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SportsDecember 7, 2003

DENVER -- Dante Hall caught the punt at the 7-yard line and went backward as his teammates yelled "No! No! No!" But as he juked his way past just about every Denver player and reached the corner with nothing but open field ahead, the chants quickly turned to "Go! Go! Go!"...

By John Marshall, The Associated Press

DENVER -- Dante Hall caught the punt at the 7-yard line and went backward as his teammates yelled "No! No! No!"

But as he juked his way past just about every Denver player and reached the corner with nothing but open field ahead, the chants quickly turned to "Go! Go! Go!"

The Broncos knew all about Hall -- he had returned kicks for touchdowns in three straight games, after all -- but they still couldn't stop him.

The result was a 93-yard touchdown that's a highlight of the NFL season and has the Broncos wondering if they should even kick to him today.

"We knew what kind of returner he was going into that game and it's not going to be any different this time. He's that same guy," Broncos linebacker Keith Burns said. "He's a guy that can make you miss, will make you miss, and you have to have everybody being on the same page on every play, because he is that dangerous a returner."

Hall's punt return lasted about 20 seconds, but it changed the fortunes of two teams.

Kansas City went on to win the Nov. 5 game 24-23 and kept rolling.

Part of a 9-0 start

The Chiefs won their next four games to open the season 9-0, then followed a 24-19 loss to Cincinnati with wins over Oakland and San Diego the past two weeks. Kansas City (11-1) has the league's best record and can clinch its first division title since 1997 against the Broncos.

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The Chiefs also lead the league in scoring with 30 points per game, have the third-best offense at 361 yards a game, and Priest Holmes' 17 touchdowns rushing are more than any team in the league.

And they have Hall, who's leading the league in punt returns and oohs and aahs.

"They are the best team in the league right now in all phases of the game," Broncos running back Reuben Droughns said.

Denver (7-5) went into a tailspin after Dante's dance.

Quarterback Jake Plummer reinjured his shoulder in that game and didn't play the next week against Pittsburgh. He broke his foot the next day getting up off the couch and missed three more games.

Denver's offense stagnated and the Broncos lost three of four without Plummer. The Broncos routed San Diego in his first game back on Nov. 16, but that was followed with an embarrassing loss to Chicago.

Denver seemed to get back on track with last week's 22-8 win over Oakland, but all that did was keep the Broncos in the hunt for the playoffs. They'll still probably need to win three of their final four games to get in.

"You guys know that if we lose one more game we are putting ourselves in a very tough situation to get to the playoffs," Plummer said. "It's a big game. We've got to win it."

In case the Broncos didn't have enough incentive, Chiefs receiver Eddie Kennison stoked the fire.

Kennison, cut by Denver in 2001 after quitting the team the night before a game, all but guaranteed a win, and said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan oversees his players like a puppet master.

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