Honestly, if you looked at the Broncos vs KC score from the last decade, you'd expect the same old story. For years, the Kansas City Chiefs treated Denver like a personal punching bag. They racked up 16 straight wins against the Broncos. It was painful. It was lopsided. But 2025 changed the math in a way that’s still making people double-check the box scores.
The final meeting of the 2025 regular season told the real story. On December 25, 2025, the Denver Broncos went into Arrowhead Stadium—the loudest, most intimidating place in football—and walked out with a 20-13 victory. It wasn't just a win. It was a statement. The Broncos didn't just beat the Chiefs; they completed a season sweep and officially ended Kansas City's nine-year stranglehold on the AFC West.
People are still trying to figure out how Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid finished the season at 6-11 while Sean Payton and Bo Nix surged to 14-3. It feels like a glitch in the simulation, doesn't it?
The Christmas Day Breakdown: How Denver Won in KC
Everyone expected the Chiefs to show up for that Christmas night game. They had to, right? Their season was on the ropes, and a home game against a division rival is usually where Mahomes works his magic. Instead, we saw a defensive masterclass from Denver.
The game was a grind. Bo Nix wasn't flashy—he threw for 182 yards and one touchdown—but he was efficient when it mattered. He even scrambled for a 9-yard touchdown in the third quarter that felt like the turning point.
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Kansas City’s offense looked... human. Chris Oladokun was actually under center for much of the game because Mahomes was battling a lingering knee issue that eventually required surgery. The Chiefs' scoring was limited to a few Harrison Butker field goals and a lone touchdown pass from Oladokun to Brashard Smith.
By the time R.J. Harvey caught that 1-yard touchdown pass from Nix in the fourth quarter to make it 20-13, you could hear a pin drop in Arrowhead. Denver's defense, led by Zach Allen and Ja'Quan McMillian, just suffocated them. They finished with more than 39 minutes of possession. You can't score if you don't have the ball. That's basically how Denver dismantled the dynasty.
Season Totals and Head-to-Head Stats
If you're looking for the cold, hard numbers from the 2025 series, here's how the two games shook out:
- Week 11 (Nov 16, 2025): Broncos 22, Chiefs 19. Wil Lutz was the hero here, nailing a 35-yard field goal as time expired.
- Week 17 (Dec 25, 2025): Broncos 20, Chiefs 13. This win clinched the AFC West for Denver.
It’s wild to think that in 2024, the Broncos actually shut out the Chiefs 38-0 in a late-season game. Most people dismissed that as a fluke because KC rested their starters, but looking back, it was the start of the "Orange Crush II" era.
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Why the Chiefs vs Broncos Rivalry Flipped
For years, the Broncos vs KC score was predictable because the Chiefs had a massive advantage at quarterback and coaching stability. But in 2025, the script flipped.
Bo Nix, the rookie who many experts doubted, finished the year as one of the most efficient players in the league. Sports Info Solutions actually ranked him No. 1 in their player value stats toward the end of the season. Why? Because he avoids the "minus play." He doesn't take many sacks, he doesn't throw many picks, and he’s deadly on short-yardage throws.
Meanwhile, Kansas City dealt with a nightmare scenario.
Mahomes’ knee injury was the big one, but the supporting cast also struggled. Travis Kelce still had his moments—he broke the Chiefs' franchise record for touchdowns during the November game against Denver—but the explosive "big play" offense we're used to seeing just wasn't there.
Defensive Dominance
Denver's defense became a nightmare for the AFC. Under Sean Payton, the team focused on building a unit that could pressure the quarterback without blitzing every single play.
Ja'Quan McMillian had a career year. In the November 16th game alone, he had two sacks, an interception, and six tackles.
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You can't talk about the score without talking about Wil Lutz. The guy was a machine. In that 22-19 win, he went 5-for-5 on field goals. When games are this tight, the kicker is usually the difference-maker. The Broncos found a way to win those one-score games, going 7-2 in such contests, while the Chiefs went 0-5. That's the season right there.
What This Means for Your Betting and Analysis
If you're tracking the Broncos vs KC score for future matchups, you've gotta throw the old records out the window. The "Chiefs always win" era is over for now.
- Look at Time of Possession: Denver wins by holding the ball. If the line for Denver's TOP is over 32 minutes, they usually cover the spread.
- The Under is your friend: Both 2025 games went under the projected point total (37.5 and 44.5). These are defensive battles now.
- Home Field Matters (In Reverse): Interestingly, Denver has now beaten KC three consecutive times at Empower Field. They’ve turned their home stadium back into a fortress.
The Broncos are now the No. 1 seed in the AFC with 14 wins. The Chiefs are looking at a top-10 draft pick and a long offseason of rehab for Mahomes. It's a brand new world in the AFC West.
To stay ahead of the next matchup, keep a close eye on the injury reports regarding Mahomes' recovery and the development of Denver's young receiving corps like Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin. Both have become favorite targets for Nix in clutch situations. Check the weather reports for Empower Field specifically, as Denver's defense tends to perform significantly better in cold, "Orange Crush" weather. Finally, monitor the turnover margin; the Broncos led the league in 2025 in defensive takeaways, which was the primary driver in their sweep of Kansas City.