ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos' coaches and most veteran players are one week into their nearly six-week summer vacation.
The rookies and rehabbing players hung around for another week of weights and classroom work. But otherwise, the Centura Health Training Center is quiet.
A good time, then, for 9 issues Broncos Country can contemplate until their team returns around July 25 or 26 for training camp. We'll go one at a time in descending order:
No. 9: Can the Broncos beat the Chiefs?
That’s not the way to bet. The Broncos are currently 7.5-point underdogs in their first scheduled game on Thursday night, Oct. 12 at Arrowhead Stadium. For their second game that will be played 2 ½ weeks later on Oct. 29 at Empower Field at Mile High, the Broncos are 3.5-point home underdogs.
The Chiefs’ on-going 15-game winning streak against the Broncos has lasted so long it started with the worst game of Peyton Manning’s Hall of Fame career. It was Nov. 15, 2015, an easy 29-13 Chiefs win in Denver against the eventual Super Bowl-champion Broncos. The Broncos had won 7 in a row against the Chiefs going into that game.
The Chiefs have used their dominance of the Broncos to win the previous seven AFC West Division titles. Before that the Broncos had five consecutive AFC West championships.
Bothered by a bum heel that would sideline him the following 6 ½ games, Manning completed just 5 of 20 passes for 35 yards – just enough to surpass Brett Favre for the NFL’s career passing yardage record – and four interceptions for the only 0.0 passer rating in his career. Manning’s next-worst single-game passer rating was 35.0 points greater (a 2001 game for the Colts).
Alex Smith was the Chiefs’ quarterback through the first 4 games of the Streak. Patrick Mahomes was the winning quarterback in the other 11 games. Mahomes’ NFL debut was game 5 of the 15-game winning Streak. He and a bunch of Chiefs’ backups beat the Broncos in the final game of the 2017 season.
The Broncos’ losing quarterbacks during the Skid: Manning, Trevor Siemian (3), Paxton Lynch, Case Keenum (2), Joe Flacco, Drew Lock (4), Teddy Bridgewater and Russell Wilson (2).
No one on the Broncos’ current roster was with the team when Denver last beat Kansas City – and it took two touchdowns in the final 36 seconds to rally for a 31-24 win in game 2 of the 2015 season at Arrowhead Stadium.
But the Broncos should have a great chance to win their home game against the Chiefs this season for a couple reasons. One, they’re due. There have only been three single-opponent losing skids in NFL history longer than the Broncos’ 15-gamer against the Chiefs.
The longest was the 1970s juggernaut Dolphins beating the then-hapless Bills 20 straight games.
Next is Washington’s 18-game win streak against the Lions that spanned 30 seasons, from 1968-1997.
And then in the 1990s, the 49ers won 17 in a row against the Rams.
The Chiefs’ 15-game streak against the Broncos is tied for the fourth-longest the Brady-Belichick Patriots put together against the Bills from 2003-11.
The Chiefs should extend their Streak to 16 games against the Broncos on a Thursday night in mid-October at Arrowhead.
But is that where it stops?
It's interesting that two of the newest Bronco players who played for the Super Bowl-champion Chiefs last year, fullback Mike Burton and edge rusher Frank Clark, did not attend Kansas City's ring ceremony last week, a league source told 9NEWS. Throw out that 15-game dirty bath water. Refill the tank.
Another reason the Broncos have a good chance beat the Chiefs this year is Sean Payton. The new head coach figures to get his players so fired up to beat the Chiefs, it may happen for the game at home this year. It would be better if he had Mahomes. But Payton does seem to have robust motivational tactics.
Payton’s average record during his 15-season reign in New Orleans was 10-6. And it wasn’t just because his quarterback was Drew Brees. Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 in relief of the injured Brees in 2019. Jameis Winston, who threw 30 interceptions in 2019 with Tampa Bay, had 14 touchdown passes against just 3 interceptions while going 5-2 in seven starts under Payton in 2021. Taysom Hill, who is a runner not a passer, went 4-1 under Payton in 2021.
Payton is not just a successful head coach, he has been a tremendous offensive head coach. In 9 of his 15 seasons as head coach, the Saints finished in the top 5 in scoring.
The reason why the Chiefs have owned the Broncos the previous 7 ½ seasons is the Broncos have been unable to keep up on the scoreboard against Mahomes and coach Andy Reid. Payton can match game plans and play calls with Reid. The Broncos, who were 32nd in scoring last year and have never ranked better than 22nd over the previous seven seasons, figure to be a top-15 scoring offense this season.
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson played pretty well in two games against the Chiefs last year, throwing for a combined 469 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for another 84 yards and two touchdowns off just 8 carries. He did throw two interceptions and took 10 sacks. He was concussed after one scramble to near the goal line.
But still, one time, Payton and Wilson can beat the Chiefs. One time in more than eight years is not too much to ask.
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