Mile High Report
The Broncos just got whopped and now face an unbeaten Chiefs team that always is tough at home.
The Denver Broncos got whopped.
Now, they must forget about what happened against the Baltimore Ravens and focus on the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday. The task certainly doesn’t get any easier as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are 8-0.
Denver needs to play better in every facet to have any shot. The Broncos enter Sunday’s game at Arrowhead with a 5-4 record. Denver is a massive +8.5-point underdog, with the total sitting at 41.5.
Denver: Twenty-fifth in total offense (308.6 yards per game), 15th in rushing offense (121.4 YPG), 27th in passing offense (187.1 YPG), 23rd in scoring (20.3 points per game).
Kansas City: Tenth in total offense (352.5 yards per game), 14th in rushing offense (122.4 YPG), 10th in passing offense (230.1 YPG), 10th in scoring (25.4 points per game).
Denver: Sixth in total defense (295.2 yards per game), ninth in rushing defense (108.7 YPG), sixth in passing defense (186.6 YPG), third in scoring (17.9 points per game).
Kansas City: Fifth in total defense (293.6 yards per game), third in rushing defense (83.9 YPG), 15th in passing defense (209.8 YPG), fourth in scoring (18.4 points per game).
Here are the MHR staff’s keys to Sunday’s game.
Baltimore manhandled the Broncos defense, whether on the ground or through the air. Needless to say, Denver’s defense had a rough day against the Ravens. Now comes Mahomes and the Chiefs, who now have DeAndre Hopkins in the mix. It’s a challenge for any defense to slow down the KC offense, but the Broncos defense needs to show up and show out. For Denver to have any shot on Sunday, the defense needs to play like the version we saw prior to the Baltimore game. Do that, and the Broncos have a puncher’s chance. — Ian St. Clair
Over the past few weeks, boneheaded calls and turnovers have cast a dark shadow on the efficiency of the Broncos offense. The Chiefs are the only undefeated team in the league. This is a game where there is no margin for error. Denver can’t turn the ball over. They can’t make any significant mistakes. In order to win, they’ll have to improve on third downs and execute in the red zone. — Christoper Hart
The defense had a bad day against the Ravens. It stands to reason that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense, while not as explosive, are capable of big plays like that. Zay Flowers torched Denver, which was hard to watch since Vance Joseph never moved Pat Surtain over to cover him. Getting to the quarterback is big, but Mahomes has proven to be very good under pressure. Keep him contained and that should limit the big plays. — Adam Malnati
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