The Kansas City Chiefs, the NFL’s only undefeated team in 2024, will host their old rivals, the Denver Broncos, at Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday. While it’s tempting to look ahead to next week’s game against the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs must stay focused on their AFC West opponents.

Kansas City enters the game as two-score favorites, reflecting their paper lead and historic dominance. Since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback, the Chiefs have compiled a 12-1 record against the Broncos, effectively reversing the trend from the Peyton Manning era.

However, Denver’s defense is formidable and could pose a challenge to head coach Andy Reid’s offense. After last week’s narrow overtime victory, some Chiefs fans may be feeling anxious heading into Sunday’s game. Despite these concerns, there are compelling reasons to trust the Chiefs this week. Our writers share their insights below.

Patrick Allen
This is a classic trap play for the Chiefs. Denver’s defense is real, but the only way I see the Broncos keeping pace with KC is if the Chiefs help them with turnovers. I don’t think KC is doing them any favors today.
Chiefs 28, Broncos 21

Praise Carter
The Broncos are a much better team compared to the team that ended the streak last year. However, their defense benefited from a very simple scheme. The only rookie QB to beat Steve Spagnuolo for the Chiefs was Aidan O’Connell in a two-defensive score game, and he did not complete a pass in the second half of that game. Bo Nix is ​​going to have a long day.
Chiefs 28 Broncos 16

Matt Conner
The Broncos look like a team with some direction this season, but they are still a few steps away from contender status. That doesn’t mean they can’t surprise the Chiefs from time to time and win the occasional midseason battle, as division rivals can and will do from time to time. What it does mean is that it feels foolish to actually predict such outcomes when the differences between franchises are still significant.
Chiefs 27, Broncos 13

Lyle Graversen
Division games have been ugly for the Chiefs, even in seasons where almost every game hasn’t been on the line as it appears to be this season. The Broncos defense is just good enough to give KC problems and Bo Nix will make just enough plays to stay close, but ultimately Denver just doesn’t have the weapons to keep up.
Chiefs 20, Broncos 13

Braden Holecek
Kansas City hasn’t seen a Denver team as competitive as this one in a while. The Chiefs defense will present a truly difficult test for rookie Bo Nix. Both teams blitz often and have come away from pressure and sacks quite well this season. Whichever pass rush emerges will be the aspect I’m most looking forward to in this AFC West rivalry. This game feels like it could be tight, with the Chiefs possibly pulling away at the end.
Chiefs 30, Broncos 16

Felix Johnson
The Broncos are currently a playoff team. Yes, the cold ran down my spine too. They may be improved and somewhat overrated, but the Chiefs never cover these massive spreads. The offense is starting to roll now though, so expect some fun football.
Chiefs 31, Broncos 24

Jacob Milham
(Enter the mandatory cheating rule here). The Broncos and Chiefs are both professionals; they all drive nice cars; yada yada yada. Denver has improved this year, but the same holes in their schedule and roster remain. Spagnuolo’s tamer play will still cause headaches for rookie starter Bo Nix, while the Broncos remain a one-trick pony on offense. Patrick Mahomes has been a different animal in November, going 18-3 in the month since joining the league. History points to another nail-biting win, but my husband says this game is the great Chiefs fans have been waiting for.
Leaders 31, Broncos 14

Greg Morse
The Chiefs were able to push their record to 9-0 for the first time since Andy Reid’s freshman year. That year everyone believed the Chiefs were a paper tiger, and they were, ultimately losing multiple times to the Peyton Manning-led Broncos. This year’s team feels more like a paperweight tiger – a slow-moving but extremely effective weapon that can simply bash other teams. I don’t think the 2024 Broncos will do as well as their 2013 counterparts, especially since the Broncos feel like the paper tigers this year.
Chiefs 31, Broncos 10

Shawn O’Brate
I think the connection between DeAndre Hopkins and Patrick Mahomes will bring the fear of God into the Broncos, giving guys like Travis Kelce, Justin Watson and Xavier Worthy a little more room to open up. Bo Nix has had moments so far this season where he has looked legit, but he hasn’t faced a real defense like the Chiefs, let alone a DC like Spags. All in all, the Chiefs have put together a very complete game to put even more snakes in the NFL’s shoes.
Leaders 28, Broncos 13

Stacy D. Smith
On Sunday, Kansas City plays the Denver Broncos for their first home game of the 2024 season. The Broncos are 5-4, but their record is a bit misleading. Those five wins have all come over teams below .500. It’s difficult to determine how much of their No. 3 scoring defense is legitimate or a simple byproduct of facing some of the worst offenses in the league. With the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, nature is healing and Patrick Mahomes has posted two of his three highest-rated games of the season. That said, I expect this game to be a bit more challenging than Chiefs fans expect. Kansas City will struggle some offensively in this game. Defensively, the Chiefs will make life difficult for rookie Bo Nix and force a few turnovers. This match will be close throughout, but the Chiefs will beat their rival.
Chiefs 24, Broncos 17

Lucas Strozinsky
I feel like I say this every week, but I foresee another ugly win. This time it actually makes sense. The Broncos have a good defense and the Chiefs have the Bills on their schedule next week. This seems like a trap game, but the Chiefs still win. I don’t think they want to lose to Denver twice in a row.
Chiefs 23, Broncos 18