With a Kansas City Chiefs Week 10 game coming up against the Denver Broncos, Chiefs Kingdom will once again be on edge to see if Patrick Mahomes and company can pull off a 9-0 record. By the numbers, the Chiefs aren't the best team in the NFL this season, but by record, that's exactly what they are. Ahead of this Chiefs-Broncos game, we'll be making our Chiefs Week 10 predictions.
It hasn't always been pretty — for instance, Mahomes has 11 touchdown passes but nine interceptions thrown — but Kansas City is simply finding a way to get it done. They've won an NFL-record eight consecutive games when they've trailed at any point in the second half. That includes their Week 9 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs were down 17-10 going into the fourth quarter but ended up winning, 30-24, in overtime.
Denver coach Sean Payton believes the Chiefs have been successful in these close, come-from-behind games for a reason. It's part of their DNA now.
“Well, it’s the heart of a champion,” Peyton said, according to ESPN. “They’ve been in a lot of closer games this year.”
According to Mahomes, there's also a method to the madness when it comes to how head coach Andy Reid structures his practices. Making his team practice long, sustained drives is how Reid prepares them to play hard in the fourth quarter, both in a game and towards the “fourth quarter of the season”, which is the playoffs.
“Coach Reid prepares us for those moments. He prepares us to be in those long drives,” said Mahomes. “We do those long-drive drills every day. It sucks. There's no other way to say it. But it prepares you to be in those moments. We play our best football in the fourth quarter because we prepare to be playing our best at the end.”
It's a big game for both teams. The Chiefs are 8-0 and the Broncos are 5-4. There's always an element of massive rivalry between these two squads. As such, let's move on to our Chiefs Week 10 predictions.
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Patrick Mahomes will throw three more touchdowns for the Chiefs
The Broncos actually have a decent passing defense, giving up just 186.6 yards per game through the air, which is good for sixth-best in the NFL. They haven't played the Chiefs yet, though, which means they haven't played Mahomes.
And sure, the two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP is dealing with an injured ankle as well as a short week, but he did tell the media on Wednesday that he's working through it, per ESPN.
“When you have a little bit of a roll, it's a little bit sore,” Mahomes said. “But I'm able to move around and look forward to getting out to practice and seeing how I can push it as the week goes on.”
This is not something that's expected to keep Mahomes out of this game with the Broncos, and despite dealing with it against the Buccaneers, he still threw for 291 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
This is the time of the season when Mahomes starts to come into his own, thus it's easy to predict he'll throw three more tuddys against the Broncos.
DeAndre Hopkins will continue to thrive
DeAndre Hopkins was a huge addition for the Chiefs before the 2024 NFL Trade deadline and they've already reaped the rewards. He caught two catches for just 29 yards in his first game, against the Las Vegas Raiders, but that was on just two practices. Against the Buccaneers, he fully showed out, catching eight passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
Hopkins and Mahomes clearly have instant chemistry, which isn't a surprise considering they're two of the 10 NFL-greatest at their respective positions.
“He’s finding his stride,” Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II said of the player he'll most likely have to try to lock up one-on-one. “This past game, he saw a lot more targets and he was able to create a lot more plays for their offense. It’s something we’ll keep an eye on for sure.”
Expect one more touchdown in this one for Hopkins.
The Chiefs will pick off Broncos QB Bo Nix
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is a rookie. He's an extremely talented rookie who is oozing with potential, but he's a rookie, nonetheless. In a humbling game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9, he completed 19-of-33 passes for 223 yards but he had no touchdowns and his first throw of the game was picked off.
Before Baltimore, Nix had a stretch that saw him throw eight touchdowns compared to one interception as the Broncos won four of five, but he was knocked down a peg against the Ravens and the Chiefs aren't going to take it easy on him either. This will be Nix's first time at Arrowhead, and the Chiefs are going to greet him with another interception to add to his tally.
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