DENVER — An AFC West rivalry clash to end the 2024 NFL regular season has a lot riding on it for at least one team, as the Denver Broncos fight for their playoff lives when they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

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Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) vs. Denver Broncos (9-7)

• When: Sunday, January 5
• Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
• Where: Empower Field at Mile High (Denver, Colo.)
• Channel: CBS
• Stream: FuboTV (Free Trial), DirecTV Stream, Sling, Paramount+

The Broncos have battled hard this season. With a rookie quarterback and a stout defense, the team has played good enough to keep them in postseason contention. They have had opportunities to clinch their fist playoff spot in nine years. However, losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals put them in a bind heading into the final week of the season.

The task heading into the game is rather simple on paper: do not lose to the Chiefs. A win or a tie puts Denver into the postseason for the first time since 2015, the year they last won the Super Bowl. If they lose, they will need the Miami Dolphins to lose.

It might not be that hard, as Kansas City is resting some of its top stars, such as Patrick Mahomes. That’s because the team has already locked up the first seed in the AFC, getting a bye of the Wild Card round. The team has certainly been an interesting team, as their numerous one-score wins lead many to wonder if this team has the ability to make a run to a third Super Bowl in a row.

The first time these two teams met, the Broncos fell short thanks to a blocked field goal. The Chiefs have won 17 of the last 18 meetings with Denver, with KC holding a 73-56 record against their rivals.

MY PICK: Broncos win, 24-21

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The Chiefs finally departed from Kansas City International Airport for their game in Denver on Saturday after spending about four hours stranded on the tarmac amid an ice storm that blanketed the region ahead of an impending blizzard.

The Chiefs tried to move up the flight as the weather, which had been predicted all week, bared down on them. But the plane they were expected to use was delayed in arriving, so the team had to stick with its mid-afternoon departure, and just before it took off, airport officials announced that all flight operations were suspended due to “rapid ice accumulation”.

There was a brief break between the line of ice that had glazed Kansas City and the arrival of heavy snow, which was expected to last all of Sunday. That provided enough time to de-ice the plane, clear the runway and get the Chiefs off the ground.

Their chartered jet was the first to depart once airport operations resumed. The team’s X post, showing players exiting the plane, was timestamped at 8.25pm CT.

The Chiefs (15-1) have clinched the No 1 seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye, rendering their regular-season finale moot for them. But the game has significant meaning for Denver, which could clinch their own playoff berth with a win.

Earlier this week, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said he planned to rest quarterback Patrick Mahomes, meaning backup Carson Wentz will get the start. The Chiefs also declared right tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee) and running back Isiah Pacheco (ribs) out, while stars such as defensive tackle Chris Jones and tight end Travis Kelce were expected to get the game off.

The Chiefs will have to wait to find out their playoff opponent. The earliest they would play in the divisional round is 18 January.

Denver is expanding its homeless shelter offerings Monday afternoon through Wednesday morning, as cold weather and snow threaten residents sleeping outdoors.

The city faces a 50% chance of snow Monday night, with temperatures expected to fall as low as 19, followed by more snow Tuesday and an overnight low of 11, according to the National Weather Service.

Individual men seeking shelter should go to the Denver Rescue Mission Lawrence Street Community Center at 2222 Lawrence St., while individual women can find shelter through Samaritan House at 2301 Lawrence St.

Teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15 and 20 can shelter at Urban Peak, located at 1630 S. Acoma St. Families looking for shelter can call Denver’s Connection Center at 303-295-3366.

Other spaces offering shelter include the Stone Creek shelter, formerly the Best Western hotel, at 4595 Quebec St. as well as city facilities at 2601 W. 7th Ave. and 375 S. Zuni St. Additional overflow shelter will be available through the St. Charles Recreation Center at 3777 Lafayette St.

While the expansion of shelter offerings is scheduled to last from 1 p.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Wednesday, Denver’s Department of Housing Stability wrote in a news release that “an additional extension may be possible pending future weather forecasts.”

Snow is also likely Saturday night and possible Sunday morning in Denver, with forecasters projecting one to two inches of accumulation and an overnight low of 16.