The Kansas City Chiefs can punch their ticket into the playoffs with a win against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The Broncos themselves need to win on Sunday and then again in Week 17, and also need some help from other teams around the league, but they still have a shot at making the postseason.
Broncos vs. Chiefs 2016 picks and predictions: Kansas City is a near-unanimous favorite
The Broncos and Chiefs will face off in a very important matchup for playoff positioning on Sunday.
Both teams have struggled on the offensive side of the ball in recent weeks. Consistency has been absent for both, though it’s the Broncos who are hurting more. Trevor Siemian has been decent as the starting quarterback, and rookie Paxton Lynch has been so-so. It’s unclear if Denver’s franchise quarterback is even on the roster right now.
But a year after winning the Super Bowl, the Broncos are at least still in the running for the postseason.
The Broncos are coming off a 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots, while the Chiefs are coming off a 19-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Kansas City took an early 14-0 lead in that game, but their offense completely disappeared in the second half.
Denver ranks 24th in the league in offensive yards, and No. 21 in points scored. The Chiefs rank 23rd in offensive yards per game and 15th in points scored. So it’s safe to say that Sunday’s game is expected to be a defensive battle rather than an offensive showcase.
Defensively, the Broncos rank second in the league in yards allowed, but the Chiefs also lead the league in takeaways, so things could get interesting.
As far as experts are concerned, many are afraid to pick the Broncos. Over at CBS Sports, all seven of eight writers picked the Chiefs to win. It’s a similar spread at ESPN, with eight analysts taking the Chiefs, and the other one going with the Broncos.
Here at SB Nation, it’s about the same:
Game | RVB | Stephen White | Thomas George | Jeanna Thomas | Adam Stites | Louis Bien | Joel Thorman | Fooch | OddsShark Computer |
|---|
Seven of SB Nation’s experts think the Chiefs will win, while one is picking the Broncos. The OddsShark computer also joins the majority in picking Kansas City for the game.
The Broncos and Chiefs will play on Sunday Night Football on NBC. The game will kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET, and a live stream online can be found right here.
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