Are you ready for some Chiefs football?
Like the past three seasons, the Chiefs Wire staff will offer its weekly predictions for each Chiefs game. Here are our picks for Kansas City’s Week 7 matchup against the Denver Broncos
Charles Goldman’s pick: Broncos win 26-24
Season record: 4-2
Twitter: @goldmctNFL
I actually had the Chiefs losing this game in my predictions ahead of the 2019 season. In those predictions, it was the first loss of the season and the Chiefs weren’t reeling from injuries.
Ruling out five starters with the possibility that a sixth won’t play on the road on a short week is recipe for disaster. Add in Kansas City coming off a two-game losing streak and Denver is on a two-game winning streak. The icing on the cake is that the Broncos are built to frustrate the Chiefs’ biggest weaknesses right now in run defense and an ailing offensive line.
I’d like to hope the Chiefs win this game and prove to the world they’re made of sterner stuff. I expect them to drop this game and take a long week to regroup before the Packers come to Arrowhead Stadium for another primetime showdown.
Wesley Roesch’s pick: Chiefs win 27-24
Season record: 5-1
Twitter: @WesleyRoesch
For their sake and my sanity’s, I really hope the Chiefs don’t drop this one. Going into a big game against the Packers will be much different at 5-2 versus 4-3. This is a huge Thursday night AFC West division battle.
I think Kansas City squeezes out a win in Denver. The Chiefs are still beat up badly, but Andy Reid handles division opponents well and the Broncos simply aren’t that good, even against an injury-prone Chiefs team. I expect the Chiefs to (hopefully) emphasize stopping the run, forcing Joe Flacco to be the one to compete with Patrick Mahomes. Even with K.C.’s recent disappointing outings, I like Mahomes in that matchup.
Nicolas Roesch’s pick: Chiefs win 27-26
Season record: 5-1
Twitter: @Nicolas_Roesch
This is an important game for the Chiefs. A loss would give them a narrow lead in the AFC West and could all but eliminate the possibility of being one of the top two seeds in the AFC come playoff time. A win, however, keeps them undefeated within the division with a comfortable lead and keeps hope alive for one of the top two seeds.
I realize playing on the road on a short week is a tall task, but there’s no way Kansas City should lose to a team like the Broncos, especially considering what’s on the line. Sure, Denver has won two games in a row, but it was against teams that have a combined 4-8 record.
I expect this game to be ugly and for the Broncos to give K.C. their best shot. The Chiefs still have several key injuries and aren’t really in any state to be capable of blowing any team out. I think the Broncos will consistently move the ball down the field, but the Chiefs’ defense finds a way to force a couple of turnovers and make them settle for multiple field goals.
John Dillon’s pick: Chiefs win 25-23
Season record: 4-2
Twitter: @TheJohnDillon
Two big early-season losses leave the Chiefs at a unique crossroads six weeks into the season. They still have an all-world talent in Patrick Mahomes, despite his limitations with an ankle injury. They have Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce healthy, but outside of those guys and especially on defense, everyone else is seemingly still playing catch up.
Denver, for their part, isn’t exactly the prime of the AFC this year. They drafted Drew Lock only to place him on injured reserve and start Joe Flacco, who has looked pedestrian in his first starts as a Bronco. Though they still have guys who can get after the passer, namely Von Miller, the defensive unit has had its ups and downs to start the season. They’re coming off a shutout win against Tennessee.
All in all, I think the Chiefs win in a tough duel at Mile High. Expect big games from Kelce and Hill as they look to rebound after two tough losses.
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Vinciane Ngomsi’s pick: Chiefs win 31-20
Season record: 4-2
Twitter: @VincianeNgomsi
Chiefs Kingdom, we must regroup.
There’s no need for the ensuing meltdowns about whether Andy Reid is the right man for the job or if we’re regressing the Chiefs of yesteryear. Yes, we had two shock losses, but that doesn’t mean the Chiefs are no longer serious contenders for the Super Bowl in February. If anything, this short week means time is of the essence to ensure Kansas City fixes whatever mistakes have been plaguing the team and preventing them from scoring more than 26 points again.
The Broncos are riding a sort of confidence wave, having won two games in a row after starting off 0-4. Here’s the thing: Chiefs are still undoubtedly the AFC West favorites, but I believe the run game has got to improve from here on out. Teams are figuring out how to stop the Chiefs there, and that could be the key to them overpowering the offense as the season continues. Even if the Broncos defense isn’t quite as stellar as they’ve been in years past, Von Miller is still there and that’s enough to provide some intimidation for Patrick Mahomes and company.
Danilo Di Julio’s pick: Chiefs win 28-13
Season record: 4-2
Twitter: @ThunderDan88
The past four weeks had been a gauntlet of mobile QBs facing the Chiefs defense. Kansas City has faced Lamar Jackson in Week 3. Then came Matthew Stafford who has a big arm and decent mobility for a pocket passer. They got Jacoby Brissett in Week 5 at Arrowhead Stadium. Finally, Deshaun Watson, who I feel to be the most dangerous QB first with runner talent in the league.
Thursday night, the Chiefs will be getting after Joe Flacco, who is as much a pocket passer as you’re gonna see in the NFL. I believe this week the defense gets back on track, the offensive line provides better protection for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs come away with a victory.
Talon Graff’s pick: Chiefs win 27-20
Season record: 4-2
Twitter: @CoachGraff34
The sky is not falling. There are obviously things that need to be improved upon but there is no reason to panic too much. The Chiefs had a few bad play calls and some definite officiating calls that were simply bad. Having said that a loss is a loss and being 1-2 inside Arrowhead just doesn’t feel right. Tyreek Hill being back for the offense is clearly what we needed. Hopefully, he is not on a pitch count on Thursday so he can put in a full day’s work at the office.
The Broncos are in the exact opposite boat, started 0-4 and have now racked up two straight wins. They’re a deceptive 2-4 as they had some crucial letdowns late in games where they had the lead. The defensive front seven will still cause problems even though Bradley Chubb is out. They still have Von Miller who is still one of the best pass rushers in the game. Mitchell Schwartz and the rest of the Chiefs offensive line must keep him at bay. The Broncos offense relies heavily on the running attack so Spagnuolo needs to stack the box a bit and force the game into Flacco’s hands. I see the Chiefs getting back on track in Denver.
Kevin Scott’s pick: Chiefs win 34-24
Season record: 5-1
Twitter: @KevinScottFF
With the Chiefs coming off two very poor performances at home, and on a short week, it is difficult to know how they will respond this week. Many thought they would come out angry and with an excellent game plan after being embarrassed by the Colts on a national stage. Instead, aside from the first defensive play of the game where Clark forced a fumble, they came out flat on defense. They completely ceded control of the clock to the Texans, failing to stop the run even minimally, and it cost them the game.
To win this game against the Broncos and their strong rushing attack, the Chiefs must be more aggressive. They must be willing to allow Flacco to beat them deep if that’s how they are going to lose, and win at the line of scrimmage. If they do, they will win the game.
If they don’t, it will be another long and painful game for the Chiefs. I think Andy Reid has made two blunders in a row by allowing the defense to sit back and hope the opposing offense makes a mistake. I believe (or hope?) he will learn from his two mistakes and insist that the defense attack and win the line of scrimmage in this game.
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Ed Easton’s pick: Chiefs win 28-21
Season record: 5-1
Twitter: @EdEastonJr
This week’s matchup with the Denver Broncos will be the perfect bounce-back game for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos defense will be strong to start the game led by Von Miller putting pressure on Patrick Mahomes testing his bad ankle. The Chiefs offense will patiently find their opportunities with a strong rushing performance from LeSean McCoy.
The Chiefs defense will respond to the criticisms of last Sunday’s loss with some critical takeaways against Joe Flacco. The Broncos will show some threatening goal-line moments until big plays from a focused Frank Clark thwart their scoring chances. The game will be sealed with an interception from someone in the Chiefs secondary snapping the losing streak at two games.
Mitch Carney’s pick: Chiefs win 27-20
Season record: 4-2
Twitter: @MitchMitchcar11
I know things haven’t looked good for the Chiefs lately, but I believe they can beat the Broncos and get back on track. This is a must win game in a divisional road matchup, so I expect the Chiefs to come out and be ready to play. I believe Mahomes will have a multiple touchdown game as the offense finally makes the most out of its possessions and cuts down on its three and outs.
The Broncos offense doesn’t terrify me, but they do a solid running back in Phillip Lindsay. With the way the defense has been playing I won’t be surprised to see them run the ball for over 150 yards, but I think the Chiefs will find way to get off the field on crucial third downs.
Max Ramsey’s pick: Chiefs win 28-13
Season record: 4-2
Twitter: @The_Wild_Chief
I understand Chiefs fans are on edge right now, and rightfully so, but I can’t see them dropping three straight games. Going on the road to Denver on a short week the extra game-planning should be minimal. I expect the defense to go all out this week against the run and force Flacco to take what he is given in the air. It seems backward, but this is where the Chiefs are at as a defense right now.
Ideally, I would want to see some shuffling on the offensive line this week such as moving Rankin, who didn’t look awful against the Texans, to LT and throwing recently signed lineman Stefan Wisniewski in at LG. Cam Erving has proved to be a liability this season and needs to take a seat. Reid will need to go against his gut and try to establish the run early in order to keep Mahomes clean. I am a hopeless optimist however and I see this game as a perfect rebound matchup for Kansas City. Chiefs win and calm the fanbase a bit, 28-13.
