The Chiefs took a hit in last week’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. They fell to 11-5, second in the AFC behind the Tennessee Titans, who are also 11-5. To make matters worse, the Chiefs’ 6-5 conference record puts them behind the Titans (7-4) in the conference. They also lost their head to head, so the only chance the Chiefs have of picking up the No. 1 seed is to beat the Broncos in the final week of the season while the Titans lose.
The reason this means so much is simple. The Chiefs are 7-2 at home, whereas they’re 4-3 on the road. The home field advantage at Arrowhead is tangible, and while the Chiefs have the talent to beat just about anyone in the NFL, any edge helps in the playoffs where things get weird. We’re also in uncharted territory with an 18-week season, so staying in friendly confines would be helpful.
MORE: Chiefs playoff picture breakdown
All of this, however, is moot if the Chiefs lose to the Broncos on Saturday. Denver is 7-9 on the season, but it’s been a rough second half of the year. They were beaten by the Chiefs 22-9 when these two teams first met in Kansas City, and that was in a poor showing for Patrick Mahomes. The Broncos had 404 yards to the Chiefs’ 216, but three turnovers ultimately did the Broncos in.
While the season is over for Denver in terms of playoff hopes, there’s a lot to build off of there. It was fairly widely accepted that the Broncos’ 3-0 start was a mirage caused by a bizarrely easy strength of schedule, but looking ahead to next season it’s clear there are several key holes to be filled. They won’t have an overwhelmingly impressive draft pick, so the Broncos will have to be smart to address those needs, specifically at quarterback with Teddy Bridgewater’s 1-year deal expiring and Drew Lock showing signs of improvement down the stretch. Lock is expected to start against Kansas City.
Here’s what you need to know to watch Chiefs vs. Broncos this Saturday, including kickoff time, TV channels, and the full Week 18 NFL schedule.
MORE: Watch Chiefs vs. Broncos live with fuboTV (free trial)
What channel is Chiefs vs. Broncos on today?
- TV channel (national): ESPN
- Live stream: ESPN, fuboTV
Chiefs vs. Broncos will be broadcast nationally on ESPN in Week 18. This game is going to have a different feel to it, with Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Laura Rutledge on the call. John Perry will be ESPN’s rules expert.
In Canada, viewers can watch Chiefs vs. Broncos with a subscription to DAZN, which includes every NFL game.
Chiefs vs. Broncos start time
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 8
- Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. EST, 3:30 p.m. CST
Chiefs vs. Broncos is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. This will be one of ESPN’s nationally televised games, as the network begins to broadcast more games heading into Wild Card Weekend.
Kansas City Chiefs schedule 2021
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV |
| 1 | Sept. 12 | vs. Browns | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 2 | Sept. 19 | at Ravens | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 3 | Sept. 26 | vs. Chargers | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 4 | Oct. 3 | at Eagles | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 10 | vs. Bills | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 6 | Oct. 17 | at Washington | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 7 | Oct. 24 | at Titans | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 8 | Nov. 1 | vs. Giants | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| 9 | Nov. 7 | vs. Packers | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 10 | Nov. 14 | at Raiders | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
| 11 | Nov. 21 | vs. Cowboys | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 12 | BYE | – | – | – |
| 13 | Dec. 5 | vs. Broncos | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 14 | Dec. 12 | vs. Raiders | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 15 | Dec. 16 | at Chargers | 8:20 p.m. ET | Fox/NFLN/Amazon |
| 16 | Dec. 26 | vs. Steelers | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | Jan. 2 | at Bengals | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 18 | Jan. 8 | at Broncos | 4:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
Denver Broncos schedule 2021
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff time | TV |
| 1 | Sept. 12 | at Giants | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 2 | Sept. 19 | at Jaguars | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 26 | vs. Jets | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 4 | Oct. 3 | vs. Ravens | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 5 | Oct. 10 | at Steelers | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 6 | Oct. 17 | vs. Raiders | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 7 | Oct. 21 | at Browns | 8:20 p.m. ET | Fox/NFLN/Amazon |
| 8 | Oct. 31 | vs. Washington | 4:25 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 9 | Nov. 7 | at Cowboys | 1 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 10 | Nov. 14 | vs. Eagles | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 11 | BYE | – | – | – |
| 12 | Nov. 28 | vs. Chargers | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 13 | Dec. 5 | at Chiefs | 1 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 14 | Dec. 12 | vs. Lions | 4:05 p.m. ET | Fox |
| 15 | Dec. 19 | vs. Bengals | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 16 | Dec. 26 | at Raiders | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 17 | Jan. 2 | at Chargers | 4:05 p.m. ET | CBS |
| 18 | Jan. 8 | vs. Chiefs | 4:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
NFL schedule Week 18
Saturday, Jan. 8
| Game | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Chiefs @ Broncos | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, fuboTV |
| Cowboys @ Eagles | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, fuboTV |
Sunday, Jan. 9
| Game | Time (ET) | TV Channel |
| Bengals @ Browns | 1:00 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Packers @ Lions | 1:00 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Bears @ Vikings | 1:00 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Washington @ Giants | 1:00 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Colts @ Jaguars | 1:00 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Steelers @ Ravens | 1:00 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Titans @ Texans | 1:00 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Saints @ Falcons | 4:25 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Jets @ Bills | 4:25 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| 49ers @ Rams | 4:25 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Patriots @ Dolphins | 4:25 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Seahawks @ Cardinals | 4:25 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Panthers @ Buccaneers | 4:25 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Chargers @ Raiders | 8:20 p.m. | NBC, fuboTV |
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