Chiefs’ path to the playoffs

This season, the Chiefs have lived on big defensive plays to either hold slim leads or flat out win the game. The San Diego Chargers are the perfect team to give the Chiefs’ defense exactly what they want. Philip Rivers leads the league in interceptions thrown and he appears fond of throwing them in big moments. With a possible serious injury to running back Melvin Gordon, even more pressure will be put on Rivers’ shoulders. The Chiefs have historically fed on Rivers’ mistakes, especially Justin Houston.

Tennessee works as a near opposite of San Diego. Third in the league in rushing, the Titans use a resurgent DeMarco Murray and last years Heisman winner Derrick Henry to bombard defenses up the middle. The Chiefs will miss Johnson’s ability to stop the run here but the Titans lack the passing game to threaten downfield should the Chiefs stack the box. Bringing Eric Berry down towards the line of scrimmage should force Marcus Mariota to throw. The Kansas City faithful in Arrowhead will take their toll then.

We’ve seen Denver already this year and if the Oakland game was any indication, it will be a loud affair Christmas night in Arrowhead. Trevor Siemian can throw the football but his running game has struggled for weeks now. Without the ability to play-action or bootleg, the Broncos will move the ball into the red zone but struggle once there.

The Chiefs have never been able to shut down both Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas but they can prevent them from getting to the end zone with strong front pressure. The Chiefs need Justin Houston and Dee Ford to get on the same page to really put the heat on Siemian and the Broncos.