce Freeman on the final play of the first quarter.

Broncos: RT Jared Veldheer (ribs), C Connor McGovern (ankle) and S Darian Stewart (shoulder) all went out in the second half.

UP NEXT:

Chargers: Head to Baltimore for wild-card weekend.

Broncos: Embark on another offseason of change with big questions yet again at coach and QB.

Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps last week’s loss in Seattle and previews Sunday’s regular season finale with the Raiders.

The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX (96.9-FM), at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.

 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Source tells The Associated Press that Denver Broncos rookie running back Phillip Lindsay’s season is over after MRI reveals significant damage to his right wrist. Lindsay was injured in the Broncos’ loss at Oakland on Christmas Eve. Lindsay finishes with 1,037 yards rushing but won’t get to play in the Pro Bowl after becoming the first undrafted offensive player ever to earn a Pro Bowl selection.

SEATTLE (AP) – Russell Wilson threw a 2-yard pass to Ed Dickson with 7:31 left for his third touchdown strike, Chris Carson rushed for two scores, and the Seattle Seahawks clinched an NFC wild-card berth with a 38-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.

Wilson got the better of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and helped lead Seattle back to the postseason after missing the playoffs a year ago. Seattle’s now made the playoffs in seven of the nine seasons with Pete Carroll in charge, and six of seven with Wilson at quarterback.

The Seahawks (9-6) can wrap up the No. 5 seed and a matchup with Dallas by beating Arizona in Week 17.

Wilson was 18 of 29 for 271 yards, and the No. 1 running team in the NFL put the game on the arm of its quarterback in the fourth quarter.

Carson rushed for 116 yards, while Baldwin had seven catches for 126 yards and an acrobatic 27-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.

Mahomes was 23 of 40 for 273 and three TDs. He had a few of his own magical moments that will enhance his MVP candidacy. But for the second straight week the Chiefs (11-4) were unable to come through with a victory that would have wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the AFC and will go into Week 17 with the chance of being division champs for find themselves on the road for the opening weekend of the postseason.

MANHATTAN (AP) — Willie Murrell, the former Kansas State basketball star who is one of two Wildcats with career averages of more than 20 points and 10 rebounds, has died. He was 78.

Murrell died Dec. 6 in Colorado.

The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 20.6 points and 10.7 rebounds in 54 games in two seasons with the Wildcats, joining Bob Boozer as the only Wildcats to post 20-10 career marks.

Murrell played for Kansas State from 1962-64 after transferring from Eastern Oklahoma A&M. He helped the Tex Winter-coached Wildcats to a 38-16 overall record, including two Big Eight Conference titles and a Final Four appearance in 1964.

His No. 44 jersey was retired and raised to the rafters at Bramlage Coliseum in 2009.

Murrell went on to play three seasons in the American Basketball Association, averaging 13.1 points and 5.1 rebounds with Denver, Miami and Kentucky.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the fall sports season complete, Fort Hays State ranks first in the initial release of the MIAA Commissioner’s Cup presented by McCownGordon Construction standings. Fort Hays State produced an average score of 10.9 for the fall, nearly a point higher than second place.

Fort Hays State had another strong fall season in 2018, finishing in the top five of the MIAA standings in five different sports. The men’s soccer team (15 points) captured its second-straight conference title while the football team (14 points) also finished atop the MIAA for the second year in a row, finishing in a tie for first. The men’s cross country team (12 points) turned in a third-place finish at the MIAA Championships while the women’s soccer team (11.5 points) tied for third in the regular season. The women’s cross country squad (10 points) placed fifth at the MIAA Championships and the volleyball team (3 points) finished 11th in the regular season standings.

Thanks to a women’s soccer crown and a women’s cross country title, respectively, Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State currently sit in a tie for second with an average score of 10.1 points.

The MIAA Commissioner’s Cup standings are based on points earned for regular season finishes in the 20 championship sports of the MIAA. The points awarded for each sport are based on the number of the MIAA institutions that participate in that sport. Each institution’s points are totaled and divided by the number of MIAA sports it sponsors, giving an overall finish for the school.

An all-sports trophy returned to the MIAA two years ago for the first time since 2003, now called the MIAA Commissioner’s Cup with a new scoring system. McCownGordon Construction came on as a presenting sponsor last season. The conference awarded the MIAA All-Sports Trophy from 1999 to 2003.

Below is the entire list of standings based on the results of the fall sports:

2018-19 Commissioner’s Cup Standings Presented By McCownGordon Construction
1. Fort Hays State – 10.9 average (65.5 points)
T-2. Central Oklahoma – 10.1 average (40.5 points)
T-2. Pittsburg State – 10.1 average (40.5 points)
4. Nebraska Kearney – 9.8 average (49 points)
T-5. Central Missouri – 8.1 average (40.5 points)
T-5. Washburn – 8.1 average (40.5 points)
7. Missouri Southern – 7.9 average (39.5 points)
T-8. Emporia State – 7.4 average (37 points)
T-8. Northwest Missouri – 7.4 average (37 points)
10. Northeastern State – 7.0 average (21 points)
11. Lindenwood – 6.8 average (40.5 points)
12. Missouri Western – 6.5 average (32.5 points)
13. Southwest Baptist – 5.8 average (29 points)
14. Lincoln – 1.0 average (1 point)