Broncos Eye AFC West Crown as Chiefs Show Cracks in the Armor

There are high expectations for the Denver Broncos this season, including the belief they can win the division. That is a tough ask, as the Kansas City Chiefs aim for their tenth consecutive division win. Is it realistic for the Broncos to take it from them? 

Last year, the Chiefs were not the dominant team they were, despite their record. They didn’t win in the same fashion, and their offense had multiple issues that hindered them. It was an offense that did enough, with the defense carrying the load. 

They had issues with their offensive weapons and their offensive line. Though Patrick Mahomes is an elite quarterback, he couldn’t make up for both of those issues at the same time. That is where the opening for the Broncos to win the division starts. 

If the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles proved anything, it is that the Chiefs struggle when they can’t win in the trenches, especially with their offensive line. Despite that, the Chiefs made minimal moves for their line, leaving questions unanswered. 

Josh Simmons, their first-round pick, is a rookie coming off a serious injury. The early returns are positive, but training camp and the preseason will be a true test of what Simmons can be. What offensive linemen can do in mini-camp and OTAs is minimal. 

They lost Joe Thuney after trading him away, and they are replacing him with Kingsley Saumataia, who was terrible last year. Trey Smith and Creed  Humphrey are great players, but Jawaan Taylor is a weakness. So they still have three spots of weakness on the unit. 

The Broncos have a strong defensive front, with even more depth to throw at them, which can help them cause needed disruption upfront. If they can succeed there, then it opens the door for more success in the secondary. 

Now, the Chiefs did make changes to their weapons by adding Jalen Royals and Breshard Smith, but that is all they did. Hollywood Brown isn’t the player he once was, as injuries have slowed him down, and Xavier Worthy has a lot of development to do to become more than just a speedster. 

Travis Kelce is another year older, and he showed multiple signs of age and slowing down a season ago. The rest of their tight end room leaves something to be desired. So, Kelce and their tight ends may not have the same impact as they had in previous seasons. 

The Broncos made more improvements to their coverage unit than the Chiefs did to their offensive weapons, so the Broncos, at least on paper, should be able to hold up. A lot of riding on Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw staying healthy, as well as Jahdae Barron showing his value as the 20th overall pick. 

So, the path for the Broncos to take the division title starts with their defense maximizing their wins against the Chiefs' offense. If they can do that, it can help make life easier for the Broncos' offense, which found a way to get things done last year, only to be let down by a significant special-teams error. 

Taking away the season finale, where the Broncos beat the Chiefs' second-string players, they nearly beat them in their first game. It came down to a special-teams play that gave the Chiefs the win. With what both teams have done over this offseason, the division is very much in play for the Broncos.