DENVER _ If the Broncos had finished 11-5 last season, Monday's loss to the Chiefs would be cause for mourning.
But the Broncos finished 5-11 last season. They inspired mass suffering on the Front Range. They lowered expectations. They turned Mile High into a quiet, gloomy destination.
The Broncos should have beaten the Chiefs on Monday night. They contained the magnificent Patrick Mahomes for three quarters. They had the Chiefs in a 2nd and 30 hole with less than three minutes left. They fumbled a victory that would have vaulted them in the ranks of serious playoff contenders.
This was a rarity. It was an encouraging loss.
During much of the fourth quarter, Mile High was pounding with joy. The Broncos were roaring. The Chiefs were stumbling. Coach Andy Reid was sputtering. A massive victory was in sight.
Getting close means little to a strong team. Getting close could mean a lot to a team that's been as weak as the Broncos.
For three quarters, the defense resembled the mighty crew from 2015 that carried the Broncos to NFL supremacy. Mahomes in 2018 is Dan Marino in 1984, an emerging superstar. He's blessed with a powerful right arm, stunningly quick feet and superlative vision.
After three quarters, Mahomes was stumbling with a tiny 66.9 QB rating. He failed to find receivers. He was under constant pressure. For the first time this season, he looked vulnerable and mediocre.
Yes, the Broncos came so close.
"We were there," Von Miller said. "We were playing great defense. ... We had a chance to win the game and we just didn't do it."
If officials had noticed a gigantic zero beaming at them from the north and south end zones, the Broncos might have escaped with a victory.
With two minutes left and the Chiefs facing a 3rd and 7, Mahomes took too long to call for a snap, and the play clock ran out. Tens of thousands of fans at Mile High and a few million TV viewers saw zero before the ball was snapped.
Joseph saw the zero, too.
"In my opinion, the clock was zero, but that's not my job," Joseph said.
Joseph said he spoke with an official and asked why a delay of game flag was not thrown.
"He looked up and it was zero and the ball was out," Joseph said, summarizing his brief conversation. "I disagree. I disagree."
It's easy to forget after the crushing final minutes, but with 2:53 left, the Chiefs looked done. Mahomes, under serious attack, blundered into an intentional grounding call, which was followed by holding. The Chiefs faced 2nd and 30.
Mahomes, being Mahomes, engineered a great escape. On second down, Mahomes escaped a fierce rush, sprinted right and found Demetrius Harris for 23 yards. On third down, after officials somehow missed that zero, he found tight end Demetrius Harris wide open down the right sideline. The Chiefs scored three plays later.
Still, the Broncos struggled to a final chance. With 22 seconds left, Demaryius Thomas sprinted past clueless Chiefs cornerback Orlando Scandrick and was open at the 5-yard-line.
Case Keenum missed him. His pass sailed high, well over Thomas' head.
"It was close," Keenum said, knowing it should have been closer. He said he would "lose a little sleep" over the throw.
He won't be the only one losing sleep.
Those two Mahomes throws after the 2nd and 30 silenced a joyous crowd. Two plays shredded what should have been an uplifting, massively significant victory, a victory that would have erased some of the pain of 2017.
But two plays don't have to destroy a season.
