A huge Sunday Night Football matchup to help decide the AFC West division.
The Chiefs are riding high in their rivalry with the Denver Broncos. The Chiefs are on an 11-game winning streak in the series, dating back to Peyton Manning’s last season in 2015.
The Chiefs will need offensive help from their two receiving threats that also perform against the Broncos. For Denver, they will need to be supported by their newly acquired safety from Alabama.
The Chiefs currently sit at 7-4 and the Broncos, along with the rest of the division are 6-5. Every AFC West matchup will be crucial to who comes out on top come postseason time.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill
Hill provides the single-biggest deep threat in the National Football League. In one moment he can get behind any secondary unit and run the ball in for six (while also flashing a peace sign to the defense).
Hill has had great success scoring and making big plays against the Broncos. The Cheetah has scored eight times in his nine career games against Denver.
I expect to see quarterback Patrick Mahomes get Hill touches in space to help him explode for another big play on Sunday night.
Tight end Travis Kelce
Kelce is the workhorse for the offense and is currently on the longest streak of 1,000 or more receiving yards for a season in tight end history.
Kelce has played Denver in 13 games and has 1,115 yards against the Broncos. Kelce has shown to be that reliable option for the Chiefs against this divisional rival.
Mahomes and Kelce are starting to get back in rhythm as the team is on a four-game winning streak. I expect them to attack the less experienced Broncos player to look out for.
Safety Patrick Surtain II
Surtain is off to an impressive start to his career, already at three interceptions with one returned for a touchdown as a rookie. Surtain may be assigned to cover Kelce, his hardest matchup to date.
Kelce has struggled with talented safeties in the past, but Surtain will need to play at a really high level in order to contain the workhorse for Kansas City.
Surtain possesses the tools to limit Kelce in this game but will have to come in with a more than solid game plan to disrupt the best pass-catching tight end in football.