**3\. Kansas City's offense will look to recapture the success it found prior to the Buffalo game.**
The Chiefs entered Week 9 having scored at least 28 points in five-straight games, marking the longest streak for any team this year, until that run came to an end with a 21-point performance against Buffalo. It was an uncharacteristic outing from the Chiefs, who went just 3-for-13 on third down and were out-possessed by nearly 10 minutes, but there's plenty of reason to believe that performance was a blip on the radar rather than the beginning of a trend.
In fact, since Week 4, the Chiefs remain the No. 7 scoring offense in the NFL at 29.2 points-per-game, and the No. 1 total offense at 397.3 yards-per-game. Kansas City also owns the league's No. 5 offense in terms of "successful play rate" at 53.9%, which evaluates an offense based on the following parameters:
_1) Anytime the offense gains 40% of the yardage necessary for a first down on first down_
_2) 50% of the yardage necessary for a first down on second down_
_3) Gains the first down on third or fourth down_
Only the Rams (56.5%), Colts (55.8%) Bills (54.8%) and Packers (54.2%) have been better in that area, and now in a clash against Denver's relentless pass-rush, Kansas City will need to be at its best on Sunday.
**4\. The Broncos have the league's top scoring margin in the fourth quarter this year.**
Denver's offense is an interesting study this season, to say the least. The Broncos have scored 28+ points on four occasions this season, but they've also been held under 21 points five times, illustrating the up-and-down nature of Denver's offense this year.
The Broncos own the league's second-highest three-and-out rate at 28.6%, and here's maybe the craziest stat of the week: The Broncos have tallied the most offensive possessions of any team in the NFL with 119, and on those, they've recorded exactly 28 touchdown drives. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have taken the field for the _fewest_ offensive possessions of any team with just 84, and on those, they've recorded…28 touchdown drives!
That figure demonstrates the Chiefs' efficiency overall offensively this season and the Broncos' general lack of consistency from week-to-week, but to Denver's credit, no team has been better in the fourth quarter of games this season. The Broncos lead the NFL in fourth-quarter point differential (+60), yardage differential (+433) and sack differential (+10) this year, and keep in mind, in half of the Broncos' eight wins, they trailed in the fourth quarter.
That success is due in part to the fourth-quarter heroics of quarterback Bo Nix, who leads the NFL in total fourth-quarter touchdowns (9), fourth-quarter first downs (40), fourth-quarter comebacks (4) and game-winning drives (4). It's all part of what has been an interesting season for Nix, who ranks fifth in the NFL with 18 passing touchdowns but also ranks near the bottom of the league in completion percentage (61%) and yards-per-attempt (6.1). Additionally, Nix's 83.0 passer rating in wins this season is the second-lowest mark for any quarterback in the last 10 seasons.
Nix has found a way when it's mattered the most though, and the result is the league's best overall record at 8-2. So, it's pretty simple: If the Chiefs have an opportunity to seize this game, they need to take advantage of it.