The Arrowhead Pride staff made their predictions for the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos Week 17 game. With Patrick Mahomes facing Paxton Lynch, here’s who we are picking to win (and find more Week 17 NFL picks here):
Chiefs 27 Broncos 24
The Chiefs are ‘dogs but even with the backups they should beat Paxton Lynch. -Joel Thorman
Chiefs 24 Broncos 10
Mahomes throws for 237 yards, two TDs and one INT, which is quite an accomplishment since it is the Chiefs second string vs the Broncos first string. Broncos fans silently weep in the stands (and at home) as Mahomes outperforms Lynch even though Mahomes is facing first string players and Lynch is facing a second string defense. My strongest prediction for the game is the Broncos fans will feel extreme sadness as they realize the Chiefs have a QB of the future, and they do not. -Gary McKenzie
Chiefs 27 Broncos 17
The Broncos are in a position where they can only play for pride, as they can't even be a spoiler team at this point. The problem is, that team isn't made up of the type of guys who care about winning a meaningless Week 17 game. They're too busy being mad at their GM for calling them soft. Von Miller is still scary, as is their secondary, but I'm a beMahomer (that didn't work out well, but you get it). The Chiefs have taken on the big brother role in the rivalry, they solidify it by winning with their backups. -Seth Keysor
Chiefs 42 Broncos 24
I'm predicting this will be the most fun we'll have watching a meaningless Week 17 game since Jamaal ran for 259 and the Chiefs blew out these same Broncos in 2010. Pat Mahomes is going to light it up, and give hope for the future of this franchise. The defense may struggle at times given some depth concerns and resting starters but Denver's offense isn't scary either. The Broncos will be grasping for hope from Paxton Lynch, but this day (and 2018) will be all about Pat Mahomes and the young Chiefs. -Matt Stagner
Chiefs 17 Broncos 13
How much do the Broncos care? How motivated are they to play? We'll see early. This game is all about what Mahomes can do with a depleted roster. The lineup will look more like a preseason game, the football better not. Denver still has a pretty good defense. If they take this game seriously, it's going to be a big challenge for Mahomes in his first real action. I expect a mixed bag of results, with several moments to keep us excited for the future. "Imagine what he'll do with Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Kareem Hunt and the first team offensive line." I expect Paxton Lynch to play bad football, making Denver QB-envious. -Kent Swanson
Chiefs 31 Broncos 21
Of all the games this season, this Chiefs-Broncos matchup is the hardest to predict because of all the unknowns. The game is meaningless, so it’s likely Andy Reid sits many of his star players. On top of that, seven Chiefs are officially listed as questionable as an illness goes around the locker room and we don’t know how Patrick Mahomes will respond to his first career start. All that said, give me Mahomes over Patrick Lynch any day. -Pete Sweeney