Adam's Top Five Broncos/Cheifs games
By Adam Uribes
· General
·
· 3 min read
With another chapter set to be written on Sunday, what are some of the most memorable games in the rivalry that come to mind? There are no wrong answers, per se, but these are the top five according to me, and any debate is moot, obviously.
PS – ONLY Broncos wins are listed; if you’re looking for Chiefs wins, you're in the wrong place.
Broncos versus Chiefs. The game on Sunday will be the next chapter in a rivalry going back all the way to the AFL. Two of the most successful franchises in league history will throw down, this time with the Broncos playing the role of young lion to the old lion in the Kansas City Chiefs.
With another chapter set to be written on Sunday, what are some of the most memorable games in the rivalry that come to mind? There are no wrong answers, per se, but these are the top five according to me, and any debate is moot, obviously.
PS – ONLY Broncos wins are listed; if you’re looking for Chiefs wins, you're in the wrong place.
****Honorable Mention** –
**October 30, 2023 –** Broncos end the streak.**
Losing 16 times. In a row. To anyone. It's embarrassing. When that team is a hated divisional rival like the Chiefs, beating them means just a bit more. Forget all the excuses Chiefs Kingdom had for losing this one (Mahomes having the sniffles the most notable), a 24-9 whupping put Denver back in the win column and got them off the snide. Finally.
**5. September 17, 1990. The Christian Okoye Game.**
No one remembers the outcome of the game ( a 24-23 Broncos win), but everyone remembers Steve Atwater meeting Christian Okaye in the hole and knocking him on his tush. Not just a big hit, but a play that elevated Atwater's profile as one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the game, AND diminished Okoye, who was never the same after that hit.
**4) October 5, 1992 - Elway breaks KC’s heart**
Fun Fact - John Elway had 8 of his 47 comebacks vs the Chiefs, including a 20-19 win that saw Elway toss two scores in the final minutes to snatch a victory away for KC. History has a funny way of repeating itself, with fans trying to re-enter the old Mile High Stadium when the rally was on, much like this season when fans started to make their way towards the exits before the Broncos rallied for an improbable win vs the Giants more than 30 years later. Moral of the story? Stay in your seat for the entire game.
**3. December 7, 2003, Clinton Portis runs wild**
If you get the image of Portis rocking a championship belt at the end of this game, then you know exactly why this made the list. Portis put his name into the collective heads of the NFL, rushing for 218 yards and FIVE touchdowns in a 45-27 win that looked closer than it really was. The five touchdowns still stand as a record at the time of writing.
**2. September 17, 2015, Jamal Charles' fumble dooms Chiefs**
There was a time before Andy Reid became the “genius” we all know now, sarcasm heavily implied. The springboard for what became a championship-winning season might not have even happened had Reid decided not to out-think himself and send out Charles to run out the clock or try to steal the game late. Instead, Charles puts the ball on the carpet, and a Bradley Roby scoop-and-score later, Denver escaped with a 31-24 win in Arrowhead.
**1. January 4, 1998, AFC Divisional round game**
If anyone ever tells you that defensive struggles make bad football, show them this game and give them a fresh one across the head. A street fight that took place on a football field, members of both teams still talk today about how neither side was willing to give an inch, making for a physical and exhausting matchup for both sides. Add in the winner making it to the conference title game, sprinkle in a frigid day, and you get an all-time classic between the bitterest of rivals. Terrell Davis rushed for both the team's touchdowns, and Darrien Gordon broke up a last-ditch pass in the endzone to push Denver into the next round, eventually ending in a win in Super Bowl 32.
Was there a game that got left out? Or maybe you think the list is fine, but the order is wrong? Leave a comment and check out more articles here.
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