The Philadelphia Eagles gave the rest of the NFL the blueprint to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. The Los Angeles Chargers demonstrated that the AFC champions were vulnerable in the season opener, and while they showed glimpses of dominance, the Chiefs aren’t as strong as before.
Despite beating the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders, they lost to the Eagles again, and most recently, against the Buffalo Bills.
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Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos (7-2) are the clear leader in the AFC West division. Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky noted a difference between the Chiefs and Broncos during Thursday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take.” The analyst explained what makes the Broncos a legitimate threat to Kansas City.
“I think the one thing that differentiates these teams right now is that the Broncos absolutely get after the quarterback. They have 40 sacks, which leads the NFL. The other thing is this, Bo Nix doesn’t get sacked… They only have nine sacks given up this year. That’s a 31 sack differential, which leads the NFL.”
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“I’d also say this. Denver has found ways, a little bit like last year, to win the close games this year. Kansas City hasn’t. And Patrick (Mahomes) has talked about that even himself,” Orlovsky added. “They find ways to win close games. They can create explosive plays on the offensive side. Their quarterback doesn’t get sacked a lot. And they have a defense that hunts other teams’ quarterbacks. That’s a recipe to win divisions.”
This isn’t the first time Orlovsky has ridden with the Broncos. Back in September, he predicted the Broncos would put an end to the Chiefs’ dominance in the AFC West.
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“I’m on the Broncos train,” Orlovsky said in his segment on ESPN’s NFL Live. “I don’t believe this football team has a hole. I think it’s the best combination of offensive and defensive lines in the conference, in the conversation with the Baltimore Ravens.”
After nine weeks, the Broncos led the division, followed by the Chargers (6-3) and the Chiefs (5-4). Their first duel will take place in Week 11, after the Chiefs’ bye week. They will clash again in Week 17 in a Christmas Day matchup.
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