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The Denver Broncos had one mission Sunday and that was beat the Kansas City Chiefs so they could reach the playoffs. How’d that go?

Well, the CBS network left the game in the fourth quarter to give viewers a more competitive game.

Because the Broncos absolutely demolished the Chiefs team that sat practically all of its starters and stars.

DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 05: Head coach Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos celebrates after beating the Kansas City Chiefs 38-0 at Empower Field At Mile High on January 05, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Broncos ‘Young And Hungry’

“Young and hungry can sometimes be pretty dangerous,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the game.

That describes his team. The Broncos are in the playoffs, but they haven’t by any means arrived. And despite all that,  they’re dangerous. They’re pointed in the right direction.

They’re a cool story.

And what does this mean?

Well, the Broncos are in the postseason for the first time since 2015. The major rebuild that Payton undertook last season when he became coach isn’t quite finished yet, but it made progress by leaps and bounds this year.

“When you can have some success, then you can have some confidence and then it becomes something that can repeat itself,” Payton said. “We began to see young players thrive in certain positions. We had key veterans in fill-in roles for us.

“So it was a number of different transactions that have worked out. And I’m proud of them.”

The Broncos finish the regular season with 10 wins and will play at the Buffalo Bills next weekend.

DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 05: Devaughn Vele #17, Marvin Mims Jr. #19, and Courtland Sutton #14 of the Denver Broncos celebrate after Mims Jr. scored a touchdown in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field At Mile High on January 05, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Chiefs Avoid Seeing Joe Burrow

The Chiefs had nothing to play for this game and that’s why they sat most of their starters, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive lineman Chris Jones.

But the Chiefs also sort of won as a result of this game. 

Had the Chiefs won, they would have opened the door for the Cincinnati Bengals to get into the playoffs. Joe Burrow, the NFL’s leader in TD passes and passing yards, and the Bengals, winners of five consecutive games at the end of their season, are now out of the playoffs.

The Chiefs beat the Bengals and Burrow by losing.

“Andy’s team earned the right to do the things they needed to do,” Payton said. “Every one of us that’s coaching a team in the postseason is trying to do what we feel is going to help our team have the best chance of success.”

The Broncos didn’t sit their stars. In fact, this game helped add to the rise of some future stars in that Bo Nix, for example, simply torched the Chiefs.

DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 05: Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos and Carson Wentz #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs meet after the Broncos beat the Chiefs 38-0 at Empower Field At Mile High on January 05, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Bo Nix Leads Broncos To Postseason

Nix completed 26 of 29 passes for 321 yards. He threw four touchdown passes without an interception. He finished the game with a 152.4 quarterback rating.

“Quarterback really got on a heater,” is how Payton described it. 

Nix may not win the NFL offensive rookie of the year award because Jayden Daniels seemed to put a claim on that award long ago.

But Nix had a simply marvelous season in helping his team to the postseason. Payton said his quarterback took a speed course on handling protection and the great volume of looks he’s seen over the course of the season.

“I think it does begin to slow down,” Payton said. “He processes it and gets rid of it. And the other thing I would say is, man, with his feet, maybe there’s a little bit more there that I didn’t or we didn’t see.

“He can run.”

The Broncos are sprinting toward the playoffs now.