5 Chiefs the Denver Broncos need to worry about on Sunday Night
After being humiliated by the NFL against the New Orleans Saints, the Denver Broncos will be thrown back into the deep end. The Broncos will travel to Kansas City to play the defending-champion Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
Coming into the 2020 NFL Season, many believed that the Broncos’ offense led by Drew Lock was ready to take the next step and become an exciting unit to watch. Unfortunately, the Broncos have struggled to make the leap that many expected.
The NFL surely had the thought of two high-powered offenses slugging it out on Sunday Night Football when they placed the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs into a prime time slot. Unfortunately, the Broncos look to be a large step away from knocking off the Chiefs, as evidenced by the Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs earlier this season.
However, the Broncos may be ready to put up a fight against the Chiefs this time around. The Broncos’ last three losses against the Chiefs have come at a 20 point deficit or greater. If the Denver Broncos want to make this a true rivalry, the offense has to be able to put up points.
Sitting at 10-1, the Chiefs looked poised for another strong finish to the season, and potentially a big postseason run. They have a loaded roster up and down, and plenty of their players are capable of keeping the Broncos’ coaching staff up at night.
However, here are five Chiefs the Broncos need to worry about on Sunday Night:
1. Patrick Mahomes
By the end of his fourth season in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes will have a strong chance to be a two-time MVP and Super Bowl Champion. He is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL on one of the most talented teams with one of the best offensive-minded coaches in the league.
Mahomes is obviously the Broncos’ biggest concern, as he has the ability to destroy defensive game-plans and win games almost single-handedly. No team has truly shown the ability to stop Patrick Mahomes, but Vic Fangio has done one of the best jobs at slowing him down.
Fangio said there’s not one way to stop Patrick Mahomes: “The challenge is to just mix it up. And your guys are just going to have to win some one on ones”
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) December 3, 2020
In order for the Denver Broncos to have a chance on Sunday night, Fangio has to have his defense ready to play. The Broncos have found success against the Chiefs by disguising their coverages through post-snap safety rotation and using stunts on the defensive line to put pressure on Mahomes.
By now, Mahomes has played against the Broncos enough to expect this game plan. The pressure will be on Vic Fangio and Ed Donatell to make in-game adjustments to what the Chiefs are doing on offense. If the Broncos fail to make adjustments at halftime and throughout the game, Mahomes will have his way with the Broncos’ defense.