Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Complete Week 13 Preview for Kansas City

Week 13's Sunday Night Football showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium could be the deciding factor as to which team wins the AFC West. 

The Broncos currently lead the division at 8-3, winning all three division games. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are one game behind with a 7-4 record and have fallen twice in their three AFC West contests.

If you haven't caught on, by dropping this game, the Chiefs essentially need a prayer in order to win the AFC West in 2014.

By winning Sunday's crucial match, the Chiefs force a tiebreaker since the they are 1-1 in head-to-head games with the Broncos. By that point, the AFC West, if it ends with two teams owning the same record, will go to divisional record and record against common opponents to decide who wins the division.

The Chiefs are coming off a shocking loss to a previously winless Oakland Raiders team and hope that the 10-day break will benefit the team and get it to bounce back on the right track. 

Week 12 Recap

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The opener to Week 12 of the NFL season turned into one of the biggest upsets so far in the NFL this year when the Chiefs fell to Raiders, allowing them to earn their first win of the season on Thursday Night Football. 

Running back Latavius Murray rushed for 112 yards off four carries and scored the first two touchdowns of the game to give the Raiders a 14-0 lead. Although the Chiefs scored 17 unanswered points to take the lead, the Raiders scored a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining to retake the lead and capture their first victory of the season.

Moving forward, Chiefs coach Andy Reid must find a way to get the team to change its mindset and focus on rebounding against the Broncos in a crucial match with big playoff implications.

News and Notes

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Eric Berry out for the season

We learned some unfortunate news earlier this week when safety Eric Berry was ruled done for the year. Berry met with team doctors and informed them about discomfort in his chest, and it was soon revealed that he has a mass in his chest, with the possibility that he has lymphoma. 

Jason La Canfora reported that Berry had some tests done in Atlanta and is waiting on the results.

Injury Report

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NAME	POSITION	INJURY	WED.	THU.	FRI.	GAME STATUS
Avery, Donnie	WR	Groin	FP	LP	-	-
Colquitt, Dustin	P	Right Calf	LP	FP	-	-
Fasano, Anthony	TE	Knee	DNP	LP	-	-
Fleming, Jamell	DB	Hamstring	FP	LP	-	-
Hali, Tamba	LB	Knee	LP	LP	-	-
Hemingway, Junior	WR	Concussion	DNP	DNP	-	-
Owens, Chris	CB	Knee/Abdomen	LP	LP	-	-
Smith, Sean	CB	Groin	FP	FP	-	-
Stephenson, Donald	OL	Shoulder	FP	FP	-	-
Vickerson, Kevin	DT	Calf	DNP	LP	-	-

Kansas City continues to have multiple wide receivers listed on the injury report. However, the addition of Jason Avant alleviates the bad news on the injury report, as the offense hopes to improve its 31st ranking in passing the ball.

Injury report courtesy of KCChiefs.com

Key Matchups and X-Factor

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OLB Justin Houston vs. RT Paul Cornick

Broncos' rookie right tackle Paul Cornick will face the biggest challenge of his first year in the league this Sunday when he goes up against one of the best pass-rushers in the league in Justin Houston. Through 10 games, starting four games in the past six weeks, Cornick has allowed one sack and committed three penalties.

Houston has gone up against offensive tackles who have done well, but he has managed to beat them and get to the quarterback, as he leads the league in sacks with 13.

Peyton Manning has overcome Kansas City's pass rush in the past three meetings by having quick releases. If the defensive backs can stay tight with the wide receivers and tight ends and if Houston can quickly get into the pocket, Manning could be in trouble, which gives the Chiefs a big lift in the game.

WRs Dwayne Bowe and Jason Avant vs. CBs Aqib Talib and Chris Harris

Although the Chiefs have one of the best rushing attacks in the league, they may need to win in a shootout if Denver's offense gets excessive with scoring. In order to do so, Kansas City will have to be more active through the air.

Dwayne Bowe and newly added Avant will go up against two strong cornerbacks in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris, both teammates at the University of Kansas.

This also means Alex Smith will have to throw more downfield, which is a rare sight for the Chiefs since the addition of Smith.

X-Factor: RB Jamaal Charles

If the wide receivers and tight end Travis Kelce struggle to produce on offense, Reid may go heavy with Jamaal Charles and feed him the ball plenty of times through the air and on the ground.

Either way, the Chiefs know this is a crucial win, and Charles will step up in a big way to try and help his team stay in the hunt to win the AFC West.

Prediction

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The Chiefs have a bad taste in their mouths following a loss to Oakland. The worst part is the bad taste stays in their mouths for an additional three days more than a normal week since the game was played on a Thursday night.

The good news is that Reid does well coming off a bye week. Although the Chiefs are not exactly coming off a bye week, they have a 10-day window between the Raiders match and Sunday night's game against the Broncos. This gives Kansas City plenty of time to prepare for a high-powered offense.

Does the 10-day break give the Chiefs a better chance? Even though the team's momentum and confidence was on hold, it certainly helps to be given a couple of extra days to get ready for Manning and the Broncos.

Although the defense must limit Manning and get help from the offense, Reid's play-calling and how he handles the offense will be important. He knows he can't be negligent again, nor can he be hesitant with certain play calls.

The Chiefs have their backs against the wall and must pull out all stops against the Broncos in order to have a more legitimate chance to win the AFC West. Being at home at Arrowhead Stadium on prime time gives the team a little bit more of an advantage.

More importantly, Reid will guide the team and make sure the offense gets the job done.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Broncos 24