Event of the Day: Denver Broncos versus Kansas City Chiefs
Our event of the day is the NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver. The Chiefs come into this week 4 game undefeated, having comfortably beaten the San Diego Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos are 2-1, falling to the Ravens in week 3 for their first loss of the season. The game is going to be a real battle between the Chiefs’ star quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and the explosive Broncos’ defensive line. With the top of the AFC West at stake, it is certainly going to be an exciting night at Mile High. The Broncos’ secondary was once called the ‘No-fly Zone’. The defensive backfield shut down the long pass game week after week.
However, much like the revered ‘Legion of Boom’ in Seattle, the No-fly Zone seems to be a thing of the past. Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns against them in week one and Derek Carr had a 90.6% pass completion rate against them in week two. Now in week four, they face Mahomes who leads one of the NFL’s most potent passing offenses. He has set a new record for most touchdown passes in the first three weeks of the season with 13. Mahomes also holds the best quarterback passer rating in the NFL. Another headache for Denver is that Mahomes’ 13 touchdowns have gone to nine different receivers, meaning that the defence will be forced to spread out to cover all Kansas City's options. The answer to the NFL’s hottest passer may be the Broncos’ defensive line. Defensive ends Von Miller and Bradley Chubb lead an explosive and disciplined line that is tied for the 7th most sacks this season. Denver’s best options may be to shut down Mahomes and exploit the Chiefs’ relatively weak defence. The Chiefs come into the game relatively injury-free, with only safety Eric Berry listed as ‘doubtful’. On the other side, the Broncos have lost tight end Jake Butt for the season after an ACL tear and starting cornerback Tramaine Brock is doubtful with a thigh injury.
Honourable mentions around the globe to the Premier League, where Bournemouth host Crystal Palace at the Vitality Stadium. Bournemouth sit in 9th in the table while Crystal Palace sit in 13th. Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has called for a back-to-basics approach after his club lost 4-0 to Burnley last weekend. Prior to that, Bournemouth were being applauded for their red-hot start to the season. However, the Cherries will be without defender Charlie Daniels, who is still side-lined with a knee injury. In the other camp, Crystal Palace are coming off a Carabao Cup win against West Brom. Their Premier League campaign has started well with three wins from six games. However, they are without key players Christian Benteke and Jaïro Riedewald, though Wilfried Zaha has recovered well after suffering a back spasm in their last Premier League game against Newcastle. With two evenly matched teams, this is tight game to call. Elsewhere, in darts, the PDC World Grand Prix continues in Dublin. In tennis on the ATP World Tour, the Rakuten Japan Open begins in Tokyo.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by NFL