Broncos look to clinch a playoff spot Sunday against the Chiefs

The team has not made the post season since 2018 where Denver beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

The Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) will travel to Denver Saturday to take on the BrThe Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) will travel to Denver Saturday to take on the Broncos (9-7). Denver is playing for their first playoff berth since their last playoff run in the 2015/-16 season which resulted in the Broncos’ third superbowl win.

The Broncos are coming off a devastating 30-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Broncos have had two previous weeks to clinch the playoffs, but have failed to take advantage of those opportunities.

Though the Broncos are taking on the team with the best record in the NFL, they come in as 8.5 point favorites. The Chiefs have already clinched the first seed in the AFC, and thus will most likely be sitting their superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and various other starters. Everything is in favor for the Broncos to end their playoff drought.

In their last faceoff during Week 10 of the season, the Broncos were a play away from beating the undefeated Chiefs. On Wil Lutz’s game-winning field goal attempt, the Kansas City defensive line broke through Denver’s offensive line to block the kick attempt, and miraculously preserve the Chiefs’ winning streak.

In that Week 10 matchup the Broncos outplayed Mahomes and the rest of the team. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns while Courtland Sutton reeled in six grabs for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Denver defense also did an amazing job limiting the explosive Chiefs offensive, only allowing 16 points.

The Denver defense has been the story of the season, as they have been amazing almost allyear. Through 16 games, the defense has 58 sacks, which ranks first in the league and is also a franchise single season record. The defense ranks fifth in scoring defense, but of the last three weeks has been slacking. The defense has allowed over 30 points in three of the last fourgames, when they had only allowed more than 30 points one time the rest of the season.

If the Broncos want to win this game, the defense will need to play like they played the first 13 weeks of the season. They will need to pressure the quarterback (most likely Carson Wentz). Players like Jaquan McMillan and Riley Moss, who struggled mightily against Cincinnati, will need to step up and make a play.

The Denver offense will also need to step up. Though the offense had a decent outing against the Bengals Saturday, they will need to be way better. The offense had two drives in overtime last week against a below average defense, and could not even get a first down. Sean Payton’s overtime play calling was questionable, but Nix had two big plays where he missed a pass on third down to convert.

The Chiefs have a very good defense, but it is hard to determine the matchup since they’ve yet to announce the full list of players set to rest on Sunday.

Throughout the last four weeks, wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. has been one of Nix’s favorite targets. In the Bengals game, Mims had two amazing touchdowns, one a 60 yard bomb, and another was an improbable catch at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. Expect the Broncos to put the ball into Mim’s hands, as it seems almost every time he has the ball a big play occurs.

If the Broncos want to end the drought, they will make a point to hand the ball off often. In the Cincy game, running back Jaleel McLaughlin averaged 6.7 yards per carry off 10 touches. McLaughlin had a drive where he had three runs of 10 yards or more, but yet failed to be implemented into the game more. Payton tends to feed the ball to the “hot hand,” but expect McLaughlin to get most of the carries. Whichever running back gets more of the carries will need more than 10to make a real difference in the game.

Bo Nix will also need to play another great game, with limited mistakes. Though Nix has turned the ball over more recently as of late, he has been good at taking care of the ball for most of the season. He will need to make sure to not put his defense behind, and hit more passes. It seems like Nix misses one major pass a game, and this is a game where he needs to hit that pass. Nix and his Oregon teammate Troy Franklin have been off sync all season, and if there is a game where they need to be in sync, it is undoubtedly this one.

The Broncos will clinch the playoffs with a win or tie against Kansas City, or with Cincinnati and Miami losses or ties.

The ball is in Denver's court, this game will show how badly this Denver team wants to win, and it will also show us how this team differs from the last eight Broncos teams we have watched.

The Broncos will take on the Chiefs in a win and in game on Sunday at 2 p.m. M.T. The game will be broadcast on CBS.