The Broncos can do the rest of the NFL a favor and expose Kansas City as a fraud hiding behind its 9-0 record.

The Chiefs do not have what it takes to win the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs are a cute story, but nothing more than an inconvenience to serious championship contenders. They’re ankle biters. So long as they don’t bite the aching ankle of Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, Denver has nothing to worry about in the AFC showdown Sunday night.

Rumor has it the Chiefs are the next great NFL defense.

Truth is: The last time the Chiefs were spotted in Denver, all those legend-in-the-making defenders — including Eric Berry, Justin Houston, Dontari Poe and Tamba Hali — walked off the field in defeat after being torched for 38 points during one of those wintry, 35-degree days that supposedly reduces Manning to a quivering, shivering shell of a quarterback.

Jack Del Rio owns the coolest hair of any NFL coach and is blessed with the strongest jaw to walk a sideline since Bill Cowher retired. Del Rio can let a knucklehead know he doesn’t know Jack with a single steely-eyed look. I should know. I got the look from Del Rio by asking this question:

Do the Chiefs resemble the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the last NFL defense to win a championship by itself?

“Not really, yet,” said Del Rio, who coached that Baltimore defense. “You have to sustain it over time.”

The Ravens were as nasty as linebacker Ray Lewis’ snarl, and Hall of Famer Rod Woodson had his back. Baltimore limited its foes to one touchdown per game and 0.8 points per possession.

“There have been a few teams that have kind of approached what we did in 2000 and haven’t quite matched it,” Del Rio said. “But every year, you get a new opportunity. Somebody gets an opportunity to try and chase that down.”

In other words: Have fun trying, Chiefs.

Kansas City is experimenting with a championship formula that works maybe once a decade in the NFL. A stout defense that can create its own offense. A nondescript quarterback that considers a long pass as anything traveling 5 yards down the field.

I asked Broncos veteran Champ Bailey: Given a choice between a really good offense and a really good defense, the advantage goes to …

“Well, the NFL definitely has made it hard for a really good defense in this league …” replied Bailey, before quickly showing the proper respect to the Chiefs and insisting it could go either way.

But we know the facts: The NFL loves offense. The rules are bent in the favor of Denver over K.C.

Football is an emotional game. The Chiefs are riding high with a chest-thumping joy that feels like magic. It reminds me a little of the smiles caused in Denver back in the day by Tim Tebow.

The only trouble with magic? It goes poof and is gone.

Unless the talented front seven of the Kansas City defense can find a way to mess up Manning by treating his right ankle like a chew toy, the Denver offense should shred the Chiefs’ secondary.

This game has 31-13 written all over it. Broncos win. Chiefs go in a tailspin.

Kansas City throws such an awesome tailgate party, the city doesn’t need a great football team, but deserves one. Andy Reid is the prohibitive favorite as coach of the year. And good for Alex Smith if he gives Mr. Know-it-all Harbaugh in San Francisco even one second of doubt about casting aside the wrong quarterback.

I’m not particularly smart. But what little advanced education that stuck with me was received in the fine state of Missouri.

So I do know how to spell Chiefs: F-R-A-U-D.

Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or twitter.com/markkiszla