Four Takeaways from the Kansas City Chiefs' 38-0 Loss to the Denver Broncos

The Kansas City Chiefs traveled to face the Denver Broncos in Week 18, and there was plenty to take away from the Sunday afternoon contest.

Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles under pressure from Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Joshua Uche (55) as guard Quinn Meinerz (77) defends against defensive end Malik Herring (94) in the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs had an opportunity to play the spoiler role and strike some fear into the Denver Broncos as they pursued a playoff berth. Unfortunately for the reigning Super Bowl champions, their Week 18 outing seemed over as quickly as it began.

Due to some poor defensive execution and not nearly enough production on offense, Andy Reid's team got blown out to end the regular season. Sunday's 38-0 outcome sends Kansas City to 15-2, although there's plenty to fall back on with the postseason in mind.

With that in mind, here are four takeaways from Sunday's game.

Kansas City's defense got off to a very rough start

It's been a tumultuous season for Steve Spagnuolo's defense, which has dealt with injuries and inconsistency in recent weeks. After getting out to a hot start and making plenty of timely stops to help win games, cornerback Jaylen Watson's injury sent the unit on a downward spiral. Between Weeks 8-14, Kansas City ranked 27th in EPA per play surrendered. The past three games featured turnover generation and improved performance, then this week saw Watson get designated to return from injured reserve. There's optimism for the immediate future, but the first half of Sunday's game did absolutely nothing to add to it.

The first quarter, specifically, was terrible. Denver converted two of its three third-down tries, averaged 8.9 yards per play and had multiple explosive plays in both the run and pass games. Quarterback Bo Nix went 9-for-9 with 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Nix ultimately completed 18 consecutive passes before finally missing on one. The play below sums up what was the half to forget for Kansas City on the defensive end, even with the next half having its fair share of lows too.

This TD was wild. 🤯

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/HdqJ03p3w8

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 5, 2025

The Chiefs' offense wasn't much better

With Patrick Mahomes resting in Week 18, the Chiefs handed the keys to Carson Wentz to close out the regular season. The MVP-candidate-turned-journeyman hadn't started a game in nearly a year, so Sunday served as a premier opportunity for him to show the NFL what he's still capable of. On the contrary, the Kansas City offense was behind the proverbial eight-ball throughout the afternoon and turned in a poor effort. Wentz was far from the only culprit, but it was an ugly game.

The Chiefs ran only three drives in the first half, with the first two being of the three-play variety. In the first two frames, they averaged a measly 3.4 yards per play and went 1-for-5 on third down. The passing game never clicked and a 1.6-yard rushing average made things worse. Following the halftime break, Kansas City's offensive line play wavered (more on that momentarily) and the lack of chemistry between quarterback and pass catchers was evident. No one should've expected a masterclass from a backup-led group, yet this didn't inspire confidence about what Wentz would look like in the event of Mahomes getting hurt during the playoffs.

Two of the Chiefs' biggest remaining questions still don't have clear answers

For months, two of the biggest Kansas City-related questions were centered around left tackle and cornerback play. On the offensive line, second-year man Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia didn't pan out early on and the D.J. Humphries signing led to a brief debut before an injury and a switch to Joe Thuney. On defense, the aforementioned Watson injury thrust players like Joshua Williams and Nazeeh Johnson into action opposite Trent McDuffie. With the postseason quickly approaching, neither situation was figured out on Sunday in Denver.

In his first live action since Week 14, Humphries got off to a solid start but had three quick losses in the second half. Two plays were on late downs, which is inexcusable. He didn't do much to completely sway anyone into the idea of him and Thuney at left tackle and left guard being the absolute best plan. In the secondary, Williams got flagged for a pair of infractions (one on special teams) and Johnson had one of his worst games to date. The former position conundrum could be a coach's decision, whereas the latter might just be sorted out when – and if – Watson gets back. It isn't good for a contender to go into the bye with such pressing areas that need addressing, though.

Up next, a bye and a Divisional Round opponent

Despite their loss to the Broncos on Sunday, everything the Chiefs want is still out ahead of them. The most important thing to take away from their Week 18 slate is that key players remained healthy. That gives them a good chance to hang with any team in the conference, especially with home-field advantage in their back pocket. A bye week for the Wild Card round of the playoffs ensures that whoever comes to Kansas City for the Divisional Round is at a rest disadvantage.

Speaking of which, it could be this very Denver team. Once next weekend's play is over with, the Chiefs will host the lowest remaining AFC playoff seed. In the event that the Broncos upset the Buffalo Bills, that would send the No. 7-seeded team to Kansas City for round two. Other potential opponents are also foes Reid's team has faced this season. With plenty of time to relax, recover and prepare, the back-to-back Super Bowl winners have a bit of a leg up on the current field.

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