After the tumultuous off-season, a potential 8-4 record for the Denver Broncos at the beginning of December would have been downright laughable. It’s very possible, however, as the Broncos head to Kansas City on Sunday to take on the lowly Chiefs. But every Broncos fan knows, even though the Chiefs sit at 3-8 and look as inept as ever, Denver rarely wins in Kansas City, especially in December.

CBS Sports thinks the Broncos’ offense needs to find a way to be more efficient, especially when it crosses the 20-yard line. Denver is ranked 29th in the league in scoring touchdowns beyond the 20-yard line, tied with the hapless Cleveland Browns. Improving those numbers against the Chiefs could be easy, though, since Kansas City is near the bottom of the league in overall defense and scoring defense.

Bleacher Report predicts the game will come down to three key matchups: the play of NFL sack-leader Elvis Dumervil, one of the Denver’s bright spots on an up-and-down defense; Brandon Marshall staying dominant; and the offense helping quarterback Kyle Orton stretch the field and open up the running game. Finally, the game will come down to the team that believes it can win. We know the Chiefs are pumping themselves up in a somewhat inappropriate way.

As Westword has noted, the Chiefs’ mascot, KC Wolf, is flaunting a picture of himself kicking famed Denver fan the Barrel Man. It’s a tasteless move, seeing as the Barrel Man (real name Tim McKernan) has a terminal lung condition and doesn’t have long to live (story via Pro Football’s Ultimate Fan Association). So, if you need yet another reason to boo and hiss at the Chiefs on Sunday, think of the Barrel Man.