Key Things to Track in Chiefs' Week 18 Game vs. Broncos

The Chiefs have the No. 1 seed locked up, so specific players will have opportunities to play on Sunday and show what they've got.

Dec 31, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle D.J. Humphries (74) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

With the Kansas City Chiefs locked in as the No. 1 seed in the AFC heading into the season's final week, the expectation is that the team will not be playing many of its key players. This will allow some folks who haven't seen the field much – or at all – this season to play on Sunday.

Keeping that in mind, here are three things to watch closely during Kansas City's Week 18 game against the Denver Broncos.

Left tackle situation and young offensive linemen

The Chiefs have been able to patchwork the offensive line by moving Joe Thuney out to left tackle and inserting Mike Caliendo at left guard. While that has helped solve some pass protection issues, it has also caused some drop-off in run blocking. Before moving Thuney, Kansas City brought in D.J. Humphries to try to help solve the left tackle position. However, since suffering a hamstring injury in his first game, Humphries hasn't played. There is some hope that he will play in Week 18, but the more interesting questions are how much he will play and how he looks.

If Humphries looks good, it would be beneficial for the Chiefs to have him start at left tackle during the postseason and move Thuney back inside. This would probably be the best offensive line the Chiefs have had all year, and getting it ready for the postseason would be great. If Humphries isn't able to play or looks poor in his return, Kansas City will probably stick with what has been working for the past few weeks.

The Chiefs also have a ton of young offensive linemen on the roster. Kingsley Suamataia, C.J. Hanson, Hunter Nourzad, Wanya Morris and Ethan Driskell are all in their first or second year in the NFL. At some point, it would be interesting to see that lineup, in order, from left tackle to right tackle. Suamataia is the key guy to watch. Though he looked rough during his time as the starter, he's still the one with the highest ceiling, the best traits and the player the Chiefs believed in enough to have as the no-doubt starter entering the season. Suamataia needs the reps. Getting them this week could be critical in unlocking the long-term answer at left tackle.

Juice from the pass rush

At the trade deadline, the Chiefs brought in Joshua Uche from New England, hoping to bolster the pass rush. Since then, he has fallen out of favor and has been a healthy inactive the past few weeks. It's a surprising and confusing situation. According to Pro Football Focus, Uche has a career pressure rate of over 15%, which is elite. Even though the pass rush was good on Christmas Day without Chris Jones, you can never have enough guys who get to the quarterback. If Uche shows his pass-rushing chops during the season's final week, could that bring him back into favor and allow him to get run during the postseason?

Also, Felix Anudike-Uzomah is coming off his best NFL game from a pass-rushing perspective. The former first-round pick is behind some guys in the defensive end rotation, so getting a lot of reps in the final week can be helpful for his development. Will he continue to show the growth he's reflected throughout the season, and will that affect his outlook heading into 2025?

Will the Chiefs elevate Steven Nelson?

After an injury to Jaylen Watson, the Chiefs have been searching for answers at the cornerback position. That included bringing their 2015 third-round pick, Steven Nelson, out of retirement. Nelson was good for the Texans last year but has yet to see the field this season. With the Chiefs still rotating a bevy of options, does Nelson get his shot to prove that he can be the starting corner along with Trent McDuffie?

If he plays at the level he did last year, it could change the outlook for the defense as it heads into the postseason.

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