The Broncos could unwrap a critically important win on Thursday night in Kansas City.
As Denver (12-3) chases an AFC West crown and the No. 1 seed in the conference, the team could move another step closer to those goals with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs (6-9).
Against a Chiefs team that has lost Patrick Mahomes and a slew of other key starters, Denver will be the favorite to earn a 13th regular-season win for the first time since 2013. As Head Coach Sean Payton emphasized Tuesday, though, that’s hardly the focus for a team that knows what’s at stake on Christmas Day.
“We don’t really pay attention to that,” Payton said Tuesday. “We try to stay in touch with the game. … Every one of these players understands the significance of where we’re at with two games left in the season.”
With a “Thursday Night Football” victory, the Broncos would earn their first win in Kansas City since the 2015 season — and their first December win vs. the Chiefs since 2013. Denver would also clinch its best road record since 2015.
As Denver looks to grab a short-week win, here are the questions that will determine if Denver can earn its fourth win in its last five tries against the Chiefs.
CAN BO NIX CONTINUE HIS STRETCH OF STRONG PLAY?
The Broncos’ second-year quarterback has seemingly elevated his play in recent weeks, as he’s posted back-to-back games with 300 passing yards for the first time in his career and has taken a step in downfield passing.
Since Denver’s Week 12 bye, Nix’s completion percentage of downfield throws (10+ air yards) has increased by 15 percent, and he’s thrown four touchdowns and just one interception with a 110.6 quarterback rating on such plays.
“I’m seeing the game drastically different than what I did even last year, beginning of last year, throughout the year,” Nix said Tuesday. “I was learning a lot and, even though football is football, there are different tendencies, there are different things in the league you just never see and you never get. I feel like I’m seeing the field really well right now, meshing it with our game plan and getting to what we need to get to and making sure the plays are run efficiently.”
Nix is one touchdown pass away from recording the third-most passing touchdowns of any quarterback within his first two seasons in NFL history, and he can also become the first player with 20 wins, 7,500 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns in that span.
The Broncos’ quarterback could certainly benefit on Thursday from a strong running game — rookie RJ Harvey posted a career high in scrimmage yards in Week 16 — and an impressive defensive performance. But in a critical game, Nix’s ability to create could be a key difference.
In his second trip to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Nix will also look to replicate his success against Kansas City. Through three career games against the Chiefs, Nix has completed 75 percent of his passes while averaging 277 passing yards and posting six total touchdowns and no interceptions. On Thursday, he could become just the fourth Broncos quarterback to win in December at Arrowhead.
CAN THE BRONCOS FLUSTER QB CHRIS OLADOKUN AND RETURN TO STANDARD?
After the Chiefs have placed their top two quarterbacks on injured reserve in the past two weeks, Denver will face Chris Oladokun as he makes his first career start.
The South Dakota State product completed 11-of-16 passes for 111 yards while being sacked four times in relief action against the Titans, and Denver will look to capitalize against the reserve player. The Broncos, who are nine sacks away from tying the NFL record, could add to a league-leading total against Kansas City.
Denver struggled at times defensively in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, and the Broncos will also look to return to their standard on third down and in the red zone after Jacksonville took advantage in those categories.
“All we do each week is, win or lose, we go back and correct and move on,” Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said. “So, last week was our first loss in a very long time. We didn’t play great in the red zone. That was the biggest issue we had — [and] tackling. So, we’ll fix that and move on. That’s what we do. If it’s a win or it’s a loss, we correct, and that’s the first loss in a long time. So, we have to correct.”
The Broncos, whose 12 takeaways currently rank near the bottom of the league, will also aim to turn the tide in that area of the game. Denver has seven games without a takeaway this season, and the Broncos know the importance of increasing their ball production.
“It’s not just luck,” Payton said. “It’s a byproduct of [the] pass rush. It’s a byproduct of punch-outs. I would say it’s anything but [luck]. … Sometimes you recover your own fumble, and maybe that. That’s something that we’re working on.”
WILL BRONCOS’ PRO BOWLERS MAKE GAME-CHANGING PLAYS?
Denver earned its most initial-ballot Pro Bowlers since 2014, as six players earned a spot for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games.
As the Broncos prepare for a high-stakes game against a division rival, the team will need its all-star players to perform at a high level.
Can Courtland Sutton, who leads the NFL in third- and fourth-down receiving yards, deliver his fifth consecutive game with at least five catches and 60 receiving yards to pass the 1,000-yard mark? Can Zach Allen, who is one of two defensive linemen in the last nearly 20 years to post back-to-back seasons with at least 40 quarterback hits, fluster the Chiefs’ signal caller? Can Nik Bonitto continue his prime-time brilliance and create a game-changing turnover?
The Broncos control their own destiny and can take a step closer to the No. 1 seed with a win, and they’d be aided if their key players can deliver in a big moment.