KC Chiefs Can Inch Closer to NFL History With a Week 8 Win Over Denver Broncos
The Kansas City Chiefs are traveling to Denver to take on the Broncos on Sunday afternoon with a 3:25 kickoff on CBS. The Chiefs are roughly a seven-point favorite against a team they beat just a couple of weeks ago. Maybe it was the ugliness of a 19-8 Chiefs win, or maybe it’s the Broncos having the home field advantage this week, but it seems like most projections are leaning toward a closer game this time around.
When you look at Patrick Mahomes’s record against the AFC West, he’s a perfect 13-0 on the road. Don’t expect him to lose this weekend as the 6-1 Chiefs travel to take on the 2-5 Broncos. Sure, the Broncos are coming off a thrilling 19-17 win over the Green Bay Packers. However, the Chiefs are coming off their most well-rounded win of the season, a 31-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Even though the scoreboard didn’t look like a blowout in the last meeting between these two teams, it was obvious the Chiefs were the much better team. If Kansas City punched in one or two more of those red zone opportunities, it would have looked like a more decisive win. Watch for the offense to make up for what they didn’t do in the last matchup and look to their guy Travis Kelce to perform at a high level in another game.
Kelce will look to continue his recent dominant stretch. The past eight seasons have been that for the All-Pro and future Hall of Fame tight end, but this season may be his most impressive to date. Despite missing Week 1 with a knee injury and overcoming an ankle injury suffered against the Minnesota Vikings, Kelce is on pace for 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns. This would be his eighth consecutive season with over 1,000 yards receiving, extending his own NFL record for tight ends.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is the only other current player in the NFL to have as many consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. NFL legend Jerry Rice holds the record with 11 straight, he finished his career with 14 total. It will be tough for Kelce to catch Rice, but it doesn’t appear that he will slow down anytime soon. Kelce had nine catches for 124 yards last time out against the Broncos, and another impressive performance on Sunday seems imminent.
On the flip side, the Chiefs' defense was excellent against the Broncos a few weeks ago. Denver essentially scored a garbage time touchdown, but other than that, the defense held them in check. They held Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson to 92 yards passing and forced two interceptions. Nick Bolton, who was on the receiving end of one of those interceptions, won’t be playing after dislocating his wrist and having surgery this past week.
The good news for the Chiefs? Drue Tranquill has looked very good in his time filling in for Bolton. As long as the Chiefs get more of the same, there shouldn’t be much drop-off at the linebacker spot. The secondary continues to lock down opponents, and the pass rush just got even better with the addition of Charles Omenihu after his six-game suspension ended.
This is a team on a mission. Against a divisional opponent who has been inferior for the past eight years, this should be another win. With a win, the Chiefs would pick up their franchise-record 17th straight over the Broncos. It is also the longest streak currently in the NFL. The NFL record is 20 straight wins for the Miami Dolphins over the Buffalo Bills in the 1970s. We are still a couple of years away from seeing a potential NFL record broken. However, while the streak is fun and exciting for fans, the players have bigger goals in mind.
