Broncos aim to end embarrassing streak against Chiefs
The Denver Broncos haven’t beaten the Kansas City Chiefs since the Obama Administration. Can they pull off a big upset to snap the skid?
They’ve come in many ways. But for the Denver Broncos, they’ve all resulted in defeat.
In their last 13 games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver has come up short each time.
Over that span, the Broncos have trotted out seven different starting quarterbacks, including Peyton Manning, Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco, Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater. They’ve also had three different head coaches.
None of it has mattered. The Chiefs have had Andy Reid on the sideline, and either Alex Smith or Patrick Mahomes under center. Good enough for 13-0.
This weekend, Kansas City once again descends upon Denver. The Chiefs will face an eighth quarterback and fourth head coach in the forms of Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett.
The Broncos, lauded by many this offseason largely because of the aforementioned new duo, are 3-9. The Chiefs are 9-3, and with a win coupled with a Los Angeles Chargers loss on Sunday night, will win their seventh straight AFC West crown.
Oddsmakers have Kansas City as a nine-point road favorite. So for the Broncos to avoid a 14th consecutive defeat, they’ll need to find some Mile High Magic.
Should the magic be on holiday layaway, the Chiefs will continue marching towards rarified air when it comes to singular dominance.
In NFL history, the longest stretch of ownership comes from the Miami Dolphins, who beat the Buffalo Bills in all of their 1970s matchups, spanning 20 games. The San Francisco 49ers come in second, earning 17 straight wins. The Bills were also on the wrong side of another lopsided rivalry, losing 15 consecutive games to the New England Patriots from 2003-11.
Those three streaks are the only ones longer than Kansas City’s reign of pain over Denver.
Yet for the Broncos to finally break through, that means fighting against a significant amount of recent history.
Not only has Denver lost 13 straight to Kansas City, but it has never beaten Mahomes. Mahomes is 9-0 against the Broncos, yet in those games has only averaged 253 passing yards. Overall, the former MVP has thrown just 12 touchdowns. However, Mahomes is also 14-0 for his career against the AFC West in road starts.
Still, the bigger issue for Denver has been scoring against Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme.
In six games against Spagnuolo, the Broncos are averaging 12.3 points per game. Considering Denver has the league’s worst offense this season at 13.8 points/game, the Broncos’ path to success would likely stem from a heroic defensive effort.
For Denver, this is the Super Bowl. There will be no postseason, no moment of glory come January. This is the Broncos’ one opportunity to do something memorable — at least, in a positive light — before closing the book on a miserable season.
For the Chiefs, it’s another game in the quest to wrap up the AFC West while working towards home-field advantage.
Can Denver finally snap the streak? The Broncos have tried many ways over the years.
Perhaps being the ultimate underdog in a lost campaign will be the right spot.
Or, the Chiefs will roll once more, only adding to the discontent in the Rockies.