Ahead of the Broncos’ AFC West showdown with the Chiefs this week, we asked Charles Goldman of Chiefs Wire five questions about the Kansas City-based team and Sunday’s game. Here are our questions and his answers.
1. Are you worried at all about Patrick Mahomes’ longterm health? He’s been banged up a little this year.
The Chiefs have done a really good job of managing Mahomes and his injuries. It is a little alarming seeing him get dinged up through the course of an NFL season, but that’s how the game is. You look across the league and none of these guys are impervious to injury no matter the position they play. Nothing that he’s dealt with so far is career-threatening and knowing the type of guy he is, he’d work back to health if it was. So no, I’m not too worried about the beating he’s taken this season and the long term impact. Perhaps it’ll balance the scales and give us a fully healthy season of Mahomes in 2020.
2. With Damien Williams seemingly healthy again, what kind of rotation should we expect from KC’s backfield?
Yeah, I think we’ve jumped the gun a bit on Damien Williams being healthy again. His limited practice repetitions really showed the Chiefs his ribs might not be ready yet. As I’m writing this he isn’t at practice and could be listed as questionable or out.
Kansas City’s backfield has been a bit of an enigma this season. LeSean McCoy is clearly the Chiefs’ best rusher, but he’s not as agile as he once was and Andy Reid is obsessed with managing his snaps. Darwin Thompson is the budding star, but he’s just had a few mental errors that have the coaching staff hesitant to go all-in. Finally, Spencer Ware, the newcomer who is also an old friend. He didn’t look great carrying the football last week, but he was incredible in pass protection. It was like watching a secret service agent jump in front of a bullet to save the president. That’s a super-valuable thing to have on offense that throws the ball as much as the Chiefs, so expect a healthy dose of Ware.
3. If you could steal one player from the Broncos and give him to the Chiefs, who would it be and why?
This one is an easy choice for me. My fiancee is a diehard Broncos fan and she’d kill me if I didn’t choose her favorite player: Von Miller. She’s even told me that she’s such a fan of Miller that she would follow him to a new team. He’s been a model of consistency for the Broncos for a long time. He wears No. 58 to honor Derrick Thomas, a former Chiefs’ legend at his position. He’s really the perfect match made for Kansas City in my eyes.
4. Are you buying the hype surrounding Drew Lock? Do you think Kansas City should be taking him seriously?
I absolutely think that Kansas City is taking Drew Lock seriously. Getting wins in the National Football League is tough and the kid already has two of them. Andy Reid has been following Lock closely because he coached his father, Andrew Lock, as an offensive lineman at Mizzou back in the 80’s. So they have a very good idea about just how talented Lock is dating to his high school days slinging it for Lee’s Summit.
I’m personally a little hesitant to buy into the hype surrounding Lock because there are a lot of quarterbacks in this league that see a little bit of success and fall off for one reason or another. The Broncos, as you know, need a level of consistency at the quarterback spot. It remains to be seen if Lock can provide that.
5. What’s your prediction for Sunday — who wins and why?
I’m expecting the Chiefs to come away with a victory on Sunday. I think it’ll be a little bit closer than the oddsmakers are giving the Broncos credit for.
The Kansas City defense is playing some really dominant football right now. The special teams and offense are finally starting to catch up to the defense too. Denver will put up a valiant fight but with nearly 20 names on the injury report, I have a hard time seeing them having the fresh bodies to compete. Chiefs 33, Broncos 25.
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