Week 17 game preview: Oladokun steps into spotlight as Chiefs host Broncos on Christmas
With Mahomes sidelined, Kansas City turns to its third-string quarterback against Denver’s elite defense.
When Jeff Bezos and Amazon made their nine-figure bid to secure the Denver Broncos (12-3) and the Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) on Christmas Day, I doubt he had Chris Oladokun versus Bo Nix in mind.
But, here we are.
Prime Video capturing the Broncos as the current AFC No. 1 seed would have been ideal for viewers, but only if Patrick Mahomes was on the other sideline, aiming to take their spot and lead another deep playoff run.
Instead, Denver is currently a 13.5-point favorite in what could be tight end Travis Kelce’s last game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
“We look forward to the challenge of playing Denver, a good football team,” head coach Andy Reid said to open his pressers this week.”
Since coming off their worst loss of the season, a blowout at the hands of the 3-12 Tennessee Titans, the talk has been about anything but football. The Chiefs recently announced their planned move across state lines, leaving some fans divided on more than just the roster construction and the 2025 team’s performance.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s here or Kansas,” Reid said. “We’re not moving to Florida, or somewhere else. We’re right here. We’ve always had Kansas people come here to the Missouri side, and it will be likewise the other way. That’s the beautiful thing about it. Plus, it will be a beautiful facility and something the fans will be very proud of. It will be definitely loud, and those will be exciting times there.”
There is still a game to be played, however, and it could get ugly on this Christmas nightcap. It is not just the Mahomes and quarterback Gardner Minshew injury that is ailing the Chiefs.
Bookend tackles, Josh Simmons and Jawaan Taylor, are lost for this season, as is linebacker Leo Chenal.
They could very well be without their number one and number two cornerbacks, with Trent McDuffie (knee) and Jaylen Watson (groin) having not logged a practice this week. They are likely to be out, Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton for the second-straight week as well, with both still in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
The former set of injuries could be problematic for a team that already has a poor history against Broncos’ wide receiver Courtland Sutton.
“We’ll have to find a way to limit his catches, although I know whether he’s covered or not, I think the quarterback has a lot of confidence in throwing to him, so I’m sure the ball’s going to go that way at some point,” defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said.
And in Week 11, it was not just Sutton. Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant both had 80-plus-yard games in Nix’s 295-yard performance. Spagnuolo mentioned Nohl Williams, Kristian Fulton, undrafted rookie Kevin Knowles, and even Joshua Williams as names to watch in these matchups.
Say what you want about Nix, but he has worked his way up to being sixth in the NFL in passing yards with a 24-to-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and he torched the Chiefs the last time out. He is coming off two straight 300-yard performances against the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars, where he’s totaled five touchdowns and one interception.
The loss of the wide receivers will be a challenge for Oladokun, who will be facing one of the best, if not the best, defenses in the NFL. They will also have Pat Surtain II this time, which is an advantage the Chiefs had back in Week 11.
What worked for Kansas City in their last matchup was targeting cornerback Riley Moss. The third-year defensive back had three penalties accepted against him and allowed all three of Mahomes’ targets against him to be caught.
If the plan remains the way it did last week, the top receivers will be Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown, and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Fourth-round rookie Jalen Royals did not see much action last week, but offensive coordinator Matt Nagy would love to work him in.
“You saw it on tape in school, and then he put it in preseason and unfortunately had a little bit of that injury he had to fix at that front end, but I think now is a good time to be able to try and get him some reps,” offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said.
Then, of course, there is a quarterback’s best friend. Kelce was unable to get into a rhythm with either quarterback last week, catching just one of four targets for six yards. He was able to tie Jerry Rice, becoming one of two pass-catchers who have tallied 800-plus yards in 12 straight seasons.
If this is Kelce’s last at Arrowhead, Reid praised his historic career, not just about the ungodly statistics, but about the person.
“I think his numbers and personality and the person I think speak for themselves,” Reid said. “Phenomenal person, great for the community – has been great for the community. He’s everything you want from a player representing an organization.”
The good news for Oladokun, who will be making his first NFL start, is that right guard Trey Smith (ankle) played a full game last week for the first time in nearly a month, and swing tackle Jaylon Moore (knee) practiced in full in their lone practice this week after sitting out the previous two weeks.
Regardless of how the season is going, Oladokun getting his name called while running out of the tunnel under the smoke and bright red lights on Christmas night is a feel-good story. He did an admirable job seamlessly stepping in as the third-team quarterback against Tennessee in Week 16.
The fourth-year quarterback, who was initially drafted in the seventh round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, threw his first NFL pass just last week. Filling in for Minshew, who is also lost for the season, the former South Dakota State Jackrabbit went 11-for-16 for 111 yards with zero touchdowns and zero turnovers against the Titans.
Reid alluded to scaling back the playbook with fewer formations, but Oladokun said last week’s experience was great and that he is honored to have the challenge on the national stage this week.
“It’s a huge opportunity, and it’s something I don’t take lightly,” Oladokun said. “These opportunities don’t come around often, and so when you get them, take that and run with it. This is not only a big game for our team, but me personally a big game in terms of letting the league know what I can do and letting these coaches know what I do and moving forward.”
Of course, you cannot talk about Denver and any sort of success Oladokun may or may not have without bringing up its dominant pass rush. The quarterback will have to get the ball out quickly, and the offensive line will have to buy him time.
Edge rusher Nik Bonitto has 12.5 sacks, and they have three others with at least 6.5. As a unit, they have 63 sacks, 13 more than any other team in the National Football League.
A competent run game would be one strategy to keep Bonitto, Zach Allen, and company from pinning their ears back.
Kansas City is coming off three-straight performances where they have not had a running back rush for more than 34 yards. Two of those team highs are from Isiah Pacheco with 34 and 21 yards, and the other is Hunt with 30.
Kansas City’s offensive struggles have been glaring, and the results have not been there, but inside the locker room, the focus has shifted toward how the season will finish. With the postseason out of reach, the Chiefs’ veteran core has emphasized maintaining the standard that has brought them three Super Bowls since the 2019 season.
“When you go through these times, I think in the end, one of the things I’ll think back on, (Kelce) and these other vets, is how they’re handling this moment right now, which is not fun or easy,” Nagy said. “They’re handling it like true pros, and I’ll always remember that.”
Key game details
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Date: Thursday, Dec. 25
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. CT
TV/Streaming: Prime Video
Broadcasters: Al Michael and Kirk Herbstreit
Radio: 96.5 The Fan
Head Referee: Adrian Hill
Betting Line: Chiefs +13.5 | Moneyline: +675 | Over/Under: 36.5
Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy, low of 59°, winds 5-10 mph, 20% chance of rain