The Chiefs have a chance to be a big time spoiler tomorrow against the Broncos in Denver.  The Broncos can make the playoffs with a win tomorrow, which would clinch the AFC West.  But, the Broncos have lost two games in a row by a combined score of 81-37!  The Broncos beat the Chiefs 17-10 earlier this year in Kansas City. Don’t forget that Kyle Orton is going to be plenty motivated to stick it to his old team tomorrow.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are likely to come out running the ball early in this game with Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster getting most of the work against a Broncos’ D that is allowing 127.7 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry so far this year.  Make no mistake though, the Chiefs are going to let Kyle Orton attack the Broncos’ secondary a lot in this game.  If the O-Line gives Orton time to throw the ball, he’s going to be very effective in getting the ball to WRs Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin as the Broncos are giving up 235.3 yards passing per game so far this year.

When the Broncos have the ball:  In the first matchup between these two teams, the Broncos rushed for 244 yards and completed only two passes.  Look for the Chiefs to focus on stopping the run and force Tim Tebow to beat them with his left arm.  Willis McGahee and Tim Tebow have combined to rush for 1,698 yards so far this year, so the front seven is going to have their hands full trying to stop them from running the ball.  The Chiefs should double cover WR Demaryius Thomas the whole game and force Tebow to beat them by throwing to someone else tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 23, BRONCOS 17

The Chiefs looked good in Romeo Crennel’s first game in charge as they beat the Packers last weekend at Arrowhead Stadium.  Believe it or not….the Chiefs can still win the AFC West, so this is a huge game for them.  They thumped the Raiders 28-0 in Oakland in the first meeting between these two teams this year.  The Raiders have lost three games in a row in which they have given up 108 points.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to be a power running team with Crennel in charge.  That means that Jackie Battle and Thomas Jones are going to be pounding away at the interior of the Raiders’ D.  They should have success as the Raiders are giving up 135.0 yards rushing per game and a stunning 5.1 yards per carry.  The Raiders have 39 sacks and they blitz when they get off the team bus, but if the Chiefs can give Kyle Orton time to throw….he’s going to have a big game.  Dwayne Bowe and Steve Breaston are going to give the Raiders’ corners fits tomorrow.

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are going to come out running the ball with Michael Bush.  But, they are also going to be throwing the ball deep too.  The Chiefs picked off Raiders’ QBs six times in the first matchup between these two teams.  The Chiefs need to get some pressure on Carson Palmer, because he will throw the ball to the Chiefs’ if they hit him hard early in the game.  The Raiders do have incredible speed at WR, so the safeties better be ready to help the corners.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 27, RAIDERS 20

The Chiefs got thumped 37-10 last weekend by the Jets, but they will be a different team this weekend.  That is because Romeo Crennel in the new head coach and Kyle Orton is his new starting QB.  The Packers are rolling, but they will be without top WR Greg Jennings this weekend.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  Romeo Crennel has stated that he wants the offense to be more run oriented and that’s likely a smart move.  Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster will try to get the running game going against a Packers’ D that is allowing 106.0 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry.  The Packers are giving up 288.5 yards passing per game so far this year, so Kyle Orton should be able to make some plays down the field to Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin.  He will have to be careful though as the Packers already have 27 interceptions so far this year.

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are going to come out throwing the ball with all guns blazing.  The Chiefs should blitz more than usual in an attempt to screw up Aaron Rodgers’ timing.  Sure, he will be without WR Greg Jennings, but the Packers have a lot of other weapons in the passing game.  WR Jordy Nelson, TE Jermichael Finley, WR James Jones, WR Donald Driver and rookie WR Randall Cobb give the Packers a lot of weapons for the Chiefs’ secondary to deal with.  RB Ryan Grant gives the Packers a nice boost on ground support.

PREDICTION:  PACKERS 31, CHIEFS 20

The Kansas City Chiefs broke a 4-game losing streak last weekend in beating the Bears 10-3 in Chicago.  The Chiefs have only given up 16 points the last two weeks and they are going to need another big time effort on that side of the ball to have any chance of an upset win over the Jets.  The Jets have won two games in a row and they really need this one to stay in the playoff race in the AFC.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to come out running the ball this Sunday.  Look for Dexter McCluster, Thomas Jones and Jackie Battle to handle the workload against the Jets’ D, which is allowing 112.9 yards rushing per game and 3.9 yards per carry so far this year.  The Chiefs want to be ballhogs, if possible this Sunday in New Jersey.  Tyler Palko will likely have time to throw the ball this Sunday, the problem is that his favorite WR Dwayne Bowe is going to he locked up against CB Darrelle Revis.  Opposing QBs only have a 69.0 Rating against the Jets this year, so Palko is going to have to protect the football this weekend.

When the Jets have the ball:  The Jets are getting back to be a run first team and I look for that to continue this weekend.  The Chiefs are going to have to try to stop Jets’ RB Shonn Greene and he’s a power back.  The front seven is going to have to tighten up the chinstraps this weekend.  The Chiefs are going to have to get after Jets’ QB Mark Sanchez, as he is prone to making mistakes when under a heavy pass rush.  The Jets do have solid receivers in Santonio Holmes, Plaxico Burress and TE Dustin Keller, so the Chiefs’ secondary is going to have to step up this weekend.

PREDICTION:  JETS 16, CHIEFS 6

The Chiefs are fading fast as they have lost four games in a row by a combined score of 95-25!  But they did play hard on defense last week in their 13-9 loss to the Steelers.  The Bears lost a tough game 25-20 on the road against the Raiders last weekend, so they have to be happy to be coming home this Sunday where they are 5-1 on the year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are planning to start Tyler Palko in this game and that’s a huge mistake.  With that in mind, the Chiefs will likely try to keep the ball on the ground with Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster splitting carries.  The Bears are only giving up 98.6 yards rushing per game, but 4.7 yards per carry, so the Chiefs should have some success on the ground.  The Bears have 16 interceptions this year already, so Tyler Palko won’t likely be the QB long for the Chiefs in this game.  Kyle Orton would love to get revenge on the Bears for dealing him, so I look for him to eventually get into this game.  When Orton does play, he will be able to get the ball to Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin.

When the Bears have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to have to go all out to stop Matt Forte and Marion Barber this Sunday.  That will be easier said than done as the Bears are averaging 121.8 yards rushing per game so far this year.  The Chiefs want to stop the Bears’ running game and put the pressure on QB Caleb Hanie.  Hanie had a rough time early on in his first NFL start last weekend in Oakland but he finished strongly.  The Chiefs hope that they can put enough pressure on Hanie (it’s unlikely to happen) to force him into making some mistakes with the football.  Hanie’s favorite target in the passing game in his first start was WR Johnny Knox and he’s really fast so whoever’s guarding him might need some help over the top.

PREDICTION:  BEARS 23, CHIEFS 17

The Chiefs have lost three games in a row by a combined score of 82-16!  They will be starting Tyler Palko at QB and that could be trouble.  The Steelers had a bye last week, giving them two weeks to get ready for the Chiefs.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs can’t trust Tyler Palko throwing the ball against the Steelers.  With that in mind, look for them to be very run heavy in this game.  The Chiefs will likely spread the carries to Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster against a Steelers’ D that is allowing 4.2 yards per carry this year.  The Steelers are going to try to stop the Chiefs’ running game and force Tyler Palko to pass the ball.  Palko will have to get rid of the ball quickly, while also being careful and that’s a hard combination to pull off.  Palko will try to get the ball to WRs Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin a lot in this game.

When the Steelers have the ball:  Ben Roethlisberger has a broken right thumb, so the Steelers are likely to run the ball a lot more than usual.  The front seven is going to have to step up to deal with Rashard Mendenhall as he is a very tough runner.  The Chiefs will need more than Tamba Hali to get after Ben Roethlisberger in this game, because they could force him into mistakes because of his thumb.  The Chiefs will have a hard time with the Steelers’ speed at WR in Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 30, CHIEFS 6

The Chiefs have lost two games in a row, in which they have been outscored 48-13!  The Patriots got back on the right track last weekend in thumping the Jets 37-16 on the road.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  Sure, the Patriots are giving up 308.9 yards passing per game this year, but the Chiefs best chance to win would be by running the ball a lot in this game.  Jackie Battle, Dexter McCluster and Thomas Jones could share the ball and a heavy workload against a Patriots’ D that is allowing 103.1 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year.  Lefty throwing QB Tyler Palko will be making his first NFL start on Monday Night Football, so he’s going to be nervous….at least at the start of the game.  If the Chiefs get a good running game going, it will set up Tyler Palko for some play action passes down the field to WRs Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin.

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Chiefs only have 9 sacks so far this year, so Tom Brady is likely going to have all day to throw the ball.  Wes Welker and Deion Branch will keep the Chiefs’ CBs occupied so that Brady can attack the Chiefs’ safeties down the field with TEs Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.  The Chiefs will have to stop the Patriots’ running game with their front seven and that isn’t going to be an easy task either.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, CHIEFS 13

The Chiefs are licking their wounds after getting pasted 31-3 at home last weekend at the hands of the lowly Miami Dolphins.  The Denver Broncos are 2-1 since switching starting QBs and going with Tim Tebow under center.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs need to jump the Broncos early and force them out of their offensive gamplan.  To do that, Matt Cassel is going to have to get on the same page with Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin early and often in this game.  The Broncos are giving up 258.0 yards passing per game, so as long as Cassel has time to throw, he’s going to make some plays down the field.  The Broncos are going to be blitzing a lot in this game, so don’t be surprised to see RB Dexter McCluster catching quite a few screen passes in this game.  Jackie Battle is going to handle the bulk of the running in this game against a Broncos’ D that is allowing 115.5 yards rushing per game so far this year.

When the Broncos have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to have to sell out against the run this Sunday.  It still won’t be easy stopping Willis McGahee and Tim Tebow in this game.  The Broncos’ style is very similar to the Raiders, as they like to run the ball and throw it deep.  Tebow isn’t to sharp on timing throws over the middle, but he can wing it deep to WRs Eddie Royal, Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker…..so the safeties are going to have to be ready to help the corners over the top.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 20, BRONCOS 16

The Chiefs have won four games in a row now as they are red hot.  The Dolphins are getting closer to winning a game as they have lost their last two games by a field goal apiece.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs might break out of their shell this week and start throwing the ball more.  WRs Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jonathan Baldwin will create a lot of mis-match problems for the Dolphins’ secondary as they are giving up 270.7 yards passing per game and opposing QBs have a 103.1 Rating against the Fins.  RBs Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster are also going to get a lot of work this Sunday against a Fins’ D that is giving up 109.9 yards rushing per game but only 3.9 yards per carry.

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins would probably like to come out running the ball with Donald Thomas and Reggie Bush against the Chiefs.  The Chiefs are giving up 122.1 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry so far this year.  The Chiefs should blitz a lot more than usual in this game as Dolphins’ QBs have been sacked 27 times already this year.  QB Matt Moore will make mistakes when he’s pressured a lot.  Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline are solid WRs, so they could give the Chiefs’ secondary fits if Matt Moore is on this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 24, DOLPHINS 13

The Chiefs have won three games in a row since losing to the Chargers 20-17 in San Diego.  The Chargers took one on the chin last weekend in New Jersey, losing to the Jets 27-21.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs are going to feed the ball to Jackie Battle, Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster in an effort to control the clock and keep San Diego’s offense off the field.  The Chargers are giving up 121.7 yards rushing per game and 4.7 yards per carry, so the Chiefs should have success with that game plan.  The Chargers only have 10 sacks so far this year, so Matt Cassel should have time to throw the ball.  WRs Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and rookie Jonathan Baldwin are going to get a lot of work this Monday Night.

When the Chargers have the ball:  The Chargers are likely going to come out throwing the ball against the Chiefs.  The Chiefs are giving up 235.8 yards passing per game, but they also have 11 interceptions already this year.  Philip Rivers has thrown more INTs (9) than TD passes (7) so far this year, so he has been mistake prone.  The Chiefs are going to have to give safety help over the top to the corners as they will be dealing with tall WRs in Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd.  The Chargers will be without Mike Tolbert (due to injury), so the front seven will have to concern themselves with stopping Ryan Mathews.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 20, CHARGERS 17