In a matchup that Broncos officials are calling the biggest since Tom Brady and Peyton Manning squared off at Mile High almost a decade ago, Denver will welcome the Chiefs to Empower Field on Sunday afternoon for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff.
The Broncos enter Week 11 on a seven-game winning streak, the second-longest active in the NFL behind only the Patriots, and currently sit in first place in the daunting AFC West. Second-year quarterback Bo Nix is playing winning football, Denver's defense—which we'll get to—is among the best in the entire league, and coach Sean Payton is making a strong case for himself to win Coach of the Year.
Kansas City, meanwhile, is just 5–4 through nine games and has plenty of work to do to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2014. Patrick Mahomes continues to play like the perennial best player in football, but a handful of subpar defensive showings and four losses that have all come by one score have the Chiefs fighting a rather unfamiliar uphill battle.
Naturally, Sunday’s division battle holds major implications for both teams, no matter the result. Here are three bold predictions for Broncos vs. Chiefs.
Rookie RJ Harvey will record first 100-yard rushing game of career
The Broncos placed starting running back J.K. Dobbins on injured reserve on Saturday with a foot injury, and as a result, will turn to 24-year-old RJ Harvey to take on a bulk of the workload out of the backfield.
Harvey’s rookie season has been a bit of a slow burn—he’s logged double-digit carries just once—but he’s made the most of his opportunities, averaging 4.3 yards per rush while also adding 25 catches for 175 yards and scoring six total touchdowns.
With the runway now cleared in front of him, look for Harvey to shine against a Chiefs defense allowing 104.6 rushing yards per game. I’m predicting a 100-plus-yard outing for the former UCF Knight to jumpstart what could become a breakout second half of the season.
Patrick Mahomes will be sacked three-plus times for a third-consecutive week
As mentioned above, Mahomes hasn't missed a beat to begin his ninth NFL season. Through nine games, the two-time MVP has thrown for 2,349 yards, logged 21 total touchdowns, and notched the league’s second-highest QBR at 74.6. However, he’s also been sacked 10 times over his last four outings and, on Sunday afternoon, will face the league’s most dominant pass rush in the Broncos.
Denver's defense currently leads the NFL in sacks (46), quarterback pressures (167), and pressure rate (42.9%) through Week 10 while also allowing the third-fewest amount of yards per game (270.7) and points per game (17.3).
Look for the Broncos to make life tough on Mahomes on Sunday, sacking him at least three times.
As the Chiefs do, they’ll win ugly and remain above .500 ahead of a postseason push
Sometimes you have to win ugly in the NFL, and that’s exactly what I expect the Chiefs to do on Sunday afternoon.
After winning three straight following a 2–3 start to the year, Kansas City met its match last weekend in Buffalo—losing 28–21 to the Bills and falling to 5–4 through nine games. Their backs are officially against the wall, and I expect that pressure to affect them, in a good way, in Week 11.
Mahomes boasts a 13–1 career record against the Broncos and on Sunday afternoon, I expect him to increase it to 14–1. Despite a predicted 100-yard game from Denver’s rookie running back and their quarterback being taken to the ground three-plus times, I see the Chiefs coming out victorious at Mile High with a 17-16 win.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chiefs vs. Broncos: Three Bold Predictions for Sunday’s AFC West Clash in Denver.
