Ahead of the Denver Broncos’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, we asked Charles Goldman of Chiefs Wire about KC and how they will matchup against Denver. Check out our questions and Goldman’s answers below!
1
Do the Chiefs have any weaknesses the Broncos might be able to try to exploit?
The Bengals picked apart the center of the Chiefs’ defense in Week 13. The linebackers didn’t stop a single pass thrown in their direction and they gave up over 100 yards. The problem with that is that Russell Wilson has been a below-average MOF passer during his career. One matchup that might be good for Denver – the Chiefs play a lot of man coverage – at least in the secondary. I heard that Jerry Jeudy is one of the league’s best receivers against man coverage, so he could be a nice little safety net for Wilson.
2
Does this feel like any kind of a trip-up game, or is Denver so bad that's not on the mind?
I think it’s definitely on the mind of the Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes even said on Wednesday that one loss can quickly spiral into two if you don’t prepare the right way for the next game. I would say the big thing that Kansas City has going for them is that they spend a lot of time during the offseason scouting and working on AFC West teams. It’s one of the reasons they have so much success within the division. The thing that is scary about Denver is that they’re a 3-9 team with very little to lose. They haven’t beaten the Chiefs since the Obama Administration, so I’m expecting them to pull out all the stops.
3
What do you think the chances are that Melvin Gordon is elevated for Sunday's game?
Andy Reid said there is a chance, but I’d be very surprised to see Gordon up in Week 14. The Chiefs have two running backs on the injury report, but they’re participating in full during practice. The team is actually more likely to elevate DT Brandon Williams, who they also signed to the practice squad around the time they signed Melvin Gordon.
4
Who is an underrated KC player that Denver fans should be aware of this week?
I don’t know how underrated a first-round draft pick can actually be, but I’ll go with rookie CB Trent McDuffie. He missed the early portion of the season with a hamstring injury, but he’s started the last five games and is really starting to perform at a high level. He hasn’t recorded an interception yet this season, but he has five passes defended in the last five games. Quarterbacks aren’t really even throwing his direction because his coverage has been so airtight.
5
What's your prediction for Sunday -- who wins and why?
The Broncos have a defense that could make this game interesting. I feel like it’s going to come down to the Chiefs’ defense having a bounce-back performance against Russell Wilson and a struggling Denver offense. If they can hold them at bay, it’ll only be a matter of time before Patrick Mahomes puts up points. In the end, I imagine the Broncos will be handed their 10th loss of the season and 14th consecutive loss to Kansas City. It might not be a bad thing for Denver if it leads to the dismissal of Nathaniel Hackett and the promotion of Ejiro Evero.
