The Broncos finally found a running game! For the first time this season the Broncos were able to run the ball and not just when the defense allowed them to do so. They ran the ball against the Dolphins when they knew the Broncos were going to run the football. That is the biggest difference that you could see in this game. When the Broncos went for it on 4th and 2 and popped one off for twenty yards, it was a good sign for the Broncos running game. C.J. Anderson will get most of the credit for the improvement of the running game and deservedly so, he played great and will be the starter for the rest of the season, but enough cannot be said about the offensive line. They have been attacked all season as the Broncos weakest link, and last week they responded with their best performance of the season. You could see that they were physically controlling the Dolphins in the running game and the passing game. If the line is able to maintain their level of play the Broncos offense will be one of the most dangerous and balanced offenses in the league. Thats the good news. The bad news is that the Broncos defense struggled to do much of anything in this one and they were consistently beaten by the Dolphins. One of the most concerning things that I saw was the lack of a consistent pass rush. Teams are often chipping Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware with a running back or tight end, and making it harder for those two to get to the quarterback. The Broncos have to be able to generate pass rush in other ways, whether that is blitzing or finding another player who can consistently create pressure. Keep a close eye on the defense this week to see how they handle the Chiefs in the passing game.
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Speaking of C.J. Anderson has he been impressive or what? The Broncos coaching staff finally gave him his shot and he has not disappointed. He has been great both running the ball and catching the ball. If the Broncos want to continue to be successful on offense they need to feed Anderson the ball early and often. Running the ball also had a profound effect on the offensive line. When the Broncos run the ball it keeps the offensive line aggressive and that is part of the reason that they looked so good last week. The Broncos also need to stay committed to the running game this week because the Chiefs have one of the worst running games in the NFL. They are currently ranked 26th in the NFL and they have struggled even more over the last several weeks. The Raiders managed to run all over the Chiefs last week and I would expect the Broncos to look to do the same. Another reason I loved the way the Broncos ran the ball is that it set up the pass so perfectly. For the first time this season the Broncos opponent didn't know if they were going to run the ball or pass the ball. That meant that Peyton Manning was not under constant pressure when he dropped back to pass, and Peyton looked far more comfortable in the pocket against the Dolphins. This will be important this week as well as the Broncos face off against a Chiefs pass rush that is very formidable. Slowing down Tamba Hali and Justin Houston just a little bit could mean the difference between a win and a loss.
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I am also looking for Demaryius Thomas to continue his torrid pace in this game. He has been unbelievable this season after a bit of a slow start. I know he did not reach 100 yards last week but he scored three touchdowns and had ten receptions so I would say he had a pretty good game all in all. His role will become even bigger if Julius Thomas is unable to go again this week, which is looking more and more likely. He did not practice again this week and that is usually not a good sign for a players availability on game day. One player that could benefit from the absence of Julius is Wes Welker who finally got a second touchdown pass last week. The chiefs will look hard to take away Demaryius and Emmanuel Sanders which means Welker will have plenty of opportunities in this one if he can get open. Last week he was great on third down and in short yardage situations which is how I would expect the Broncos to use him going forward. He is not the player that he once was but he can still be a valuable contributor for this Broncos team.
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One player I would like to see more of this week is Omar Bolden. Last week he took over kick returning duties and he did a much better job than Andre Caldwell has done at any point this season. I expect him to keep that job and as long as he continues to perform he could look to take over the punt returner job. This is something that has been a problem all season. Isaiah Burse is simply not that special and to be honest I don't know how he managed to secure a roster spot on this team. Had Jordan Norwood not been injured in the preseason there is not way that Burse is on this team. Last season we had Trindon Holliday returning punts and he had fumbling issues, but at least he provided the chance for a big play in the return game. This year Burse has had no big returns and he has had fumbling issues as well, fumbling three times (has only lost one). The Broncos need to find somebody who can provide decent returns and hold onto the football so Peyton Manning and the offense can at least have a chance. The special teams have been an issue all season but hopefully things will improve now that Brandon McManus is finally gone. How he managed to hang around this long is anybody's guess, but I suppose the 33 yard field goal miss was the straw that broke the camels back. It will be interesting to see how Connor Barth does as the new kicker. My only concern with him is that he did not play last year so he could be rusty but he must have impressed the Broncos in workouts as he beat out an experienced kicker in Jay Feeley. Keep an eye on special teams this week as they just need to avoid costly mistakes, which have plagued the special teams unit all season long.
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If the Broncos hope to win this game they are going to need to see some major improvements from the defense. They struggled to stop the Dolphins last week, although I will say they made some good halftime adjustments and got big stops when they needed to in the 2nd half. The dolphins were able to exploit the Broncos run defense, which most teams have not been able to do. They ran a lot of zone read run in the first half and the Broncos defensive ends were getting sucked to far in and the edge was sealed, which allowed Lamar Miller to break free around the edge. This week it is very important that they keep Jamal Charles contained, because if he breaks contain you are in for a long day. He is one of the most dangerous runners once he hits the open field, so the Broncos have to do the best they can to force him to run in between the tackles. Another key when facing Charles is tackling him as a unit. He is great at making people miss, so the Broncos have to swarm the football, and gang tackle him so he is unable to use his trademark elusiveness. I expect the Broncos defense to rebound in this game, but if they do not and they continue to struggle this will be a major concern going forward.
Prediction
This will be a hard fought game and I think the Broncos are going to struggle in this one. The Chiefs will be playing at home during primetime with some of the loudest fans in the NFL. I think if the Broncos struggle early they could be in for a very tough night. They need to come out and score a few touchdowns early to take the crowd out of the game and force the Chiefs to throw the ball. I think the Broncos should be able to win this game if they execute and avoid turnovers. Look for a close ball game that will most likely not be decided until the fourth quarter.
Final Score- Denver Broncos 27, Kansas City Chiefs 21
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