The Kansas City Chiefs try to shake off the stink of the past two weeks when they go into Mile High to take on the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. Two losses at home consecutively would appear to be cause for concern for a KC bunch that suddenly seems very off-key. Facing a tough Denver team at Mile High isn’t typically a good cure for that. The Broncos have looked pretty scrappy the last few weeks, beating the Chargers and then shutting out the Titans last week at home. But those offenses don’t have nearly the same menace as an incoming Chiefs’ squad. Who can get it done this week?
Denver Boring But Not Bad
On the surface, Denver is unexciting. Nothing really stands out. They have Von Miller, and that’s about it. They’re led at quarterback by a declining commodity in Joe Flacco. They have a nice combo at running back with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, but they’re not stars. Courtland Sutton fails to excite as a number one option, and Emmanuel Sanders isn’t what he used to be. But with some youngsters and a rising tight end in Noah Fant, they’re trying to piece together a cabaret approach that works some weeks. With their run-game producing, they’re doing just enough. When one thinks about how the KC defense couldn’t stop Carlos Hyde last week, it makes you wonder about Thursday.
With 13 combined points allowed in the last two weeks with a shutout last week, the Denver defense deserves a lot of credit. With Chris Harris, Jr., Kareem Jackson, and others, that secondary has been delivering this season. Losing Bradley Chubb hurt, but they haven’t let up on opposing quarterbacks, getting seven sacks last Sunday. Earlier this season, the Denver run-stop wasn’t getting it done. After stopping the Chargers’ run-game and keeping Derrick Henry in knots previous week, they have come around. With the Chiefs having trouble creating a consistent run-attack, they might have to go to the air a lot, and that’s Denver’s strength.
About-Face or More of the Same?
The Chiefs haven’t looked themselves. Scoring 37 combined points in consecutive home games is a bad enough sign. Watching the depreciated state of a defense is perhaps even more alarming. Their flimsiness against the run is starting to become a real issue. Injuries and working new guys into the system is likely a part of the equation, but they’re looking worse and worse. To top it off, Patrick Mahomes is dealing with a hurt ankle, and one could see how it was affecting him on Sunday. He’s definitely a quarterback who relies on his legs a lot, so it’s more food for thought.
By the same token, we can’t underplay the wherewithal of the Chiefs. This is a potential fork-in-the-road moment in their season. Another loss this week would really throw them into crisis mode. On the one hand, the short week isn’t coming at an ideal time, and a potential KC backer should consider that. By the same token, if one had to identify the most-crucial regular-season moment for the Chiefs in the last two years, this might be it, so expect some urgency.
- Get more details: Chiefs at Broncos NFL Match-up Stats
