Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

Nix leads Broncos past Chiefs' reserves 38-0 and into playoffs for 1st time since 2015 season

The rookie quarterback circled Empower Field while handing out high-fives to fans after he passed for 321 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-0 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs’ bevy of backups on Sunday.

“I learned I’ve got to run a little more during the week because that’s a long lap," Nix said. “I was a little tired at the end. But the fans deserve it, it’s been a long time coming.”

Denver (10-7) buried nearly a decade’s worth of futility and frustrations by returning to the postseason party for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

The Broncos will visit Buffalo (13-4) for a wild-card game Sunday after handing the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs their first shutout since Dec. 16, 2012, at Oakland.

Nix went 26 for 29 while setting franchise records for completion percentage (89.7) and most completions to start a game (18).

“It's fun to clinch a playoff spot in the last game of the year against a divisional team,” said Nix, who also set an NFL record with 19 touchdown throws at home in his rookie season. "But now playoff time starts, and our goal wasn't just to make the playoffs, even though it hadn't been done in a while.”

Having already secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed and sole first-round bye in their quest for an unprecedented three-peat, Chiefs coach Andy Reid sat Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and a host of other starters.

“My hat goes off to Denver. Great opportunity for them to get into the playoffs and did a nice job today,” Reid said. “Sean (Payton) has done a good job with that group. A positive for us we got to play a lot of young guys. That experience is invaluable, especially against a good football team.”

Carson Wentz got the start at quarterback and fizzled in his first extended action since Week 18 with the Rams last season. He was 10 of 17 for 98 yards and was sacked four times by the league's best pass rush (62 sacks).

“We didn’t play great as a team. I didn’t play my best, either,” Wentz said. “Move on from this one pretty quick. It was fun to get out there, give myself and a lot of guys a chance to just go out there and compete. But obviously they were the better team today.”

Denver beat Kansas City (15-2) for just the second time in the last 19 games between the teams.

Nix's four TD passes gave him 29 for the season, second-most by a rookie in NFL history, behind only Justin Herbert's 31 in 2020. He hit Marvin Mims twice, Courtland Sutton (five times for 98 yards) and Devaughn Vele for scores.

Vele's TD was intended for Adam Trautman but ricocheted off cornerbacks Nazeeh Johnson (twice) and Keith Taylor before Vele cradled the catch just before tumbling out of the back of the end zone, extending Denver's lead to 21-0.

“Vele ran the wrong route,” Nix said, “but he didn't give up on the play. ... Actually, it was perfect. I'm glad he did exactly what he did and he got a touchdown out of it.”

That wild conclusion capped an 18-play, 89-yard drive that lasted more than 11 minutes, keeping Wentz cooling his cleats on the sideline next to Mahomes, who was decked out in a white hoodie.

“It felt like it lasted forever,” Payton said.

The Chiefs certainly concurred.

After Harrison Butker was wide left on a 51-yard field goal — his first miss in 18 tries at Empower Field at Mile High — Wil Lutz gave Denver a 24-0 halftime lead by nailing a 33-yarder with 3 seconds left that came right after Nix's first incompletion, to a wide-open Javonte Williams.

“I'll kick myself for a while for not going 19 for 19 and hitting Javon for a touchdown,” Nix said.

The Chiefs won't play again until Jan. 18 or 19, meaning Mahomes, who last played on Christmas Day, and other stars who sat this one out will have at least 24 days between games.

Denver's playoff drought was the longest for a team after raising the Lombardi Trophy by four years.

The Broncos' clincher came 3,255 days after Von Miller led them to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Feb. 7, 2016, and their reward as the AFC's seventh seed is a trip to face Miller next weekend.

“Man, we look forward to the challenge,” Payton said.

The Bills were the only other team to beat Kansas City this season, 30-21 in Week 11.

The Chiefs' loss ended their six-game win streak but eliminated the prospect of them having to possibly face Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow at some point in the playoffs.

The Chiefs planned on staying in Denver for the night because of a winter storm that also delayed their flight into Colorado for several hours Saturday.

Injuries Chiefs DB Chamarri Conner (shoulder) was injured in the first half and didn't return. Also sitting out for Kansas City were RB Isiah Pacheco (ribs), RT Jawaan Taylor (knee), CB Jaylen Watson (ankle), WR Mecole Hardman (knee), DE George Karlaftis, CB Trent McDuffie and DT Chris Jones (calf), among others.

The Broncos head into the playoffs as healthy as they've been all season.

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