Denver Broncos remain the big brother to the Kansas City Chiefs

The parents are the AFC West. The children are the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders.

Denver is the big brother, ruling the roost with an iron fist that is used when authority is questioned. Kansas City is the younger brother who has matured over the past few years, but is not ready to take on big brother in a game. The Chiefs were determined to show they could assert their dominance in their own building, but were slapped around from start to finish.

Ultimately, Denver stated it may placate the younger sibling, but when the moment arises, it is the undisputed king. Von Miller danced all over Arrowhead's field, along with a cast of other characters in blue and orange. The Broncos mocked the Chiefs and their fans, waltzing to easy victory.

Instead, the Chiefs offered a pathetic performance in which the Broncos stole their manhood on national television. Denver won the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball, running for 214 yards and controlling the clock to the tune of 38:47 to 21:13. The total yards favored Denver, 388-151.

Kansas City has no excuses after losing a miserable 24-20 game to the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs had a long week and were emotionally-charged after seeing Eric Berry go through a tragic event in his young life. Everything was pointing toward Kansas City coming out and performing with gusto.

Against the Seattle Seahawks, the Chiefs proved they can match up and maul a tough, physical opponent. Since then, Kansas City has been run over up front. The showing must be better going forward for a team that is capable of doing good things. Yes, the defense was excellent in the second half and that counts for something. Unfortunately, it was boat raced the entire first half, never getting off the field.

An argument can be made that the Chiefs are in the group with the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers. Unfortunately, they are not with the New England Patriots and Broncos, who are clearly the class of the conference.

Look, there is nothing to be ashamed of in terms of development. Kansas City went 2-14 in 2012 and had to reshape the entire roster with a new coaching staff and front office. General manager John Dorsey has done a terrific job and Andy Reid, despite interesting play-calling at times, has been a great get. With these men running the show, the arrow is undoubtedly pointing up. There is still a good chance the Chiefs will be in the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Still, more is needed for the Chiefs to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The receivers need to be completely overhauled. The offensive line needs improvement. Defensively, Kansas City needs a run-stuffing linebacker (perhaps Derrick Johnson) and another corner. It sounds like a ton, but with a bevy of draft picks and a few savvy free-agent pickups, it can all be accomplished quickly.

Denver remains the big brother, pantsing the younger kids whenever it pleases. Kansas City needs to become tougher, develop the mentality of being the man in charge. With a few more moves and some maturity, that time should come. It hasn't arrived yet.