Ahead of the Denver Broncos’ showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend, we asked Charles Goldman of Chiefs Wire five questions about KC and Sunday’s AFC West matchup. Check out our questions and Goldman’s answers below!
1
The Broncos have nothing to lose. Is there any worry that KC could slip up against a division rival, giving Buffalo an advantage in the race for the No. 1 seed?
I don’t think there are any new worries given all the coaching changes. The Chiefs already knew they had to step their game up after the Week 14 game against the Broncos. Patrick Mahomes, in particular, felt like he let that game slip away a little bit with his three interceptions. He felt like he put the defense in some bad spots and didn’t capitalize on his own opportunities. He’s been flawless in each game since, with no turnovers and I suspect he’ll look to keep that streak alive this week. Really, the whole game served as a late-season reminder for him to take what’s there and not pre-determine or force anything.
2
Along those lines, do the Chiefs have any notable weaknesses that Denver might be able to exploit on Sunday?
They’ve struggled to defend the middle of the field at times this season. If you can isolate their linebackers on tight ends and running backs in the passing game you might be able to gain some advantages. Other than that, their biggest weakness has been turning the ball over. Up until last week, they’d gone nine consecutive games with some sort of turnover be it something on offense or special teams.
3
If you could steal one player from the Broncos and gift him to KC, who would you choose and why?
Patrick Surtain II would probably be a fun one, especially given the fact that his father played for Kansas City. The Chiefs don’t exactly have a cornerback right now that has consistently forced interceptions, so he’d immediately be the team leader in that regard. I have a feeling that a cornerback group featuring Surtain II, L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie would be quite formidable and one of the best in the AFC conference.
4
Do you think there's any chance we'll see Melvin Gordon activated from the practice squad to face his former team?
There’s virtually no shot that he’s made active this week unless an injury pops up during the practice week. The Chiefs are very healthy all around, but especially at the running back position right now. Jerick McKinnon and Isiah Pacheco are also playing their best football of the season. Even if there were an injury, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is eligible to return from injured reserve and Ronald Jones would also get a look before Gordon would get called up and play snaps. He’s basically RB5 on this team right now, which isn’t a slight against him, just the reality of joining a team so late in the year.
5
What's your prediction for Sunday -- who wins and why?
I don’t tend to believe in the “boost” that teams get with an interim head coach. I think that instead of trying to prepare for the unexpected from Jerry Rosburg, the Chiefs will work on correcting some of the mistakes they made in the first matchup against the Broncos. If the defense plays as they did against the Seahawks a week ago, I’d be surprised if Denver scores many points. They’ll also have to contend with the Arrowhead Stadium crowd on New Year’s Day. Chiefs 38, Broncos 10.
