The Kansas City Chiefs emphasized resting their stars Sunday after already clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Good thing. Because this result would’ve been concerning if that hadn’t been the circumstance.
As it was, KC’s 38-0 road loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday should be shrugged off quickly, especially with the NFL playoffs looming and the seeds now set.
The Chiefs will have a bye week before playing in the AFC Divisional Round on Jan. 18 or 19. Depending on next week’s Wild Card results, KC will host either the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers or Denver Broncos.
A blowout like Sunday’s was certainly possible when coach Andy Reid decided to take no chances and rest his top players, including Pat Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Nick Bolton and Trent McDuffie.
The Chiefs’ makeshift roster wasn’t competitive from the start.
KC struggled to do anything to slow Denver quarterback Bo Nix, who completed his first 18 passes and finished the first half 18-for-19 for 215 yards with three touchdowns.
The Chiefs offense also labored. Denver’s defensive line created constant pressure, and KC backup quarterback Carson Wentz was inaccurate even when he had chances to hit receivers downfield.
It culminated in a Broncos’ 24-0 halftime lead, as Denver scored on each of its four first-half possessions.
This game only had playoff implications for the Broncos. With the victory, Denver earned its first playoff berth since the 2015 campaign — the same season it won Super Bowl L against the Carolina Panthers.
KC’s loss also gave two playoff hopefuls — the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins — no chance to sneak in; both needed a Denver loss to leapfrog into a potential spot.
The Chiefs had one piece of injury news worth monitoring: Cornerback Chamarri Conner, who returned after missing two weeks because of a concussion, left the game and didn’t return after hurting his shoulder.
Reid also will have a decision to make at left tackle. Veteran D.J. Humphries — he started at left tackle after sitting the last three contests with a hamstring injury — struggled in the second half. He allowed quick pressures around his side twice, with both coming when he barely touched a charging Broncos pass-rusher.
Wentz finished 10-for-17 for 98 yards. He was sacked four times.
KC, which fell to 15-2, was shut out for the first time since 2012.
