Does Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes view Broncos clash as must-win game?

The 5-4 Kansas City Chiefs won't be in a playoff spot in the AFC standings when their game against the 8-2 Denver Broncos kicks off Sunday afternoon. Nevertheless, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made it clear on Wednesday that winning the AFC West is "always our first goal." 

Thus, one would think Mahomes views the Denver contest as a must-win game for the Chiefs' overall objectives. 

Patrick Mahomes still believes Chiefs can "beat anybody"

"Obviously, if you lose this game, with [the Broncos] having the tiebreaker and, what would that be, four games ahead of us? It’d be tough to go back and get that one," Mahomes said about the division race, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "All you can do is just handle this week. That’s all you can really worry about. We still play a lot of great football teams, but like I said, I feel like if we play our best, we can beat anybody." 

Most recently, the Chiefs lost 28-21 to the Buffalo Bills before their Week 10 bye. Prior to that, they had won five of six games after starting the season 0-2. 

Meanwhile, the Broncos' offense has faced widespread criticism this fall despite the team's record. In a piece published Thursday morning, The Athletic's Mike Jones called Denver a "pretender." 

"Their first-half opponents owned a combined 23-48-1 record, and yet, the Broncos’ average margin of victory is just 6.2 points. Four of those contests were decided by 3 points or fewer," Jones wrote. "On one hand, four fourth-quarter comebacks show resilience, but the continued offensive struggles and erratic play from (quarterback) Bo Nix are concerning."

Jones considers the Chiefs a championship contender. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Chiefs as the overall betting favorites at +600 odds to win Super Bowl LX in February 2026. 

Patrick Mahomes urges Chiefs to take things one day at a time

Kansas City has secured nine straight division titles under head coach Andy Reid from 2016 through last season. On Wednesday, Mahomes encouraged his teammates to avoid focusing on whether that streak might be ending. 

"I think you understand that this game is important," Mahomes added about the upcoming matchup versus Denver. "That’s the biggest thing. It’s a divisional game and they’re always important, but with them having the lead and us needing to go out there and win to have a chance to win the division, I think guys understand that. But at the same time, all we can do is have a great day today. We’re going to have a great week of practice, put that together and then go out there and play our best football. I think if we play our best football, we can win against anybody, so we have to go out there with that mindset of let’s play our best football this weekend."

Some NFL insiders believe the Chiefs will play their "best football" in Denver. As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had Kansas City as a 3.5-point road favorite against the Broncos.