Arrowhead Pride
Let’s see what AP staffers (and readers) think about Sunday’s game between Kansas City and Denver.
Before the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 9 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, our panel of Arrowhead Pride contributors combined to predict a 31-17 Kansas City victory, which was 16 points removed from the 30-24 final: it missed the point spread by 8, the Chieiefs’ score by 1 and the Buccaneers’ score by 7.
Only one of our staffers thought the game would be close; about two-thirds thought the Chiefs would win easily. Our readers were a little closer to the mark. About a third of them expected a close Kansas City win, while just over half thought it would be an easy victory.
In Week 10, the (8-0) Chiefs face the (5-4) Denver Broncos on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Kansas City is favored by 8.5 points.
Let’s see what the staff — and our readers — think about the matchup.
Even though the Chiefs-Buccaneers game ended up being close, I felt like Kansas City finally hit its rhythm on both sides of the ball. The defense has been there all year — but minus a few errors, everything clicked on offense; the Chiefs are peaking at the right time. I do think Denver is a formidable opponent — especially on defense, where I think they’ll have a bounceback performance after being blown out by the Baltimore Ravens. But I don’t trust Bo Nix and Denver’s passing offense to succeed against Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas City defense. I think Chris Jones will have a big day as the defense gets pressure on Nix, getting him discombobulated. The Chiefs will win relatively easily.
Chiefs 27, Broncos 13
For the Chiefs’ last game against the Broncos, I set aside my usual caution about an AFC West opponent: I predicted Kansas City would win 28-10. “On a cold day in the Rocky Mountains,” I wrote about 2023’s Week 8 road matchup, “my money is on Patrick Mahomes running up the score.” My prediction was only off by 66 points; the Broncos won 24-9. While I won’t predict a Denver victory, it is a team with a solid defense. On the other hand, I’m not as impressed by the Broncos’ rookie quarterback Bo Nix as some others.
Chiefs 23, Broncos 16
The Broncos and Chiefs often play close games — but Denver’s offense, led by Bo Nix, doesn’t pose enough of a threat to Kansas City. The Chiefs’ offensive chemistry is growing, with Mahomes connecting well with DeAndre Hopkins and Kelce returning to top form alongside Kareem Hunt. With Kansas City firing on all cylinders, they should handle Denver.
Chiefs 27, Broncos 17
This could absolutely be a trap game for the Chiefs: it’s on a short week with the Buffalo Bills on the horizon. The Broncos may have fallen flat on their...
