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Chiefs vs. Broncos: The Closing Line

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Jamie Squire - Getty Images

It's that time folks. Time to close the book on another frustrating season for the Kansas City Chiefs. In the coming weeks, many of us will break down the positives and negatives, but for today let's focus our efforts one last time on a Chiefs victory against a hated divisional rival.

In The Opening Line, we saw that the Broncos were 3 point favorites and the total was set at 36.5. Has anything changed with the division on the line for the Broncos? Is Romeo firing the boys up for one last gasp? Will Tebow heal the sick? The answers to some of these questions and more, and a special gameday tribute in our final edition of The Closing Line.

Star-divide

Well, it's crazy/funny line movement time again. Back in week 15 against the Packers we saw the line move crazily on game day and it is doing it again today. While the line has hovered in the 3/3.5 range all week, at this second at the Las Vegas Hilton the line is down to 2 and the total is 37.5. Offshore, places like TopBet.com have the line as low as 1. We have been through this before, and obviously some good money is coming in on KC to drive the line down. It is not public money in my opinion either, because Denver has become one of the most public teams in the league thanks to their QB, whose name eludes me. I'll be honest. I am not betting this game today. I think the Chiefs are the better team, but Denver may just have one miracle left in them and I do not want to lose money to that QB again. So it's a no play for me.

Week 17 inactives

Ruled out before Sunday: TE Jake Ballard (knee), RB Jackie Battle (foot), RB Reggie Bush (knee), WR Randall Cobb (groin), RB Mark Ingram (toe), WR Greg Jennings (knee), QB Colt McCoy (head), RB Darren McFadden (foot), WR Lance Moore (hamstring), WR Legedu Naanee (foot), WR Jordan Norwood (head), K Dave Rayner (left groin), WR Cecil Shorts (hamstring), QB Brad Smith (hamstring), RB James Starks (knee), TE Delanie Walker (jaw).

Top players we're watching

Early games (1 p.m. ET)

RB Marion Barber (calf, doubtful)
WR Deion Branch (groin, questionable)
TE Dallas Clark (neck, questionable)
RB Roy Helu (toe, questionable)
RB Chris Johnson (ankle, questionable)
RB LeSean McCoy (ankle, questionable): inactive
RB Arian Foster (knee, probable): inactive
WR Wes Welker (knee, questionable)

Late games (4 p.m. ET)

WR Anquan Boldin (knee, doubtful)
WR Jacoby Ford (foot, questionable)
QB Kevin Kolb (head, questionable)
RB Ryan Mathews (calf, questionable)
RB Beanie Wells (knee, questionable)

Night game (8:20 p.m. ET)

RB Felix Jones (hamstring, questionable)

Steve in RI's Selections:

I'm biting on a sucker bet but I do not care:

3 team/ 9 point teaser New England -1, San Fran -2, Atlanta -1

Minnesota -2.5

Houston +1

Indy +3.5

Casey Wiegmann

If the reports are true, this will be the final game for Casey Wiegmann, and while his skills have eroded a bit, let's take a moment to acknowledge a true man of the game. His legendary consecutive snap streak is insane and through the rigors of every season, he has not missed a game in over ten seasons. He played 9 of his 15 seasons in Kansas City, made one Pro Bowl for Denver in 2008, and was part of one of the greatest offensive lines in KC and NFL history in the early 2000's. Best of luck to Casey in retirement and hopefully a guy like Rodney Hudson can be in that spot for as long as Casey.

That's all folks for Week 17. Wherever you are watching, I hope you enjoy the game and I do hope we pull this one off. I will sacrifice a few draft spots to possibly have the 3rd place schedule next year, which looks to be easier than the 4th. Heck, who cares, we will beat them all next year anyways! Have a great day and for now this has been our final edition of The Closing Line.

1 recs  |  48 comments

Comments

Happy New Year, Steve.

Most analysts I’ve seen are picking the Chiefs, so I’m not surprised to see the line moving that way. I think the shine is off the Tebow star a little bit, and people are realizing that they can’t keep pulling off miracles.

Happy New Year Tarkus

I agree. I just lost too much on our boys last week to trust them again this season.

But as soon as the futures lines come out for next year I will be laying some change on us for AFC West Champs for 2012. And some on the Royals too. Could be a really good KC sports year!

would be oh so nice, but you know the deal ... I'll believe it if and when I see it :-)
Could be a really good KC sports year
What are you, from Missouri or something?
Tarkus

Do you ask because we’re the Show Me State? Lol.

You're good. ;)
MO

Family was from MO. Dad stationed in New Orleans when I was born… we ended up in Blue Springs in the 90’s and days of glory. 27 now and been living in Springfield for almost 15 years. I know the ways of the MO:) Chiefs fan 4 life. I take the good w/ the bad! Expecting great things w/ the core talent of the team so young. Just need those couple extra pieces to complete the puzzle… RAC city.

Springfield ... that explains the Duct Tape reference

… although you forgot the Bubble Gum and Baling Wire ;-)

welcome to AP

AP

I’ve been following this page since it opened. I just rarely post:) I set my alarm thinking it was a typical noon game… :growlface:

Oh, ducT tape.

For a second there, I thought he was from Oregon.

Hey

Im from oregon …. sometimes i feel like the only chiefs fan out here

What part?

I’m from Roseburg.

Last week scared me.

I feared a letdown, so wasn’t I surprised they struggled. I think they come out firing on all cylinders today, though the Broncos could be too. I wouldn’t necessarily bet on them, but I’m a lot more confident this week.

We rarely play well in Denver.

With little to play for, I am not expecting much of a performance from KC. Playing to support your HC isn’t quite the motivator that trying to win the division is. They had a chance to make a move at home last week and couldn’t get it done. I’m afraid this might be lopsided on the side of the bad guys this week. The messiah talk will be resurrected once again in time for the playoffs. That should generate about 10 Tebow stories for ESPN Gameday.

rec

Happy New Years!!! I don’t post here often, but have been following this page since it’s creation. You guys all do great work here:)
Born a Chief’s fan… lol @ the “Will Tebow heal the sick?”
Unleash the beast Romeo… The Unstoppable Force aka Tambahawk is gonna have a field-day today!

A man amongst boys.

GRRR at my link not posting... seems simple enough. Click link, paste link, used preview and still can't get it to work :(

http://uranus.ckt.net/%7Egochiefs/snapshot20101011175425.jpg

bloody good work! ;-)

use the little icon in the window bar above the TEXT comment and below the HEADER comment areas … last one on the right … click it and copy/paste the URL

did

Not sure why it didn’t work. Even tried again, previewed & no bueno. It came up w/ the HTML coding… shrug. Thanks for fixing:)

yeah, you have to kill off the existing HTTP that's highlighted in the box ... I just leave it highlighted then c/p over it (which kills it anyway
badirk

I was using the link button not image…. Blood drip:)

Somewhat O/T--what happens if SD takes down Oakland, and we knock off Denver?

I’ve seen the scenario at least fifty times but not since we lost last week, so now I can’t remember. And yes, I do suspect that’s how the day will end up…SD and KC winning one for their lame-duck coach and their interim coach.

then Denver takes the division at 8-8

… and everyone else goes home

Even if we beat Denver? They'd still get in?
Yeah.

Riding a three-game losing streak, with at least two of them blowouts. That would be kind of funny too.

And the Chargers would still pick after us which is nice.
if the Raiders lose the Broncos are in, simple as that ... win or lose, they take it if the Raiders fall today
What an ugly world.

But the good news is, Josh McDaniels is being proposed for several other coaching gigs besides KC (Penn State staff if NE’s offensive coord becomes the PS coach…NYJ offensive coordinator if Shotty is fired)…If he’s the egomaniac he’s always appeared to be since leaving Foxborough, he’ll gladly take the first plane out of MO and back into the spotlight.

The further he is from One Arrowhead Drive, the happier I’ll be about our offseason prospects.

and I hope he goes off to a college just to see if Brandon LLoyd follows him there :-)
All year I've said that Rodgers is without-a-doubt the best QB in the league...

But there isn’t another QB in the league that has more of a command of his offense than Brees. Talent-wise: Rodgers. QB IQ? Gotta be Brees (and Manning, obviously).

Brees wouldn’t be nearly as successful behind the Packers’ OLine, though…

Rodgers' ball security is pretty ridiculous.

Especially considering the amount of pressure he receives.

Truth.

Unconventionally, I think Cam will be in the MVP conversation… maybe even next year. Amazing what he’s done thus far.

yah, he's been impressive

imagine what might happen if he gets a real team around him to play with

yep. i was among those who said "no way" after just seeing a bit of his inaccurate arm

boy was i wrong. hes a very very dangerous qb, hes not a michael vick on the falcons who wouldnt sit in the pocket, hes a legit passer…pretty incredible.

lot of credit to steve smith too---
Hoping for another blowout in Denver to end the year for the good guys

And hopefully SD can squeak by the Raiders in heartbreaking fashion and make them feel like we did a week ago when all we had to do was take care of business in our own house. I will be a happy happy man if the Broncos back their azzes into the playoffs this evening

No early game thread?

Sharper should have been called for PI… Olsen had him beat, and that most certainly was a TD had Sharper not interfered.

Question when you say insider money

are you talking about bookmakers offsetting the big public money on the Broncos with hedging those against big bets on the Chiefs in Vegas ?

Today's game brings be back to our final game a couple years ago in Denver

when Jamaal went off. sigh I miss Jamaal.

chiefs win, then chargers win on norv's last game. please. let this be the outcome.

denver gets in after 3 straight losses. classic.

That wouldn't suck.

Then again, it wouldn’t suck knocking the Broncos out of the playoffs. Any scenario which involves the Chiefs winning today makes me happy.

yeah, all for that
i nominate stevie johnson for worst end zone celebration of 2012.

and he will get fined too

He also had the best of the year when he did the Plax shot yourself in the leg

Shit was so dope

matt flynn QBOTF?
Mayy Flynn is a bad ass, was very impressed with him in his preseason game at Arrowhead

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