Mile High Roundtable: Broncos at Chiefs | Week 13 | Predictions & Picks
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 6-5: It's hard to see anything other than a Kansas City Chiefs blowout in prime-time. The return of Drew Lock and Shelby Harris is welcome, but Bryce Callahan and Phillip Lindsay will be very much missed. Until Lock can step up, it's hard to trust the Denver Broncos. The defense will be respectable, and we will see a team play with pride against a divisional rival, but Patrick Mahomes is playing like the best QB in the league at the moment, and perhaps this is the game where Kansas City's weapons gash the Broncos secondary.
Pick: Chiefs 45, Broncos 13
Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) 6-5: Last week was a rough one against New Orleans, and it might be even worse against the Chiefs this week. Denver is shorthanded in the secondary in a week in which that's unlucky. I just don't see how the Broncos snap a 10-game losing streak to the Chiefs this week. Tyreek Hill will go off again.
Pick: Chiefs 37, Broncos 20
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 5-6: You have to feel for a Broncos' defense that keeps balling when confronted by lost causes. Mahomes and the high-powered Chiefs present a Mount Everest-type challenge on Sunday Night Football, and sadly, it's beyond the depleted Broncos. Expect Mahomes to ruthlessly pick at the wound left by Callahan's absence. It doesn't get ugly until late in this one as the Chiefs send the Broncos home on the wrong end of a lop-sided scoreline.
Pick: Chiefs 38, Broncos 17
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 7-4: Callahan being out is a devastating blow. He might have been the best player on the team this season. The question that keeps coming to my mind now that Callahan is out is, who can cover Hill and Travis Kelce? You can't double-team both of them. Factoring in the up-and-down play of the Broncos' offense and it's simply tough to see a path to victory on the road. The Broncos keep this one a bit closer than some think as they'll run the heck out of the football with Melvin Gordon trying to shorten the game and hope that the ball bounces their way a couple of times.
Pick: Chiefs 28, Broncos 17
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 5-6: Even if the Broncos had not been devastated by injuries this season, they would still have a tough time beating the Chiefs. With the state the Broncos are currently in, this game is going to be another embarrassing defeat. The only chance the Broncoshave will be to play mistake-free while forcing multiple takeaways, something the defense has been unable to do the past two seasons. It is difficult to see either happening based on how these teams have played this season.
Pick: Chiefs 35, Broncos 9
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 6-5: The margin for error on the road against the juggernaut Chiefs is non-existent. So the question is, can Lock and the Broncos play perfect? Suffice to say, I have my doubts. However, Vic Fangio flummoxed Mahomes back in Week 7, holding the stud QB to pedestrian passing numbers and the Chiefs to 0-for-8 on third down. Duplicating that collective performance without Callahan seems far-fetched at this point. If the Broncos a.) don't turn it over, b.) control the trenches, and c.) Lock has the game of his career, there's a chance. But expecting all three of those stars to align after last week's debacle is, to quote Fangio, "a big ask."
Pick: Chiefs 34, Broncos 13
Trevor Judge (@TrevorJudge) 6-4: The Broncos are bringing a 10-game losing streak against the Chiefs. That’s one loss shy of the Broncos' tying their longest losing streak against Kansas City (1964-1969) dating back a half-century. Even with Lock back in the fold, it’s unlikely this decimated Denver squad will be the one to snap that streak this Sunday. SportsBetting.com also agrees — having the spread at nearly two touchdowns.
Pick: Chiefs 34, Broncos 16
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 6-5: A funny feeling in me screams potential upset, and I'd listen to it were the Broncos at or even near full strength for this clash. Unfortunately, it's not the case. This is the "surest" loss left on the docket for Denver, but I expect the game to be more competitive than many expect, with Fangio's defense doing Fangio things and Lock continuing to grow up in front of our very eyes.
Pick: Chiefs 26, Broncos 20
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 6-5: The Broncos are getting the quarterback position back this week which is nice, but the team is going up against the best offense, QB/WR/TE trio in the NFL as well which is not nice. Denver will look better on offense this week but I do not expect a pretty end result. In the end, it’s about Lock looking confident. He can’t look worse than the last game against KC, right?
Pick: Chiefs 31, Broncos 17
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 8-3: The Chiefs aren’t quite the juggernaut they may have been last season, but they are still one of the most talented teams in the NFL. The Broncos will have to play near-perfect ball in all aspects of the game in order to have a chance to win. The Broncos can do more defensively because their pass rush should be good and might cause some issues for Mahomes and company, but it won’t be enough to contain them. The Broncos' offense will have to pick up the slack and that means both Lock and Gordon must play better than they did the first time the two teams met — recall that the two were responsible for the Broncos’ four turnovers in the last meeting between the teams. While I think the defense can keep the game closer than the last time, the offense still concerns me and I expect the Chiefs to take this one.
Pick: Chiefs 30, Broncos 17
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 7-4: Even though the Broncos don’t want to repeat the coaching turnover that’s made the team infamous, they’ll have no choice after this game. Embarrassing new lows, and going (0-11) against KC since 2015 could cost multiple men their jobs. I can already hear the press conference excuses. “Inconsistency, and we have to play better.” KC rolls.
Pick: Chiefs 41, Broncos 16
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 7-4: The theme of the season to date has been quality defensive play keeping the Broncos in games while the offense drags its feet, holding the team back. Against this explosive Chiefs, that's a great way to get blown out. Forget the 11-0 Steelers, this is the best team in the NFL. Denver stands absolutely no chance at a victory unless the offense can go toe-to-toe with this juggernaut.
Pick: Chiefs 38, Broncos 13
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 5-6: Denver will be at about as full strength as it can be but without a top corner in Callahan. Last time, the Chiefs' defense and special teams had big days so the offense wasn't needed as much. There just seems little the Broncos can do to actually win this one. Ultimately, the Broncos' defense is outclassed by Kansas City's offense, and the same goes for the special teams, while Lock and company shoot themselves in the foot. The Chiefs sweep the Broncos once again with another blowout, scoring in all three phases.
Pick: Chiefs 45, Broncos 13
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