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The final week of the 2024 NFL regular season is upon us. It’s been a long season and the playoffs are nearly set, but there is still a chance for some movement in the final week. One team on the bubble of the playoffs is the Denver Broncos (9-7) who will take on the Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) on Sunday afternoon. There’s a lot on the line for the Broncos in Week 18, so let’s take a look back at Week 17 and then preview this upcoming matchup.
Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to a Christmas victory in Week 17. Kansas City was featured in one of the two games on Christmas and they dominated the Steelers by a score of 29-10. Mahomes was fabulous against an elite Steelers defense as he passed for 320 yards and 3 touchdowns. Although the Steelers completely shut down the Chiefs on the ground, the secondary just couldn’t limit Mahomes. Kansas City ran for just 62 total yards on the ground as Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco split the responsibilities in the backfield.
The score makes the game look very lopsided, but it was a one-possession game until the 4th quarter. Kansas City led 16-10 after the third quarter before Mahomes led two scoring drives that ended with Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce touchdowns. As for the defense, the Chiefs were without star Chris Jones, but it didn’t seem to matter. They held Russell Wilson to just 205 passing yards with an interception. Holding the Steelers to just 10 points marked the fifth straight game that the Chiefs defense has allowed less than 20 points.
At 15-1, the Chiefs have clinched the AFC West and homefield advantage in the playoffs. That means star players like Mahomes, Kelce, Jones and others will rest in Week 18. Carson Wentz is expected to start in Week 18 to close out the regular season.
One of the most absurd games of the week took place in Cincinnati between the Broncos and Bengals. Bo Nix and the Broncos came into the game needing one more win to clinch a playoff spot while Joe Burrow and the Bengals needed to win in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. That set the stage for an incredibly exciting game.
The offenses went back-and-forth with scores and the two quarterbacks were showing out, so let’s fast forward to the final quarter of the game. Bo Nix connected with Marvin Mims Jr. for a 51-yard touchdown pass in the 4th quarter to tie the game at 17. A key interception by the Bengals gave Burrow and the offense a chance to take the lead, and a 1-yard touchdown run by Burrow gave Cincy a 24-17 lead with just over a minute left.
Nix led the Broncos downfield and into a 4-and-1 situation at the 25-yard line. With just eight seconds left, Nix threw it into double-coverage in the end zone and Mims Jr. came down with it to tie the game. The rookie’s incredible drive pushed the game into overtime, and after each team had a possession, Burrow found Tee Higgins for his third touchdown of the game to win it for the Bengals and keep their playoff hopes alive. Nix and the Broncos will need to win in Week 18 in order to make it to the playoffs.
The key to Denver’s success has been their rookie. Nix has had an impressive rookie campaign and has been the perfect quarterback for the Broncos offense. He’s totaled 25 touchdowns in 16 games and has thrown multiple touchdowns in nine of those games. In fact, he’s thrown two or more touchdowns in six of the last seven games. With the season on the line, expect Nix to take control and attack the Chiefs’ secondary.
Keith is a sports writer who has evolved into a sports betting personality across social media in the past several years. He specializes in MLB but also writes about the NFL and NBA.