ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Will the real Denver Broncos please stand up?

The Broncos (7-5) are the NFL's biggest brainteaser, having made a habit of beating better teams, especially on the road, and losing to lesser ones, particularly at home.

Some days they're brilliant, effective and efficient. Other days, they're bumbling, fumbling, crumbling.

They've won three straight road games, including last week's 34-17 walloping of the resurgent New York Jets, which came on the heels of their third straight loss at home, a 31-10 defeat to lowly Oakland.

"This team is funny," quarterback Jay Cutler said as the Broncos prepared to face Kansas City, a 2-10 team that beat Denver by two touchdowns in Week 4. "I think we've learned our lesson of taking teams lightly. I don't think that'll happen this week. But if we turn the ball over and give them some momentum, anything can happen."

At one point, the oddsmakers in Las Vegas, Nev., got it wrong six straight weeks with the befuddling Broncos.

Would it help if everybody picked against them this week?

"Absolutely, please do," Cutler replied. "I don't think it would hurt at this point. List us as underdogs. That would be great."

No chance: The Broncos are listed as better than a touchdown favorite.

Given their track record, though, would it really be a bad bet to go with the Chiefs?

Maybe it's youth — a dozen rookies have seen significant action for the Broncos so far.

Maybe it's injuries — they've already placed 13 players on IR, including four tailbacks. A fifth, Selvin Young, has one carry in two months. Injuries have also sidelined defensive stalwarts Champ Bailey (groin), Nate Webster (knee) and D.J. Williams (knee) for more than a month.

Webster expects to return today, Bailey and Williams are still question marks.

The Broncos' roller coaster of a season started in September, when the Chiefs ended a 12-game losing streak by thumping previously unbeaten Denver 33-19.

"We remember that," Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. "And they remember that."

Do they ever.

"They just came out and ran the ball down our throats," Broncos safety Marquand Manuel said. "It was as rude awakening for all of us around here."

With losses to the Chiefs (2-10) and the Raiders (3-9) by a combined five touchdowns, the Broncos, seasonlong barons of the woeful AFC West, are bracing for another difficult time today in their rematch at Invesco Field.

"Yeah, there's a lesson to be learned from the first Kansas City game and the Oakland game and you know what, guys, don't play to the level of what the other team's record is," defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban admonished. "And I think as a young team we have a tendency to do that. When we're playing teams that we're supposed to lose to, we kind of step it up. But when we play teams that recordwise aren't so good, we kind of feel relaxed."




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