Former Kansas City Chiefs EDGE Frank Clark Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Frank Clark gives brutally honest assessment of Broncos-Chiefs match-up

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 7/29/23

The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs are in the same division but that doesn't make them rivals, argued former Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark, who joined the Broncos this offseason.

Frank Clark Says Broncos vs Chiefs isn’t competitive enough to be a rivalry pic.twitter.com/FiynmnW1bv
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) July 29, 2023

“A rivalry is competitive,” Clark said. Clark joined Kansas City in 2019 and since then, the Chiefs are 8-0 against the Broncos and have outscored them 229-126 with an average score margin of 28.6-15.8. They've won 15 in a row in the series dating back to the 2015 season.

Denver's last win came on Sep. 17, 2015, when the Broncos scored two touchdowns in nine seconds to turn a 24-17 deficit in the final minute into a 31-24 win.

Let's continue our look at the Denver Broncos' 2023 schedule. In Week 6, the Orange and Blue will travel to Kansas City for a Thursday night game. As we all painfully know, DEN hasn't defeated KC since a TNF game back on 9-17-2015. It was an instant classic, which we show today! pic.twitter.com/cXe5VNiozN
— Mile High Moments (@MileHighMoments) June 6, 2023

That game inadvertently set off the "Fake Gronk" curse, as former Denver linebacker Von Miller unwisely disparaged tight end Travis Kelce following the game.

Von Miller took to Twitter to call Travis Kelce the "fake Gronk" following Broncos comeback win over the Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/yi3cJwzdz4
— Stadium (@Stadium) September 18, 2015

Not only has Kansas City not lost a game against Denver since then, but Kelce has dominated them. Since that moment, Kelce has 90 receptions, 1,115 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games against the Broncos.

Kelce was in the headlines, himself, on Saturday for a brief skirmish with linebacker Jack Cochrane. With Clark paying respect to his one-time home, he might avoid Kelce's wrath when they meet this season.

Denver has the second-longest playoff drought in the league this season, its last appearance coming in its Super Bowl 50 win. Only the Jets (12 years) have gone longer without reaching the postseason.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton said during his controversial USA Today interview published on Thursday that he'd "be pissed off" if the Broncos aren't a playoff team this season. If Denver is going to make Payton happy, first, it will have to turn its series with Kansas City back into a rivalry.

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