Embarrassing loss ensures Broncos will miss playoffs for first time since 2010

Before the game even started, the Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) seemed to have everything leaning in their favor, from the injury report to the rainy wet weather. And once the game started it didn’t look much better for the Denver Broncos (8-7).

In the Week 12 matchup against the Chiefs, the two biggest playmakers were Travis Kelce—8 receptions for 101 yards—and Tyreek Hill—169 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. In the Week 16 matchup on Sunday, not much changed.

In the first quarter, Hill and Kelce each had big touchdowns: Kelce an 80-yard pass and Hill a 70-yard run. Kansas City also added a 10-yard Alex Smith scramble in the first quarter to put together the best first quarter against the Broncos’ defense since October 24, 2010, against the Oakland Raiders (21 points).

On the offensive side of the ball, Denver’s only touchdown came on the Chiefs first turnover of the game. Still in the first quarter, Justin Simmons picked-off Smith at Kansas City’s 44-yard line and returned it all the way to their six-yard line. The two-play, 6-yard touchdown drive was capped off by a 1-yard run by Justin Forsett, his first touchdown of the season.

Denver wasn’t helped by injuries in the first half, either. Both Kayvon Webster and Derek Wolfe left the game and were later ruled out, while Sylvester Williams also left the game, but did return later.

The only noteworthy plays in the second quarter came on two 50-plus yard field goal attempts. On the first attempt, Brandon McManus nailed a 53-yard field goal to cut Kansas City’s lead to 21-10.

However, on the second attempt, from what would have been a 53-yard attempt with 17 seconds left in the first half, the Broncos called in a trick play: a fake field goal run by McManus. Unfortunately for the Broncos, McManus’s speed wasn’t enough to score, let alone get the first down, putting Denver down 11 going into the half.

In the second half, not much changed in the way Denver was—or wasn’t—able to guard Kelce. The big tight end hauled in 47 receiving yards, putting his total at 160 for the game.

Although nearly none of the statistics would say it, Denver still found a way to hang around. With 11:59 left in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs scored to finally earn a two-possession lead, 24-10.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Broncos playoff hopes were effectively killed when returner Kalif Raymond coughed up the ball at the Chiefs 36-yard line, leading to another Kansas City field goal and a three-possession lead.

The final eight minutes of the game included a turnover, multiple penalties and a touchdown pass from 360-pound defensive tackle Dontari Poe, giving the Chiefs a dominating 33-10 victory.

While the Denver Broncos still have one more game next week, their season ended on Christmas night in what could have been their worst overall game of the season.

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Travis Kelce picked up where he left off in the first matchup between the two teams in Week 12. He not only had a massive impact through the air—finishing with 11 receptions on 12 targets for 160 yards and a touchdown—but also was instrumental in two of the other Chiefs’ touchdowns.

In Smith’s 10-yard touchdown run and Hill’s 80-yard touchdown run, Kelce had the key blocks that lead to the scores. While it seemed nearly impossible to top Hill’s Week 12 game against Denver, Kelce gave him a run for his money in Week 16.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Less than 10 minutes into the contest, Hill’s 70-yard touchdown run not only gave the Chiefs an early 14-0 lead, but it exposed Denver’s defense. While Hill only finished with 25 additional yards, he forced the Broncos to give him extra attention every time he stepped on the field.

This extra attention to the speedy Hill opened up the rest of the Chiefs offense, specifically Kelce, who ended with a career day.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

“Of course. That’s what Andy Reid does. That won’t be forgotten. It’s not like we don’t play them two times a year. We’ll remember that.”

– Shane Ray on if Dontari Poe’s touchdown pass at the end of the game bothered him.

BY THE NUMBERS

0 – After a Week 12 matchup that included 11 sacks—six by the Chiefs and five by the Broncos—neither team was able to take down the opposing quarterback.

2 – In the past three weeks, since the Tennessee Titans, Denver’s offense only managed to score two offensive touchdowns. The first was a 39-yard drive against Tennessee. The other was a 6-yard drive against the Chiefs.

238 – Kansas City nearly doubled up Denver in total net yards outgaining Denver 484 yards to 246, for a differential of 238. Neither the offense nor the defense came to play.

5 – Former Chief Donald Stephenson had a forgetful return to Arrowhead, accounting for five penalties.

2010 – The last time the Broncos did not make the playoffs. Josh McDaniels started that year as the head coach; Eric Studesville finished the year as head coach.

LASTING IMPACT

While the odds to make the playoffs weren’t in the Broncos’ favor entering Week 16, the loss on Sunday officially eliminated the Broncos from the playoffs.

The 23-point defeat could add extra fuel in the offseason for the way the team is constructed moving forward.

WHAT’S NEXT

Denver closes out the season on New Years Day next Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. While the final game won’t mean anything in terms of the playoffs, it could be an interesting one with Paxton Lynch potentially receiving playing time.

The offseason talk can commence with storylines including quarterback controversy, offensive line, coaching shakeups and what the Broncos will do with their best draft pick in years.