If you needed any more proof that the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty is officially dead and buried, here it is: they're 13-point home underdogs tonight against Denver.

Let that sink in. Thirteen points. At home. On Christmas. The same franchise that won three of the last five Super Bowls is now catching two touchdowns from a team that couldn't sniff the playoffs for years.

The Quick Hit

• What happened: Chiefs opened as 13-point home underdogs vs. the Broncos — their largest home underdog line since 1977
• The damage: Kansas City (6-9) is eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2014
• Why you should care: Third-string QB Chris Oladokun is making his first career NFL start on Christmas night
• The line: Broncos -13, O/U 41

Who the Hell is Chris Oladokun?

Great question. Until two weeks ago, most Chiefs fans couldn't have picked him out of a lineup.

Chris Oladokun was a seventh-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2022. He bounced to Kansas City's practice squad that same year and has spent the last four seasons there, waiting for his shot. He played college ball at South Florida, Samford, and South Dakota State. He's 27 years old and has thrown exactly zero regular season passes as a starter.

Tonight, on Christmas, in primetime, against a division rival fighting for the AFC's top seed, he's the guy.

How did we get here? The injury apocalypse:

1. Week 15: Patrick Mahomes tears his ACL against the Chargers. Dynasty officially on life support.
2. Week 16: Gardner Minshew, the backup, goes down with a knee injury against Tennessee.
3. Christmas night: Third-string Oladokun gets the start while both guys ahead of him watch from the couch.

The Historic Line

The Chiefs haven't been this big of a home underdog since October 30, 1977, when they were +13.5 against the Broncos. They lost that game 14-7.

For context on how insane this is:

• The Chiefs were Super Bowl favorites entering this season
• They had won the AFC West for nine consecutive years before this season
• Patrick Mahomes had never lost more than three games in a season before this year

Now they're 6-9, eliminated from the playoffs before Christmas, and trotting out a practice squad quarterback while their franchise player watches from rehab.

What Oladokun Said

To his credit, the man seems genuinely excited rather than terrified:

"It's Christmas Day. The possibility of me making a first start on Christmas Day is pretty special. I have family in town and stuff like that, so I'm looking forward to it."

In his relief appearance against Tennessee, Oladokun went 11-of-16 for 111 yards in an ugly 26-9 loss. His first career completion? A six-yard pass to Travis Kelce. At least he got that one out of the way.

The Betting Angle

At +13, the Chiefs actually have some sneaky value here. And I know that sounds insane given everything I just wrote, but hear me out:

1. Division games are weird: Denver needs this win to clinch the division and secure the #1 seed. But history shows teams sometimes take their foot off the gas when facing eliminated opponents.

2. 13 points is a lot: Even with a third-string QB, the Chiefs still have Kelce, they still have playmakers, and Andy Reid still knows how to scheme.

3. Broncos looking ahead?: Denver has bigger goals than blowing out a dead team on Christmas. They might be content to win 24-17 and move on.

That said, the under at 41 might be the smarter play. This game has "ugly defensive struggle" written all over it.

The Bottom Line

Patrick Mahomes won't even be on the sideline tonight. He's still too close to surgery to travel with the team. The greatest quarterback of his generation will watch from somewhere else as Chris Oladokun — a man who has spent four years on the practice squad — tries to salvage something from a lost season.

The Broncos are going to win this game. That's not a question. The only question is whether 13 points is too many to lay against a proud franchise on Christmas, or if Denver buries them and starts their playoff run with a statement.

Either way, the Chiefs dynasty is officially over. Mahomes will be back. They'll reload. But this version of Kansas City football, the one that seemed invincible for half a decade, ended somewhere between Mahomes' knee giving out and a practice squad quarterback preparing for his first career start on the biggest stage.

Merry Christmas, Chiefs fans. At least you have the memories.