Denver Broncos Win Over Kansas City Chiefs Serves As Reminder That No One Knows Anything About The NFL

Published|Updated

Any Given Sunday. Any team can beat any other team. The best reminder came Sunday when the Denver Broncos inexplicably pounded the Kansas City Chiefs.

No one thinks the Denver Broncos are better than the Kansas City Chiefs. The Denver Broncos don't even think they're better than the Kansas City Chiefs. Well, they might think that for like a couple hours.

But, ultimately, weird stuff happens in the NFL every week. After Week 5, for example, everyone wanted to crown the San Francisco 49ers as Super Bowl champions. Now, after three-straight losses, there are questions about whether they're even one of the five best teams in the league.

Still, the Chiefs loss was shocking. Not just because they're a much better team than Denver, but because the Broncos have -- by far -- the worst defense in the NFL. And for the first time in over two full calendar years, the Chiefs did not score a single touchdown.

The Denver Broncos forced five Kansas City Chiefs turnovers in their upset win during Week 8.

The Denver Broncos forced five Kansas City Chiefs turnovers in their upset win during Week 8. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)

Think about that. The Chiefs had cored double-digit points in 40-straight games (including playoffs). They couldn't score 10 against a defense that allowed the Miami Dolphins to score 70 POINTS.

So, what does it mean? In the end, not a whole lot. The Chiefs committed five turnovers. They lost despite Russell Wilson throwing for 114 yards. In fact, the Chiefs averaged more yards per play than the Broncos did.

It's actually crazy that Denver only won by two touchdowns considering they won the turnover battle by four. Plus, the Broncos had the football for over seven more minutes than the Chiefs.

Therein lies the recipe to a big NFL upset, though. Control the clock, turn the opponent over and cash in on a few opportunities.

The real sad part is that people are going to think Sean Payton is a good coach for a week. As I've written a million times, he's OK. Not great. The Broncos didn't win because of him. Even with the win, though, he still has the same record as Nathaniel Hackett through eight games.

Most important takeaway: this is a regular season game in October. What matters are the games in December, January and February.

Call me if the Chiefs lose to the Broncos in January. They won't, though, because the Broncos' season ends on Jan. 7 while the Chiefs' season ends when they lose a playoff game.

Tags
Written by
Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.