Back to the Xs and Os: How the Denver Broncos Can Win at Arrowhead

A week after taking a 43-13 pounding from the San Diego Chargers, the Kansas City Chiefs will once again try to dethrone an AFC playoff contender when the Denver Broncos visit Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Broncos ended a four-game slide when they beat the New York Giants 26-6 on primetime television Thanksgiving night.  It seems if the Broncos lost that game, they would undoubtedly be on the outside looking in on the playoff picture, possibly for good.

Now they are set to make what has turned out to be one of the most difficult December road trips any team can face with a visit to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs.

The last time the Broncos made their way to Arrowhead, Jay Cutler almost single-handedly gave the game to the Chiefs, ending the Broncos’ 3-0 start in 2008 with a 33-19 reality check.

This time, the circumstances are quite different. 

Again, the Chiefs are looking to play the role of spoiler. But for the Broncos the stakes are higher.  The playoffs are potentially on the line.

This is the quintessential trap game, one which the Broncos will most certainly be ready for.

Denver is better in every major statistical category.  On paper, they should dominate this game.

But games are not won on paper. 

Here is how the Broncos can win on Sunday.

 

1.  Get Knowshon Moreno his First 100-Yard Game

The Chiefs are allowing nearly 135 rushing yards per contest and the Broncos’ running game is clearly on the rise, thanks to rookie tailback Knowshon Moreno.

Moreno has nearly broken 100 yards multiple times this season, but for some reason he always seems to hit a bit of a wall.  If the Broncos are going to win this game, they need to ensure that Moreno and the rejuvenated running game control the line of scrimmage and the game clock.

A huge key for the game on Sunday for the Broncos is the return of right tackle Ryan Harris, who went down with a toe injury earlier this season.  Harris was playing at a Pro Bowl level before his injury and the Broncos have lost four of the five games he has missed.

Harris’ athleticism and mere presence will help the Broncos in the running game.  He really does add another dimension to the Denver offense. 

Expect the Broncos to show a heavy dose of the running game on Sunday. If they do it effectively, expect it to lead them to the winner’s circle.

 

2.  Force Early Turnovers

The Chiefs’ offensive line is among the worst in the NFL and the Broncos need to exploit it.  Sack-master Elvis Dumervil, who leads the league with 14 quarterback takedowns, needs to cause havoc for Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel. 

It is almost certain the Broncos will force turnovers, but they can put this game away by forcing Cassel into poor throws early on or causing fumbles via sacks.

It’s clear that the Broncos’ offense thrives with a short field and the defense needs to make that scenario possible as often as they can. 

Kansas City has gotten a jump in the passing game from waiver-wire acquisition Chris Chambers, a player the Broncos are familiar with from his days in San Diego.

Another area the Broncos can exploit is the Chiefs’ quarterback position, where Josh McDaniels essentially has the task of taking down his own project in Cassel.

McDaniels groomed Cassel in New England and he knows every strength and weakness the kid possesses.  The Broncos should be able to exploit Cassel and the weak passing offense of the Chiefs.

 

3.  Oh Kyle Orton, Where Art Thou?

Okay, so the heading is lame, but here it goes.

The Broncos are facing one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses this week and quarterback Kyle Orton needs to have a big game.  With a fully healthy offensive line and receiving core, he has no more excuses to be anything but the Orton we all saw in the first six weeks.

The Chiefs have good cornerbacks, but the Broncos have better wide receivers and tight ends.  Brandon Marshall will be a strong focus of attention by the Chiefs and the Broncos should look to intermediate routes over the middle of the field to exploit Kansas City.

Orton should have a big game against the Chiefs, provided he is smart with his passes, as usual.

 

This is a game the Broncos cannot overlook. And as disciplined as this team has proven to be this season, it does not seem like an option.

The Broncos need to improve to 8-4 in the heated AFC playoff race, with the potential to catch the San Diego Chargers for the AFC West title as the season progresses.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Fantasy Football Week 13 Sleeper: Knowshon Moreno

Since draft day, everyone has been waiting for Knowshon Moreno to emerge as a go-to fantasy option. Over the season’s first nine weeks, that type of optimism appeared like it was going to be a complete bust.

He had just one rushing touchdown. He had rushed for 75 yards or more just three times. His best game saw him overage 4.6 yards per carry (and he had four games averaging less than four yards per carry, including one where he was at 0.6).

Over the past three weeks he suddenly has put things together. He’s rushed for 265 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He’s also found the end zone once and is getting the ball regularly.

That’s not to mention, he’s also done it against some pretty good defenses:

• Washington—currently allowing 127.9 yards per game, best in the league
• San Diego—currently allowing 118.1 yards per game
• New York Giants—currently allowing 107.8 yards per game

I know the Giants defense is not playing as good as their ranking. I know you can probably point to things (like injuries) regarding both the Redskins and Chargers defenses as well. I know that these are not the best defenses; in fact, only the Giants are in the top half in the league. Still, when someone starts to perform you have to take notice.

This week he gets an even better matchup, taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, currently allowing the sixth most yards per game (134.5). They are also 11th in the number of rushing touchdowns at 11 (the league leader is at 17). While they did manage to contain LaDainian Tomlinson this past week, the three prior to that saw big performances:

• Week Nine: Maurice Jones-Drew—97 yards
• Week 10: Michael Bush—119 yards
• Week 11: Rashard Mendenhall—80 yards

Considering what he’s done in recent weeks, the positive matchup certainly has to excite fantasy owners, even though he is likely to continue sharing carries with Correll Buckhalter. He is on a roll these days and he’s worth considering in all formats.

What do you think? Is Moreno a player you would use? How good do you think he may be in Week 13?

Make sure to check out our Week 13 Rankings:

• Quarterbacks
• Running Backs
• Wide Receivers
• Tight Ends
• Kickers
• Defenses

 

This article is also featured on www.rotoprofessor.com/football

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Week 13: NFL Picks & Predictions

I pick ’em every week and have for years. This season, I’ve been doing most of my picks right here on bleacherreport.com and also over at my site sports-uncut.com.

Going into last week (12), I was a solid if unspectacular 114-46, good for a 72.5 percent accuracy rate.

Last season was my personal best of right at 80%. This year, I’m looking to improve upon that, but these 10-6 weeks are killing me, and I gotta get at least 11 wins this week! Maybe I should pick Denver huh?

This week, there is only one game on Thursday, as opposed to last week when there were 3. Which leads me to mentioning that I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving with your families and friends! I know I did, however, I do what I always say I won’t, and that’s over eat to the point of being miserable! Damn Pumpkin Pie……

Anyway, this week’s Thursday night game pits the New York Jets at Buffalo in what’s sure to be a barn burner…..

the good news is that there are some decent games this week, nothing really great, but some decent games aside from the dud on Thursday. As always, I’m not picking the spread here folks; I’m picking the straight-up winner.

Record:

Record from Two Weeks Previous (11): 11-4

Record from Last Week (12): 10-6

Record coming into Week 13: 124 – 52 (70.4 percent)

Now that the records are out of the way, let’s get right to it!

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