That wasn’t a pretty win, but a win is a win.
Due to the NFL trying to capitalize on the Christmas holiday, the Denver Broncos had a short week in week 17 on the road in Arrowhead, and the game went as expected. The Broncos played down to their competition once again. There was some sloppy play, missed plays, mistakes leading to the Chiefs’ points, and of course, the refs were up to their typical nonsense.
In the end, the Broncos won another one-score game, led by a Bo Nix 4th quarter drive to give
them the lead with only minutes left in the game. It wasn’t the most exciting game, but a win is a win, and the Broncos improve to 13-3 with a chance to lock up the AFC West and one seed this week.
With all that said, here are your winners and losers from the Denver Broncos 20-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Night.
WINNER – QB Bo Nix
Nix was far from perfect in this one. He had an interception that led to points and was off target at times throughout the game. However, he finished the night with two touchdowns and yet another 4th quarter comeback and a late 4th quarter game-winning drive.
Nix finished the game going 26 for 38 for 182 yards, 1 touchdown, and an additional 42 yards rushing and 1 touchdown. It wasn’t his greatest game, but drops, missed throws, and overall down offensive play hindered the Broncos throughout. In the end, Nix did enough to carry the Broncos to victory and get gets a win from me.
WINNER – Broncos Defense
I guess?
The Broncos held the Chiefs to just 139 total yards, 57 yards passing, and 82 yards rushing, but it didn’t feel like a dominant performance. They had just once sack of the Chiefs’ third-string quarterback and did not force any turnovers, but still held them in check throughout most of the game.
All 13 of the Chiefs’ points came after an interception that gave them great starting field position, an iffy DPI call on a deep pass, and more great starting field position after a long punt return.
It wasn’t the havoc-filled game I expected from the Broncos’ defense, but in the end, they dominated throughout and left this game winners.
LOSER – WR Courtland Sutton
Sutton has had a couple of tough games now after being really good throughout the year. He was named to the Pro Bowl earlier this week, but had some issues with drops once again tonight vs. the Chiefs. Sutton dropped a would-be touchdown early on and had a few other mishaps throughout the game.
He still made one nice catch down the field after a bad OPI call on Evan Engram while also being Bo Nix’s go-to target on 3rd down, but the drops cannot keep happening.
Bo Nix’s most trusted target is Courtland Sutton, and more often than not, he comes down with the tough catch in clutch moments. We saw him struggle with some drops last Sunday vs. the Jags and now tonight vs. the Chiefs. Hopefully, he can put these issues behind him because the Broncos will need him to be at his best next Sunday vs. the Chargers and throughout the playoffs.
WINNER – RB RJ Harvey
Harvey was unspectacular on the ground and averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, but despite this, he scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the 4th quarter and scored his 12th total touchdown on the year.
Harvey finished the game with 76 total yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, and has turned into the Broncos’ second most trusted playmaker behind Courtland Sutton in this offense. Do I wish he would be more impactful as a runner? Sure, but his plays in space and as a receiver stand out, and he now has 12 total touchdowns as a rookie.
It has been an impressive rookie year for the Broncos’ young, explosive running back.
WINNER – AFC West Title in the near future?
With a win over the Chiefs, the Broncos can clinch the AFC West if the Houston Texans can defeat the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. This would be the Broncos’ first AFC West title since 2015 and would put them in the driver’s seat for the one seed in the AFC.
They can clinch the one seed on Sunday, too, but would need the Chargers to lose on Saturday AND the Patriots to somehow lose to the Jets, the Bills to lose to the Eagles, and Grandpa Rivers to beat the red-hot Jaguars.
It is unlikely that all of those scenarios will play out this weekend, but any given Sunday, right?
Other notable Winners and Losers
- WINNER – C Alex Forsyth: – Forsyth stepped in for Luke Wattenberg, who was placed on the IR and held his own. No costly penalties, and I did not see him get beaten badly by a defender throughout the game. The Broncos are going to need him to play well moving forward.
- WINNER – RB Jaleel McLaughlin: He was the Broncos’ most effective runner tonight. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry and ripped off a long run of 15 yards.
- LOSER – Broncos pass rush: The Broncos defense was dominant on paper, but I expected more. The pass rush didn’t take over the game as I expected. Third-string quarterback behind a beat-up OL against the top pass rush in football, and they managed just one sack. I expected more.
- LOSER – The Refs: Once again, the refs victimized the Denver Broncos. A phantom false start on Ben Powers, who never flinched, a bad OPI on Evan Engram, and a DPI on Surtain II on a pass that landed well out of bounds. We complain about the refs throughout, but at the start of the 4th quarter, the Chiefs had 0 penalties while the Broncos had multiple questionable ones that were called out by the rules analyst and announcers.
- LOSER – Boring football: This was yet another rough TNF watch. Having a team play on a short week, on Christmas, in Week 17, and expecting good football is a bit of a stretch. At least, the Broncos will now have 10 days to rest up and prepare for a key game vs. the Chargers in the finale.
- WINNER – NT DJ Jones: You don’t often notice the nose tackle of a defense, but DJ Jones made multiple plays at the LOS or behind it throughout this game. The Chiefs wanted to run the ball, and Jones made it tough for them.
- LOSER – Losing the turnover and penalty battle again: Losing the turnover battle AND penalty battle is often a recipe for disaster. The Broncos managed to survive, but this formula bit them vs. the Jags and will again in the playoffs if it continues. They need to cut down on the penalties (even if a handful are complete nonsense) and start creating more turnovers and limiting their own.
- WINNER – Merry Christmas: The Broncos gave us one last Christmas gift with a victory over the Chiefs, a sweep of the Chiefs, and improved to 13-3 on the year.
