“Monday Night Football.” Fourth game of the season. Receiver open for a massively important touchdown. Quarterback throws high — really high — and dooms the Broncos to defeat.

I’m not talking about this Monday. I’m talking about Sept. 26, 1994 when John Elway failed to complete a dramatic rally at Buffalo.

I was there in the Buffalo press box. This was during my days of exile from Colorado, when I worked in New York. After Elway marched the trailing-by-7 Broncos inside the Bills’ 10 in the final minute, it was a given. Mr. Comeback would deliver yet another winning comeback. That’s what, in memory, he always did. Right?

Not this time.

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Receiver Anthony Miller was open in the end zone and Elway rifled the ball into the stands. (Literally, the pass ended up in the seats just above the end zone.) Elway failed and the Broncos lost, falling to 0-4 on their way to a crushing 7-9 record.

Remember this:

Having a franchise quarterback does not always deliver sunshine and victory. From 1992 to 1995, the Broncos finished 32-33 and lost their only playoff game. This stumbling, remember, came with Elway in his magnificent prime.

I get it. Fans are enraged by Case Keenum’s failure to rally the Broncos in Monday night’s loss to the Chiefs. He has Demaryius Thomas running open inside the 5-yard line. A decent pass results in sonic-boom explosion of joy at Mile High and lifts Keenum to Colorado folk hero, at least for a week.

Instead, he tosses an indecent pass that soars far beyond the grasp of Thomas, who stands 6-foot-3.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes looks destined for an Elway-like career. He’s blessed with an otherworldly arm. He’s a spectacular athlete who can escape the nasty defensive beasts seeking to maul him. It’s understandable Bronco fans suffer from quarterback envy.

But let’s stop for a moment and look at this Broncos team. For three quarters, the defense stifled Mahomes. In the final minute, Keenum marched the Broncos into range for that game-winning throw to Thomas. The Broncos were achingly close to a weighty win.

This is a team that lacks a quarterback who raises the pulse rate. Keenum is not Mahomes, or Elway, or Aaron Rodgers, or Tom Brady. He’s a diligent veteran quarterback with a decent arm who on his best days ranks among the NFL’s top dozen.

He is strikingly similar to Jake Plummer.

Plummer arrived in Colorado in 2003 after six often-rocky NFL seasons. Keenum arrived in March after, yes, six often-rocky seasons. Plummer lacked mind-boggling arm strength. Keenum, same thing.

The Broncos never built a team around Plummer as they did with Elway and Peyton Manning. Plummer was not going to carry the franchise to wonderful destinations by himself.

Plummer, surrounded by talent, helped the Broncos to a 39-15 record in games he started. The 2005 Broncos, with Jake at QB, marched to the AFC Title Game. Notice I didn’t say Jake carried the Broncos. He was just another supporting actor in the team’s drama.

If you’re a Bronco fan who’s been around awhile, you should stop waiting for another once-in-a-lifetime quarterback. You’ve already been blessed to watch two — Elway and Manning — in your lifetime.

Three?

Um, sorry. No way.

This team can return to the playoffs. I’m skeptical they will win a game once they arrive there, but talent is abundant and Elway the team builder has shown he can take wise and unlikely avenues to constructing an elite team.

Next season, with Keenum at quarterback, could be special.

Remember, the Elway-designed 2015 Broncos won the Super Bowl despite being directed by a broken-down, ancient QB named Peyton.

It’s not all about the quarterback.