Mile High Roundtable: Broncos at Chiefs | Week 13 | Predictions & Picks
11 games.
The Denver Broncos haven't defeated the Kansas City Chiefs since Week 2 of the 2015 season. That game took place at Arrowhead Stadium.
Been some dark days since then whenever the Broncos have drawn the Chiefs on the schedule. Sunday night marks the next meeting between these two AFC West mavens and wouldn't you know? It's at Arrowhead.
Is this the day Denver's streak of ignominy ends? Let's go around the table to see what the Mile High Huddle staff foresees shaking out on Sunday Night Football.
Kenneth Booker (@KennethMHH) 8-3: The winner of this game will emerge with the top spot in the AFC West. If the Broncos hope to come out the end with a victory, they will need to do three things. 1.) Win the battle in the trenches. The Broncos' O-line will need to consistently open running lanes. 2.) Get home with the front four. Flush Patrick Mahomes from the pocket and rush his decision process. 3.) Don't abandon the run game. If Melvin Gordon can’t go Sunday, Javonte Williams should get 20-plus touches. The focus has to be to win time of possession and wear down Kansas City's defense. I see the game being a hard-fought match, with Kansas City kicking a game-winning field goal in overtime.
Pick: Chiefs 26, Broncos 23
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 6-5: The Broncos are now approaching the meat and potatoes of their schedule, with divisional matches defining their December and indeed, their season. Surprisingly, the Broncos are in the thick of the AFC playoff race and in the division. This one game won't define Denver's season but the team needs to show up in front of a national audience and put together its best game of the season. Expect the Broncos to do that but with the Chiefs coming off a bye week in Arrowhead and riding an improved defense, it's just a bit too much this time around, unfortunately.
Pick: Chiefs 21, Broncos 17
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 4-7: It's hard to believe after so many performance fluctuations, the Broncos have a chance to emerge from Week 13 on top of the division. If history tells us anything, however, it's that this team tends to fall on its face the minute fans start to believe in them. In truth, the Broncos need to approach this one exactly how they did last week. If Denver can play complementary football, it can win, but either way you slice it, the Broncos need some luck and big plays. Thankfully, both arrive on Sunday night as Kansas City commits three turnovers and Jerry Jeudy scores on a long catch and run.
Pick: Broncos 24, Chiefs 21
Mike Evans (@MHHEvans) 4-7: T Broncos have an opportunity to shock the world in Sunday evening's contest against the perennial Super Bowl-contending Chiefs. With first place in the division on the line, the stakes couldn't be higher. The Broncos have to model the same blueprint that earned the squad victories against Dallas and the Chargers. On offense, Denver had better prioritize running the ball and controlling the clock against the Chiefs' 25th=ranked defense. As importantly, the Orange and Blue must find ways to slow the uber-talented Mahomes and his speedy receivers. Look for Vic Fangio to attempt to create pressure with the front four while keeping five to six defensive backs in coverage in order to slim down Mahomes passing lanes.
Pick: Chiefs 24, Broncos 21
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 6-5: The Broncos are tough to get a read on this season. This team could beat the Chiefs on Sunday only to lose in embarrassing fashion the following week. Counting the Broncos out is unwise for that reason. Against the Chiefs, the Broncos must focus on the running game on both offense and defense if they want to be victorious. If Denver can't run the ball effectively or stop the run without sacrificing the safeties’ deep range, it will be a long night. Fortunately for Broncos fans, the Broncos will do both as Williams puts up a career day. The Broncos put together a surprise victory against their bitter division rival.
Pick: Broncos 24, Chiefs 17
Zach Hicks (@HicksZach2) 4-7: The Broncos are coming off of a monster win over the Los Angeles Chargers and it's followed up with an away game vs. the Chiefs, a team that Denver has struggled against for years. The key to this game will be how well the Broncos’ offense can perform against a surging Chiefs’ defense. Ultimately, I don’t think the Broncos have the juice to pull off this upset
Pick: Chiefs 34, Broncos 20
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 5-6: I want to believe but I've been burned too many times. The Broncos can't be trusted. Will it be Jekyll or will it be Hyde that shows up this week? I haven't the foggiest, not gonna lie. As GM George Paton said, when things are clicking for this team, the Broncos can hang with all comers. But Vic Fangio has failed to glean that spiritual intensity and preparation from his squad consistently. The Broncos will put up a fight defensively but the surging Chiefs' defense ultimately smothers Teddy Bridgewater and company, putting the kybosh on Denver's rushing attack and forcing the Broncos to throw. That's when the train careens off the track and into the void. By the fourth quarter, the Chiefs have this one in hand but some garbage time points by Bridgewater make the game look closer than the game would indicate.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Broncos 23
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 5-6: This won’t be a Broncos blowout by any means, one way or the other. Coming off a resounding victory over the Chargers, Fangio should (keyword: should) have his squad ready to battle for first in the AFC West. But until the Broncos prove consistent, prove they’re contenders — and they would do so by beating Mahomes and company on national television — I can’t trust this outfit. Burned too many times, and not willing to get burned again.
Pick: Chiefs 26, Broncos 23
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 5-6: The Chiefs playing Sunday night at home coming off a bye week just seems like too tall of a task for these Broncos. If Denver can come out hot, play smash ball, get to a lead early, it can win this game. However, if Denver falls behind and the game falls to Bridgewater and the pass protection, it’s likely curtains as the Broncos try to catch up. The Chiefs and the Broncos are both top-five in the NFL in time of possession per drive this season. Denver will have to maximize every time it touches the ball.
Pick: Chiefs 31, Broncos 20
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 5-6: It’s hard to figure out this Broncos team — one week they execute well overall, the next week they make just enough mistakes to cost them the game. Certainly, the Broncos deserve credit for getting a win over the Chargers, but the Chiefs are going to be a tougher team. The Chargers have the worst special teams in the NFL, but the Chiefs have the best. The Chiefs have more of the personnel that fits their defense and are playing better of late. And while the offense hasn’t played at the level it has in the past, the Chiefs still have a top unit. The Broncos have little room for error, and while it’s easy to look at last week’s game and think Denver will win again, the Chiefs are, in fact, a better team overall than the Chargers. I’m hoping the game will at least be close throughout, but the Broncos fall short of victory.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Broncos 20
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 6-5: For 11 straight games, the Broncos have been embarrassed by the Chiefs. In the biggest game since Super Bowl 50 which was flexed to SNF, Denver has a chance to earn some respect. Bridgewater is hardly beloved but is unquestionably Denver's best post-Manning QB to lead the Orange and Blue into Arrowhead. Multiple turnovers will be exchanged but this is ultimately a trap game for Kansas City. Denver has nothing to lose. The Chiefs let the Broncos steal a win. Hardly a changing of the guard, but a better-late-than-never nod to a fan base that desperately needed the win.
Pick: Broncos 26, Chiefs 23
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 6-5: If the Broncos play this game similarly to the way they played last week against the Chargers, there is a good chance they walk out of Arrowhead with the biggest victory since Super Bowl 50, putting them in sole possession of first place in the AFC West. I want to pick the Broncos here, but I can't trust them to repeat their performance.
Pick: Chiefs 31, Broncos 21
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 5-6: This is a challenge for the Broncos and they seem to be putting a lot of pride into it. We will see whether it actually shows up on the field. Denver can attack the Chiefs' defense where it's weak, but the Broncos' defense has to be able to slow down Kansas City's offense. If the Broncos play to their best, they can win but they haven't shown the consistency to justify putting faith in them. Denver keeps it close, but the lack of explosive plays on offense ends up being the downfall late in the game.
Pick: Chiefs 27, Broncos 24
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