Nothing would be more fitting than to see the Denver Broncos win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night. Doesn't it feel like something the Broncos would do? At this point, barring a historic defensive turnaround, the Denver Broncos are heading toward one of the top picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. I've seen a lot of people on social media call for the team to begin to tank and sell off veteran players at the deadline.
While no NFL team will ever come out and say they're tanking, it's pretty clear that's the case when teams sell. The deadline is just a couple of weeks away, and the Broncos are surely bracing themselves to sell, sell, sell. Players like Josey Jewell, Justin Simmons, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Garett Bolles may all be on the trade block.
Right now, the Broncos have the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and since the Chicago Bears are holding the first two picks, Denver has a great chance to land someone like Drake Maye or Marvin Harrison Jr. Some would say that the Broncos winning would really hurt the team in the long-term, and I guess they aren't totally wrong.
But wouldn't it just be fitting for the Broncos to win? Just, you know, a random win against a rival in a season that's already in the tank. Winning against the Chiefs and getting to 2-4 before two straight home games would really make things... odd to say the least.
Like, what would Denver do in that scenario? Would they hold firm and see if they would win the next two and get to .500 by the bye week? Would they still entertain trade offers? How would the locker room feel? The recent report that the Broncos' locker room is bracing for a potential teardown would really create a weird dynamic if the team beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead on Thursday night.
I think at this point, we should just hope that the Broncos do not get embarrassed on national television. I don't think Denver wins, but the Chiefs have played down to their opponents numerous times in the Patrick Mahomes/Andy Reid era. And their lone loss this tear did come at Arrowhead, for what it's worth.
Denver has the 10th-best scoring offense in the NFL through five games, and Kansas City is right ahead ranking ninth. Russell Wilson also has more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, and a higher passer rating than Patrick Mahomes, for what that's worth as well. I'm not expecting Denver to win, but man would that be weird to see.