3 Elating Takeaways from Broncos' Playoff-Clinching Win Over Chiefs

The Denver Broncos are playoff-bound.

Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) celebrates with quarterback Bo Nix (10) after a play in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Perhaps the third time truly was the charm for the 10-7 Denver Broncos, who snapped their two-game losing streak on Sunday with a 38-0 win over the 15-2 Kansas City Chiefs at Mile High. 

The victory delivers the Broncos' first playoff berth since 2015. Denver clinched the last remaining Wildcard position with the No. 7 in the AFC, propelling the team to Upstate New York to face the No. 2-seeded 13-4 Buffalo Bills next weekend. Remember, the Bills were the only team this season to beat the Chiefs in Week 11 when Kansas City played its starters.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid rested starters like quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, running back Isiah Pacheco, right tackle Jawaan Taylor, and other defenders. That was Kansas City's privilege after earning the No. 1 seed on Christmas.

While some may scoff at the Broncos' win because they didn’t earn it against the Chiefs' back-to-back World Champion starting lineup, they finally found a winning recipe with head coach Sean Payton and burgeoning franchise quarterback Bo Nix. 

Anything is possible in the NFL, including wild, improbable upset wins in the playoffs. Broncos County is elated to finally shake off the eight-year playoff drought. But what did we learn from Denver's elating win?

Let’s review three fulfilling takeaways from the Broncos' 10th win of the season before they head to Buffalo for the NFL playoffs. 

Sutton Crosses Milestone, Banks Incentive Bonus

Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) following a first down reception in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In his fourth year as a team captain, Courtland Sutton has never exemplified the stereotypical diva-type wide receiver. Since being drafted by Denver in 2018, the seventh-year veteran has endured the agonizing head-coaching and quarterback carousels. Yet, he has never publicly demanded a trade, nor has he ever thrown his teammates or coaches under the bus. 

Instead, Sutton agreed to restructure his contract last summer after enduring a stalemate with the team during the voluntary portion of offseason workouts, which resulted in a revision that included $1.5 million in performance-based incentives. The 29-year-old inked a $60M contract back in 2021 and is locked into his current contract through 2025.

In early September, Sutton once again proved to be flexible with the Broncos, agreeing to another restructure that created $9.5M in salary-cap space, a move that would assist the contractual ramifications of cornerback Patrick Surtain II’s mega-deal and later, that of outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper.

The play that got @SuttonCourtland over 1,000 receiving yards on the season.

📺: CBS
pic.twitter.com/lW1orLIKlQ

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 5, 2025

On Sunday vs. the Chiefs, Sutton surpassed the 82-yard receiving mark needed to collect a $500,000 incentive, securing him his second career 1000-yard season. The Broncos hadn’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2019, when Sutton crossed the milestone on the way to a Pro Bowl nod.

Sutton finished Week 18 as the Broncos' leading receiver with five receptions for 98 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown from Nix. Sutton, who was voted a Pro Bowl alternate, continues to be Nix’s most reliable target with 81 receptions, 1,081 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns, and now gets to play in his first career playoff game next weekend in Buffalo.

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Payton Proved Nix was the Only QB for Broncos

Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) looks to pass in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Nobody saw the 2024 Broncos earning a postseason bid, especially with Payton in his second year with the club and a rookie QB in tow. Yet here they are.

Payton was hired in 2023 after Denver acquired the former Super Bowl-winning head coach from the New Orleans Saints. Payton posted an 8-9 record last season with a disgruntled Russell Wilson under center.

It hasn’t been perfect or without flaws, but Payton is accomplishing what he set out to do, and that was to change a losing culture that lingered in Denver since the franchise's last recorded winning season in 2016. A lot of it has to do with Nix, who lit up the Chiefs' B-squad on Sunday, going 26-for-29 for 321 passing yards (career-high) and four touchdowns.

The rookie team captain was laser-focused and delivered an exciting, fun, and effective brand of football where he was nearly perfect in the first half of action. On his third touchdown pass of the game, Nix’s pass found fellow rookie Devaughn Vele on a deflected pass in the back of the end zone that became his 18th home passing score, the most in NFL history. 

Nix also recorded 18 straight completions to start the game, the most by any rookie to open an NFL game. His first incompletion came with just six seconds left in the second quarter as the 24-year-old led a Broncos offense that scored five touchdowns and a field in a lopsided matchup.

The rookie is headed to the #NFLPlayoffs!

Bo Nix made sure to show @Broncos fans ALL the love after the game 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/qtEfZq3bOA

— NFL (@NFL) January 6, 2025

Nix’s effectiveness on the ground made him the Broncos' leading rusher with 47 yards but it was his passing that was the most impressive. He set the highest completion percentage (89.7) in franchise history, surpassing the previous mark held by Peyton Manning (2013). 

Nix's impressive performance also earned him the second-most passing touchdowns in NFL history for a rookie. The No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and the last of six quarterbacks selected in the first round, connected with eight separate receivers in the Broncos' blowout win.

A series of rarely-seen smiles and excitement were exhibited by the always on-point and business-faced Nix. The Broncos' rookie quarterback was captured by the CBS cameras celebrating on the sidelines with his teammates and his demanding offensive play-caller. After all, Nix is the first rookie QB in team history since John Elway to lead the Broncos to the postseason.

Payton and Nix have unquestionably brought the Mile High Magic back to a historic franchise with aspirations of winning its fourth Lombardi trophy.

Joseph’s Second Act Spells Redemption 

Aug 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph during the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

When Payton announced the hiring of Vance Joseph as defensive coordinator in 2023, he was met with a collective eye roll from the fan base. Remember, this was the same man who posted an 11-21 record as the Broncos head coach (2017-18) when he was fired for posting the team's first back-to-back losing seasons since 1972.

In Week 3 of the 2023 season, Joseph’s defense was shredded by a Miami Dolphins team that hung 70 points on the Broncos, becoming the first team to do so since 1966 and causing many (including yours truly) to question his employment status with the team. However, Joseph’s defense has been the strength of the team this season, supporting its on-the-rise rookie QB and Payton’s budding offense. 

For most of the season, Joseph's defense has led the league in sacks and QB pressures, getting to the opponents early and often. Entering the game, Denver had already set a franchise-best 58-sack record in 16 games played, along with 255 total pressures.

Against the Chiefs' backup offense, the Broncos defense recorded five sacks en route to a shutout victory. Kansas City’s offense was limited to just five first downs and 98 total yards. 

Broncos rush linebackers Nik Bonitto and Cooper also became the first Denver duo to record double-digit sacks in a season since Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in 2018. Surtain and Bonitto were voted starters for the 2025 Pro Bowl, while defensive end Zach Allen and safety Brandon Jones were selected as alternates for the NFL all-star event. ‘PS2’ also remains atop the Defensive Player of the Year race in a stellar season that has seen him step into the role of the NFL's best lockdown corner.

So, while second chances rarely work out, it’s been refreshing to see that Joseph has made the most of his return to Denver. However, the biggest test of his coaching career will come next weekend against a Bills team with the presumptive MVP in Josh Allen.

For now, Joseph deserves his flowers and this fan base’s respect as the Broncos defense hopes to keep things rolling in the postseason. 

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