Week 13: Broncos vs. Chiefs

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.

Denver Broncos

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.

Denver Broncos

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.

Denver Broncos

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.

Denver Broncos

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

Week 12: Broncos vs. Dolphins

Clearly the Denver Broncos have a lot of things that they need to work out if they have any hope of playing in Super Bowl 49.  If this team wants to be playing in February they need to start by figuring out their offensive line.  The Broncos problems begin and end with the offensive line.  For starters they have absolutely no aggression at the point of attack, and they are getting eaten alive in the running game.  There is penetration on almost every single play, and that is a big reason why the Broncos attempted a measly nine running plays.  There were many who criticized the coaching staff for the nine runs but there was little option as the running game has been shut down because of the poor play of the line.  The line is also causing serious issue in the passing game as Peyton Manning is being moved off of his spot by pressure far to often.  The biggest problem rests in the middle of the line where defenses have brought lots of pressure through the A gaps and gotten pressure right in Peyton Manning's face.  The decline in Peyton's play recently can be directly attributed to the play of the line, even when there isn't pressure he is anticipating pressure and rushing throws.  Anyway, time to move on and see what the Broncos can do against the Miami Dolphins.  

Preview

Denver Broncos

If there is one positive to take away from the game against St. Louis, it is that Emmanuel Sanders looked great once again and I think we can expect him to continue playing well.  If he wouldn't have been hurt in the game against the Rams the Broncos may have been able to stage a comeback. It sounds as if Sanders has fully recovered from the concussion that he suffered and I would expect him to have another huge game.  If the Broncos offensive line can give Manning the time that he needs I expect a huge bounce back game from the Broncos offense.  This is a group that is used to dominating the opponent, and last week they were embarrassed by the Rams.  The offensive line has said all week that things will change and they will improve as a unit. The Miami Dolphins will provide a great test for this offense, and it will be a great gauge for the Broncos to see where they stand in terms of being a Super Bowl contender.  One thing this team must improve on is running the football.  This has been a struggle for the Broncos all season, and last week was a new low for the Broncos as they ran the ball a pathetic 9 times.  The Broncos will have to show commitment to the running game in this game and in the future if they hope to make it all the way to the Super Bowl.  When Peyton Manning has a successful running game he is a far more dangerous quarterback, and the Broncos need to establish a running game to keep opposing defenses honest.  

Denver Broncos

The real key going forward is going to be the Broncos defense.  If the Broncos continue to struggle on offense they may have to count on the defense to win them a few games going forward.  This unit was assembled to be dominant and so far this season they have yet to have a truly dominating effort.  The defense needs to show the ability to dominate games so Peyton Manning and the offense do not feel like they have to go out and win the game every single week.  It would be nice if the defense could start locking down the opponents offense.  One player on the defense who has been holding up his end of the deal is Von Miller.  Miller has been phenomenal all season long and he has looked like the best player on the field.  This is great for the Broncos, and it allows them to drop men back in coverage.  The Broncos currently rank 30th in blitz percentage in the NFL which means they are getting pressure on the quarterback by only bringing four men.  So far this has worked great for the Broncos, but they need to do a better job of getting stops on third down and long.  They have struggled most of the season with getting off the field on third down, and they need to make improvements on third down going forward.  

Denver Broncos

Another player that has been impressive this season has been Derek Wolfe.  Wolfe has looked like a player worthy of being drafted in the second round, after returning to a healthy playing weight.  Last season he struggled with seizure like symptoms and other various injuries, these problems caused him to drop weight and he was not able to make an impact on the game.  Now that he is healthy and back to his playing weight he has been a much more effective player.  The Broncos defense will need more great play from players like Derek Wolfe if they are going to win games for the Broncos.  Look for players like Wolfe and Malik Jackson to continue to make plays as defenses focus more and more attention on Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.  

Denver Broncos

Keys To Victory

If I were game planning for the Broncos in this one my number one priority is to get the running game going.  Even if they struggle to run the ball they have to continue to run the ball in order to keep the pass rush of the Dolphins honest.  This is something they failed to do last week against the Rams, and Robert Quinn came flying off the ball on every play and didn't worry one bit about the running game.  If the Broncos want to keep Peyton Manning upright in this game they have to stay committed to the running game.  Hopefully this offensive line will improve as they get more reps in the running game.  This will only be their third game playing in their current alignment.  If the play of the line doesn't improve we could see yet another shake up along the offensive line in the coming weeks.  Defensively I would take away short and intermediate routes.  Ryan Tannehill has definitely played better over the last few weeks, but a lot of his game is hitting receivers on underneath routes.  The Broncos need to take these easy throws away and make him make difficult throws down the field.  Throwing the ball deep is something that Tannehill has struggled with throughout his career and the Broncos need to force him to make the tough throws in this game.  If they can do that they may force him into some tough throws and force a few turnovers, or he may choose to hold the ball and the Broncos pass rushers can get there.  

Prediction

Last week I called for the Broncos to start slow against a tough Rams defense, and they did.  The problem was that they never found their rhythm and the offense struggled to make plays all day.  I think this week the Broncos may struggle again offensively as they are facing off against a very talented Dolphins defense.  Look for the Broncos defense to keep the Dolphins at bay until the offense starts to get rolling.  I think that because this game is at home that will be the difference in this one.  So far this season the Broncos have been a very different team at home, and this week shouldn't be any different.  I think the Broncos will bounce back this week and get back on the winning track.  The thing to keep an eye on in this game is the play of the offensive line, a good game from them will likely result in a Broncos victory.  

Final Score- Denver Broncos 31, Miami Dolphins 17

Manning vs. Brady 16

Another week in the NFL and another huge game for the Denver Broncos.  It seems like every game so far has been a "must win" for the Broncos and this week they face another tough test against the New England Patriots.  The Patriots have been on a roll lately, scoring 51 points last weekend against the Chicago Bears.  This game is so important for the Broncos because if they are able to win this game they will be in control of the AFC's #1 seed.  If they lose things will become a little more difficult for them although not impossible.  As always this game takes on added significance because of the quarterback matchup.  Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time so anytime they face off against one another, it is a media spectacle.  This game also marks the third consecutive year that this matchup has taken place, all of which have been played in Foxborough.  The Broncos have not fared too well the last two seasons, but this year could be different and I'll tell you why.

Keys to Victory

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

The biggest key in this game has to be the turnover battle.  The Broncos have to avoid beating themselves in this game.  In the last two regular season meetings against the Patriots the Broncos have been careless with the ball and it has cost them the game.  We all remember last years game where the Broncos managed to squander a 24-0 lead because of two turnovers deep in their own territory.  That is how the Patriots beat you.  They play good disciplined football and when you make a mistake they are sure to capitalize on it.  In this one the Broncos need to make sure that they are not helping the Patriots out with turnovers.  If Denver can win the turnover battle I think they will win this game, if they cannot then it could be a different story.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

One player that could play a big role today for the Broncos is Emmanuel Sanders.  If the weather is going to be as bad as they say then the Broncos may not be able to push the ball down the field in the passing game.  This could mean that the Broncos run a lot of underneath routes, and bubble screens that give their playmakers the ability to run after the catch.  Sanders is one of the most dynamic pass catchers that the Broncos have and he is always fun to watch when he has the ball in his hands.  In the last several games the Broncos have run a downfield screen that has been very effective.  They ran this play twice last week on third and long situations and I think they could look to run this play on a more consistent basis if the weather is bad.  On this play the Broncos set three receivers in a trips formation to the right with one receiver (Demaryius Thomas) set to the left.  The three receivers on the right side of the formation come flying off the line of scrimmage which forces the defenders to back off quickly.  The receiver on the left of the formation then runs a shallow crossing route, once the ball is thrown the three receivers who are downfield find a man and block.  So far this has been an effective play for the Broncos and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Broncos try it a few times.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

Assuming the weather is as bad as predicted the Broncos will have to rely on the running game, and given recent performance that might not be such a bad thing.  Ronnie Hillman has been a fresh breath of air for the Broncos running game.  He has transformed the running attack from an area of concern to a real strength of this team.  Since taking over as the starter Hillman has consistently shown the ability to hit a hole and get as many yards as he can.  He has also shown great quickness.  His ability to break big plays has shown up in each game so far and I would not be surprised to see him bust loose for a big play again this week.  The last two weeks he has had runs of over thirty yards, and I think that trend will continue this week.  The fun thing about Hillman is that once he gets past the second level he has the ability to run away from everybody.  Last year against the Patriots the Broncos ran for 280 yards and seemingly had their way with the Patriots defense.  I think that this trend will continue against a Patriots defense that is missing it's leading tackler as well as its best pass rusher.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

As for the Broncos defense they will have their hands full against a Patriots offense that is firing on all cylinders at this point in the season.  At the start of this season the Patriots looked out of sync and there were some who said that this was the end of the Patriots dynasty and that Tom Brady was done.  Well a few weeks later and those ideas have been solidly laid to rest as the Patriots have been on fire over the last several weeks.  What changed? One word: Gronk.  The biggest difference for this Patriots offense has been the play of the tight end known only as GRONK.  Over the first four games Gronk just did not look like the same dominant player that we are so used to seeing.  He ran mostly crossing routes and did not challenge the defense vertically.  Things have changed over the last few weeks though and it appears Gronk is healthy and back to terrorizing opponents.  He has been running down the seams and dishing out punishment when he makes contact with a defender.  So how do the Broncos slow down this Patriots offense?  I think that if the Broncos are able to stop the running game and make the Patriots one dimensional Tom Brady could be in for a long day in this one.  The Broncos are the #1 run defense so far this season and if they can continue to stop the run they can make life tough for the Patriots today.  If the Broncos can stuff the run that means the pass rushers can pin their ears back and get after Tom Brady.  This is important because the Patriots offensive line has been suspect at times this season and going against Von Miller and Demarcus Ware is no small task.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

These two pass rushers have been terrorizing opponents all season long, and they show no signs of slowing down.  Von Miller in particular has been practically unstoppable and he now has a sack in six consecutive games which is the best current streak in the NFL.  Von Miller is a great pass rusher there is no doubt about that, but one thing that often goes overlooked with Von is just how dominant he is against the running game.  If you watch him on running plays he regularly gets into the backfield and at the very least forces the play to go the opposite direction of him.  If the Broncos pass rush can get to Brady quickly they should have the ability to either bring him down for a sack or force him to throw it before he is ready.  This should provide the defense with opportunities for takeaways and I would look for the Broncos to get at least one interception in this one.  Rahim Moore has looked great so far this season and he seems to be seeing the field really well.   I was particularly impressed with his interception last week against the Chargers.  On the play Moore had deep responsibility and as he saw Malcom Floyd head down the sideline he immediately drifted that way and made a great play on the ball to pick off Phillip Rivers.  This shows just how far he has grown as a player.  We all remember the play against Baltimore where Moore failed to make the play on the ball.  I think he has really developed as a safety and he is a major cog in one of the best secondaries in football.

Prediction

This one is hard to predict because of the weather.  If it is cold and windy that takes away the Broncos ability to throw the ball downfield and forces them to dink and dunk a lot more.  However, even if the weather is bad I still think the Broncos have the better team.  The Broncos have superior talent and as long as they do not make mistakes with the football they should take care of business.  I look for Peyton Manning to get his first regular season win in Foxborough as a Bronco in this one.

Final Score- Denver Broncos 24, New England Patriots 17

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