Renck vs. Keeler: Can Broncos survive a loss to Chiefs and still reach the playoffs?

Renck: The symptoms were subtle at first. Widening eyes. Slight confusion. Missed details on assignments. But within 30 minutes, the Broncos were cooked, “Running Up That Hill” more than the spooked kids in “Stranger Things.” The Ravens clobbered the Broncos in every way, showing the gap between the AFC’s best and the rest, no matter how promising the start of the Broncos’ season. Now, Sean, we are left to make sense of the 41-10 rout and what lies ahead this week in Kansas City. Did what played out Sunday reveal the Broncos as a fraud, meaning a loss to the Chiefs will prove that they are not going to pull off a surprise and reach the playoffs after all?

Keeler: Tell ya what: I’ll make you a promise and pinky swear on it to boot. The Broncos will look so much better in Kansas City that you’ll think you must’ve been asleep for the second half of Denver-Baltimore. That you dreamed it. (For much of the third quarter, it looked as if the Broncos had nodded off, too.) Sean Payton has a secret weapon lined up for this one, and I don’t mean another Philly Special. Boredom. As in, the Chiefs’ boredom. Patrick Mahomes and his cohorts are so good, that they can flip a switch after New Year’s and crank it up for the NFL playoffs like Popeye on a spinach buzz. But in November, my friend, those spinach cans are still sealed.

Renck: Not going to lie. There were moments during the Ravens’ throttling that I thought I saw the name McLovin on the back of the Broncos’ jerseys. They held all the characteristics of a fake ID team. Too young, too anxious to stand eyeball-to-eyeball with an older, legitimate Super Bowl contender. But, there were glimmers of hope. Quarterback Bo Nix met the challenge in many ways, operating as Denver’s best player. That is encouraging because the Broncos’ chance of an upset against the Chiefs hinges on a functional offense because I believe, perhaps naively, that the defense will rebound from its worst outing of the season.

Keeler: VJ’s dudes got Miami diced — although, to be fair, Lamar Jackson can do that to just about anybody once he gets warmed up. The Ravens stiff-armed the Broncos how a high-school sophomore stiff-arms his 10-year-old brother during a pickup game on the driveway. Different weight class. The best path to beating Baltimore is deep shots over the top. That’s the weakest part of Nix’s game right now, and other than Courtland Sutton, there aren’t any targets he can throw rainbows toward that actually scare opposing defensive coordinators. Until the Broncos get more studs on the perimeter, they’ll struggle against defenses with elite front sevens.

Renck: Their challenge remains daunting. The Broncos have dropped eight straight games in Kansas City, last winning on Bradley Roby’s scoop-and-score in 2015 as Peyton Manning refused to go gently into the night. The Chiefs offense doesn’t scare anyone, but as long as Patrick Mahomes remains under center the group will always make clutch plays. The issue for Denver is how Nix and Co. deal with Chiefs defensive wizard Steve Spagnuolo. But remember, even with a loss to K.C., the schedule offers an opportunity to go 5-2 over the final seven games. Denver needs wins over the Falcons, at Raiders, Browns, Colts and a single win in the three-game gauntlet at the Chargers, at the Bengals and home against Kansas City. The key is simple: If the Broncos lose Sunday, can they maintain enough confidence to make a run? While a move at the trade deadline for a tight end would strengthen the argument, my answer, with slight hesitation, is yes.

Keeler: Vegas stinks. The Browns are an enigma. The Colts unearthed Joe Flacco from his sarcophagus and unwrapped him in hopes the old man could replicate his ’23 Cleveland form. On paper, the Broncos have at least five coin-toss games left on the slate, and that’s with five wins already under their belt. Computer projections waver between 8-9 and 9-8, which would be a darn good return with a rookie QB1, regardless. I think the postseason train stops just short of reaching the station … but close enough to put the rest of the AFC on notice.

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