GREG COTE'S THURSDAY PICK
CHIEFS (4-2) at BRONCOS (2-4)
Line: KC by 3.
Cote's pick: DEN 24-20.
TV: 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Fox/NFL.
Upset! Heading into October this Week 7 kickoff looked like a rout. But once-mighty Chiefs have lost two in a row with Patrick Mahomes looking mortal, while once-forlorn Broncos have won two in a row and reclaimed their defensive mojo. Result? An AFC West battle that's tough to call but has me running with the home dogs. Denver will be able to exploit the Chiefs' weakness: run D. Watch Broncos own the ground and clock behind Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, diminishing reliance on Joe Flacco and _ more important _ keeping Mahomes on sideline. And Mahomes is working on a tender ankle behind a beat-up line, facing a defense that wrecked Titans for 10 sacks and three picks last week. KC has won seven in row in series and four straight at Mile High, but, in this case, the trend ends.
