The defending Super Bowl champions are mathematically eliminated from post-season play for the first time since 2010.

It was fun while it lasted, right?

Actually, this season might be the sole cause for my premature grey hair. There is nothing more frustrating than watching an anemic and incompetent group of men stumble and fumble their way to competitive irrelevance.

The Broncos were facing elimination in Kansas City. By the middle of the first quarter, it was clear the Broncos had no fire in them. Denver played so poorly that Michele Tafoya and the Sunday Night Football broadcast crew did an entire segment on Travis Kelce’s dance moves. Thats when you know you had a bad night.

Adding insult to injury, Andy Reid clowned Gary Kubiak with nose tackle Dontari Poe pull the ol’ Tim Tebow jump pass. Some thought it was poor sportsmanship, while others noted that the 346-pound lineman threw for more touchdown passes than Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian. It was the perfect representation of how lousy the Broncos played.

They say Santa Claus isn't real.

But here's a fat guy wearing red delivering a present through the air on Christmashttps://t.co/BjVhmFWMyH — Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) December 26, 2016

Four reasons the Broncos got spanked in Kansas City:

The fake field goal before halftime is borderline absurd

With 30 seconds left in the second quarter, the Broncos faced a fourth down from the Kansas City 35-yard line. Looking a potential one possession game in the face, Denver pulled the most perplexing and doltish play out of its hat — a fake field goal.

Not just any fake field goal, Denver ran a play requiring kicker Brandon McManus to outrun actual athletes for over fifteen yards. Would that even work on Madden?

Naturally, McManus was stopped well short of the first down marker, and the Broncos went into half time down 11 points. It seems that every way I twist and turn this decision, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. It was foolish and ill-advised.

The Broncos were beaten in almost every facet of the game since the coin toss, but they passed up the opportunity to go into the locker room at halftime only down one possession. In what universe does that make sense? Denver could very easily have been trailing by three touchdowns. Why not take every point you can get?

It was certainly not out of McManus’ kicking range. In fact, he had already booted one through two drives earlier from the exact same distance. So the only logical explanation I can come up with is that Kubiak goofed.

Apparently he truly thought that getting a first down was extremely important for some reason. More important than cutting the Chiefs lead to eight points despite getting their rear walloped throughout the entire first half. This is the same guy that declined to use a time out with over a minute left in the second quarter against New England, but now he’s running pitch plays with his kicker on fourth down. I just don’t get it. I am truly befuddled.

But that is not the most mystifying point of all. What happens if McManus does run for the first down? Then what? Are the Broncos all of the sudden going to become a capable and competent offense? The only reason they were in field goal range in the first place was because of a vicious forehand to Siemian’s back that resulted in a roughing the passer penalty on Kansas City. Otherwise the Broncos aren’t even sniffing field goal range to begin with.

With an offense that had struggled most of the season to get five yards, what makes anyone think that they would find the end zone from 25 yards out? There was only 20 seconds left and everyone in the building knows how pitiful Denver’s offense is. If anything, a converted fourth down scramble by McManus only sets up a shorter, yet inevitable field goal.

Realistically, even if the #Broncos got the first down, it would have just set up an inevitable shorter field goal.. I'm so befuddled. — Alex Acton (@alacton) December 26, 2016

Donald Stephenson played arguably his worst game of the season

It is possible that Broncos’ tackle Donald Stephenson played the worst game of his entire season. Unfortunately for him, there are plenty of potential candidates that could challenge that conclusion.

Stephenson helped his former employer far more than he helped the Broncos. When he wasn’t letting guys blow past him, he was flinching early or holding the closest Chiefs player to him. Almost any mishap that could have happened came at the hands of the guy wearing #71.

Broncos commit holding to prevent bodily harm to Trevor Siemian after Dee Ford & company beat Donald Stephenson like a drum. — Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) December 26, 2016

Unfortunately for Broncos fans, this wasn’t a one time thing. Their offensive line has been pitiful for a majority of the season. It is a subject that has been thoroughly beaten like a dead horse, but Stephenson has been one of the worst culprits of all.

Donald Stephenson is having a terrible series. He's struggled for most of the season. — Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 26, 2016

Stephenson was certainly not the sole reason for Denver’s failure, but he was a large contributor to the absolutely uninspiring and unproductive football that has been put forth by the Broncos’ offense.

I would be very surprised if he played a major role on this team next season, if at all.

Trevor Siemian might have played himself out of a job

I have supported the starting of Siemian all season long. I think that as defending Super Bowl champions, the Broncos had to put the best quarterback under center at the time, and give themselves a chance to win now without wasting any time grooming a rookie.

Not only that, but quarterback Paxton Lynch’s two starts have been entirely underwhelming and showed that he certainly isn’t better than Siemian right now. I am also under the conclusion that if Denver’s coaches saw Lynch tearing up practice day in and day out, he would be starting. But he isn’t, and therefore we are left with the guy who rocks Skittles dispensing parkas.

Getting ready for game day with my favorite post-game treat. Thanks to @Skittles for my custom jacket. pic.twitter.com/SZBTnHUzB9 — Trevor Siemian (@TrevorSiemian) December 24, 2016

Siemian might have played the best game of his career against the Chiefs just a mere few weeks ago. The second-year quarterback out of Northwestern completed 20 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns in the Broncos’ overtime loss at home. On the road in Kansas City, however, was a much different story.

The Chiefs were missing their superstar linebacker Justin Houston, but that didn’t prevent them from remaining a thorn in the side of Siemian all night long. Although the Broncos’ offensive line wasn’t buying him much time, Siemian didn’t capitalize on any of his opportunities in a clean pocket. All night he seemed to throw the ball inaccurately downfield and gave his receivers almost no chance of going up and making a play.

He was clearly out of his groove early on, and never seemed to find it.

Siemian finished the night by only completing 17 of his 43 passes, including an air-mailed interception on the Broncos’ final drive. His 43.1 passer rating was the worst this season.

Now that Denver has been mathematically eliminated, I think that it is important to start Lynch next week at home against the Raiders. There is nothing to play for, and the Broncos still don’t truly know what they have in their first round draft pick.

One way or another, Denver is going to have to decide what they want to do with the quarterback position. Question marks throughout the offseason and training camp don’t do anyone any good. It is important for John Elway to take a look at his assets and value them correctly. If Lynch has truly not shown the coaching staff any indication that he can lead this team to eleven or twelve wins next season, it might be worth Elway’s time to entertain the idea of bringing in someone like Tony Romo.

Special Teams fails yet again

With the Broncos down by two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, it only made sense to have a special teams blunder essentially end their season. Of the three components of a football team, the special teams could arguably be declared the worst segment of the Broncos. And with an offense that struggles to put up double digits on a weekly basis, that says quite a lot.

On cue, Khalif Raymond returned a Kansas City kickoff to the 31-yard line before getting the ball punched out by the sidelines. The Chiefs recovered and the Broncos watched their minute chances of making the playoffs officially come to an end. It was only fitting to watch the special teams unit screw up to put the finalizing nail in the coffin.

Between Jordan Norwood taking punts off the face, and the perpetual holding call on nearly every Denver return, the Broncos special teams unit has been fairly lack-luster all season. They have not been an explosive, or even reliable unit on this team.

Im not taking away the magic in New Orleans. That was pretty special. But aside from that controversial blocked extra point attempt, has the special teams made any sort of impact this season in a positive way? I am not sure I can think of one.

Aside from the Broncos vehemently searching up and down for an offensive line next season, it should also be important for them to find an explosive returner who can really change the game on special teams. Or at the very least make in a talking point for opposing coaches. The Broncos clearly do not have that guy.