Chiefs’ keys vs. Broncos: Close the door on a rookie QB, stay out of the trap
Time for another AFC West rematch, this time with the division race already decided: The Kansas City Chiefs (9-4) play host to the Denver Broncos (5-8) Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
The two teams are meeting for 120th time, but the rivalry has been one-sided in recent years. The Chiefs have won eight straight and haven’t scored fewer than 27 points against the Broncos in that span, including Week 7’s 30-6 win in Denver.
Their domination of the AFC West under coach Andy Reid can be traced to 2015. Since then, Reid is a remarkable 25-3 against all of KC’s divisional foes.
Things are different for the Broncos than they were seven games ago, though. Quarterback Joe Flacco, who was sacked eight times when the Chiefs visited earlier this fall, is no longer the starter. The Broncos have turned to rookie Drew Lock, who played at Lee Summit High and Missouri.
Here are four key areas to monitor for the Chiefs as they seek to improve to 10-4 with the postseason looming.
Chiefs defense vs. Lock
The Broncos are riding a two-game winning streak since Lock took over, but the rookie signal-caller faces a stiff test against the Chiefs’ defense.
Lock’s wins came against the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans. The latter allowed the Broncos to jump out to a 38-3 lead before eventually losing 38-24.
While Lock has been impressive, with five total touchdown passes against two interceptions in those games, the Chiefs’ defense has shown the ability to put the clamps down on an opponent.
Over the past three games, the Chiefs have allowed a total of 42 points, a 14-points-per-game average. In that same span, they’ve totaled seven sacks, 15 quarterback hits and seven interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown. On special teams, defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon has blocked two kicks, including one returned for a two-point conversion.
The Broncos have allowed 37 sacks this season. Lock has been sacked just once, but the Chiefs present a different level of trouble that the rookie quarterback hasn’t yet faced in his young career.
Lock’s return home to play at Arrowhead Stadium is a feel-good story, of course. But the advantage falls squarely to the Chiefs if they rattle him early and often.
Get Mahomes going
While the defense has stepped up, the Chiefs’ offense has sputtered in the past three games, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes averaging a pedestrian 213.3 yards passing.
A hand injury in New England took away the deep ball — Mahomes adjusted to throwing short to intermediary routes. But even before the hand injury, Mahomes hadn’t consistently recaptured the magic of his 2018 MVP season.
Mahomes said Wednesday his hand is feeling better and the Chiefs listed him as a full participant in two days of practice. Good thing, because it’s essential for the offense to get off to a fast start and build momentum toward the postseason.
Moreover, Mahomes and Co. could apply pressure on the Broncos and their young quarterback by jumping out to a quick lead to make the Broncos more one-dimensional.
Chiefs’ defense against Lindsay
The Chiefs did an excellent job in containing Phillip Lindsay in Week 7, holding the second-year pro to 36 yards on 11 carries. A repeat performance might be necessary if the Chiefs want to stick a fork in the Broncos.
The running game is typically a quarterback’s best friend, and Denver could take some pressure off Lock by rushing well. He’s returning home, after all, and the nerves are sure to be high, so what better way to ease him into the game than with some early handoffs to a reliable ball-carrier?
The Chiefs can effectively take away Lindsay by jumping out to a quick lead. And even if the game is close, the Chiefs should still be able to contain Lindsay given how the defense has played in the past three games.
Stay out of the trap
What do the Chiefs and Texans have in common?
Both teams defeated the mighty Patriots one week before squaring off against the Broncos. The NFL saw what happened to the Texans, and the Chiefs better have paid attention.
In a sport where “any given Sunday” is cliche but always applies, the Chiefs must stay focused — even with their AFC West title already clinched. Chiefs players have been saying the right thing in the past week about keeping an eye on the greater prize, such as a top seed in the postseason and a run at the Super Bowl.
If the Chiefs want to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender, they simply can’t lose this game to a clearly inferior opponent.
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
