Bo Nix could have started planning his victory lap around halftime Sunday, but he waited until the two-minute warning to announce his intentions.

After the Broncos defeated Kansas City 38-0 at Empower Field at Mile High to earn their first playoff berth since 2015, the rookie quarterback ran around the field high-fiving as many fans as he could in the front row.

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“Bo told me he was going to do a victory lap like two minutes at the end of the game, so I think that’s a great feeling knowing that we’ve reached this mark and I think it embarks on a new journey for the Broncos organization,’’ said cornerback Pat Surtain II. “I think the fans deserve it.”

There was plenty of time for Nix’s planning considering the Broncos (10-7) rolled to leads of 14-0 in the first quarter, 24-0 at halftime and 31-0 in the third quarter to record their first shutout since they blanked the New York Jets 26-0 at home on Sept. 26, 2021.

The Chiefs (15-2) rested their top players, including star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, since they already had wrapped up the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. The Broncos secured the final No. 7 spot and will play at No. 2 Buffalo (13-4) at 11 a.m. next Sunday

Nix capped a brilliant rookie season by completing his first 18 passes, a team record to start a game. He finished 26 of 29 for 321 yards and four touchdowns and a 152.4 passer rating.

That certainly was worth a victory lap.

“I learned I’ve got to run a little bit more during the week because that’s a long path,’’ Nix said. “I was a little tired at the end. The fans deserve it. It’s been a long time coming.”

Indeed it has been. After winning Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season, the Broncos went 9-7. They then had seven straight losing records before finally snapping that streak this season under second-year coach Sean Payton. And now the playoff drought is a thing of the past.

“It’s the sweetest moment that I can think of and I’m just extremely grateful,” said tackle Garett Bolles, who arrived in Denver in 2017 and is the team’s longest-tenured player. “I’m grateful to do what we need to do, but we’re not done.”

Before the Broncos start studying up on the Bills, there was plenty of celebrating to do. Defensive tackle Malcolm Roach said outside linebacker Nik Bonitto has recorded a rap song called “Sydney Sweeney” that soon will be released and that players were dancing to it in the locker room after the game.

“It was crazy,’’ Roach said. “It was jumping. …. It’s a good little beat. You would never know it’s Nik raping. It’s a great song to jump around to. We’ll see it take off.”

The Broncos certainly took off Sunday. They scored touchdowns on their first three drives, with Nix throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims and a 10-yard scoring pass to Courtland Sutton in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead. In the third quarter, on a play in which Nix said Vele ran the “wrong route,” he caught a 3-yard touchdown pass at the back of the end zone after it bounced off the hands of Denver tight end Adam Trautman and Chiefs defensive backs defensive backs Nazeeh Johnson and Keith Taylor.

“It was really good,’’ Nix said of the Broncos’ start. “We were really sharp.”’

Nix sure was. His 18 straight completions broke Hugh Millen’s team record of 13 on Dec. 17, 1994 at San Francisco for most to start a game. He fell short of the overall team record, set when Millen completed 20 straight in games at the Los Angeles Raiders on Dec. 11, 1994 and against the 49ers the next week.

It must be said, though, that the Broncos were going against Kansas City’s junior varsity. With the Chiefs resting their top players, the Broncos rolled up 479 yards to just 98 for Kansas City.

“Obviously, an important game for us and we get to the 10^th win and put ourselves in a position to play in the postseason,” Payton said. “I thought our players did a good job on forcing the things they could control.”

In the end, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said his “hat goes off to Denver” and Payton has “done a good job in that group.”

Payton, who gave game balls to team owners, was thrilled to steer the Broncos into the playoffs.

“To see a young guy have so much drive and passion with the game, it makes everyone around you better,’’ Sutton said. “Bo isn’t your average rookie. He comes to work like a veteran.”

Sutton caught five passes for 98 yards to become Denver’s first 1,000-yard receiver since he had 1,112 in 2019. He finished the season with 1,081, earning him an additional $500,000 bonus. His contract, restructured in July, calls for him to get $500,000 apiece for reaching 500, 750 and 1,065 yards.

Nix in the third quarter threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Mims, his second score of the day, to give the Broncos a 38-0 lead. They closed the scoring with a 1-yard run by Audric Estime in the fourth quarter.

Nix also rushed for 47 yards, including a 27-yard jaunt in the second quarter, when he lateralled the ball to running back Javonte Williams, who ran nine more yards to the Chiefs 21. However, it was deemed an illegal forward lateral and a 5-yard penalty from where it was made pushed the ball back to the Kansas City 37.

For the second time this season, the Broncos wore throwback uniforms to honor the 1977 team. That team, led by the Orange Crush defense, advanced to the playoffs for the first time in the Broncos’ then 18-season history and lost Super Bowl XII 27-10 to Dallas.

With the Orange Crush in mind, the Broncos’ defense was dominant, overwhelming Mahomes’ replacement, Carson Wentz. He completed a meager 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards and was sacked four times. Getting two sacks was Bonitto, who finished the season with a team-high 13.5.

When Bonitto had his second sack in the final minute of the third quarter, the Broncos’ celebratory mood already was getting underway. It was in full force when the game ended and Nix did his victory lap.

“That’s a really good feeling that we have an opportunity to extend our season and do something and get this organization back on track to what it is know for,’’ said Sutton, who arrived in 2018 and is Denver’s second-longest tenured player. “This organization is known for winning. For the last nine years, we haven’t been able hold up our bargain.”

The Broncos are sure starting to do that now.