The Denver Broncos have done very well so far this season by getting out to an 8-2 record and establishing a seven-game winning streak. Their defense, as was the case last season when they surprised many by making the playoffs, has been outstanding, and second-year quarterback Bo Nix is playing excellent football.
But plenty of people seem to doubt that the Broncos are legitimate Super Bowl contenders or as good as their record would suggest. If they want to silence those pundits, they can do so by defeating Patrick Mahomes and the three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.
While Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes hasn’t always been his usual vintage self this season, Denver’s coaching staff still knows he will be a handful to deal with. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph talked about the toughest part of defending the two-time NFL MVP.
“He’s been the best for a long time,” Joseph told the media. “He’s a winner. The plays he can make off-schedule that makes it tough. Obviously, they’re in the huddle and they have a play called, and you can defend that play perfectly, and he can obviously bide time and the second act, that’s where he makes his explosive plays.
“Going against Patrick, obviously, how you rush him is important. How you cover is important. But the second part is, just keep chasing him and keep plastering on the back end, because those plays they’ve made over the years, him and [Travis] Kelce especially, has been hard on defenses. It’s a true challenge.”
Mahomes has all the passing abilities you’d expect from an elite quarterback, but his ability to make something out of nothing, whether it is by moving the chains himself or throwing unorthodox flick passes on third and fourth downs, has made him one of the greatest players in league history.
So far this season, his production has improved somewhat over the previous two seasons. Through nine games, he has thrown for 2,349 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions, although his 64.6% pass completion rate is the lowest it has been since his rookie year, when he appeared in just one game.
Mahomes does appear to have more weapons at his disposal than he has had in a little while. Wide receiver Rashee Rice continues to be on a trajectory that could land him in the Pro Bowl in the near future, and veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster and speedster Xavier Worthy have chipped in when they have needed to. Kelce may be 36 years of age, but he has picked up his production a bit compared to last season.
While it will be important for Denver’s defense to be on point, its offense also needs to be at its best. The Broncos are a mediocre offensive team and are coming off a win over the Las Vegas Raiders in which they scored just 10 points and mustered only 220 yards of total offense.
In the Chiefs, they will be going up against a defense that is ranked sixth in total yards allowed and fourth in points given up.
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