The Kansas City Chiefs just keep on winning. They outclassed the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 to book their third straight win. They enter this weekend as heavy favorites against an embattled Denver Broncos squad that cannot seem to sort itself out. Kansas City and Denver collide at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 17, with the looking to maybe overtake the Buffalo Bills for the top spot in the AFC. Keep in mind that the Chiefs are at 12-3. They have won the AFC West, and they can still potentially steal home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs if they win here and the Bills lose to the Bengals. That should give the Chiefs a ton of motivation. Now let's look at our Chiefs Week 17 predictions as they take on the Broncos.
The Broncos were once seen as potential contenders for the Super Bowl. Obviously, however, things have not gone as planned for Denver this year. The team has fired its head coach, Nathaniel Hackett, and they have not defeated the Chiefs since 2015. In fact, their chances of even getting a single win against Kansas City seem slim at this point.
On the other hand, the Chiefs offense has been well-balanced, with multiple players contributing. Of course, tight-end Travis Kelce has been a standout performer. Despite losing two key defensive players in free agency, their defense has also improved in recent weeks. If the Chiefs win this game, they will finish with a 7-1 home record for the season and sweep the Broncos for the seventh year in a row. Remember that just three weeks ago, Kansas City defeated Denver, 34-28, in a close game that saw the Broncos make a late comeback after trailing 27-0.
With all these in mind, here are our four bold predictions for the Chiefs in their Week 17 game against the Broncos.
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— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 28, 2022
4. Travis Kelce has another strong performance
In the Chiefs' Week 16 game against the Seahawks, Travis Kelce caught six of eight targets for 113 yards and has had two 100-yard receiving efforts in the past two weeks. Despite a touchdown drought in the last four games, Kelce has already contributed 12 touchdowns through 15 games.
Kelce has had a standout season for the Chiefs. He has had 135 targets, which is tied for the fifth most in the NFL. He also leads the position in every category including receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. In fact, Kelce is the only tight end with more than 850 receiving yards. He is also third in target share and air yard share. Kelce has shown no signs of age or decline, ranking second in yards per route run and first in YAC (yards after catch). He is expected to have a strong performance in this game against the Broncos.
3. Pacheco & McKinnon rule the ground game
Last week, KC running back Isaiah Pacheco played 49 percent of snaps and had 15 touches. That resulted in 90 total yards. While Pacheco ranks 28th in yards after contact per attempt, he has been able to perform well due to the high-scoring offense of his team. This week, Pacheco is expected to have 15-17 opportunities and at least 80 total yards. We also see him getting into the endzone.
As for Jerick McKinnon, he rushed for seven yards on five carries and caught all three of his targets for 31 yards and a touchdown last week. While his ground performance was underwhelming, he has scored a receiving touchdown five times over his last four games. Together with Pacheco, McKinnon should dominate the ground game against Denver in Week 17.
2. Patrick Mahomes goes over 330 yards
Despite the loss of Tyreek Hill, MVP favorite Patrick Mahomes has remained dominant for the Chiefs this season. In fact, he has a career-high completion rate of 66.9 percent and leads the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns.
In their previous matchup against the Broncos, Mahomes had three interceptions that contributed to a comeback by Denver. However, Mahomes also had 352 passing yards and three touchdowns in that game. Meanwhile, in Week 16, Mahomes completed 16-of-28 pass attempts for 224 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a rushing touchdown and eight rushing yards on two carries.
Recently, Mahomes' favorite target has been McKinnon, with whom he has connected for 18 receptions and four touchdowns over the past three weeks.
Despite the strong pass defense of Denver, Mahomes should still put up 330 total yards and three touchdowns in this game.
1. Chiefs blow Broncos out
The Broncos have struggled this season and now face the formidable Chiefs, who have won 14 consecutive games against Denver. Mahomes has also had great success against the Broncos, going 10-0 with a 95.4 passer rating against them.
In the previous matchup between these two teams, Denver QB Russell Wilson had a strong game with three touchdowns and almost 250 yards. However, the Chiefs were able to hold on to the win. It is unlikely that Wilson & Co. will threaten the Chiefs again, though. While the Broncos are likely to put forth a strong effort, their tumultuous season and the strength of their opponent will make it difficult for them to come out on top. The Chiefs should blow the Broncos out in this one.
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