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Playoffs start now for the Broncos

As Adam Malnati and Ian St. Clair discussed on the MHR Radio podcast, Denver can ill afford to lose the Chiefs.

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The second Gary Kubiak was hired by the Denver Broncos, it was an instantaneous culture change. Unlike the previous head coach, you knew the Broncos would be prepared for anything and everything.

No longer would Denver be “caught off guard.”

Look no further than the miraculous win over the New Orleans Saints. Had John Fox been on the sidelines when Drew Brees completed that touchdown to Brandin Cooks, Fox would have just walked into the locker room. Stunned and bewildered.

The change wasn’t just for what unfolds on the field, it was for the actual games. You knew the Broncos would show up in the big moments. Over the last season-and-a-half since Kubiak was hired, that’s how it’s played out.

In terms of this season, the playoffs start Sunday for Denver when it hosts the Kansas City Chiefs. As Adam Malnati and I discussed on the Mile High Report Radio podcast, the Broncos can ill afford to lose on Sunday. A loss to the Chiefs would drop Denver’s divisional record to 1-3, while Kansas City would jump to 3-0.

The good news is Denver is 21-6 all time coming off the bye, 15-3 at home. While the Chiefs lead the all-time series 57-54, the Broncos are 35-21 at home. And since Pat Bowlen became the owner in 1984, Denver is 40-25 against the Chiefs.

But the biggest factor in this game is not the numbers, it’s Kubiak. In the big moments, you know the Broncos will show up. You know they will be prepared. You know Denver won’t be caught off guard.

In terms of the 2016 season, it doesn’t get bigger, and that’s just how the Broncos like it.