Week 10 Game Plan: Chiefs’ Hidden Keys to Victory

The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 10 of the NFL season 8-0 and are preparing to face the 5-4 Denver Broncos for the first time this season. The game will take place at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and it will be the Chiefs’ first early afternoon kickoff time of the season, with the game set for 1 p.m. EDT.

Dating back to Week 17 of last season, the Kansas City Chiefs have been building on a winning streak. It currently stands at 14 straight games without a loss, setting a new franchise record of consecutive victories. Heading into this week’s matchup, Kansas City will look to add to their history and face a team they last met in Week 8 last season. The Broncos surprised the Kansas City Chiefs, handing them a 24-9 loss.

The upset ended a six-game win streak they were on before the game. It also ended a 16-game winning streak the Chiefs had over the Broncos which spanned from 2015 to 2023 and began a bit of a rough stretch for them moving forward. Kansas City would go on to only win three of their last eight games.

Kansas City Chiefs Passing Game vs. Denver’s Defense

Patrick Mahomes has started to finally get going these past few weeks, having his best game of the season on Monday night against the Bucs. Mahomes finished with 291 yards passing and three touchdowns, and his first zero-interception game of the season. However, this week he faces a challenging test against Denver’s sixth-ranked pass defense, which allows just 186.6 yards per game. In the past Denver’s secondary has given Mahomes problems.

In 13 games against the Broncos, Mahomes has 11 interceptions, in the Kansas City Chiefs’ last four meetings Mahomes has thrown at least one to Denver. The Broncos secondary for the most part this season has been able to keep quarterbacks in check and limit big plays. The Chiefs’ offense remains one of the league’s best, especially in recent weeks as new additions to the team are beginning to gel with one another.

Mahomes leads an offense that ranks 10th in passing yards, averaging 230.1 yards per game. Kansas City’s offensive scheme has been effective, partly due to Mahomes’ ability to make quick adjustments against various defensive fronts. Additionally, the Chiefs’ receiving corps, featuring talents like Xavier Worthy, Mecole Hardman, Justin Watson, and newest addition DeAndre Hopkins has been able to step up and make the must-have plays whenever they have been necessary. This is something the Kansas City Chiefs will look to continue to do this week against a stingy Denver defense.