Your Kansas City Chiefs ride into Broncos Country to face off against Russell “Mr. Unlimited” Wilson and the Denver Broncos. This matchup was originally scheduled for Sunday Night Football but was flexed out of the primetime spot. This was, presumably, because forcing the general public to watch the Broncos’ offense on primetime for the fifth time was a violation of the United States Constitution.
This is still a division game, however, and we have already seen what can happen when the Chiefs overlook a seemingly marginal opponent. They will have to bring a much better effort because the Broncos would love nothing more than to beat the Chiefs on their home turf.
The Broncos are in the middle of one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. They traded away their future in the hopes that the current sandwich slinger would find his magic that led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title and several winning seasons. Instead of turning around a quarterback situation that has been in chaos since Peyton Manning left in 2016, the Broncos find themselves in the worst offensive situation in football.
Wilson commands most of the Broncos’ entire salary, having been guaranteed over $161 million to go along with a $50 million per year until he is 40 years old. That would be fine if it is Tom Brady, but Wilson’s skills have been deteriorating since his last year in Seattle and only seem to be getting worse.
The Broncos also brought in new head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who was highly touted as an offensive guru from the Green Bay Packers. The bet was that the Packers’ success on offense was more due to Hackett’s scheme rather than the generation greatness that is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. This season, it appears to be that Hackett may not have had as much to do with that success initially hoped.
The combination of Hackett and Wilson has led to the worst offense in the NFL. They are averaging less than two touchdowns per game and rank at or near the bottom of every major offensive statistical category. Calls for Hackett’s firing have hit a crescendo after their most recent debacle; a 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, who lost their MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson early in that game.
As bad as the Broncos’ offense has been, their defense has been nearly that good. They have allowed the second-fewest points and third-fewest yards in the NFL. Their strengths on defense also match up well with the Chiefs’ offense. The Broncos are third in the league in passing offense and third-down conversions, whereas the Chiefs rank first in passing offense and second in third-downs.
This matchup is where this game could be won or lost for Kansas City. The Chiefs will have to find a way to break the Broncos’ coverage scheme and convert on third downs to keep the defense on the field and wear them down. If the Chiefs can score 24+ points on this unit, they should not have a problem.
The Chiefs are 10-point road favorites, give or take a point, depending on where you feed your degeneracy. The Broncos are a team in turmoil with severe shortcomings on offense and at head coach. The Chiefs should win in a rout, especially considering the disappointing effort last week against the Bengals.The Broncos and their fan base hate the Chiefs with an undying enthusiasm that has been ratcheted up to 11 due to the 13 straight Ls they have taken.
This game is the Broncos’ Super Bowl, and you can bet that they will bring their A+ effort on Sunday. The Chiefs will have to match the Broncos’ intensity if they plan to leave with number 14. If they do, then this game should be over by halftime. If not, then the ride will be as uncomfortable as watching Russell Wilson in front of a camera.
