Broncos vs. Chiefs: Week 14 Bold Predictions & Picks
The Denver Broncos' last victory over the Kansas City Chiefs was in Week 2 of the 2015 season. Peyton Manning's last year in Denver. He's in the Hall of Fame now, in case you missed it.
13 games.
The Chiefs' winning streak spans seven seasons. It boggles the mind.
Considering how bad the 3-9 Broncos are, it's doubtful anyone is betting their mortgage on a win over the Chiefs. But, with the playoffs all but out of reach, this could be the Broncos' Super Bowl.
Let's go around the Mile High Huddle table to see how the staff envisions this one unfolding.
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 7-5: There is no way the Broncos pull off the win. The upset is wondering if the offense manages to score any more than 10 against an underrated Chiefs defense that will be out for revenge after last week's loss. Spoiler alert: the Broncos' offense does not. Patrick Mahomes, in a divisional game in December, gets pulled in the third quarter, as this one isn't close at all.
Pick: Chiefs 31, Broncos 7
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 5-7: Miracles most often happen during the Christmas period. Currently riding the most ghastly losing streak in the NFL, it's about time the Broncos caught a break. Unfortunately, this miracle is far beyond the magical powers of anyone in Denver. In fact, Mahomes will be safely tucked up on Kansas City's sidelines by the fourth quarter after torching the worn-out Denver defense for four touchdowns. In the final analysis, 'Black Monday' can't come soon enough.
Pick: Chiefs 35, Broncos 7
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 5-7: Before the season started, everyone had this game circled as the opportunity to show the Broncos are back. Unfortunately, the Broncos have not held up their end of this rivalry to make this a marquee game, as evidenced by the NFL flexing it out of primetime. This one will not be close. The Broncos' defense has been great, but great against the Chiefs is holding them to 20 points. I would be shocked if the Broncos can score more than 10 points themselves. The Broncos hold their own for the first half of this one but struggle in the second half and watch this one quickly get out of hand.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Broncos 10
Mike Evans (@MHHEvans) 6-6: In the proverbial David versus Goliath matchup, the Broncos face the Chiefs' top-ranked offense. To keep the game close, Denver's offense will need to take a page from last week's playbook and prioritize running the ball and use play-action passes to control the clock. Unfortunately, it won't be enough.
Pick: Chiefs 28, Broncos 14
Brennan Grose (@BrennanGrose1) 5-7: It’s been over seven years since the Broncos last beat the Chiefs, and it's going to take a miracle for it to be snapped this week. The Chiefs are going to put up points even against a stellar Broncos defense, but Denver doesn't have an offense that can keep up with Kansas City, so it seems this matchup is only heading in one direction.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Broncos 13
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 7-5: There is zero reason to think the Broncos can win another game the rest of the season. In Sunday’s matchup vs. the Chiefs, the Broncos are overmatched against a better-coached team that isn’t suffering from significant injuries. This has the makings of a blowout. The Chiefs' offense can score a lot of points, the Broncos cannot, and it's doubtful the defense can stop this opposing team all game. However, 'any given Sunday' is a saying for a reason.
Pick: Broncos 23, Chiefs 20
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 5-7: I wanna believe. But the Broncos have given me nothing to hang that hat on this season. It's been one embarrassment after another, punctuated with indignities that boggle the mind. Russell Wilson's arrival in the Mile High City was supposed to be the straw that allowed the Broncos to finally break this Kansas City camel's back. But Wilson can't even take care of himself, let alone elevate a Broncos squad to a win over arguably the AFC's best team. The Chiefs get to live in Denver's head rent-free for another couple of weeks until the rematch in Arrowhead.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Broncos 13
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 8-4: Let's keep this concise: I don't believe the Broncos are going to win — how could you? — but I don't think they get blown out, either. The defense, as usual, will do its part while the offense, as usual, carries no weight. The streak continues for KC.
Pick: Chiefs 24, Broncos 16
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 6-6: The Broncos delve deeper into the pit of misery as the juggernaut Chiefs come to town. While the Denver defense over previous seasons has held up admirably against Mahomes, that was under Fangio, who would not blitz and instead, rushed four and contained the QB. Under new DC Ejiro Evero, the Broncos blitz at a far higher rate, which some fans may appreciate the aggression. Do you know who else enjoys the blitz? Mahomes, who is one of the best QBs in the history of the game against five or more pass rushers. This one could be ugly, but KC goes up quickly and early, playing with its food down the stretch to close out the game due to no fear of the Broncos’ offense.
Pick: Chiefs 26, Broncos 13
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 4-8: The Chiefs are likely on their way to another AFC West title despite a loss to Cincinnati. The Chiefs are also likely to get a few players back who missed last week's game. And what was expected to be a closer matchup at the start of the season has not come to pass. The Broncos are about to take one on the chin.
Pick: Chiefs 24, Broncos 9
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 5-7: Broncos get dominated by Chiefs because Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett are the leaders of disfunction-palooza. Neither man cares about the 13-0 beaten steak but will soon be a part of a 14-0 streak. Not a lot of no-shows for this one because Chiefs Kingdom will buy tickets from a Broncos fanbase that has had enough.
Pick: Chiefs 33, Broncos 3
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 2-10: The question isn't if the Broncos are going to lose this game or not, but rather by how much? Kansas City just lost a frustrating game last week, and they haven't lost back-to-back games in who knows how long. Mahomes typically bounces back in a big way following a loss, so this Broncos defense has a tough ask to try to slow him down. And they couldn't stop Tyler Huntley last week when it mattered most.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Broncos 9
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 3-9: While the Chiefs have a high-powered offense, the Broncos' defense has done a great job for the majority of the season. Denver will have its breaks against the Chiefs, but will also make some key plays. This game feels like a game where the Chiefs go in overlooking the Broncos and make some mistakes as a result. Denver is able to capitalize on that. Specifically, the defense comes through with two defensive scores, with one followed by a two-point conversion to tie the game. The offense leads three field goal drives, including a game-winner.
Pick: Broncos 24, Chiefs 21
Dylan Von Arx (@arx_d) 4-8: If Broncos Country hasn't tuned out yet, fans may officially lose it after Sunday. Kansas City is coming off an embarrassing loss and has infinitely more to play for. The Chiefs will pick at the husk of this abysmal Denver team and continue their seemingly never-ending win streak.
Pick: Chiefs 20, Broncos 6
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