KC Chiefs: What we learned about the AFC West after Week 17
The KC Chiefs finished the 2020 season with a 4-2 record in the AFC West.
The 2020 NFL regular season has come to a close and the Kansas City Chiefs were the only team in the AFC West to emerge with a winning record and make it to the playoffs. The Chiefs won their fifth straight division title but it’s not as impressive when you look at just how bad the rest of the division was this year.
Rather than discussing what we learned about the team after this game, for the final edition of what we learned in the division, we’ll tackle what we learned about the team this season. I’ll list something positive that we learned about each team and also something negative that we learned about each team. We’ll begin in the basement of the AFC West.
What did we learn about the Denver Broncos?
After an 0-3 start, the Broncos were never really able to fully rebound. Their first two losses were by one possession and that was Denver’s problem throughout the season, they couldn’t overcome tightly contested matchups.
Something else really impacting the Broncos this season was the number of injuries they were dealt. Prior to the season, both Von Miller and Courtland Sutton were injured and ended up missing the entire 2020 season as a result. Miller and Sutton being on the field probably get the Broncos at least one more win when it’s all said and done.
The big storyline for Denver heading into the 2020 season was that of Drew Lock, their 2019 second-round pick. Lock finished his rookie year in an impressive fashion, so Broncos fans were looking forward to seeing if he’d be able to continue on as an impressive player. Unfortunately, he looked to have regressed throughout the season, throwing 15 interceptions through 13 starts.
Something positive that we learned about the Broncos is that their offensive weapons started to show signs of life near the end of the season. After a mostly disappointing rookie season, Jerry Jeudy had a huge game in Week 17 and that’s exactly the way Broncos fans wanted his rookie campaign to end for sure. The Broncos also saw big games from Melvin Gordon in the last month of the season, which gave their run game a huge boost.
Something negative that we learned about the Broncos is that Lock regressed big time. He finished the season throwing for 2,933 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 13 starts. Turnovers were a problem for Lock all season, as he only had two games in the entire season where he didn’t turn the ball over (Weeks 1 and 17, oddly enough).
Next up: The Broncos finished the season at 5-11 and will hold the No. 9 pick in the draft. Will Denver draft a quarterback with that pick or will they look to bolster the offensive line or somewhere on the defense?