Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 2
Time - Thursday at 8:25 PM ET
TV: NFL Network
Line: -3 Chiefs
The Chiefs look to carry the momentum from a 27-20 win over the Houston Texans, and improve to 2-0 as they take on their division rival the Denver Broncos for the nation to see. The Peyton Manning-led Broncos have been nothing short of successful against the Chiefs. Manning has always had the offensive weapons and a solid offensive line to protect him and allow him to get the ball out very fast, hindering the pass rush guys like Justin Houston and Tamba Hali can create. The result of that is a 6-0 record against Kansas City as a member of the Broncos.
Last week the passing game for the Chiefs started off well, the same couldn't be said about Jamaal Charles and the run game. Charles racked up 57 yards and the team as a whole only managed 97 yards on the ground, look for that to change against Denver. Though they have a stout defense, it's hard to imagine the Chiefs best player only having 16 touches in the run game. If Charles and the offensive line is able to get going, it will open things up for Alex Smith, Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce in the pass game.
In years past the Broncos had a fierce passing attack, but this year it's somewhat different under new head coach Gary Kubiak who brings in his run based style of offense, with C.J. Anderson leading the group of running backs. Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, however, the Broncos struggled running the ball and in the pass game. Manning was sacked four times and didn't throw a single touchdown pass. This is a good sign for the Chiefs, who have their own stable off pass rushers and a revamped secondary with the exception of Sean Smith who is serving a three-game suspension.
Look for Chiefs head coach Andy Reid to utilize Jamaal Charles in the screen game early to help slow down the pass rush of Denver. Alex Smith will need another performance similar to last week when he threw for three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was able to get the ball out fast and accurately despite the pressure of J.J. Watt on the other side of the ball.
Denver has a pair of great corners in Aqib Talib and Chris Harris who will do their best to stop Jeremy Maclin and the Chiefs passing attack. If the Chiefs can minimize turnovers and the pressure on Smith, they will have a good chance to take down Manning for the first time as a Bronco.
The Chiefs don't have many injuries and expect almost everyone to play. It looks like Jah Reid will again start in place of former first round pick Eric Fisher at right tackle as he continues to nurse a high ankle sprain. Reid faired well against the leagues sack master J.J. Watt last week, giving confidence he can do so against the Broncos. With a healthy team on a short week against a aging Manning, who was sacked four times and was on the injury report this week, it seems as if there has been no better time to knock off the Broncos than now. Chiefs fans have had this game circled on their calendar for months, and couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to see their team take on a rival and one of the best teams in the NFL over the past three seasons.
What to watch for:
-Denver's pass rush against a young Chiefs offensive line and newly signed tackle Jah Reid.
-Who will match up against wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and tight end Travis Kelce?
-Chiefs pass rush against a offensive line for Denver that struggled at times against the Ravens.
-Running back C.J. Anderson against the Chiefs' defensive line who allowed more than expected to the likes of Alfred Blue last week.
-Rookie cornerback Marcus Peters vs. wily veteran Peyton Manning and whoever he matches up with.
-After playing 32 snaps last week coming off back surgery, how many snaps will nose tackle Dontari Poe be able to play?
This game has the makings to be very physical with each teams defense making a large impact. With the loudest crowd in the NFL at 142.2 DB, along with names like Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, DeMarcus Ware, Chris Harris and Von Miller will make this a must see for fans of defense.