Denver Broncos Believe They're Better Than Dynastic Kansas City Chiefs in AFC West Rivalry
The Denver Broncos are building something. Not even the most avid fan of the Kansas City Chiefs can argue against that.
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But are they this season so built up that they are going to match the Chiefs, win the AFC West and end the KC dynasty?
That seems far-fetched.
But ...
We suppose it justifiably starts with the Broncos themselves believing it can be done. And a Denver insider says Broncos head coach Sean Payton has his team thinking just that.
In a segment on Denver's 104.3 The Fan, longtime Broncos reporter Mike Klis said that the Broncos are confident about their chances to take down the nine-time defending division champions.
"I know inside the locker room, Sean Payton has them believing they're better than the Chiefs now," Klis said.
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Klis said Payton has instilled a mentality of "swag" in his club, which to its credit did engineer for itself a 2024 turnaround with a 10-7 record.
Can that be improved upon?
Some think Denver having ended the 2024 regular season by clinching a playoff berth with a 38-0 win over a Chiefs team that treated the outing like an exhibition game is a foundational building block.
Again, that seems far-fetched; the Broncos know that KC was sitting most of the starters after having clinched the AFC's top seed for the playoffs.
We will find out soon enough, and we will find out in a head-to-head manner, too.
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Denver and Kansas City meet for the first time in 2025 in the Mile High City on Nov. 16, with the second meeting in Kansas City scheduled for Christmas night.
"Whether we think this team is good, whether we think this team can win the AFC West, they believe it. Sean Payton's got them believing it," Klis said of the upstart Broncos.
Related: 'Not Smart Enough' Kelce Takes Good-Natured Needle From Chiefs Coach
Related: Chiefs' Travis Kelce Pulls Off Romantic Gesture For Taylor Swift
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
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