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The losing streak will end in 2022

The Denver Broncos will beat the Kansas City Chiefs at least once during the 2022 season.

NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos have not beaten the Kansas City Chiefs since September 17th, 2015. That thirteen game losing streak to a division opponent is the worst in the league and one of the reasons why the Broncos have the third worst intra-divisional record over the last six seasons and the Chiefs have the best.

Rank Tm W L T W-L%
1 KAN 31 5 0 0.861
2 PIT 26 9 1 0.736
3 NWE 26 10 0 0.722
4 DAL 26 10 0 0.722
5 NOR 25 11 0 0.694
6 GNB 23 12 1 0.653
7 TEN 23 13 0 0.639
8 PHI 21 15 0 0.583
9 LAR 21 15 0 0.583
10 MIN 20 15 1 0.569
11 SEA 20 15 1 0.569
12 BUF 20 16 0 0.556
13 BAL 20 16 0 0.556
14 ATL 20 16 0 0.556
15 MIA 19 17 0 0.528
16 IND 19 17 0 0.528
17 HOU 19 17 0 0.528
18 TAM 17 19 0 0.472
19 ARI 16 19 1 0.458
20 OAK / LVR 16 20 0 0.444
21 CHI 15 21 0 0.417
22 SDG / LAC 14 22 0 0.389
23 SFO 14 22 0 0.389
24 CIN 13 23 0 0.361
25 NYG 13 23 0 0.361
26 DET 13 23 0 0.361
27 CLE 12 23 1 0.347
28 WAS 12 24 0 0.333
29 JAX 11 25 0 0.306
30 DEN 11 25 0 0.306
31 CAR 10 26 0 0.278
32 NYJ 7 29 0 0.194

The only team with a divisional losing streak that is close is the Jets. They have lost their last twelve games against the Patriots. The last time they beat the Patriots was December 27th, 2015.

Why am I so confident that the Broncos will finally, beat KC this season? Because Russell Wilson will be playing quarterback for Denver. During his time as the starting QB for the Seahawks, they had a record of 35-24-1 against the NFC West. That included a 16-4 record against the 49ers, an 11-8-1 record against the Cardinals and an 8-12 record against the Rams. Despite having a losing record against the Rams, there were only three seasons in which they lost twice to them over the past ten seasons (2015, 2018 and 2021). That first Rams loss in 2021 is the game where Wilson hurt his thumb and Geno Smith had to play the rest of the game.

If you look at the other two divisional opponents, you find that Seahawks never lost both games to the Cardinals or the 49ers in any year 2012-2021.

The teams in your division know you best, because they play you twice a year (sometimes three times if you meet in the playoffs), so those defenses should have the best idea of how to stop your offense (and your QB). During his career Russell Wilson has a passer rating of 101.8, but his passer rating against teams in the NFC West is a little below that.

passer rating vs 49ers - 100.2

vs Cardinals - 96.7

vs Rams - 92.4

The team that Wilson has had the most trouble with during his career is the Packers. They are the only team against which he has a passer rating in the 70s (74.1). Only two NFL teams have kept him to a passer rating below 90: the Raiders (89.8) and the Giants (88.6).

For reference, the quarterbacks for the Broncos 2016-2021 have a combined passer rating of 80.9. That includes a combined passer rating of 70.0 against the Chiefs. Over the last six seasons Bronco passers have completed 55.8 percent of their passes for eleven touchdowns and fifteen interceptions against KC. Bronco QBs have also been sacked 37 times in those 12 games.

Player Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD Int Rate Sk
Teddy Bridgewater 285 426 66.9 3052 18 7 94.9 31
Joe Flacco 171 262 65.3 1822 6 5 85.1 26
Case Keenum 365 586 62.3 3890 18 15 81.2 34
Trevor Siemian 495 835 59.3 5686 30 24 79.9 64
Drew Lock 421 710 59.3 4740 25 20 79.3 33
Jeff Driskel 35 64 54.7 432 3 2 78.4 11
Paxton Lynch 79 128 61.7 792 4 4 76.7 18
Brock Osweiler 96 172 55.8 1088 5 5 72.5 10
Brandon Allen 39 84 46.4 515 3 2 68.3 9
Brett Rypien 27 42 64.3 295 2 4 61.2 1
Kendall Hinton 2 10 20.0 14 0 2 0 1
Combined 2015 3319 60.7 22326 114 90 80.9 238

If we beat the Chiefs twice during the 2022, I don’t see how we would miss the playoffs. Despite not making the Super Bowl for the 2021 season, the Chiefs are still arguably the best team in the AFC.

Poll

What will the Broncos record against the Chiefs be for the 2022 season? (third game would be in the playoffs)

This poll is closed

  • 15%
    3-0
    (286 votes)
  • 23%
    2-1
    (441 votes)
  • 11%
    2-0
    (213 votes)
  • 33%
    1-1
    (610 votes)
  • 4%
    1-2
    (79 votes)
  • 8%
    0-2
    (153 votes)
  • 3%
    0-3 (go home, you’re drunk)
    (58 votes)
1840 votes total Vote Now