(Photo: RealGM Football)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week 18
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
Chiefs: We were all waiting for that one game where they put it together on both sides of the ball instead of just getting by as they’ve done all this season. Christmas Day was the best I have seen them look all year long as they moved the football up and down the field with consistency, they were well coached and the defense handled the rest but what truly stood out to me was the Chiefs’ defense being able to win up front in the trenches, even without Chris Jones and we’ve seen just how important he is to this Kansas City defense. As I’ve mentioned, he is their “version of Aaron Donald” and I’ll explain what I mean before you get carried away. The Chiefs have built their defense around him just as the Rams built theirs around Aaron. He’s that vital and I don’t think they win either of the three Super Bowl titles they have without him, that’s how key he is. With that win on Christmas Day, not only did they improve to 15-1 which is the best record in the league, but they also clinched home-field advantage and the top seed in the AFC, tell me if you’ve heard that before. This is the fourth time in six seasons with Mahomes that they will have a week off in the first round of the postseason. Another road traveled through Arrowhead to get to the Super Bowl. They will close out their regular season in Denver on Sunday.
Broncos: They’ve had two opportunities to clinch a playoff berth and fumbled them both. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, they were up in that game until they weren’t, and even against the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend, they had opportunities to close that game out. Still, they allowed the Bengals to hang around and they fell in that one, unfortunately. Two chances to punch their ticket back to the playoffs and they failed both times. There have been some struggles for the Broncos over the years as this has been a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2015 when they won Super Bowl 50. Let that sink in for a second. Bo Nix is everything this franchise could’ve hoped for and then some as his stellar play has made him a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He may not win it, but he deserves the nomination without question. I can admit they’ve surprised me this year and never did I think they’d be in the playoff picture at any point during this season. For the longest, the knock on Sean Payton was he wouldn’t do much of anything without Drew Brees, but I’ve been impressed with what he’s done this year and he’s still one of the best coaches in the league. Sunday is the final straw for them as they will welcome the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs to town on Sunday.
Chiefs X-Factor: Carson Wentz– I highly doubt we will see Patrick Mahomes in this game on Sunday as everything is clinched and they are locked into the top seed, so a win or loss won’t alter that. Carson hasn’t been the same guy since the ACL injury with the Eagles and has only thrown two passes since joining the Eagles. Andy Reid will build a nice game plan around Carson consisting of controlling things, handing the ball off, and not losing the football game.
Broncos X-Factor: Marvin Mims– The future is so bright for this young Wide Receiver. With Jerry Jeudy being dealt to Cleveland, this opened the door of opportunity for Marvin. I get Emmanuel Sanders vibes when I watch him play meaning he knows his role within an offense. If he has to be the guy, he’ll step up, but he’s the number two next to Courtland Sutton and he stays within his lane. I’m so happy to see him being used more under Sean Payton.
Final Thoughts: This game means absolutely nothing for the Chiefs and we can call this an unofficial bye week for them. Meanwhile, on the other side, the Denver Broncos are looking to make the playoffs and they will need some help. They will need the Pittsburgh Steelers to do them a solid and beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night and the Dolphins will need to lose to the Jets on Sunday afternoon. If that can transpire, the Broncos will be heading to Orchard Park more than likely for a Wild Card showdown with the Buffalo Bills. It’s simple for Denver. Win, you’re in, but if you lose, you’re done. These two met in a thrilling game in November that came down to a blocked field goal and Kansas City improved to 9-0. I haven’t liked what I’ve seen from Denver’s defense as of late as they’ve struggled to get off the field and make many stops. Carson Wentz isn’t on the same level as Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert, but he can do enough to push the football up the field. If Denver does win this game, Bo Nix will be the first rookie to lead this team to the playoffs for the first time since John Elway and anytime you can be mentioned with a Hall of Famer, that’s saying a lot. I’m picking the Chiefs to win this game to help shake up the AFC playoff picture.
Prediction: Chiefs 21, Broncos 14