Disappointing: performance, coaching, execution, season.

As Broncos playoff chokes go, this one still probably doesn’t top Jacksonville in 1996, but it’s still a choke, and a big one at that. There’s so much to discuss, and what I don’t want to do is start irrationally calling for anyone’s head or major roster moves, but if anything, this game does leave the Broncos and supporters with a few tough questions.

One overall note on the weather. Yes, it was bitterly cold. It was the same weather for the Baltimore Ravens though. Do the Broncos win in more temperate conditions? Maybe, but maybe not. If any player can’t perform on a cold January evening they’re in the wrong line of work.

Let’s begin with what went well. This won’t take long…unfortunately, and that’s why we’re here.

The highlight: Trindon Holliday

Holliday had a masterful performance. Two returns for touchdowns, one on a punt (90 yards) the other on the kickoff (104 yards) to begin the second half. He was tremendous, and delivered a performance that would have by itself won most games. The problem was his offense missed opportunities, and his defense failed to show up.

Now, to the less appealing: Offense

On the plus side the offense generated 21 points. Not great, but not terrible. Still, we’ve grown accustomed to seeing more. Peyton Manning didn’t have a great game, and his three turnovers serve as a haunting ending to his season. His first interception appeared to be more an instance of Eric Decker having a ball bounce off his hands. (There was contact early on the play that wasn’t called, but regardless, Decker was in position to catch the pass.)

Manning apparently isn’t at the level of Tom Brady in the eyes of this officiating crew as the officials ruled a fumble on basically the same type of tuck play that launched Brady to a Super Bowl. I suppose there are alternate translations of the famous (or infamous) “tuck rule.”

Peyton Manning had three turnovers in the Denver Broncos’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

Manning’s final turnover was ugly, and decision he would obviously like to have back – as would we. Decker and Demaryius Thomas either froze in the cold or under the pressure. Neither was particularly impressive, or particularly reliable.

Knowshon Moreno may be a tragic case. Once again, with things moving in the right direction he leaves the game. It’s a really tough thing to say, but are we back to having the conversation about whether he can be a fixture on this roster? To be fair, we don’t know the extent of Moreno’s injury, other than it was a knee. His official status, per the team, was ‘questionable’ for return, but he didn’t. My guess is if Moreno was fine, he would have returned. No offense to Ronnie Hillman, but Moreno brought added dimension to the Broncos offense. He can do more than run; he can pick up blitzes, too. And that was a huge asset for this offense late in the season.

Hillman performed admirably. Lance Ball had no idea what he was doing. Jacob Hester was there, and that’s about it.

The offensive line wasn’t lousy, but wasn’t great. It felt as though the unit played the Ravens’ defensive line to a draw. Didn’t win, didn’t lose. This unit can’t shoulder much blame, but they deserve some. Failing to outright win in the trenches is a recipe for playoff exits.

And now to the ridiculously bad: Defense.

Observation A: The Broncos have yet to develop a top-notch defensive line against the pass. Edge rushers are cool, but how many times did we see the Ravens calmly steer Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller deep into the backfield, allowing Joe Flacco to step up with virtually no one in his face? The line continued to play well against the run.

Observation B: It seems like taboo to say, but the conversation probably needs to be had: Has Champ Bailey reached a point where he’s getting by more on reputation than ability? The Ravens made a mockery of his coverage. It wasn’t even due to double moves or elaborate picks. He straight up could not keep up with Torrey Smith. Bailey is still a talented corner, but if all teams have to do is play an extended version of pitch and catch this defense will look a lot worse. And on that note…

Observation C: Rahim Moore. He put together a great season. I don’t believe he undid it all with one really, really bad play. Moore will be the goat, but in general the Broncos secondary (aside from one nice pass defense by Mike Adams) was abysmal. Moore’s play will be viewed in Baltimore as a miracle of sorts, but it was a game-long failure by this unit.

John Fox = Mr. Conservative. And sometimes that’s not a good thing. (personal photo)

And finally…the sad: Coaching

John Fox. Why? It’s the playoffs. Coming out of the two minute warning the Broncos faced 3rd-and-7 approaching midfield. Fox called the “run the ol’ clock down run” with a predictable result: short. Was this due to Manning’s arm being totally numb? Was Manning suffering from a crippling migraine? No. The coaching staff’s conservative philosophy ultimately paved the way for the Broncos to blow this game.

I’m not going to assess any win probability index of passing in an attempt to convert versus running to drain the clock and then punting. I’ll simply say Fox lacked guts. Sure, the pass could have been incomplete thereby stopping the clock, but a first down seals the game. Fox chickened out. As the Ravens still had to score a touchdown to tie and had no timeouts, the additional 30 seconds are negligible. By that I mean the Ravens are likely throwing the ball on every play regardless of the clock. In that situation it’s more an issue of whether your opponent can hit a few big plays to gain the necessary yardage than whether they have enough time to do it.

Running on 3rd-and-7 signaled Fox hoped the clock, rather than his players, would bail the Broncos out. He was wrong, and deserves every bit the blame Moore may receive.

The silver lining, if there is one, is that this Broncos unit will likely remain mostly intact. They now have the shared experience of understanding the disappointment that comes with failing to execute. Move the officiating and weather aside. The Denver Broncos were the team to decide who won and lost this game. Unfortunately the Broncos did more than enough to lose it themselves. They weren’t overmatched, but rather drastically underperformed. Now they get six months to figure out how to never feel this way again.

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

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.

The red-hot Denver Broncos have been anything but in December as of late.

Before this season, the team was a combined 5-14 in the month of December since 2008.

Thankfully it’s been a different tune this season.

Now riding a nine-game win streak and with sights set on the AFC’s No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs, the Broncos finish the 2012 regular season with back-to-back home games – against teams with losing records.

First up…the 5-9 Cleveland Browns.

With 16 rookies on the active roster, ten of whom have started, the young Browns experienced a lot of growing pains early on in the season.  Now finally playing cohesive football, the Browns have won three of their last four games, thanks in part to improved play of quarterback Brandon Weeden and the steady work of running back Trent Richardson.

The playoff-bound Broncos are guaranteed no lower than the AFC’s No. 3 seed.  Sitting right now at No. 2 behind the Houston Texans, the Broncos control their own destiny in securing a first-round bye.

Ask the players and coaches and they’ll tell you no one is thinking playoff seeding – only the remaining regular season games.  That’s likely true, but think of it this way: If the Broncos win, they’ll be rewarded in playoff seeding.

When Cleveland has the ball:  Rookie Trent Richardson is 230-lbs. of hard-to-bring-down running back.  Broncos linebacker Wesley Woodyard describes Richardson as a “workhorse” who looks just as strong on his 30th carry as his first.

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson has scored six touchdowns in the last four games. (courtesy Erik Drost)

Richardson’s 12 touchdowns in 2012 is tied for second-most in the NFL.  He’s racked up six of those touchdowns in the Browns’ last four games. Richardson needs 103 yards to reach 1,000 rushing yards on the season, but Sunday could be the young workhorse’s biggest defensive challenge yet.  Denver’s run defense is ranked second in the NFL, and has given up only one rushing touchdown since Week 6.

The stellar play of Denver’s front seven means Richardson will have to earn every yard he gets on the ground…or will rely on short-yardage passing situations to rack up yards after the catch.  Richardson leads the Browns with 48 catches this season, and we’ve seen the Broncos defense stumble at times against opposing tight ends and running backs in the passing game.

Cleveland’s offensive line is anchored by left tackle Joe Thomas. The five-time Pro Bowler will take on Elvis Dumervil as his primary assignment.  Thomas is among the best at his position in the league, as is Dumveril, making this one-on-one matchup perhaps the game’s most intriguing.

If Thomas holds his own, the Broncos’ on-the-edges pass rush might be just on-the-edge with linebacker Von Miller, who didn’t register a sack in last week’s victory against the Baltimore Ravens.  Miller has 16 sacks on the season and figures to add to that tally against Brandon Weeden, your classic pocket passer who doesn’t like to roll out or run.

Weeden, like so many other rookie quarterbacks (even the 29-year-old ones), has struggled with turnovers this season, throwing more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (14).  He tends to force the football into coverage mismatches, resulting in the aforementioned INTs or batted down passes.  Given the Broncos’ opportunistic secondary, it’s a safe bet Weeden will add to his turnover total Sunday.

When Denver has the ball:  I hope don’t jinx the team with the following statement:

It seems the Broncos have righted the ship when it comes to turnovers.

Denver’s turnover margin is now 0, which still trails the league’s other elite teams by a lot, but recent trends prove promising.  The Broncos have been in the minus side of the turnover margin for most of the season, but didn’t have a single turnover against the Ravens – Denver’s first turnover-free game of the season.  It’s now been more than a month since Denver lost a fumble, the last coming Nov. 18 at home against the San Diego Chargers.

Ball security will once again be crucial for the Broncos’ success Sunday, as the Browns are tied for fifth in the NFL with 28 takeaways.

Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno, inactive for eight games this season, has gone from being relegated to scout team duties to being Denver’s unlikely newest (old) offensive weapon.  In his last two games, Moreno has rushed for 119 and 118 yards respectively, and has no turnovers since replacing Willis McGahee in late-November.  Cleveland’s defense allows 120.6 rushing yards per game, good news for Moreno and rookie speedster Ronnie Hillman.

With right guard Chris Kuper (ankle) likely sidelined another week, pass protection could be a liability.  Here’s a staggering, tell-all statistic: Peyton Manning has been sacked 21 times this season, 19 of those happened with Kuper out of the lineup.  (Kuper has started five games this season.)

Moreno has done a decent job of getting to the free rusher and protecting Manning; even so, Peyton took some big hits in last week’s win against Baltimore.  Manning has shown he’s sturdy and quickly bounces back up, but seeing your $90 million quarterback with a surgically repaired neck knocked to the ground is always one of those sights you’d rather not see.

Prediction

Denver 33, Cleveland 17

It seems I write this every week, but here goes:

If Cleveland hopes to pull out the victory, two things need to happen: 1) Denver turnovers, and 2) Keep the Broncos’ high-scoring offense on the sidelines where Peyton Manning can’t do any damage.  Cleveland isn’t equipped to beat Denver in a shootout, and need to keep the Broncos under 20 for any real chance at victory.

The young Browns are trying to close out the season strong, but the Broncos are just too good in too many areas to let this one slip away.

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!

1st Quarter

(11:44 a.m.)  The 1-9 Kansas City Chiefs are simply outplaying the Denver Broncos through one quarter.  The Chiefs are executing their game plan: win time of possession to keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines and run the ball effectively.  The Chiefs defense is putting pressure on Manning, and Denver’s receivers aren’t getting open.

Even with generous field position thanks to Trindon Holliday’s kickoff return, the Broncos were unable to generate any momentum.  A Zane Beadles holding penalty drove the team backwards, and Matt Prater’s 47-yard field goal attempt was no good.

On the defensive side, the Broncos aren’t doing much better.  The defensive schemes are struggling to contain the Chiefs rushing attack.

 2nd Quarter

(12:21 p.m.) A Denver Broncos halftime lead: I’ll take it.

And just like that, after being outplayed for the majority of the half, the Broncos string together a late-quarter scoring drive to take a 7-6 lead.

Knowshon Moreno has played well, showing patience and following his blocks.  Moreno, who’s been inactive for eight game this season, has 26 yards on six carries.  Moreno’s ability to pick up good chunks of yardage on Denver’s final drive of the half appeared to be the spark the offense needed to sustain itself.  Judging by the first half, Moreno and the Broncos rushing attack will need to continue to be productive as the Chiefs defense has already recorded two sacks of Manning, largely due to coverage.

If the Broncos can make use of getting the ball first in the second half they could be a defensive stop away from taking control of the game.

3rd Quarter

(1:13 p.m.)  It took until the 3rd quarter, but the Denver Broncos finally made a big offensive play, the type of play we’ve grown accustomed to this season.  Manning connected with Demaryius Thomas on a gorgeous 30-yard touchdown play.  It capped off what was easily the team’s best drive this game.

The Broncos defense hasn’t truly asserted itself or looked particularly flashy, but the unit is doing just enough to keep the Chiefs out of the end zone.  It also doesn’t hurt that Kansas City continues to stall drives because of penalties.

Moreno has 53 rushing yards, but has proved especially valuable in passing situations, with 26 receiving yards.  And it’s the latter that could help Moreno solidify his role in the offense; Ronnie Hillman doesn’t have that skill set to his game.

One last thought: Denver could have an even bigger lead…if only Matt Prater wasn’t in an Arrowhead slump today.  Those are six lost points.

4th Quarter

(2:02 p.m.)  I feel silly now for predicting the Denver Broncos would score 33 points today.

How’s 17 instead?

Nonetheless, the Broncos held the Kansas City Chiefs to field goals, winning 17-9.  Denver is now 4-0 in the AFC West and 8-3 on the season.

But let’s be honest: Didn’t you expect more?

The Broncos defense’s best friend today was the Chiefs knack for penalties.  Von Miller had one of his quietest games in ages – not something you want for a player who’s a serious contender in the Defensive Player of the Year race.  Meanwhile, the Broncos receivers struggled all day to get any separation, aside from a few nice grabs by Stokley, Thomas, and tight end Jacob Tamme.

But the bright spot is perhaps the most surprising of all: Moreno, who finished the game with 85 rushing yards and 26 receiving yards.  I like this Knowshon Moreno.

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

There is no such thing as a guaranteed win in the NFL.

But this game – at least on paper – suggests the Denver Broncos should handily defeat the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs are 1-9 with their lone win coming in September.  Kansas City is the NFL’s lowest scoring team and the highest turnover team.  Meanwhile the Broncos have scored at least 30 points in each game during a five-game win streak, and boast a suddenly frightening, game-changing defense.

Records aside: The Broncos and Chiefs have split the series eight of the last nine seasons.  Kansas City has won 12 of the last 17 games at Arrowhead against Denver.

Jamaal Charles leads the Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack, ranked fourth in the NFL. (courtesy Jeffrey Beall)

When the Chiefs have the ball: Kansas City head coach Romeo Crennel named ex-Broncos quarterback Brady Quinn as the starter Sunday.  Quinn spent two seasons with Denver and never played, backing up the media circus that ultimately surrounded Kyle Orton vs. Tim Tebow.

If the Chiefs are to reverse their losing ways, running backs Jamaal Charles and company will collectively need a huge game.  As bad as Kansas City is offensively – both in terms of scoring and turnovers – the team ranks fourth in the NFL with 145.4 rushing yards a game, best in the AFC.  And let’s not forget Kansas City has made it a habit as of late to beat Denver teams with superior records by running the ball:

2008: 213 yards (Chiefs record that season was 2-14)

2009: 317 yards (Chiefs record season was 4-12)

Charles rushed for a career-high 259 yards against a porous Broncos’ defense in January 2010.  Something tells me Denver’s talented linebackers will have none of that in 2012.  The Broncos’ rush defense allows an average of 93.8 yards per game, good for sixth in the NFL.  Von Miller is now seriously in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year with 13 sacks, 45 tackles, and four forced fumbles so far this season.  Linebacker teammate Wesley Woodyard leads the team with 88 tackles.  D.J. Williams, who returned to action last week following suspension, had four tackles against the San Diego Chargers.

Remember, the Chiefs lead the league in turnovers this season, so expect Denver’s defense to capitalize at least once.  Woodyard leads the Broncos with three interceptions and defensive end Elvis Dumervil has six forced fumbles in 2012.

Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is slated to play, but is recovering from a neck injury that limited his practice earlier this week.

When Denver has the ball: Perhaps curiously, the Chiefs have allowed just one 300-yard passing game this season, and that wasn’t against Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, or even Philip Rivers.  It was Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman.

It seems opposing quarterbacks are struggling at times against the Chiefs’ bread and butter of zone coverage schemes and four-man pressure formations.  And with nothing to lose this season other than fan frustration, don’t be surprised if Kansas City puts the pressure on Peyton Manning early and often.

Denver Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno, who’s been inactive for eight games this season, will likely be activated Sunday. (personal photo)

With leading rusher Willis McGahee out until late in the playoffs, assuming Denver makes it that far, the Broncos will rely Sunday on Lance Ball, Ronnie Hillman, and Knowshon Moreno.  Though McGahee was the alpha running back, he was also responsible for five fumbles (four lost) this season, and fumbling has been the Broncos’ ongoing nemesis this season.

Maybe Denver curtails those turnovers in McGahee’s absence, but will in all likelihood sacrifice rushing yards…

Which brings us back to applying the pressure on Manning.  Kansas City’s best hope of winning is keeping the Broncos offense from hanging its typical 30 points a game, thus easing the scoring burden on an anemic Chiefs offense.  Kansas City must knock Manning around, or at least force him into ill-timed passes to stall drives or create turnovers.

Denver is a pass-oriented offense and shouldn’t miss a step with McGahee sidelined, but still needs some production from its committee of running backs. If not, the Chiefs will predictably expect pass, pass, and some more pass, and close up whatever space would otherwise be around wide receivers Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Brandon Stokley and Denver’s tight end tandem of Joel Dreessen and Jacob Tamme.

Denver’s passing attack is among the best in the NFL, averaging 289 yards a game.  Manning has 2,975 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his 2012 comeback season.

Prediction

Denver 33, Kansas City 17

The Broncos should leave Kansas City still unblemished within the division and riding a six-game win streak for the second straight year.

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

It seems the Denver Broncos are content with the ground game effort of Lance Ball, Ronnie Hillman, and Knowshon Moreno.

The team released practice squad running back Jeremiah Johnson Friday, a move the Denver Post calls “procedural,” since the intent is to re-sign Johnson early next week.  As for Hillman, the rookie anticipates additional snaps Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he’s looking forward to the chance:

 ”I’m very excited.  It’s just another opportunity to play ball and I’m looking forward to going out there to play.”

Video Links:

• NFL Films previews: Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
• Friday press conference: John Fox

Other Headlines:

• Associated Press: Why the Broncos are confident they’ll avoid the late-season wear down.
• Bleacher Report: Peyton Manning makes a case for league MVP.
• CBS Denver: Broncos at Chiefs game preview
• ESPN: The league’s elite teams know how to finish the strong.
• Rant Sports: Broncos at Chiefs game preview

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

Note: DHF kinda sorta forgot to post this earlier in the week. Oops.  Blame college basketball for distracting me.  Better late than never.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Now that the Denver Broncos’ latest victory has sunken in, here are a few more thoughts and observations on Sunday’s game against San Diego Chargers before we turn the focus to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Denver Broncos defense is sizzling this season. (personal photo)

Role reversal – Be honest, if someone had told you that ten games into the 2012 season, the most entertaining, dominant dimension of the Denver Broncos would be the team’s defense you probably wouldn’t have believed said soothsayer.  Yet, this Broncos defense is making big plays so regularly it is starting to become exciting to see them get back onto the field.  Peyton Manning throws a touchdown – great, now the defense gets another shot at a turnover.  Broncos stall and punt – no big deal, the defense will either stonewall or take the ball away.  I know the Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt is having a dominant season at a position that often doesn’t impact the game, but at this point linebacker Von Miller has to at least give voters serious pause in the Defensive Player of the Year selection.

Burden of expectation – Can we appreciate how delightfully odd it is that we have a collective feeling the Denver offense is underperforming?  The Broncos again put 30 points on the scoreboard on Sunday, and yet, did it in a way that seemed underwhelming.  The criticism comes from the fact that the Broncos point production wasn’t so much the product of long, sustained drives, but rather the defense and special teams setting the offense up in excellent positions.  It’s a valid critique, and we’d certainly like to see Manning and Company return to those 80-yard onslaughts soon, but hey, you take the field position your teammates give you, and the resulting points.  With this defense, 30 points should be enough to win most any game.

Weak of the week – Or possibly the past few weeks.  The Broncos’ running game remains the most concerning aspect of the team, despite a cumulative performance that went for more than 100 yards against the Chargers.  For comparison sake, remember several weeks ago the talk was how Denver’s crop of linebackers was going to be a liability for this team.  Even before the return of D.J. Williams, that position group evolved into a dynamic unit.  The point is adjustments get made and schemes get adapted.  The absence of Willis McGahee will have an impact on this unit.  There’s still time for Denver to bring its ground game up to snuff, and if Ronnie Hillman, Lance Ball, and maybe Knowshon Moreno make even measured improvements in yardage and ball security, the offense will be hard for anyone to contain.

Deep division - No, the AFC West is not in itself deep, but there appears to be a giant chasm between the Broncos and everyone else.  Remember, Sunday’s game was an all-in, do or die, backs to the wall, playing for jobs affair for San Diego.  The final score showed the Chargers came up a touchdown short, but San Diego delivered a vintage 2011 Broncos performance – absent for three quarters, manic for one.  With all that motivation the Chargers still appeared unable to compete with Denver…and San Diego is the next best team in the division.  This Sunday, Denver can mathematically eliminate the Chiefs from winning the division, and put Oakland on the brink of the same fate…all before December.

Willis McGahee is out for at least eight weeks. (personal photo)

More McGahee – With the news that Willis McGahee is unavailable for the foreseeable future comes a few issues.  Even more than ground production is McGahee’s blocking ability within the offense.  It is crucial the backs called into service understand their roles in the passing game as protecting Peyton is job one.  That said, this may allow Manning and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to revisit the playbook and develop some new schemes suited to the skill sets of Hillman – and possibly Moreno.  Another tactic could be more two-back sets with tight end Virgil Green (who has lined up lately in the fullback position) or fullback Chris Gronkowski inserted for extra protection which can also be adapted to new passing concepts.  McGahee’s injury is a setback, but one the Broncos can also hopefully turn into an opportunity.

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Two days after John Fox said running back Willis McGahee would not be placed on Injured Reserve, the Denver Broncos have had a change of heart.

McGahee, who suffered a torn MCL and compression fracture of the right knee, has been placed on IR, but with the “Designated for Return” label, meaning he can return to practice after six weeks and game action two weeks later.

Count ahead, and eight weeks just happens to be the AFC Championship game, assuming Denver makes it that far in the playoffs.

McGahee suffered the injuries in the second quarter of Denver’s 30-23 win against the San Diego Chargers when he was hit by cornerback Quentin Jammer.

Placing McGahee on IR does free up a roster spot for Denver.  Right now it’s unclear if the team would promote practice squad RB Jeremiah Johnson from the practice squad or sign a free agent, such as Steve Slaton, who worked out for the Broncos earlier this week.

Ex-Bronco QB Brady Quinn will start for the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday. (personal photo)

Denver’s current running backs are Lance Ball, rookie speedster Ronnie Hillman, and Knowshon Moreno, who’s been inactive eight games this season.

Brady Quinn gets the nod

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel has named quarterback Brady Quinn the starter in Sunday’s game against Denver at Arrowhead.

Quinn spent two seasons with the Broncos – on the sidelines as backup to Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow.  He signed with Kansas City in the offseason, and got his first start since 2009 when Matt Cassel was sidelined with a concussion in Week 6.  Quinn suffered a concussion in his second start of the season, and was replaced by a now healthy Cassel, who was benched last week for Quinn because of poor play.

The Chiefs are 1-9 this season.

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