NFL Week 13 Sunday Night Football Schedule & Predictions: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs [Poll]
The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs will play each other Sunday in a critical AFC West game in Week 13 on Sunday Night Football.
NFL fans get to watch a great game Sunday night between two AFC West teams who can't stand one another. The Broncos and Chiefs are fighting for the division with the San Diego Chargers, and this will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams.
Let's see who has the edge in this game:
Denver Broncos (8-3)
After a dominating 6-1 start to the season, the Broncos have lost two of their last four games. Of course it's not panic time in Denver, but a sense of urgency is needed. The Broncos are undefeated (3-0) against AFC West teams this season, including a Week 2 win over the Chiefs.
Peyton Manning is 10-1 all-time against the Chiefs, and 5-0 against the Chiefs as a Broncos quarterback.
A disappointing loss in Week 11 to the St. Louis Rams was almost proceeded by a loss to the Miami Dolphins. However, the Broncos had a 22-point fourth quarter explosion and escaped with a victory. At 8-3, the Broncos are still trying to capture the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 13-3 record for a third consecutive season.
Manning is on his mark as usual this season with a league-leading 34 touchdowns and a 109.5 passer rating. Wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders each have over 1,000 yards so far, and Julius Thomas has a team-leading 12 receiving touchdowns. The biggest issue for the Broncos this season has been rushing. The Broncos rank 20th overall in rushing yards and injuries have been a problem.
The Broncos have a very underrated rush defense that ranks No. 2 overall in the league only behind the Detroit Lions. They will have to be on their mark when facing Jamaal Charles. Von Miller is having another fantastic season with a team-leading 10 sacks, and former Dallas Cowboys defense end DeMarcus Ware has nine sacks so far this season.
Cornerback Aqib Talib is listed as questionable for this game.
Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
Just one win behind the Broncos in the AFC West, the Chiefs know this is "must-win" game. Last week the Chiefs lost a heartbreaker in the final minute to their arch rival Oakland Raiders. With that loss, the Chiefs are just 1-2 against division opponents, whereas the Broncos are 3-0.
Losing this game would pretty much end any chance of a division title for the Chiefs. If the Chiefs were to win this game, they would be tied with the Broncos at 8-4, but the Broncos would still own the tie-breaker because of a better division record.
The Chiefs' defense has been playing good all season, mostly thanks to their pass rush. Justin Houston leads the entire NFL with 13 sacks, and Tamba Hali also has five sacks. Former first round pick and 24-year-old nose tackle Dontari Poe has been playing great with five quarterback sacks this season.
If the Chiefs are going to have any chance of defeating the Broncos, they must get pressure on Manning.
Although the Chiefs' defense ranks No. 8 in the NFL, and they have the No. 1-ranked pass defense, stopping the run has been a concern. The Chiefs' rush defense is ranked 26th overall and has allowed more than 110 rushing yards the last four consecutive games. Fortunately for the Chiefs, the Broncos don't have a strong rushing attack.
Quarterback Alex Smith has to be a little bit more of a game manager in this match. The odds of him outplaying Manning are slim, but he is going to have throw for some big first downs. Of course, all eyes will be on Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis, who have a combined 1,195 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns this season.
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe will be the X factor in this game.
Schedule, Where to Watch
The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs will play each on Sunday, Nov. 30, at 8:30 p.m. EDT on NBC. The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. You can view a live game stream here.
Predictions
The best way for the Chiefs to beat the Broncos is to keep Manning off the field with their effective running game. Controlling the time of possession is key. If Arrowhead is loud as usual, Manning may have to eliminate his no-huddle offense. For some reason, Manning just owns the Chiefs, and always finds a way to beat them regardless of where the game is being played.
Broncos win 27-24
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