These Five Questions Will Decide Chiefs Success Against Broncos

The Kansas City Chiefs play their biggest game of the season to date against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, and this will be a rivalry game with an edge. It’s been that way for well over a decade now, with the Bronos winning the AFC West from 2011-15 and the Chiefs taking over from 2016-24, as Jeff Legwold and Nate Taylor of ESPN noted in their latest stake on the game. 

The writers took on five questions each about their respective teams, and so let’s take a look at what Taylor had for the Chiefs. 

How important is this game for the Chiefs?

A win would give Kansas City a commanding lead in the AFC West, as the Chiefs come in at 5-1 with Denver having a record of 5-2. The win would also help Kansas City build a cushion, as they have three soft games against the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals before a tough finishing stretch. 

Can the Chiefs depend on Kenneth Walker III again? 

Taylor’s answer to this one was “yes,” and the Chiefs believe they can have a similar level of success as Walker rushed for 178 yards in Kansas City’s 31-10 route in Week 1. But the Broncos tackling was incredibly bad in that game, and it’s hard to believe something like that will happen again. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes talked about hitting the Broncos in the intermediate area when they load up to stop Walker, so this could be a very different game. 

Can the Chiefs finally harness their pass rush?

The answer to this question is “Chris Jones.” The defensive tackle has been close to invisible so far, and while defensive end George Karlaftis has played well, he only has one sack so far. Edge rusher R Mason Thomas has helped generate pressure, but he, too, has just one sack. 

Where will the Chiefs get big plays from with all their receiver injuries? 

According to Taylor, the safe answer here is tight end Travis Kelce, but Kelce got hurt against the Los Angeles Chargers and struggled against the Seahawks. The right answer would be reciever Xavier Worthy, but he was a virtual no-show in Seattle with just 11 yards and three catches for the evening on Sunday night. 

Who will the X-factor be for Kansas City?

Taylor chose kicker Harrison Butker, which is a good selection. The latest on this is coach Andy Reid saying “his technique is off a bit,” so stay tuned if the game is close and late field goals are involved in deciding this one.