Week 2 Preview: Broncos vs. Chiefs

Week 2 Preview

It's time for football again, as week two is already here and the Broncos are getting ready to take on the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Chiefs will be looking for a win after a disappointing 26-10 loss in week one to the Tennessee Titans.  The Broncos will be looking for win number two, although they hope to have a good performance for the full 60 minutes this weekend.  The Broncos looked dominant for the 1st half in week one but struggled to close out their opponent.  I think the Broncos will look to score early and never look back.  They need to do a better job of playing for a full 60 minutes.

What to watch for

One thing that bears watching in this game will be how the Chiefs respond after losing two defensive starters during week one.  I think the loss of Derrick Johnson is going to be a crushing blow for the Chiefs.  He is the heart and soul of that defense, and one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL.  His loss leaves a huge hole in the middle of the Chiefs defense.  The Broncos should look to take advantage of the weakened Chiefs defense and run the ball early and often.  This game should be a great opportunity for the Broncos to get their run game on track.

Last week it appeared that the running game was struggling to get things moving, and I think a big reason for that was Montee Ball missing most of the preseason.  It just seemed like he was a step behind and it appeared he was not in sync with the offensive line.  Once they get more game action together he should get his timing down better and the running game should greatly improve.  People have been to quick to panic about the running game in week one but really it isn't anything to worry about.  I have heard some people saying that the Broncos made a bad decision in getting rid of Knowshon Moreno.  I will admit that he looked very good last week for the Dolphins but the notion that he is better than Montee Ball is just not right.  People forget that in the last six weeks of the season last year Montee Ball had the second best yards per carry in the NFL.  He is a far superior runner and as the season goes on we should see huge improvement from the ground game.

Players to watch

Earlier today I was going to focus on Wes Welker but it appears that he will not be playing this Sunday after the NFL council drug their feet on approving the new drug deal, which is ridiculous.  So on offense I think the player to watch this week will be Demaryius Thomas.  After struggling last week with three drops and only 48 yards receiving I think that DT will be in for a big week.  He has always had big games against the Chiefs and this week shouldn't be any different.  They have a pretty pedestrian secondary and after losing two starters I expect the Broncos to move the ball easily against the Chiefs defense.

Defensively, I will be watching to see how Chris Harris Jr. plays.  It appeared last week that he was back to full speed and he played well when he was in the game but it looked like his conditioning needed a lot of work as he was not on the field very often.  He is a huge player for this defense, and he is one of the most underrated cover corners in the NFL.  The Broncos will need him at full strength this season if they want to be successful.  It will also be interesting to watch Von Miller and see how he does this week and in the weeks that follow.  The recovery of these two players is essential to the success of the Broncos defense this season, and without them the Broncos defense could struggle just like they did last season.  Hopefully both of these players will continue to improve each and every week.  If they do I think that the Broncos defense could be one of the top units in the NFL.


Game Prediction

I think this game is going to be a bit of a blowout as long as the Broncos take it seriously and come out ready to play.  If they play like they did in the first half last week for the entire game they should be able to take down the Chiefs with no problem.  The chiefs offense has not looked good and the injuries and inexperience along their offensive line should mean Alex Smith is uncomfortable all night.  I look for the Broncos to bring pressure early and often to keep him off balance.  I would not be surprised if he ended the night with a turnover or two.  On the other side of the ball the Broncos offense should have no problem moving the ball against a Chiefs defense that is missing two starters.  Peyton Manning has had no problem with the Chiefs since joining the Broncos and tomorrow afternoon should be no different for him.  Expect the Broncos to score plenty of points, and win this one easily.

Final Score- Broncos 38, Chiefs 14