Ahead of the Denver Broncos’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, we asked John Dillon of Chiefs Wire five questions about KC and this week’s AFC West showdown. Check out our questions and Dillon’s answers below.
1
Any notable changes for the Chiefs since their last game against the Broncos?
Charles Omenihu came on strong for Kansas City after missing the first six games of the regular season due to a suspension. Star linebacker Nick Bolton also injured his wrist last week and will miss an extended period of time. The Chiefs’ pass rush will benefit from Omenihu’s presence up front, and though the linebacking corps is missing its best player on paper, veteran Drue Tranquill has shown flashes of brilliance in his first season with Kansas City.
2
What went wrong for KC's offense in Week 6 that went right in Week 7?
When Patrick Mahomes catches fire there is very little that opposing defenses can do to stop the Chiefs’ offense. With the exception of a questionable arm punt, Mahomes seemed to be back to MVP form against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7, and Kansas City’s success on offense will hinge on his ability to get in rhythm against the Broncos’ secondary.
3
Denver's key to beating Kansas City is...
I have a feeling that this game could be a shootout, so scoring points on every offensive possession will likely be Denver’s key to victory. If they can’t straight-up outscore the Chiefs in this game, it will be extremely difficult to avoid any of the last-minute heroics that have come to define the Mahomes era in Kansas City. If the Broncos’ first drive ends with a punt, the game will effectively be over in the first quarter.
4
If you could poach one player from the Broncos and gift him to the Chiefs, who would you choose?
This is a tough one because more than anything I love to watch the Broncos lose. To that end, I’ll take Russell Wilson just to leave Denver in an even more compromised position at quarterback, but if we’re talking in terms of who I’d add to make the Chiefs better, give me Jerry Jeudy. Kansas City needs a legitimate wideout to sit atop their depth chart, and the idea of having Jeudy on the boundary to take heat off of Travis Kelce is too good to pass up.
5
What's your prediction for Sunday -- who wins and why?
I called for a blowout in Week 6 and I’m doing it again here. Mahomes and company have played with a chip on their shoulders since losing to the Detroit Lions in their first game of the season, and against a divisional opponent like Denver, they’ll bring in one of their best game plans of the season. Give me Chiefs by a billion (like, 55-17) and let me call my shot that the reigning MVP throws for four or more touchdowns.
