The Kansas City Chiefs will close out the regular-season on Sunday with a matchup against the Denver Broncos.

Here are five things to keep in mind heading into game day.

1. Here's a look at the final injury report for both teams.

The Chiefs listed defensive lineman Chris Jones (calf), right tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee) and tailback Isiah Pacheco (ribs) as "Out" for Sunday's game, but due to the Chiefs' situation in the standings, the injury report doesn't tell the full story.

It's likely that several of the Chiefs' regular starters will either not play or see reduced playing time on Sunday, including at quarterback, where Carson Wentz will step in for Patrick Mahomes.

For context, 15 players didn't take the field in Week 18 of last year: seven inactives and eight additional players who didn't play a snap. Keep in mind, the Chiefs can't rest every starter because the roster restrictions remain the same as they would for any other regular season game.

As for the Broncos, they're relatively healthy heading into what amounts to a playoff game for Denver.

Here's a look at the final injury report for both teams, which provides some hints as to who might not suit up for the Chiefs:

2. Quarterback Carson Wentz will make his first start of the season on Sunday.

Wentz will make his first start of the season on Sunday, but he's no stranger to this exact situation. In fact, Wentz's last start took place in Week 18 of last season when the Los Angeles Rams were resting many of their starters prior to the playoffs. He played well in that game, too, completing 17-of-24 passes for 163 yards and three total touchdowns in what turned out to be a come-from-behind victory.

Additionally, as far as backups go, Wentz is about as experienced as they come. The nine-year veteran has appeared in 97 games (with 93 starts), posting a 47-45-1 record in that time. He'll now have a chance to add to that win total on Sunday.

3. Several players will have an extended opportunity to show what they can do.

In addition to Wentz, it's likely that several other players who don't normally see significant playing time will receive a larger snap count on Sunday. It's a great opportunity for those players in terms of their growth, and in some cases, the benefit of that experience can make a difference sooner rather than later.

For example, safety Chamarri Conner played 94 percent of the Chiefs' defensive snaps in Week 18 last season, logging 78 defensive plays after having never been on the field for more than 32 defensive snaps in a single game up until that point. It may have seemed inconsequential at the time, but as it turned out, an injury to starting safety Mike Edwards thrust Conner into the spotlight a few weeks later in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills. Conner was on the field for 76 defensive snaps in that game, and according to Pro Football Focus, no defender played better. It's reasonable to think Conner's experience in Week 18 helped prepare him for that opportunity.

Sunday's game is about more than just resting players, too. It's also a great opportunity to tinker with roles and responsibilities, which is exactly what the Chiefs did along their offensive line in Week 18 of last year.

Here's how the snap counts were divvied out in that game:

Right Tackle: Lucas Niang (57 snaps), Jawaan Taylor (1 snap)

Right Guard: Creed Humphrey (26 snaps), Trey Smith (25 snaps), Mike Caliendo (7 snaps)

Center: Nick Allegretti (58 snaps)

Left Guard: Mike Caliendo (50 snaps), Joe Thuney (7 snaps) Creed Humphrey (1 snap)

Left Tackle: Wanya Morris (24 snaps), Joe Thuney (18 snaps), Jawaan Taylor (16 snaps)

One takeaway (among many) that stood out from this breakdown was the Chiefs' usage of left guard Joe Thuney at left tackle and reserve lineman Mike Caliendo at left guard. Those two logged significant snaps next to one another in that game, and while it may not have seemed like a big deal back then, it certainly does now.

Thuney and Caliendo held down the left side of the Chiefs' offensive line in each of the last three weeks, and it's no coincidence that despite facing three of the best pass-rushes in the NFL during that time, Kansas City yielded just one sack.

The duo of Thuney and Caliendo is a major reason why Kansas City locked up the No. 1 seed with a week left to play, and that success has its roots in last year's regular-season finale.

So, it's all to say that whatever experimenting Kansas City does on Sunday will be worth watching, because you never know when it might resurface in a meaningful way.

4. The Chiefs have a shot at finishing the season with the league's No. 1 scoring defense.

Kansas City enters Week 18 with the No. 2 scoring defense in the NFL at 18.0 points allowed-per-game. Interestingly enough, the Chiefs finished last season with the league's No. 2 scoring defense, yielding just 17.3 points-per-game.

The Chiefs finished 14 points shy of matching Baltimore for the top scoring defense in the NFL last season, but at only seven points behind the Chargers (who sit at 17.6 points allowed-per-game) heading into Week 18, Kansas City has a chance. Here are the four teams that have a reasonable shot of allowing the fewest points in the NFL this year:

• Los Angeles Chargers: 281 points allowed
• Kansas City Chiefs: 288 points allowed
• Philadelphia Eagles: 290 points allowed
• Minnesota Vikings: 301 points allowed

It's worth noting that over the course of the last two seasons, which includes 37 games (including the playoffs), the Chiefs haven't allowed more than 30 points on a single occasion, and only one team has scored more than 27 points on Kansas City.

5. Here's what Sunday's game means for the rest of the NFL.

The Chiefs are locked into the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoff picture no matter what happens on Sunday, but the game still carries quite a bit of weight for three other teams.

Here's how it breaks down:

• If the Broncos beat the Chiefs, Denver secures the No. 7 seed

• If the Chiefs win and Miami wins, the Dolphins are the No. 7 seed

• If the Chiefs win, Miami loses and Cincinnati wins, the Bengals are the No. 7 seed

• If the Chiefs win, Miami loses and Cincinnati loses, the Broncos are the No. 7 seed

The Bengals play on Saturday, so the picture will be a bit clearer either way when the Chiefs kick off the following afternoon. Regardless, the stakes of Sunday's game for the Broncos provides a unique opportunity for the reserve players on the Chiefs who don't normally see as much playing time. Those players will be manning an expanded role against a team that has to win. It's essentially a playoff game for Denver, and that experience is invaluable for the members of the Chiefs who see the field.