The truth was chilling, but everybody in Broncos Country from John Elway to the die-hards in the stadium felt the truth so deep in our bones that it aches.

And the truth is: As coach of this team, Vance Joseph can’t win.

For a proud NFL city where losing has never been an option, tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

“I want to be here to fix it,” Joseph said Sunday.

But unless you view the world through orange-tinted glasses, it’s mighty hard to envision a brighter tomorrow in Broncos Country if Joseph remains as head coach.

At the end of a season to forget, as the temperature in Denver plummeted to 16 degrees and maybe the 16,000 fans that remained in Sports Authority Stadium at Mile High clung to hope, the Broncos did what they’ve done way too often under the direction of Joseph.

The Broncos found a way to lose. Kansas City beat Denver 27-24 on a field goal as time on the clock, and maybe the Joseph era, expired.

We’ve heard the story 11 times in a sad season, too many times, in frustrating ways that wasted a prime year of Von Miller’s brilliant career. For that offense alone, Joseph should be fired.

“It is sad. It is a sad story if it happens,” said Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, who would be sad to see Joseph go. “I think the season in general is a sad story.”

Remember when Kyle Shanahan was a candidate to replace Gary Kubiak as coach of the Broncos? Against all odds, the son of the Mastermind not only found a better gig in San Francisco, Shanny 2.0 also finished 2017 with more victories (six) and a better quarterback (Jimmy Garoppolo) than what we’re stuck with in Denver.

When Kubiak hung up his coaching whistle, Elway cleaned out his good buddy’s staff. Change is not always progress, though. Every coordinator from the Denver team that won Super Bowl 50 not only landed on his feet, but also landed back in the this season’s playoffs. There’s our good buddy Wade Phillips laughing it up with the Los Angeles Rams, while Joe DeCamillas is in charge of the special teams in Jacksonville, and even Rick Dennison, whose offense was lambasted around these parts as stale vanilla, helped the Buffalo Bills end a 17-year postseason drought.

Joseph awoke on the final day of a sad year to swirling rumors that Elway was leaning toward dumping him after a single season as coach. “What are you going to do there?” Joseph said. “There was a game to play.”

Against a Chiefs squad taking the day off to rest for the playoffs, Denver invented ways to lose against a foe that wasn’t really trying. Although quarterback Paxton Lynch threw for 254 yards, he also committed three turnovers, including a fumble the Chiefs returned for a touchdown.

After most of the crowd in the stadium walked out on them, Lynch and the Broncos did rally from 14 points down to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, only to promptly give up a 67-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard field goal by Harrison Butker on the final snap.

Before the Broncos hit the showers to wash away the stink of it all, Joseph addressed his players. “He just said everybody fought hard together every week, we prepared to win and we did it as a team,” reported cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. “He just said sorry for the results; we didn’t get the results that we wanted.”

Sorry?

I’m truly sorry Joseph failed to grasp that it takes more than having good practices to keep Broncos Country happy. We keep score around here.

While it’s probably too soon to toss away the investment of a first-round draft choice used on Lynch, the Broncos need a new starting quarterback by any means necessary, whether it’s through free agency, the NFL draft or both. Whoever the next quarterback of this team might be, he deserves a head coach with a clear vision of how to restore the juice to Denver’s offense. And does anybody really believe Joseph is the best man for that challenging job?

As difficult as falling to last place in the AFC West was to endure, the real pain begins now. Coaches have families. Players have roots in Denver. But perhaps 50 percent of the players and maybe even more members of this coaching staff will have to find a different place to work in 2018. Related Articles Broncos’ Phillip Lindsay ruled out for Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh as running back deals with toe injury

Broncos Journal: Pat Shurmur, Drew Lock hope sticking to script produces better first-quarter production

Broncos expect rookie cornerbacks Michael Ojemudia, Essang Bassey to build on debuts

Broncos’ Von Miller gives fans “Mile High Salute” while sharing photo of leg in cast

Broncos Briefs: Center Lloyd Cushenberry praised for NFL debut

Happy new year, everybody.

“Nobody is safe,” said Harris, taking inventory of the Denver locker room.

It’s not Elway’s nature, but he must resolve to find a Plan B.