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The Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs meet in an AFC West battle that could decide which team goes to the playoffs. Join us at The Roar from 12:30pm (AEDT) for our live scores and blog.
Both teams come into this game sporting identical winning records of 7-3 in what has become the most competitive division in football.
While it is possible for both teams, along with division leaders the Oakland Raiders, to make the playoffs, a win here will be a big boost to the victors’ post-season aspirations.
Both teams rely on excellent defence to cover mediocre offence, with Denver famously leaning on their historic defence last season to send Peyton Manning out a Super Bowl winner in his final game.
Von Miller, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, remains the best edge rusher in the NFL and has only increased his standing this year, particularly with JJ Watt out injured for the majority of the year.
The Chiefs have a superstar edge rusher of their own to throw at the Broncos, with Justin Houston now back to full health.
It is unusual for two teams with winning records to not have a star manning the quarterback position, but that’s exactly the case here.
Trevor Seiman was never going to be the long-term answer for Denver at quarterback, but he has mostly exceeded the low expectations placed on him. Whether he can lead this team to back-to-back titles is another matter altogether.
The Chiefs’ signal caller Alex Smith has long been a bastion of competence but has regressed a little this year, due in part to his recent inability to run the ball. Smith has never had a particularly strong arm, but made up for his limitation by never throwing turnovers and being craftier on the scramble than he looks, often keeping drives alive with valuable metres from the backfield.
For whatever reason, that hasn’t been the case this year, and the Chiefs’ offence has struggled.
Prediction
I’m expecting two teams to go into a trench warfare mode, making this a tight battle. Denver’s thin air makes long range kicks possible, and it could well be a long field goal that decides this.
Tip: Denver by 3
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