Much has changed in the two weeks since they played at Mile High Stadium.
Much has stayed the same, too.
The Broncos and Chiefs are both 9-2 and tied atop the AFC West, so it’s still a two-team race to the finish. But the Chiefs are no longer the NFL’s lone undefeated team – in fact, they’re the first to start with nine consecutive wins and then lose two in a row – while the Broncos squandered a chance to create some separation with their overtime loss to the Patriots last weekend.
The Broncos would have the tiebreaker over Kansas City and a two-game lead with four games to go with a win. The Chiefs would put themselves in position to win the division for just the second time in a decade, not to mention take a step toward home-field advantage in the playoffs.
So it’s an easy argument that there’s even more on the line than the first time they met.
Here are five things to keep in mind as they play Round 2:
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Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno, who had career high 224 yards rushing against the Patriots, missed practice time this week with an ankle injury. Moreno hopes to play against Kansas City, but it’s uncertain how effective he’ll be.
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The Chiefs’ defensive backs were humbled last week by Philip Rivers, who threw for nearly 400 yards against them. Now, they face the prospect of Manning and his plethora of wide receivers. “You have to be willing to get down there, to challenge, compete,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said. “Sometimes they might hit a big play on us, but we’re trying to win the game. That’s the No. 1 thing we’re trying to do.”
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Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson landed on injured reserve with a hip injury, so it will be up to Sylvester Williams to step in and help slow down Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles. “I told him, ‘Where this team wants to go, you’re going to have to grow quick,’” fellow Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton said. “There are certain expectations.”
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Denver excels at running crossing routes that inadvertently (wink, wink) cause picks in the secondary. Demaryius Thomas may catch the ball 5 yards downfield, but he ends up gaining 20. “That’s something you have to stop,” Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “You have to disrupt their routes, hit them as they’re crossing the field.”
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Chiefs coach Andy Reid wouldn’t reveal particulars, but he said there were things he learned from the way New England dominated Denver in the second half last Sunday. “You can learn from every game and every snap,” he said. “We’ll see how that works out.”
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