It’s a tricky hope to have: Improvement for the AFC West.

Sure, it was great to see the Denver Broncos clinch the division relatively quickly – at least by other division standards – in 2012. There really is nothing finer than seeing Philip Rivers defeated, and the Oakland Raiders continue to look at a future as black as the hole it plays in. And it got sad watching how the Kansas City Chiefs’ season unfolded.

However, division games should push a team. These are usually the most meaningful games played during the regular season simply because  there’s more at stake. Lose to a division opponent and it shows up in your overall record, as well as in parentheses right next to it.

One issue heading into Denver’s divisional round playoff game was the Broncos hadn’t played in an intensely close game in several weeks. When the Broncos couldn’t pull away they looked lost, and then they lost. During the regular season the Baltimore Ravens at times looked lost, even mediocre, in tight games with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those grinding games ended up paying dividends for Baltimore in not folding to the Broncos.

Wishing for a more competitive AFC West may create problems for the Broncos. The kind of problems that find the team actually losing a game or two to a rival, but, if Denver can manage to haul itself back to the playoffs next season, it will be those games that prepare the team for the intensity that awaits.

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Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy is set to be former Denver Broncos offensive coordinator.

As first reported by CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, the San Diego Chargers plan to finalize a deal today making McCoy their next coach. ESPN’s Adam Schefter says McCoy has already informed the Broncos of his decision.

As for possible replacements for McCoy, La Canfora says one candidate is Ken Whisenhunt. The former Arizona Cardinals head coach interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles Monday regarding their head coaching vacancy. The Eagles fired Andy Reid at the conclusion of the season. He was later named Kansas City’s head coach.

The Chiefs will soon be Denver’s lone AFC West foe without a former Broncos assistant as head coach. Ex-Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen just completed his first season as Oakland Raiders head coach.

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Peyton Manning: Awards Man (personal photo)

He didn’t even play an entire game, yet Peyton Manning’s Week 17 numbers were impressive enough to be named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

It’s the Denver Broncos quarterback 23rd such honor in his career – his second with the team.  This is the first season since 2008 where Manning was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week multiple times in the season.

Manning was 23-of-29 for 304 yards and three touchdowns in the Broncos’ 38-3 blowout win against the Kansas City Chiefs.  His 144.8 passer rating was the highest of any AFC quarterback this season.

The Broncos lead all AFC teams with eight AFC Players of the Week, with Manning being the team’s only two-time honoree this season.

Coming up later today on DHF, we’re revisiting the battle for league MVP, and once again making the case for Manning over Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

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With the dust now settled on Sunday’s dismantling of the Kansas City Chiefs and coronation of the Denver Broncos as the AFC’s top seed, here are a few additional thoughts on the game, the regular season, and postseason chances.

Air No Grievances- Perhaps the biggest sign this team is hitting on all cylinders is the play of the Broncos’ top two receivers: Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas. Recall the beginning of the season if you will. Sometimes they were overthrown, other times the ball was on the money and dropped, many times the ball was on the money but the coverage was so tight neither Decker nor Thomas could manage to make the “big play” catch.  The receiving duo has evolved this season.  In the opening weeks, it was common to see both players begging for calls rather than coming up with catches on contested passes.  There’s no begging now, just production.

Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas: Solid in training camp promise…and it’s paying dividends now. (personal photo)

On Sunday, Decker was pinned against the side of the end zone by two Chiefs and managed to haul in a one-handed touchdown grab.  It was terribly impressive, and outdone a short time later by Thomas climbing the ladder in the back of the end zone to make a one-handed highlight submission of his own.  This duo used to need space to make plays.  Lately it’s been making them in tight quarters.  If Decker and Thomas continue to show they can’t be stopped – even with good coverage – then the Broncos become a truly dangerous Super Bowl contender.

Hard Lessons – Denver’s coaching staff doesn’t hesitate to make an example of players.  Ronnie Hillman became the latest victim with a turnover, a turnover  that for a few moments seemed to be heading toward nightmare scenario status.  The rookie running back’s fumble nearly resulted in a game-tying Kansas City touchdown, left offensive lineman Orlando Franklin hurt, and resulted in Peyton Manning getting entangled with Joel Dreessen in touchdown-saving tackle.

Bad, bad play for Hillman.  Bad enough to end his regular season a few quarters early.

Lost fumbles remain a problem for the Denver offense.  Hillman seemingly stopped what was shaping up to be another touchdown drive (that likely would’ve put the game on the verge of over-before-halftime status), and then proceeded to fluster the offense for another series thereafter.  Luckily, the Chiefs woeful offense couldn’t do much in the way of capitalizing on the huge momentum shift.  If a New England Patriots rematch is the Broncos’ destiny, a breakdown in ball security will very well end the Broncos’ season, and if a running back is responsible, you can bet he’ll be on the outside of the lineup looking in heading into the offseason.

Make no mistake, the Denver Broncos defense is sizzling this year. (personal photo)

Recipe for Success – The Broncos defense surrendered its lowest point total of the season, allowing Kansas City only three points (and that was on the drive that began in the red zone due to Hillman’s fumble).  In the Broncos’ 11-game winning streak, the team has surrendered an average of roughly 16 points per game.  You’ll recall a decent amount of that opposition scoring has come when the game was well in hand (a.k.a. garbage time). Taking out 4th quarter opponent scores that happened in the final five minutes of games in which the Broncos had a double digit lead, the Broncos have allowed opponents an average of 12.5 point per game.

Considering the Broncos lowest point total of the season was 17 against Kansas City in Week 12, and the team has scored 30 or more points in all but five games, it’s not difficult to see why Denver finishes the regular season as the AFC’s top team.  The playoffs bring solid offenses to town, but the Broncos made it clear that most, if not all teams, will have to work hard for points.

You Heard It Here – It’s deserving of no prize other than the satisfaction of saying, “I totally called it.” Several weeks ago, Denver Horse Force posited the Broncos had a legitimate shot of winding up as the AFC’s top seed.

Houston’s trouncing at New England opened the door for an intriguing set of circumstances: Broncos win out, New England loses once more, and Houston loses two of three.  Not surprisingly, Denver’s role was the easiest to predict as the Broncos demonstrated total superiority against the Baltimore Ravens, fledgling Cleveland Browns, and a lost Chiefs outfit.

DHF also liked the Niners against New England as the San Francisco defense is EXACTLY the type of group that gives Tom Brady problems as it can, and did, play the Patriots straight up in man coverage and generated pressure without blitzing.  The Texans’ crumble was also easy to see with the Minnesota Vikings having a workable defense and a solid offensive line to wear down Houston.  Oh, and the Texans’ loss this past Sunday was of no surprise. If you watched Chuck Pagano’s news conference the previous Monday you just knew there was no way Indianapolis was losing that game.  No way.  The football gods would simply not allow the Colts to lose at home in Pagano’s return.

Okay, gloating finished.

Playoff Snapshot – So, what’s the next call?  Good question.  We’ll get more into playoff breakdowns and predictions later in the week, but for now I’ll say I don’t see a potential divisional opponent capable of coming to Denver and beating the Broncos.

The Ravens and Bengals have already lost to Denver at their places, and frankly I don’t see either team faring better on the road.  As an admitted Colts fan, I’m not going to root against Indianapolis, but I really, really, really don’t want to see the Colts have to face Manning in Denver.  It would be too weird and emotionally unsettling – to put it mildly.  If it did happen, despite the great and improbable season the Colts have orchestrated, I just don’t see that magic getting very far, especially against a Broncos team that knows what a “magical” season feels like, and saw how brutally it can end.

So, the short of it…Denver plays for the conference championship. How it gets there, and whom it plays against will be discussed later in the week.

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.

Welcome to Quarter Calls, DHF’s quarter-by-quarter breakdown of each Denver Broncos game. Instead of a live game thread, Quarter Calls is a quick-hit summary of the big story of each quarter. It can be a general mood or theme, play, penalty, injury, whatever.

If you prefer real time analysis and commentary, follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter. As always, I’ll be tweeting throughout the game.

Go Broncos!

Pregame: Denver Broncos inactives: C. Hanie, T. Holliday, T. Porter, C. Gronkowski, J. Thomas, C. Davis, and S. Siliga.

1st Quarter

(2:56 p.m.)  The Denver Broncos did score on their opening possession, and have a 7-0 lead.

However, that lead could very well be 14-0…if not for Ronnie Hillman’s fumble.

As a result, the Chiefs enter the 2nd quarter just five yards away from tying the game.  Here’s hoping the Chiefs offense sputters as it usually does, and Kansas City is relegated to a field goal attempt.

2nd Quarter

 (3:46 p.m.) Finally some breathing room…

After a closer-than-it-should-have-been first 25 minutes, the Broncos finally seem to be in control, thanks largely to Eric Decker.

Decker caught two touchdown passes in the 2nd quarter to help propel Denver to a 21-3 lead.

But the quarter wasn’t that easy.  Following Hillman’s fumble, the Broncos strung together a series of bad plays, marred by miscues and penalties, and seemingly handed over any momentum to Kansas City.  It took that first touchdown-scoring drive of the quarter, and a missed field goal by the Chiefs, to swing the mojo back in Denver’s favor.

And the Broncos aren’t about to let up.  Denver is set to receive to start the second half.

3rd Quarter

(4:36 p.m.) Let me put this simply: The Chiefs’ goose is cooked.

The Denver Broncos are in control. Total control.  The score: 35-3. The Broncos dominated the quarter putting 14 more points on the board with an amazing Demaryius Thomas catch, and a steady downfield drive that ended with another rushing touchdown. On defense…well, put it this way, the Chiefs still only have three points on the board and haven’t been remotely close of adding any more.

Only 15 more minutes to make this official; Denver will have the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Enter Brock Osweiler.

4th Quarter

 (5:11 p.m.) 11 straight wins…6-0 against the AFC West…

And the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs.

The Broncos enter the playoffs with a Wild Card weekend bye and are arguably the most well-rounded team in the league.

Win two more home games, and you’re in the Super Bowl.  The AFC’s road to New Orleans runs through Denver.

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.

It’s been just more than a month since the Denver Broncos played the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Denver left with a win, but if you remember, the Broncos didn’t look like that dominating team we were expecting to see. In fact, you might say the Chiefs gave Denver its biggest challenge in the past several months.  The Broncos won 17-9 in a game full of…blah.  The offense wasn’t crisp, and struggled to string together solid drives.  The defense wasn’t superb, giving up 148 rushing yards, but did manage to keep the offensive-challenged Chiefs from doing much scoring damage.  Then again, the Chiefs’ offense does a pretty good job of that on its own.

Despite the loss, Kansas City outplayed Denver.  The Chiefs executed while the Broncos sputtered.

In Sunday’s regular-season finale, the AFC West champion Broncos, winners of ten straight, are playing for playoff seeding.  A Broncos’ victory means one of two things:

• Denver is assured a Wild Card weekend bye, and will host a divisional round game (and possibly the AFC championship game) as the AFC’s No. 2 seed.
• Denver is assured a Wild Card weekend bye, and will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

For the latter to happen, the Houston Texans must lose Sunday at Indianapolis against the Chuck Pagano-led Colts.  It’s rather well documented by now I fully see this happening.

When Kansas City has the ball: I was tempted to just cut and paste my Nov. 25 game preview here, but I won’t.  Still, nothing much has changed.   The Chiefs offense is rooted in its running game, notably Jamaal Charles, who rushed for 107 yards against the Broncos in Week 12.  In fact, Charles is the only back to rush for at least 100 yards during Denver’s 10-game win streak.

The Chiefs running game ranks fifth in the NFL at 153.5 yards a game.   Charles’ 1,456 rushing yards leads the AFC, and he actually has more touchdown runs of 80+ yards this season than Minnesota Vikings star Adrian Peterson – three to two.

The Chiefs bullied the Broncos’ defensive front in Week 12.  Kansas City will need another repeat performance to have any real chance of winning.

When Denver has the ball: The Nov. 25 meeting marked the return to relevance for Knowshon Moreno.  At the time, Broncos fans expected little of Moreno, based largely on his ho-hum young career, and were counting down the days until Willis McGahee returned to game action.

Peyton Manning was given a concussion test in the Broncos’ Week 12 meeting at the Chiefs. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Moreno has surpassed expectations and continues to impress with his steady, unselfish play, but the Broncos offense will revolve around the passing game – as long as Peyton Manning is at the helm.

The Chiefs defense applied pressure on Manning in the Week 12 game; remember, Manning was even given a concussion test after one particular hit.

In the last meeting, Kansas City effectively cut the game into small pieces, forcing Denver to pick up yardage bits at a time. Despite Kansas City’s abysmal record, the Chiefs defense is certainly of the caliber of the teams Denver will see in the playoffs. The Broncos’ ability to run the ball effectively enough to loosen coverage for the aerial attack will be important. As will scoring points.

The Denver offense produced ten points in the first half the past two weeks, despite looking dominant. If the Broncos can not only continue to engineer drives in the early going, but also cap those drives with touchdowns and points, there could be a chance to get Manning out of the game and not risk another concussion test…one which would be terrible if he failed.

Prediction

Denver 30, Kansas City 9

The Broncos end the regular season with 11 straight wins, a Wild Card weekend bye, and at least one home playoff game.  It’s worth noting the Texans at Colts game is an early kickoff, so while the team may not be “officially” monitoring what’s happening in Indy, something tells me they’ll know the outcome, particularly if it’s a Colts victory, before kicking off from Sports Authority Field.

For those headed out to the game:

• Tailgate Lots open at 8:00 a.m.
• Parking open at 9:00 a.m.
• Mountain Village opens at 10:30 a.m.
• Premium Gates open 11:00 a.m.
• Stadium Gates open at 12:00 p.m.

Other News and Notes:

• Kickoff forecast is 35 degrees and sunny.
• CBS broadcast crew is Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts.
•  Head referee is Ed Hochuli.

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.

Denver Broncos cornerback Tracy Porter will not play in the team’s regular-season finale Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.  Porter, who suffered a concussion in last week’s game against the Cleveland Browns, did not practice this week.

Returner Trindon Holliday (ankle) is doubtful.  He also did not practice this week, an indication that he won’t play.  Guard Chris Kuper (ankle/head) practiced on a limited basis and is listed as questionable.

Here is the updated injury report, including the Kansas City Chiefs, via DenverBroncos.com:

Other Headlines:

• Associated Press: Denver Broncos, Peyton Manning still haven’t played a nail-biter in 2012
• Bleacher Report: Denver Broncos’ 5 Biggest 2013 Offseason Decisions
• Denver Broncos: Pro Bowl Familiar Territory for This Year’s Selections
• Denver Post: Do the Denver Broncos have what it takes to win the Super Bowl?
• Denver Post: Broncos look to be well grounded for a potential postseason run

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.

Denver Broncos guard Chris Kuper is seemingly a step closer to returning to game action.  Kuper was a limited participant in Thursday’s practice, still recovering from a November ankle injury.  Broncos head coach John Fox said Kuper has also recently dealt with migraines.

Returner Trindon Holliday (ankle) and CB Tracy Porter (concussion) were the only players held out of Thursday’s practice.  Their official status for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs will be announced Friday.

View the Broncos and Chiefs Thursday injury reports >>>>

Chiefs at Broncos Headlines:

• Denver Broncos: Manning: Chiefs Bring ‘Great Test’
• Denver Broncos: Focused on the Field
• Denver Post: Chiefs’ Jamaal Charles an industrial-sized headache for Broncos

Other Headlines:

• Associated Press: Denver rolls, keeps top spot in AP Pro32 rankings
• Denver Post: Veterans like Peyton Manning, Elvis Dumervil keep Broncos in check
• Westword: Denver Broncos Super Bowl favorites? Don’t bet on it yet

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.

What’s wrong with planning ahead?

Nothing, especially if what you’re planning ahead for is a given…

Say the upcoming NFL playoffs and the 2013 schedule.

Chronologically, let’s talk playoffs first, where the AFC West champion Denver Broncos are fighting for the conference’s No. 1 seed.  If the Broncos win Sunday at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver is guaranteed a first-round bye, even if the Houston Texans hold onto the No. 1 seed.

While getting to the playoffs is one thing, making a deep run is another.  The Broncos are equipped to go very, very far…but still have things to work on, including improved play on special teams.  One turnover can make the difference between playing another week or heading home.

As for the 2013 regular season, we now know all of Denver’s opponents.

Home:

• Kansas City
• Oakland
• San Diego
• Jacksonville
• Tennessee
• Philadelphia
• Washington
• Baltimore

Away:

• Kansas City
• Oakland
• San Diego
• Houston
• Indianapolis
• Dallas
• N.Y. Giants
• New England

Notice that Peyton Manning will play against his former team and against his brother Eli’s team – both on the road.

The complete schedule will be released in April.

Other Headlines:

• Associated Press: Manning, Peterson, Pagano: 2012 a year to remember
• CBS Denver: Demaryius Thomas Has Blossomed Into No 1 Receiver For Denver Broncos
• Denver Broncos: Elvis Dumervil: The Closer
• Denver Post: Broncos-Patriots NFL playoff match-up already on the front burner for some
• NFL.com: Why the Denver Broncos are Super Bowl favorites

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.

Welcome to Quarter Calls, DHF’s quarter-by-quarter breakdown of each Denver Broncos game. Instead of a live game thread, Quarter Calls is a quick-hit summary of the big story of each quarter. It can be a general mood or theme, play, penalty, injury, whatever.

If you prefer real time analysis and commentary, follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter. As always, I’ll be tweeting throughout the game.

Go Broncos!

Pregame: Denver Broncos inactives: Lance Ball, Bubba Caldwell, Caleb Hanie, Chris Kuper, Tracy Porter, Sealver Siliga, and Julius Thomas

Baltimore Ravens inactives: Ed Dickson, Dannell Ellerbe, Ramon Harewood, Jameel McClain, Bernard Pollard, Deonte Thompson, and Marshal Yanda

1st Quarter

(11:40 a.m.) How the Broncos are only up by three points is beyond me.

Seriously, the Denver defense has looked amazing, already forcing one Joe Flacco fumble in addition to series after series of stalled drives.

So how is it the Broncos have only mustered a field goal?  The offense has benefited from excellent field position and are facing a Ravens defense decimated by injuries.

One thing is for sure; depleted or not, Baltimore boasts the league’s best red zone defense.  The Ravens somehow find a way to ratchet things up a notch when the opponent is driving.

I have liked Peyton Manning throwing downfield.  I’ll like those play calls even better once Denver actually connects on one.  Attempts are one thing. Completions are another.

Best play of the quarter honors go to Knowhon Moreno for his hurdling prowess.  What makes it even sweeter is that he cleared Ed Reed.

2nd Quarter

 (12:22 p.m.) Thank you, Chris Harris, for making the play of the game.

How huge was his 98-yard interception return for a touchdown?  Aside from being the longest in franchise history for the regular season, Harris’ play was a huge point swing.

The Ravens’ offense, which had struggled for most of the first half, suddenly assembled a solid drive, and were just yards away from making a 10-0 game a 10-7 game in the half’s closing seconds.  Instead, because of Harris, the Broncos are now leading 17-0.

So firing Cam Cameron has paid dividends for the Ravens so far, no?  Actually, no, not at all.   Jim Caldwell seems to be a nice guy, but does he really strike anyone as a significant upgrade?

3rd Quarter

(1:19 p.m.)  Total domination.

The Broncos are showing why they are the superior team.  The offensive scored two touchdowns, while the defense continues to wreak all sorts of havoc on Flacco’s offense.  Perhaps surprisingly, the Broncos have yet to register a sack, but the effective pass rush has disrupted the quarterback all game long.

Score: 31-3

4th Quarter

(2:06 p.m.) With the game out of hand, there wasn’t much of interest in the 4th quarter…

Other than the Denver Broncos earning their ninth-straight win of the 2012 season, a longest active win streak in the league.

It took until late in the 4th quarter, but Denver finally got its first sack of the game, courtesy rookie DT Derek Wolfe.  Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil also registered back-to-back sacks in the game’s final two plays.  The offense took a few shots downfield, but mainly was impressive in its ability to kill clock through a sustained running game.  A few lapses in concentration allowed the Ravens two touchdowns, but it hardly mattered as the Broncos wrapped this one up midway through the third quarter.

The Broncos head home with their first victory against the Ravens in Baltimore.  Denver also is finished with road games this season, going 6-2.  The Broncos conclude the regular season against the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs.

Follow Denver Horse Force on Twitter at @DENHorseForce and Facebook at www.facebook.com/denverhorseforce.