There is a lot at stake in the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 18 showdown with the Denver Broncos, even if KC is the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Chiefs are planning to rest starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, starting Carson Wentz in his place, and they could see others play a few snaps before being pulled.
However, Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton – a Pro Bowler in 2019 – is not taking the Chiefs lightly regardless of the latter’s approach to the game.
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton Sends 3-Word Message on Chiefs’ Plan for Finale
Courtland Sutton, Broncos Seeking Win Over Chiefs
“We don’t care,” Sutton told reporters on January 1.
Sutton has beaten the Chiefs once in his career, in 2023. Given the situation the Broncos are in, they cannot afford to take the Chiefs likely even with Wentz in Mahomes’ place one certainty among the potential variables in the game.
“We have to play the game to win, that’s all that matters,” Sutton said. “We don’t care about none of the other stuff. Whoever has on shoulder pass and is wearing red, white, and yellow, we have to beat them boys. We don’t care who shows up and plays. We don’t care who sits. Who doesn’t play, who does play. We don’t care about any of that. The Broncos have to show up Sunday and win the game.”
The Chiefs won the first matchup 16-14 in Week 10.
Both teams have looked much different since then, though. The Chiefs have scored at least 19 points in seven straight outings. They have also not allowed an opponent to score more than 5 points in their last five games.
The Carolina Panthers in Week 12 (surprisingly) are the last team to pass the 20-point barrier, with the Buffalo Bills in Week 11.
Broncos QB Bo Nix was of a similar mindset to Sutton.
“We’re going to go like they’re going to play everybody,” Nix told reporters on January 1. “That’s not our decision to make. But we have to be ready to go, and we have to compete with whoever they put on the field.”
The Broncos have gone 2-4 following their first meeting with the Chiefs, dropping their last two games with a chance to secure a playoff spot.
Denver has scored at least 24 points in every game since Week 10.
However, they have also allowed at least 30 points three times and 20 points or fewer in their other three games during that span. The Chiefs are 17-1 against the Broncos since 2015, the last time the latter made the postseason.
The stage is set for an epic showdown between the two teams, even without Mahomes under center headlining.
Chiefs’ Carson Wentz Sends Clear Message Ahead of Week 18
Wentz will draw his next start two days shy of the one-year mark since his last one, a Week 18 affair against the San Francisco 49ers while with the Los Angeles Rams. Wentz is eager to take the field and try to notch a victory.
“Obviously, want to play well and have success out there. And ultimately more than anything, get a win. That’s the goal,” Wentz told reporters on January 1. “I still go out there and expect to win. I’m going to prepare to go out there and win and have a good performance with this offense. And, yeah, we’re preparing for that.”
The Chiefs are still the favorites in the matchup despite the uncertainty about who will play and for how long in the game.
Wentz is a free agent after the season, so this is a big opportunity in front of him. There will be several teams searching for quarterbacks this coming offseason, and the former MVP candidate could make for a suitable bridge option.
Main Photo: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
