Here are the KC Chiefs’ keys to Sunday night’s home game against the Denver Broncos

At 7-4, the Chiefs sit atop the AFC West and look poised to pick up ground in the division when they play host to the Denver Broncos Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

Week 13’s matchup marks the 123rd meeting between the two division rivals, with the Chiefs holding a 67-54 edge in the all-time series.

The AFC West rivalry, though, has been anything but competitive in recent years. The Chiefs have reeled off 11 straight wins over the Broncos in a streak that began during the 2015 season.

“Other than when you play this week and people talk about it, we’re not really paying attention to it,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We understand it’s a whole brand-new football team on both sides of the ball. It’s a division opponent, it’s always a big game against the Broncos and we know it’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

The Chiefs might downplay their run of success, but the Broncos (6-5) know where they stand entering Sunday night’s game.

“I’m sure they’re aware of because (the media) has a good way of making everybody aware of that, both there and here,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said. “So they’re aware of it, but once the ball is kicked off, it’s another game between our team and their team. Whatever happened in the past is in the past.”

The Chiefs are riding a four-game winning streak. Extending it to five would come at the Broncos’ expense, which would also stretch the Chiefs’ streak of victories over their divisional rival to 12.

Here are four key areas to monitor for the Chiefs.

APPROACH BRIDGEWATER WITH CAUTION

Denver has a different quarterback this time around.

Instead of Lee’s Summit and Mizzou product Drew Lock, now it’s veteran Teddy Bridgewater. And the Chiefs got a good look at him in Week 9 of the 2020 season when he quarterbacked the Carolina Panthers.

In that game, Bridgewater completed 36 of 49 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns, adding 19 yards rushing and a touchdown on two carries as the Chiefs won 33-31.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo remembers that game and knows what Bridgewater is capable of.

“He presents an extreme challenge,” Spagnuolo said. “I remember vividly in that game a year ago him changing — it was down at the goal line — and he made a great check. … I would not call him just a manager of the game. He’s more than that.”

With Bridgewater leading the offense, the Broncos enter the weekend ranked 20th in the league (338.5 total yards per game) and 21st in passing (223.7 yards per game). He has thrown for 2,518 yards and 15 touchdowns with five interceptions, adding 79 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

Far from gaudy production, but Bridgewater brings steady play with veteran savvy.

“He gets them out of a bad play and into a good play,” Spagnuolo said. “He’s smart with the football. He’s not going to put it somewhere where it’s going to endanger and turn it over. All those things add up, and when you’ve got two running backs and all the skill that he has, that’s what made them a pretty good offense, in my opinion.”

The Chiefs’ defense would be wise to approach Bridgewater with caution.

CONTAIN BRONCOS’ RECEIVERS

With wide receivers Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy, the Broncos have weapons on the outside that the Chiefs must account for.

“I think they got three quality wideouts,” Spagnuolo said. “We sat in there earlier in the week and said, ‘Who do we take away? Who do we try to double?’ It’s pickle. You can’t double everybody, right?”

The Chiefs certainly can’t accomplish that, and they must also keep an eye on tight end Noah Fant, who has 45 catches for 391 yards and three touchdown this season.

So what’s the best way for the Chiefs to combat an offense with multiple receiving weapons? Stick to a defensive formula that has helped them throughout their four-game winning streak.

“We’re going to have to mix it up like we do,” Spagnuolo said. “Hopefully, we can confuse the quarterback a little bit. But, again, you go back to the quarterback who’s smart with the football.

“I think we’re going to have to challenge them. We’re going to rely on our D-line again, just like we did in the Dallas game.”

The formula against the potent Cowboys offense worked in Week 11. The Chiefs held the then-No. 1 offense in the league to three field goals in a 19-9 win, and limited Dallas to 276 total yards.

Kansas City’s defensive line did it with consistent pressure on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who was sacked five times and hit eight times. Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones led the charge with 3.5 sacks.

In Week 13, the Chiefs’ defensive front gets to go after Bridgewater, who has been sacked 27 times through 11 games.

BE WARY OF SURTAIN

The Chiefs took notice of Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, the league’s leader in interceptions (8), in Week 11.

Kansas City’s offense is giving Broncos rookie cornerback Pat Surtain II, the son of former Dolphins and Chiefs cornerback Patrick Surtain Sr., the same respect Sunday night.

“I know I’m getting old because I’m watching his son play,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “But I will say this, he’s a very, very talented kid. He does a heck of a job. He’s a long kid.

“Everybody wants to talk about that he’s not very fast, but what I do see is a very skilled athlete who does a great job of reading and keying and diagnosing routes. And if he gets his hands on that ball, he’s going to take it and he’s going to make the very most of it.”

Mahomes agreed.

“First off, he’s physically — I mean, he has all the talent you could possibly want,” Mahomes said. “He’s tall, he’s fast, he’s big, he’s physical, and then you can tell his dad was a player.”

Surtain has three interceptions and is tied for the team lead with 11 passes defensed. But he’s just one piece of a Broncos pass defense that ranks a respectable 10th against the pass (224.2 yards allowed per game).

“We understand the challenge that’s up in front of us,” Bieniemy said. “The thing that we need to do is just making sure that we’re consistent and disciplined with what we’re doing on the perimeter.”

CONVERT RED-ZONE OPPORTUNITIES

With Mahomes under center, the Chiefs rank 16th in the league in red-zone touchdown percentage (59.5%).

The Chiefs’ offense will need to match it or be better against a good Broncos defense, which enters the game ranked third in points allowed per game (17.8) and red-zone touchdown percentage (56%).

This part of the game represents strength vs. strength: the Chiefs’ offense vs. the Broncos’ defense.

Mahomes, though, should have the upper hand when taking history into account. The Chiefs’ signal-caller is 7-0 against the Broncos, averaging 260.7 yards per game with 10 touchdown passes and three interceptions in that span.