Getty Image / Jamie Squire
The Kansas City Chiefs run the AFC West. The two-time defending Super Bowl champions have won the AFC West nine years in a row, and have dominated the Broncos in the process.
But, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton claims that was about to change. He says that had the Broncos beaten the Bills, they would’ve had a great shot to be the 15-2 top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.
Technically, the Denver Broncos are on a one-game winning streak against the Kansas City Chiefs. Facing a win-or-go-home game in Week 18, the Broncos pummeled the Chiefs. But, all of Kansas City’s stars, including Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones, rested in a meaningless game for Kansas City. The two teams played earlier in the season in Week 10, and the Chiefs won, 16-14, blocking a field goal as time expired. That result suggests they could play with Kansas City. But, it’s an entirely different thing to beat Kansas City in the playoffs. In fact, the only quarterbacks to beat Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs are Tom Brady and Joe Burrow.
All that being said, Sean Payton thinks they would’ve had a great shot to win this weekend had they not been blown out by Buffalo, 31-7.
Sean Payton alluding the Broncos were highly confident if they got past the Bills, they would have beat the Chiefs in the divisional round:
“There’s a lot of confidence in this team if we could get past that game, the next game we felt real good about.”
— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) January 15, 2025
Mind you, Kansas City has beat Denver 18 of the last 20 meetings. And, they’re nearly impossible to beat in the postseason.
Nevertheless, it’s good that the Broncos have confidence against Kansas City. As the Chiefs age, the Broncos can really start to make a push for the divisional title.