Stick here for live updates and analysis as Denver takes on the Chiefs in Denver. Live updates Third-quarter analysis — Broncos 31, Chiefs 0 Matt Schubert, sports editor: Can we just simulate the fourth quarter? Third-quarter updates Rough day (4:33 p.m.): The Chiefs will go into the fourth quarter with 91 total yards. — Schubert Casa Bonitto (4:32 p.m.): Nik Bonitto AGAIN. That’s 2.5 sacks today and 14.0 for the season. I would not have taken that number in the preseason. — Schubert Mimsy (4:29 p.m.): Marvin Mims Jr. the past two games: 13 catches on 13 targets for 154 yards and 4 TDs. — Gabriel Touchdown, Broncos (4:25 p.m.): Marvin Mims Jr. takes a swing pass 7 yards into the corner of the end zone. Game. Over. Initiate Stiddy time. 31-0 with 2:49 to go. — Schubert That drive was 11 plays for 79 yards and lasted 6:15. Broncos are rolling. — Nguyen Marvin Mims Jr becoming a thing is such a good thing for Broncos offense. His lack of playing time early in the season was perplexing. But he has a niche role now as a player in motion, getting tunnel screens, swing passes and getting the ball in space. He has two TDs today. And four the past two weeks. 31-0. — Renck Huge gain (4:23 p.m.): Bo Nix connects with Devaughn Vele for a 32-yard gain. — Nguyen And he dials one up. Big strike to Vele and the Broncos are now second and goal at the 10. — Schubert Big shot (4:22 p.m.): Sean Payton’s trying to find (at least) one more big shot for Bo Nix in this one. — Gabriel Big gain (4:21 p.m.): Bo Nix with the short pass to Javonte Williams who breaks a tackle en route to a 25-yard gain. — Nguyen Yard differential (4:18 p.m.): Total yards… Broncos: 321 Chiefs: 70 — Schubert Three-and-out (4:15 p.m.): Denver’s defense stuffs Kansas City again. The punt is fair-caught at the Denver 21-yard line. — Nguyen Pretty sure both teams would like to just fast-forward to the end. Broncos get the ball back. Score a TD here and it’s gonna be Stidham time. — Schubert Nowhere (4:09 p.m.): Broncos go nowhere on their opening drive. This has to be the least dramatic playoff clinching game in the history of the NFL. — Schubert Sacked (4:03 p.m.): John Franklin-Meyers and Nik Bonitto split a sack on Carson Wentz. Chiefs punt it into the end zone for a touchback. — Nguyen John Franklin-Myers gets in on the sack parade, sharing half a sack with Nik Bonitto to stop the Chiefs’ opening drive. At what point do the Broncos start shuttling in the backups? — Schubert Halftime analysis — Broncos 24, Chiefs 0 Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Bo Nix and the offense is having a ton of fun out there. This game has preseason vibes. Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Take a picture. The Broncos are leading the Chefs (misspelling intentional) by more than 13 points at a half for the first time since Dec. 30, 2012, when the Orange and Blue led Andy Reid 21-3 at intermission here at Empower Field. Those were the days, my friend. They’re back again. Troy Renck, sports columnist: Sean Payton has proven he can school, bad teams or reserves. This offense is humming along as Bo Nix makes Payton look like a genius for cutting Russell Wilson. Matt Schubert, sports editor: Bo Nix, almost perfect. Courtland Sutton, $500K richer. Jonathon Cooper, welcome to the double-digit sack club. Broncos playoff drought, two quarters from being extinguished. Second-quarter updates Field goal, Broncos (3:44 p.m.): Wil Lutz nails the 33-yard field goal. Broncos 24, Chiefs 0 with three seconds to go in the half. — Nguyen Money man (3:44 p.m.): Courtland Sutton just cashed another $500,000 in incentives with that 32-yard grab. He’s up to 89 yards today and past the 1,065 marker needed for the incentive to hit. — Gabriel Incomplete (3:43 p.m.): The one incomplete ball is the one where the guy is WIDE OPEN. The dream of perfection dies on the last offensive snap of the first half. Instead, a field goal. — Schubert Penalties (3:42 p.m.): Referees are killing all fun … except when they provide Crime and Punishment style explanations. — Schubert Forward lateral (3:38 p.m.): Like my Leicester FC Foxes, Broncos are done in by a VAR review. Offside. — Keeler Bo Nix has still completed every forward pass he has thrown in this game. — Schubert Missed FG (3:35 p.m.): Harrison Butker misses the 51-yard field-goal attempt. Denver gets the ball back with 1:04 to go in the half. — Nguyen Casa Bonitto (3:34 p.m.): Another sack for Nik Bonitto. He has 13.5 on the season. — Nguyen Sacked (3:32 p.m.): The Broncos now have two double-digit sack men after Jonathon Cooper’s second-down sack. — Schubert Jonathon Cooper reaches double figures with 10.5 sacks after crushing Carson Wentz. — Renck Broncos have two players to record double digit sacks in a season for the first time since Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in 2018. Jonathon Cooper: 10.5 Nik Bonitto: 12.5 — McFadden Driving (3:29 p.m.): An appropriately long Chiefs drive at the end of the second quarter. Just keep them out of the end zone and the Broncos can rest easy in the second half. — Schubert Fourth-down conversion (3:28 p.m.): Carson Wentz throws a catch-and-run to Samaje Perine for a 13-yard gain on fourth-and-4. — Nguyen Touchdown, Broncos (3:18 p.m.): Bo Nix finds Devaughn Vele in the end zone after it was deflected twice. Nix is a perfect 17-for-17 to start the game. Broncos 21, Chiefs 0 with 6:46 to go in the second quarter. That drive went 11:05 with 18 plays for 89 yards. — Nguyen That is how you keep a streak alive. Bo Nix has 18 passing TDs at home, a new NFL rookie record. He has 28 overall, second most by a rookie behind Justin Herbert (31). And he has 17-for-17, three shy of Hugh Millen’s club record of 20 straight set in 1994. Other than that. — Renck Chiefs are allegedly staying the night b/c of the shutdowns at KC International. Do they get invited to the Broncos’ playoff party? — Keeler I’m hitting reset on Madden after a touchdown like that. — Schubert Staying perfect (3:15 p.m.): Broncos’ Bo Nix on a heater 14-for-14 to start the game. That could be the best in team history. Broncos are efforting to check it out. — Renck Converted (3:13 p.m.): Bo Nix dives right for the first down. — Nguyen Staying aggressive (3:12 p.m.): Hard to get closer to a first down than that. If the Broncos score here, Sean Payton gets the luxury of thinking when he wants to pull his starters. — Schubert Continuing the momentum (3:06 p.m.): Bo Nix starts the second quarter with an 8-yard pass to Nate Adkins. — Nguyen First-quarter analysis — Broncos 14, Chiefs 0 Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Bar-Bill’s got the best wings in Buffalo. Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Chiefs are playing like they don’t want Joe Burrow in the playoffs. Sean Keeler, sports columnist: The forecast for Saturday at Niagara Falls: Cloudy at 32 for a high. No snow. Troy Renck, sports columnist: Buffalo in January isn’t like Paris in August, but it is starting to sound pretty appealing for Broncos. Nix is 9-for-9 for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Nix has 27 passing touchdowns. That is the most since Peyton Manning since 2014. Matt Schubert, sports editor: The offense is chunking its way down the field. The defense is having zero problems with Carson Wentz. And the playoffs are right there for the taking. (Which the Chiefs seem to be perfectly fine with.) First-quarter updates Quick feet (3:02 p.m.): Bo Nix: Pretty fast. — Gabriel Injury (2:58 p.m.): Broncos wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey is down on the ground and being looked at by trainers. — Nguyen Another stop (2:53 p.m.): Denver’s defense stops KC again, this time allowing 17 yards on three plays. Check that — 12 yards after the penalty. — Nguyen Perfect start (2:50 p.m.): Bo Nix is 8 for 8 with 125 yards and two touchdowns. — McFadden Touchdown, Broncos (2:46 p.m.): Bo Nix connects with Courtland Sutton between double coverage for the 10-yard touchdown. Broncos 14, Chiefs 0 with 4:53 to go in the first quarter. — Nguyen Andy Reid hates the idea of Joe Burrow in the playoffs more than the idea of the Broncos, apparently. And hallelujah. — Keeler Huge gain (2:45 p.m.): Courtland Sutton now officially the first 1,000-yard receiver or rusher for the Broncos since 2019 after that 47-yard deep ball from Nix. — Gabriel Aggressive calls (2:44 p.m.): Sean Payton back to aggressive this week. Goes for it on fourth and 1 from the 39 and Nix gets it on a sneak. — Gabriel Broncos are trying to put this game away by halftime. — McFadden Run game (2:42 p.m.): Broncos are running it right at the Zombie Chiefs defense. Unsolicited advice: They should keep doing that. — Gabriel Three-and-out (2:37 p.m.): Denver’s defense stops the Carson Wentz-led Chiefs offense. Denver gets the ball back at its own 15 after the punt. — Nguyen Fun fact (2:35 p.m.): The Broncos went into Week 18 averaging 1.92 points per drive. While wearing their Orange Crush ’77 throwbacks, they’re getting 3.15 points per drive. Lesson: KEEP THE THROWBACKS. — Keeler Touchdown, Broncos (2:31 p.m.): Nix fakes the hand off to Troy Franklin before throwing a short pass to Marvin Mims Jr., who scores on a 32-yard touchdown catch. Broncos are on the board. — McFadden Marvin Mims: Pretty important to this offense. — Gabriel The criticism of Broncos offense has been well-deserved at times. But seeing Mims become a thing has been a pleasant and welcomed surprise. — Renck Bo Nix finds Marvin Mims Jr. for the 32-yard catch-and-run touchdown to cap off that six-play, 70-yard drive. Broncos 7, Chiefs 0 with 11:55 to go in the first quarter. — Nguyen Williams sighting (2:30 p.m.): Javonte Williams, who didn’t have a carry vs. Cincy, just ran up the middle for a 10-yard gain. Denver’s offense is rolling out of the gates. Injury (2:27 p.m.): RT Mike McGlinchey came up limping after McLaughlin’s first carry of the game. — Gabriel First play (2:27 p.m.): Nix throws to Nate Adkins for a 12-yard gain on the first play. — McFadden Pre-game updates Coin toss (2:24 p.m.): Kansas City won the toss and elected to defer. Denver will get the ball first. — McFadden Strong opening (2:22 p.m.): Terrific national anthem. Crowd into it. It is sunny 30 degrees. Broncos aiming for their first playoff berth since 2015. — Renck Reunion (2:08 p.m.): Former Broncos standout Derek Wolfe spent time in pregame hanging out with Travis Kelce. Wolfe, Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce were roommates at the University of Cincinnati. Wolfe is part of the alumni guests. Dave Logan, former Bronco and the voice of the Broncos on KOA, will plant the flag before the game. — Renck Gameday (1:22 p.m.): Chilly morning but it’s now a beauty of a day here for Week 18 action. Has there been a single day of bad weather at Empower Field this season? Can’t remember one. Field looks great with the retro trimmings. The Broncos will either end their playoff drought or collapse in dramatic fashion wearing the throw-back unis. — Gabriel Broncos inactives (1:01 p.m.): QB Zach Wilson, RB Blake Watson, DL Matt Henningsen, LB Levelle Bailey, DL Eyioma Uwazurike and OT Frank Crum. — McFadden Scouting report (10:51 a.m.): Check out how the Broncos match up with the Chiefs in Ryan McFadden’s scouting report. Game predictions Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Broncos 20, Chiefs 17 Maybe it’ll end up being smooth sailing for Denver. The status as a big home favorite will make for a festive Week 18 and a cathartic end to the playoff drought. But it’s hard to imagine Kansas City, the longtime divisional big brother, rolling over and letting it happen that easily. Even with Patrick Mahomes in a ball cap. Even with other key players only watching. Coach Andy Reid and DC Steve Spagnuolo don’t have to take the week off. Still, Denver makes good on chance No. 3 and punches its ticket. Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Broncos 26, Chiefs 17 Third time’s the charm, right? Denver has shown it can beat the Chiefs. A blocked field goal attempt at Arrowhead took away the Broncos’ chance of pulling their biggest upset of the season. On Sunday, however, the Broncos will be playing against a bunch of the Chiefs’ backups. The game will be closer than expected, but the Broncos should take care of business in front of their home crowd. If not, they never deserved to be in the playoffs to begin with. Troy Renck, columnist: Broncos 22, Chiefs 19 The K.C. bench would like nothing more than to send the Broncos to the beach. But without Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones, Travis Kelce and Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs are not upsetting the Broncos. Sean Payton will find himself in rhythm with the run game — meaning Bo Nix is a big part of it on RPOs — as the Broncos advance to the playoffs with a white-knuckle win. Matt Schubert, sports editor: Broncos 25, Chiefs 14 As much as Kansas City might like to spoil the Broncos’ parade to the playoffs, every decision its coaching staff has made leading into this one indicates just how little they actually care. It’s hard to beat a team with that sort of posture, especially one as motivated as the Broncos playing in front of a frothing-at-the-mouth home crowd. The postseason drought ends Sunday, with a trip to sunny Buffalo a fitting reward after the debacle that was the last two weeks. Broncos-Chiefs NFL Week 18: Must-reads Broncos’ Garett Bolles, Courtland Sutton have “put up with a lot of garbage” over the years. Is their playoff moment finally about to arrive? Related Articles Denver Broncos | With nothing at stake, Chiefs rest Mahomes, Kelce and several other starters against Broncos Denver Broncos | The $tadium Game: Inside the lucrative world of Colorado’s pro sports stadiums Denver Broncos | Will Broncos build new stadium? Inside the what, where and when that guides team decision-making Denver Broncos | Amid nationwide stadium boom, will Broncos build new home to land what Rockies have and what Nuggets, Avs are getting? Denver Broncos | How would a Broncos move from Empower Field impact Sun Valley, surrounding neighborhoods? Beginning with a win against Green Bay last year, the Broncos under Payton won 16 of their next 25 games, including an expectation-blasting 9-5 start to 2024. But now they’ve lost their past two and likely have to win Sunday against Kansas City to finally put that playoff drought to bed. To get to the postseason for the first time since winning the Super Bowl in 2015. To shake the albatross off the back of Bolles, Denver’s longest-tenured Bronco, and its other elder statesman, receiver Courtland Sutton. “They’ve put up with a lot of garbage over the years and it’s time we give them the ability to cash in,” Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey said Wednesday. “We’re excited to do that. We talked about that as an offense today. You’re not just playing for yourself. You’re playing for your city, you’re playing for your organization, you’re certainly playing for the players that have been here for a long time.” Read Parker Gabriel’s full story. Broncos HC Sean Payton says CB Pat Surtain II should win DPOY: “It’s an easy case to make” No cornerback has been named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year since Stephon Gilmore in 2019. Sean Payton strongly believes Pat Surtain II should end that streak. Surtain, Denver’s star defensive back, is currently a betting favorite to be named the AP Defensive Player of the Year, according to FanDuel. He is ahead of outside linebackers T.J. Watt (Steelers), Myles Garrett (Browns) and Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings), and safety Kerby Joseph (Lions). Teammate and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto has the ninth-best odds to win the award. Read Ryan McFadden’s full story. Renck: After whiffing twice on playoff berth, Broncos’ Sean Payton has chance for redemption against Chiefs The Broncos needed a seismic change in leadership, and owner Greg Penner realized it. Two years ago, after watching Dalton Risner shove Brett Rypien, after watching Randy Gregory punch a Los Angeles Ram, after hearing “SpongeBob Squarepants” character Patrick Star roast Russell Wilson, Penner fired Nathaniel Hackett. You can draw a line from that Christmas Day game to Sunday. Win, and the Broncos are in the playoffs. Penner rescued the Broncos by hiring Sean Payton. He established a culture and created accountability, but as Denver sits on the doorstep of its first postseason appearance since 2015, questions persist about Payton’s mindset. Read Troy Renck’s full column. Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.