Ranking games when KC Chiefs ripped the Broncos hearts out

As a Kansas City Chiefs fan, I can’t help but think the AFC West is the best division in the NFL, and rightfully so. Of all the divisions in football, the Chiefs have produced some of the tightest division races and delivered competitive play against one another for decades.

Think back to 1993, when the Marcus Allen and Joe Montana-led Chiefs went 11-5. Right behind them were the 10-6 Raiders, the 9-7 Broncos, and the 8-8 Chargers. If that’s too far away for some fans to remember (like myself), even as close as 2013, the AFC West has delivered competitive play. The Broncos went 13-3 behind Peyton Manning’s 55-touchdown season, the Chiefs went 11-5, and the Chargers went 9-7—even with the Raiders going 4-12, 3 of the 4 teams in the division made the Playoffs in 2013.

The heights of competitive play also bring some absolute boat races amongst division rivals. With Kansas City playing Denver this Sunday, let’s take a look back at some of Denver’s worst losses at the hands of the Chiefs.

1. Week 1, 1963: KC 59, DEN 7

The most lopsided victory in the history of the Chiefs-Broncos rivalry, the Chiefs, led by Len Dawson’s 4 touchdowns, gave Denver an absolute beating in the early ’60s. This win is a great screenshot of the Chiefs Broncos rivalry throughout the 1960s, with the Chiefs (known as the Dallas Texans from 1960-1962) going on an absolute tear, finishing the decade with a 19-1 record against their division rival.

4 Week 5, 2003: KC 24, DEN 23

One of the closest games in the history of this historic rivalry, a Week 5 showdown in 2003 pitted the 4-0 Chiefs against the 4-0 Broncos. Despite being outgained in yardage 468-262, and losing the turnover battle 2-1, the Chiefs scraped by for a victory, with the penultimate highlight being Dante Hall’s punt return in which he retreated to his own 3-yard-line, received some questionable blocks, and sprinted past the Broncos kicking unit for the games deciding score.

This was not only a bout between two undefeated teams and division rivals, but it also served as THE game of this Chiefs 13-3 season and made Dante Hall a household name. Thanks, Denver.

3. Week 15, 2004: KC 45, DEN 17

The Chiefs absolutely manhandled the Broncos on their way to a 45-17 victory. Trent Green put on a clinic, going 16-19 for 224 yards and 3 touchdowns, and it didn’t stop there. Larry Johnson kept the ball rolling as he steamrolled the Broncos’ defense for 151 yards on 30 carries and 2 touchdowns. The defense showed up as well forcing Jake Plummer into 2 interceptions and forcing a fumble from running back Tatum Bell.

4. Week 10, 2015: KC  29, DEN 13

The Chiefs, en route to a 10-game win streak that saw them finish 11-5 after a 1-5 start, beat the Broncos 29-13 in Week 10. With 5 interceptions combined between Brock Osweiler and Peyton Manning, the Chiefs’ defense made a mockery of the eventual Super Bowl 50 Champions. The Broncos had won 7 of the previous 8 contests between K.C. and Denver, and this victory in the back half of 2015 would spur a run of dominance for the Chiefs, having won the last 11 matchups against Denver since Week 10, 2015.