Broncos at Chiefs preview: Will Denver finally end its losing streak to KC?

For the Broncos to leave Kansas City with a win, everyone knows what they must do to make it happen.

For the second time in three games, the Denver Broncos pulled the upset.

While the win over the Los Angeles Chargers wasn’t as surprising as the stomping of the Dallas Cowboys, there was still a bit of a double-take involved. That’s especially true after the way the Broncos looked against the Philadelphia Eagles sandwiched between the two games.

Now comes Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. On top of taking control of the AFC West and keeping the playoff hopes alive, that ridiculous 11-game losing streak looms over Sunday night’s game. Not that anyone in Broncos Country needs a reminder, but the last time Denver beat the Chiefs, Peyton Freaking Manning was the quarterback.

The current odds at DraftKings Sportbook don’t give the Broncos a chance. Denver is a +10-point underdog. Earlier in the week, that number was +9.5. It’ll be interesting to see if that line moves again prior to the game. In terms of the total, the over/under sits at 47. One of the most interesting trends around Broncos betting is the over has hit just twice this season.

Offensive Rankings

Denver: Twentieth in overall offense (338.5 yards per game), 14th in rushing (114.7), 21st in passing (223.7), 22nd in scoring offense (20.7 points per game).

Kansas City: Second in overall offense (402.4 yards per game), tied for 16th in rushing (111.9), fourth in passing (290.5), ninth in scoring offense (25.5 points per game).

Defensive Rankings

Denver: Ninth in overall defense (330.8 yards per game), 12th in rushing defense (106.6), tenth in passing defense (224.2), third in scoring defense (17.8 points per game).

Kansas City: Twenty-third in overall defense (364.4 yards per game), 16th rushing defense (111.6), 24th in passing defense (252.7), tied for 13th in scoring defense (22.7 points per game).

Here are the MHR staff’s keys to Sunday night’s game.

Run the football

It’s no secret how the Broncos have success, especially on offense. Denver needs to run the football. The added element to all of this is the fact the Chiefs know this, too. Does KC stack the box to take that away and dare Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos to beat them with the pass? And if that happens, does Pat Shumur take the dare and go pass-heavy? The other facet is how the Denver offensive line fares with everyone knowing what’s coming. If the Broncos still have success, that spells an upset win. — Ian St. Clair

Feed Pookie

Javonte Williams is a tackle-breaking maniac as a rookie and he has the highest missed tackle rate since 2006 beating guys like Marshawn Lynch at the height of beast mode and Nick Chubb from last year. Just stick to that ground and pound mentality for the rest of the season. This offense just looks better when it’s controlling time of possession and keeping the ball away from opposing offenses. — Tim Lynch

Run the football

Preferably through holes as wide as a truck being consistently opened by Quinn Meinerz, Netane Muti, & co. — Taylor Kothe

Run the football

Run it left. Run it right. Run it up the middle. Run with Javonte Williams. Run with Melvin Gordon. RUN THE BALL! — Adam Malnati

Run the football

Just.

Run.

The.

Damn.

Ball.

Thank you. — Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann

What are your keys to Sunday night’s game?