The Chad Kelly case is alarming, confusing and deflating, but the case has nothing to do with the Broncos’ journey to Kansas City to face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ mighty offense.

Kelly is losing his wrestling match with personal demons, and I feel sorrow for him.

But Kelly was not in the top half of NFL backup quarterbacks. He was never destined to start for a winning team. His departure is irrelevant to Sunday’s game.

The same is true for the squabbling Bowlen family. It’s sad to see the family falling apart instead of coming together as former Bronco emperor Pat Bowlen suffers in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s.

In the latest episode of the Bowlen melodrama, Bill Bowlen — Pat’s brother — filed a motion to dissolve the three-person trust running the Broncos. Joe Ellis, Rich Slivka and Mary Kelly have run Pat Bowlen’s trust since 2014.

“I am a huge fan of the Broncos, and have been for decades,” Bill Bowlen said in a press release. “Unfortunately, over the past 15 years, I’ve noticed that the operation of the Broncos has deteriorated, while my brother’s health has worsened.

“I have real concerns with these trustees, their conduct and how they got to the positions they are in.

“They have little or no accountability to anybody but themselves. They have not complied with the rules of the NFL and I am uncomfortable with the way they have handled my brother’s affairs. I know what his wishes were, and these individuals are definitely not following them.”

Those are strong words, words that could weaken the Broncos in the future, but those words won’t matter Sunday.

Meanwhile, 605 miles away from all the bad Denver drama, the Broncos will play a pivotal game. A victory will vault the Broncos back into the hearts of their fans and halt (for at least a week) talk of Vance Joseph’s departure by firing.

Here are three reasons the Broncos could shock the NFL and you and me with a victory Sunday:

One – Strong opponents bring out the best in these Broncos.

The Broncos have delivered three impressive performances this season, and two are losses. Defeats to the Chiefs and the Rams were more impressive than wins over the Seahawks and Raiders. Last week’s stomping of the Cardinals might have been a triumph over a team eager to surrender, but it still was dazzling.

Remember, Kansas City was dangling on the edge of defeat Oct. 1. They faced a second and 30 in the fourth quarter. Mile High was alive with noise and joy.

Mahomes quickly erased the joy, and Case Keenum missed an open Demaryius Thomas for what should have been the winning touchdown.

But victory was right there.

Two – Case Keenum is playing for his job and his future and his reputation.

Keenum faces no meaningful competition for his starting job in 2018, but that will change rapidly in the offseason if he continues to stumble. No way the Broncos hand Keenum $18 million in 2019 without a massive jump in production.

Last season, Keenum performed a strong Drew Brees imitation while leading the Vikings to the NFC Title Game.

This season, Keenum is performing a strong imitation of the quarterback who got bounced from three teams in three seasons.

I’ve watched Keenum for a decade, dating back to his three college battles against Air Force. He’s tough. He’s an overachiever. He’s easy to root for.

Ten months ago, I talked to Air Force defenders who played against Keenum. To a man, they are fans.

There are strong reasons to believe — or maybe hope — Keenum will find his balance and return to the 2017 quarterback who looked worthy of a two-season, $36 million contract, with $25 million guaranteed. Sunday is the ideal time for Keenum to silence his skeptics.

Three – Von Miller

Against the Cardinals, Von Miller played with the power and fire he showed against Cam Newton and the Panthers in the Super Bowl. He was unblockable. He was inspiring and devastating.

The Broncos need a repeat performance against the Chiefs. During his career, Miller has taken over games while frustrating and silencing elite quarterbacks. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Newton know what I’m talking about.

If Miller takes up residence in the Chiefs’ pocket next to Mahomes, the Broncos have a chance for a franchise-lifting upset.

Make that a strong chance.