Chiefs vs. Broncos: Week 17 Preview and Predictions

The Arrowhead Report crew predicts whether the Chiefs will rise to 13-3 on the season.

The Kansas City Chiefs may have the AFC West locked up, but there's still plenty on the table for them in Week 17.

In the post-Nathaniel Hackett era, the Denver Broncos come rolling into town with a 4-11 record on the year and nothing aside from pride to play for. With that said, interim head coach Jerry Rosburg should have his team ready to compete hard in his first game leading the charge. On the other side of the field, however, Kansas City is still very much alive in the hunt for the AFC's top playoff seed and can't afford to drop any games this late in the year. Despite how things may look on the surface, this remains an important game for the Chiefs. 

How will today's game unfold? The Arrowhead Report crew makes their predictions.

Joshua Brisco: Regardless of their out-to-pasture opponent, the Chiefs have a chance to do something important on Sunday: they can string together back-to-back dominant defensive performances. The Chiefs’ young defenders played as the aggressors against the Seahawks last weekend and it completely transformed that side of the ball. The Chiefs’ offense needs to hit its layups and stay healthy for the rest of the regular season. The assignment is simple: handle business on Sunday and root for the Bengals on Monday.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Broncos 13

Jordan Foote: The Broncos will undoubtedly be playing hard for their interim head coach today but at a certain point, talent will reign supreme. The Chiefs are a markedly better team than their AFC West counterparts and with plenty still left to play for this season, it's time for them to buckle down and do their part in seeking to secure the conference's top playoff seed. Regardless of what happens on Monday Night Football, Kansas City's "if, then..." starts with a Sunday afternoon win. I'll take the Chiefs to cover in a game that doesn't feel as close as Week 14's near-comeback thriller.

Prediction: Chiefs 30, Broncos 17

Mark Van Sickle: The Broncos fired their coach after losing 51-14 to the Rams last week. If the Chiefs can create turnovers on defense and not turn the ball over on offense, there may be a similar result this week. The Broncos have nothing but pride to play for, while the Chiefs are still trying to get the one seed in the AFC. Give me a hungry Patrick Mahomes over a sad Russell Wilson.

Prediction: Chiefs 38, Broncos 17

Zack Eisen: Historically, teams that fire their head coach (like the Broncos did) play well the first week under the interim coach. With that said, Kansas City can’t let that happen this week as they are still able to get the one-seed in the AFC. When the Chiefs faced the Broncos a few weeks back, they successfully moved the ball on offense and was uncharacteristic mistakes from Patrick Mahomes that cost them from scoring more points. The defense allowed the Broncos to have their best offensive output of the season, and they must improve upon that and put together a good performance here.

Prediction: Chiefs 35, Broncos 17

Conner Christopherson: I have a feeling this will go smoother than the Broncos game from two weeks ago. The Chiefs were all over Denver in that matchup, but Patrick Mahomes getting bored and a few excellent plays by the Broncos' defense led to him throwing three uncharacteristic interceptions. With the Broncos now Nathaniel Hackett-less, it is hard to imagine things getting better for the floundering team. If the Chiefs' defense wants to build on the momentum of last weekend, having a better game on Sunday is paramount.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Broncos 16

Marlow Ferguson Jr.: The prevailing thought around the media is that this is precisely the type of game the Chiefs could overlook, and thus, stumble in. That idea largely ignores how much Kansas City has to play for, such as the possibility of a first-round bye or even incentives such as the additional $2.5 million a player like Frank Clark could earn with three more sacks. The Chiefs have gained momentum, sustained a strong second-half punch from Denver in their Week 14 matchup and are well-coached enough that they should perform considerably better in this Week 17 duel. There’s no better way to kickstart a new year than with a victory, and Kansas City should be able to produce that on Sunday.

Prediction: Chiefs 30, Broncos 16