3 Keys to a Broncos Victory Over Chiefs in Week 18

The old saying that ‘time heals all wounds’ clearly doesn’t apply to the Denver Broncos, who have made NFL history as the first franchise to miss the playoffs in all six of the ensuing seasons following a Super Bowl win. Head coach Vic Fangio is on the cusp of his 30th loss in three seasons while only logging 19 wins as his team will finish last for back-to-back seasons in the AFC West.

The 63-year-old defensive guru has been the target of Broncos Country’s frustrations as the fan base has averaged approximately 9,000 no-shows in Denver in the last few home games. As fans and media members alike speculate on the future of Fangio’s coaching staff, the Broncos host the 11-5 Kansas City Chiefs for the final game of the regular season.

Denver has been eliminated from postseason contention and is on a three-game losing streak while Kansas City locked up another division title and guaranteed top-4 seeding in the AFC. If the Chiefs beat the Broncos in this Week 18 matchup, they could potentially earn the No. 1 AFC seed with a Tennessee loss.

The NFL flexed Denver's regular-season finale to Saturday afternoon, making this the third nationally televised Broncos game of the season. Remember, Week 13 was flexed to Sunday Night Football in a primetime beatdown to the tune of a 22-9 Chiefs win over Denver. Kansas City is currently on a 12-game winning streak that has haunted Denver for years.

Is there even a chance the Broncos could win this game? Let’s review three keys to a long-awaited Broncos victory with the final game of the season.

Prevent Potential Injuries

This week, the Broncos announced multiple players were place on injured reserve including QB Teddy Bridgewater, LG Dalton Risner, and S Kareem Jackson. With the bittersweet news that the three starters would miss the Chiefs game on Saturday, the team activated all 12 players off the reserve/COVID list that missed last week’s loss in L.A.

Keep your fingers crossed that the COVID list doesn’t grow before Saturday’s game with kicker Brandon McManus and punter Sam Martin landing on the protocol list early in the week. The team expects both players to be active for the final game.

All things virus aside, the Broncos need to be responsible with current players that have been battling injury. There’s literally no reason for WR Courtland Sutton, who came back from an ACL tear in 2020, to risk potential injury this week.

Sutton was listed as questionable with an illness last week and has battled a wrist issue and sprained ankle this season. RB Javonte Williams was limited at practice (knee) this week in addition to TE Noah Fant (quadriceps) with both players listed as questionable in early practice reports — not to mention two defensive starters being banged up including CBs Patrick Surtain (calf) and Ronald Darby (shoulder).

There’s no such thing as a moral victory in the NFL especially when a franchise has amassed five losing seasons in a row. The only thing worse than enduring another embarrassment would be to witness a devastating injury to a future star player.

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Play like the Boss is Watching

The likelihood of the Broncos beating the Chiefs on Saturday is about as high as the 5,280-foot altitude of the Mile High City. Especially with Kansas City having something to play for with hopes of securing the No. 1 AFC playoff seed that would ensure homefield advantage and a first-round bye in the postseason.

In seasons past, two teams from each conference would lock down both playoff perks making this final game for the Chiefs significant. So, it’s not really about the Xs and Os or even the Jimmies and Joes in terms of offensive and defensive game-plans.

Expect Chiefs' QB Patrick Mahomes, who’s thrown for 4,569 yards and 35 touchdowns with 13 interceptions, to score multiple times on Saturday. That’s a given when playing a former MVP and Super Bowl champion, but the manner in which the Broncos compete is undeniably significant to GM George Paton.

Sure, Paton has hit on his maiden draft class with Surtain, Williams, OL Quinn Meinerz, LB Baron Browning, OLB Jonathon Cooper, and S Caden Sterns. But the evaluation for Paton doesn’t start and stop with rookies playing in their first year.

Paton started his NFL career with the Chicago Bears in 1997 as a scouting intern and was promoted to assistant director of pro personnel in 1998. After that, he was the director of pro personnel with the Miami Dolphins from 2001-2006, meaning that he has extensive experience of evaluating current players in the NFL.

This applies to players on the Broncos' current roster in addition to all 31 other teams in the NFL and other leagues including the CFL. Some of the first film Paton will watch is that of his own players during player and coaching evaluations.

Perhaps a player or two will reveal himself to play hard when they think nobody’s watching. In the absence of several starters and on special teams, it’d behoove players to stand out for the right reasons this Saturday.

Force Chiefs to Exit Denver Black & Blue

The rookies were privy to a small taste of the complete domination from Week 13. But unless you were a player that’s in his first year, it should infuriate guys that Kansas City reigns supreme over Denver.

Surtain picked off Mahomes in their last meeting but will miss Saturday’s game due to injury (calf) along with team captain Kareem Jackson (back) in the defensive backfield. That leaves the remaining defensive team captain and starting safety Justin Simmons as the sole ball hawk prowling for a takeaway, and Sterns looking to rebound from a tough stretch.

But it doesn’t really matter the position nor the specific man that will play this Saturday, so long as they make Kansas City earn the win through physicality. It might be easier said than done but Chiefs' TE Travis Kelce should get chopped down repeatedly when crossing the middle of the field with the ball a la T.J. Ward circa 2015 vs. Rob Gronkowski six seasons ago.

In the last meeting, Kelce was limited to just three receptions for 27 yards. WR Tyreek Hill should also be made to pay a heavy toll if given the ball on a handoff or reverse as Denver's defense tees off on him with fair but nasty hits and tackles.

Hill's speed might burn everyone on the team on deep bombs from Mahomes, but on the short and quick passes that Kansas City is accustomed, to the Broncos need to make a statement. While insignificant to this season’s playoff run for the Chiefs, such a statement would issue a warning that there’s a turning of the page in Denver and it won’t be easy from here on out.

Follow Luke on Twitter @LukePattersonLP.

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