The Broncos may have avoided complete and utter embarrassment against Kansas City’s high flying offense, but they still managed to make Denver fans everyone facepalm more than once today.

Sure, many can look at this seven-point loss and be optimistic knowing that the Chiefs average margin of victory at home this season has been just over 20 points.

I for one, am in that boat.

The Broncos have arguably played the Chiefs better than any other team has this season.

But to watch the Broncos squander opportunities all game can make a sane man deranged.

Let’s take a look at four takeaways from the Broncos’ loss at Arrowhead:

1. Penalties, penalties, penalties, and … wait for it … penalties

Penalties doom #Broncos' upset bid in Kansas City https://t.co/YV1ixlxfMt — Broncos Wire (@TheBroncosWire) October 28, 2018

Nobody should be more infuriated about the accumulation of penalties versus the Chiefs than Philip Lindsay. Each and every time Lindsay broke loose for a big gain it ended up coming back because of a holding penalty.

It was like clockwork.

The Broncos totaled 10 penalties for a total of 83 yards which ultimately negated over 70 total yards from Lindsay’s stat sheet. However, I won’t just bury criticism on the Denver offensive line. Some of the holding penalties were ridiculously questionable and in my incredibly biased opinion should not have been called.

An abundance of penalties can be a sign of poor coaching or undisciplined behavior. In the Broncos’ case, I think it may be both.

2. The Broncos’ playcalling was incredibly questionable

The hardest part of about being a #Broncos fan this season is that the pieces seem to be there, but the coaches don't know how to use them. Bill Musgrave is ruining a golden opportunity. — Adam Malnati (@AdamMalnati16) October 28, 2018

Doesn’t it drive you mad when teams try to get too cute with their offense?

The Denver backfield finished the game averaging 6.4 yards per carry. So why in the world would they attempt a flea flicker?

Early in the fourth quarter, the Denver offense managed to get a little bit too creative when Lindsay pitched a rushing play back to quarterback Case Keenum to initiate the flea flicker. In an attempt to find wideout Demaryius Thomas, Keenum was picked off by Chiefs cornerback Kendall Fuller, ending a very important drive for the Broncos.

Typically, I like when teams break out of the norm from running the ball straight up the middle on first down, but when rushing the ball is far and away your best weapon, and you have been succeeding all afternoon with it, why would you divert from it?

On a very important third down and two on the very next Denver drive, Keenum threw the ball to a well-covered Devontae Booker behind the line of scrimmage where he was unsurprisingly tackled short of the first down marker. If you don’t have a play in your playbook that can get you two yards when you need it most, throw it out and start over from scratch.

A dump off to a well-covered running back can’t possibly be the best they could come up with, right?