Mile High Report
In order to be the best, you have to beat the best. That’s the primary goal for the Denver Broncos who take on the Kansas City Chiefs in their Week 11 matchup. Their longtime rival has won nine straight AFC West championships. But if the Broncos are able to secure a much-needed victory this weekend, that would go a long way toward ending the Chiefs’ nearly decade of dominance in the division.
Sitting at 8-2, the Broncos have a one game lead over the Los Angeles Chargers. Though they sport a multi-game lead over the Chiefs who enter this weekend’s gridiron battle with a 5-4 record. It’s unfamiliar territory for the Broncos, who haven’t seen this success since their Super Bowl 50 winning season a decade ago.
Make no mistake, this is a playoff caliber game for Denver who has a chance to bolster their standing in the division and in a tough-fought conference playoff race. In order to take down the Chiefs, Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph knows that slowing down star quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be the biggest test for him and his players on Sunday.
“He’s been the best for a long time. He’s a winner. The plays he can make off schedule, that makes it tough. They’re in the huddle and they have a play called, and you can defend that play perfectly and he can obviously buy time in the second act. That’s where he makes his explosive plays,” stated Joseph.
In last year’s heart-breaking Week 10 loss to the Chiefs, Mahomes certainly wasn’t at his best going up against Joseph’s defense. He was sacked four times and had just 266 passing yards and 1 touchdown on 42 passing attempts. But this is a new season, the Chiefs are finally getting healthy and have a formidable array of skill position players who will be tough to combat.
The Broncos will be without All-Pro cornerback and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II for a second straight week. That adds more pressure to their young secondary who will have to find a way to lock down players like Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, and company on Sunday.
“It’s a true challenge, and they have these new receivers. It’s a track team. You have 4.26 [40-yard dash times], 4.30, so that makes it challenging,” added Joseph.
Yet, the Broncos might have an ace up their sleeve on Sunday: their top-notch pass rush. Through 10 games, Joseph’s defense has notched 46 sacks—a new NFL record through that timespan—and are coming off a six-sack performance against the Las Vegas Raiders last week on Thursday Night Football. If Denver wants to win, they are going to need to get after the ninth-year signal caller early and keep him out of rhythm.
That’s easier said than done, but Joseph proclaimed extreme confidence in his players to take care of business this weekend. In his closing comments in yesterday’s press conference, he highlighted their team-first nature and unselfishness...
