Three takeaways from the Broncos Christmas win

The Denver Broncos defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 20-13 on Christmas Day. It marked the team’s first win against the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium since 2015. The Broncos’ performance reflected how the majority of their season has gone, which is games coming down to the wire. 11 of their 13 wins this season have ended in one score.

Here are three takeaways from the Broncos’ most recent game that offer more insight into where the Broncos stand moving forward.

What the Broncos’ performance said about their identity

The Broncos played to their strengths at times, but also showed some weaknesses against the Chiefs, as they didn’t secure a win until the Chiefs failed to score and tie the game in the final moments.

Denver didn’t look like a playoff-caliber team as it struggled against a banged-up Kansas City team, which was without quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew and had many defensive players out.

The Broncos’ effort wasn’t consistent for four quarters, as Bo Nix was inaccurate, leading to Nick Bolton intercepting a pass. Courtland Sutton also had some critical drops, while one of those drops should have been a touchdown. The defense didn’t have a single sack in the first half, initially struggling to stop the run and short passing plays.

This game reinforced what many fans thought the Broncos’ identity was: even though they are winning games, they are still seen by some as a fraudulent team. It’s one thing that they’ve barely beaten some playoff contenders, but a major red flag is that many of their games against teams that aren’t making the playoffs have also gone down to the wire.