After losing to the Patriots at home last week, the Broncos’ playoff chances hinge on winning a pair of division games, starting with the Chiefs on Christmas night. Just one month removed from the Chiefs’ three point victory in Denver (30-27), the Broncos will be looking for revenge at Arrowhead.

Denver faces one of the most hostile road environments and a matchup that favors the Chiefs in nearly every phase of the game; there’s little hope for them. But given the talent on this team an upset might be possible, so here are the keys to victory for the Broncos this Sunday.

1. Protect the QB

It does not matter who is under center if you cannot protect the quarterback. The Chiefs are expected to be without Justin Houston, so this is a huge opportunity for the offensive line to finally step up and earn their keep.

"Actually Ben the problem with Siemian is the OL" OL has given up 31 Siemain sacks, every player sacked more (except Palmer) has better QBR pic.twitter.com/MSs157thgf — Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) December 20, 2016

When Siemian is given time to sit in the pocket and progress through his reads, the young QB shows good decision making. The problem is the offensive line rarely gives him sufficient time, and against the blitz, Siemian has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL.

If the Broncos are going to have any chance of winning, protecting Siemian is priority.

2. Win the turnover battle

For two years the Broncos’ best offense has been an aggressive defense. That will have to be the case this week. Over the past few weeks the team has not forced any turnovers, which correlates to the win-loss column. The Broncos failed to force a turnover in four of the six previous games and posted a record of 2-4 during that span.

The Broncos have an incredibly suspect offense, and it’s not likely they will put together consistent drives against the talented Chiefs defense. Field position will play a huge role. If the Denver defense can create easy scoring opportunities and flip the field for the offense, then its chances of winning the game increase drastically.

3. Stop the run

Currently ranked No. 1 passing defense in the league, Broncos’ Wade Phillips will try to make the Chiefs one-dimensional. Chiefs QB Alex Smith is having a solid year, but the aerial attack is not a strong suit for the Chiefs offense. They will look to pound the ball and control possession in front of its home fans.

Denver is inconsistent in stopping the run, which will be a big factor. On Nov. 27, the Broncos contained Chiefs RB Spencer Ware to 64 rushing yards on 17 carries, which put the team in a position to win the game; The Denver defense must emulate that game plan once again.