Fresh off of a thrilling win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Denver Broncos for the first time this season.
Patrick Mahomes looked as strong as ever in the OT win and should only get better from there. The Broncos are coming off a bad loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week and may be looking for revenge. However, with their track record against the Chiefs, there might be a better week for a win.
Since 2021, the Chiefs have been 6-1 against the Broncos, with their last meeting resulting in a loss. The Chiefs have scored 139 points, while the Broncos have scored 117. In this contest, the Chiefs must take advantage of the Broncos' weaknesses on both sides of the ball. This should be an easy win, and the Chiefs should not find a way to make this close.
Game Info
Date: Sunday, November 9
Start Time: 12:00 p.m. CT
Location: Kansas City, MO
Stadium: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
TV Info: CBS (Kevin Harlan and Trent Green on the call)
Chiefs Uniform Info: Red Tops, White Bottoms
Broncos 2024 Statistical Rankings
Points Per Game: 20.3 (23rd)
Points Allowed Per Game: 17.9 (3rd)
Offensive Yards Per Game: 308.6 (25th)
Passing/Rushing Yards Per Game: 187.1 (27th) and 121.4 (15th)
Defensive Yards Allowed Per Game: 295.2 (6th)
Passing/Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 186.6 (6th) and 108.7 (9th)
Third Down Offensive/Defensive Conversion Rate: 33.61% (27th) and 36.80% (16th)
Red Zone Offensive/Defensive Conversion Rate: 53.33% (21st) and 47.83% (8th)
Penalties: 63 (7th)
Penalty Yards: 551 (6th)
Players Already Ruled Out Before Monday
Broncos: Delarrin Turner-Yell (SAF), Drew Sanders (LB)
Chiefs: Juju Smith-Schuster (WR)
Denver Broncos
Defense
While the Broncos' offense has been inconsistent all season, their defense has been surprising to many. The Broncos have one of the most successful pass-rush defenses in the league, which will be tough for the Chiefs to overcome.
The Broncos rank second in the league with 31 sacks and have recorded 84 pressures. While the Chiefs' offensive line has been strong so far and successful in protecting Mahomes, this might be their toughest test yet. In this contest, the defense must take advantage of some of the weaknesses in the Chiefs' offense. They need to control DeAndre Hopkins and do some damage against the run.
Offense
Stepping up and taking over the offense was never supposed to be easy for rookie Bo Nix, but there are definitely more struggles than most would've imagined. The Denver offensive line has struggled the entire season, leaving Nix to struggle.
The offense is in the bottom rankings in multiple categories compared to their defense. It's easy to see that half of the reason they are at the bottom has to do with the offensive line, but that can't be the only area for improvement.
In this game, the Broncos need to ensure that they are as strong a unit as possible. Nix has had trouble all year, and facing the Chiefs surely won't be easy for him. He needs to take advantage of all of the chances that the defense gives him, and if the defense also cooperates, this could end up being a low-scoring game on both sides of the ball.
Kansas City Chiefs
Defense
Last week, the Chiefs' defense hit a rough patch. While they still performed well and won the game, their weaknesses in the fourth quarter were definitely noticeable.
Over the last three games, the Chiefs defense has given up big touchdowns late in the game. Although they're undefeated, this trend cannot continue, especially when they make it to the playoffs. If the Chiefs are able to tighten up their fourth-quarter defense, they will be a force to be reckoned with for the rest of the season.
In this contest, the Chiefs must focus on taking advantage of the young Broncos offense. While they had a bad game last week, they still can drop points on teams. However, if the Chiefs' defense can handle Nix, the Broncos will have a tough time scoring.
Offense
If last week's game against the Buccaneers indicated what the Chiefs' offense could look like in the coming weeks, opposing teams should be concerned. Mahomes finally put up some great numbers, and it seemed like the weapons on offense were finally clicking. DeAndre Hopkins is proving to be an excellent pickup for the team, and his guidance will only help young receivers.
However, the offense has been very up and down this entire season. They need to keep the momentum going and not underestimate the Broncos' defense.
In this game, the Chiefs need to take the Broncos' defense seriously. While they will cause some trouble for Mahomes and the receivers, it shouldn't impact their ability to score points.
Betting Info
Points Spread: DEN +7.5 (-110) | KC -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: DEN +310 | KC -395
Over/Under: DEN O 42 (-110) | KC U 42 (-110)
Lines via DraftKings as of Saturday, November 9
Prediction
After last week's win against the Buccaneers, the Chiefs proved that they can win under any circumstance this season. Unless something goes terribly wrong, the Broncos will not be the team to hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season.
Final Score: Chiefs 35, Broncos 14
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