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On the heels of their road defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Kansas City Chiefs now look ahead to their regular season finale against the Denver Broncos in Week 18.
The Chiefs were cruising heading into their Week 17 clash with the Bengals, as they had reeled off eight straight wins and held the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Still, quarterback Joe Burrow played the role of spoiler in the contest, as he guided the Bengals offense to six scoring drives. In the end, the Chiefs blew a double-digit lead in the second half, which then moved the Tennessee Titans up to the No. 1 seed in the conference.
For more insight on the Chiefs' Week 18 matchup against the Broncos, listen below:
On the other side, the Broncos head into their regular season finale with not much to play for. They were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 17 following their road loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The defeat also clinched them a losing season for the fifth straight year.
All that is on the line for the Chiefs in Week 18 is seeding in the chaotic AFC playoff picture. For the reigning AFC West champions to pick up yet another win over the Broncos, they must achieve each of these four feats in the contest.
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Chiefs Week 18 predictions
4. Charvarius Ward has a bounce-back game in coverage
The Chiefs secondary had a performance to forget in their road loss to the Bengals. It simply had no answer for rookie wideout Ja’Marr Chase, and Burrow did not face much of an issue in dealing with the pressure from the Chiefs front seven.
Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward was among those who had quite a sluggish day in Week 17. The fourth-year defensive back allowed six receptions for 106 receiving yards and one touchdown while in coverage. That one touchdown came courtesy of an 18-yard red zone reception by Chase, as Ward lost his footing while attempting to cover the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year contender.
Click here for odds on the Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos game, via FanDuel.
Ward should have a keen bounce-back performance against the Broncos this week, which could then provide him with a much-needed confidence booster heading into the NFL playoffs. He last faced the Broncos earlier in the campaign, where the versatile cornerback allowed a 51.2 passer rating while in coverage.
Whether it will be against Tim Patrick or Courtland Sutton, Ward sure will have a potent test in Week 18.
3. Tyreek Hill once again shines against Denver
Tyreek Hill has made it a career of having stout showings against the Broncos, but this was not the case in Week 13.
Hill matched up with Broncos rookie cornerback Patrick Surtain II for much of the contest, as the defensive back covered him on 81.8 percent of snaps on offense. Overall, Surtain held Hill to a mere one reception for 14 receiving yards. More so, the Broncos secondary quieted the wideout for the entirety of the game, as he came away from it with two total catches on the day.
In Week 18, Hill will not get the opportunity to match up against Surtain, as the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year contender has been ruled out due to a calf injury. Thus, Hill should post a formidable showing considering that Surtain will not be shadowing him this time around.
Hill sure has what it takes to haul in several key receptions against the vaunted Broncos secondary.
2. Patrick Mahomes records yet another game with at least three touchdown passes
Even as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had quite a roller-coaster campaign in his fifth year with the team, he still has orchestrated yet another formidable season. Overall, Mahomes heads into Week 18 with 35 passing touchdowns and 4,569 passing yards on the year.
Mahomes has notched seven games with at least three passing touchdowns this season, which ranks only behind Los Angeles Rams passer Matthew Stafford (eight) for the league lead.
Mahomes should clinch yet another three-passing touchdown game this season. The one-time NFL MVP winner sure has the ability to have a keen showing against a Broncos defense that ranks seventh in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game with a 212.3 average.
1. Chiefs extend their lengthy winning streak over the Broncos
As of late, the Chiefs and Broncos rivalry has been essentially been one-sided. The Chiefs have reeled off an astounding 12 straight wins over Denver. In these 12 contests, only five of them have been decided by one score.
In Week 18, Mahomes should once again lead the Chiefs to a victory over the Broncos, which would then clinch Kansas City yet another 12-win campaign.
