John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs will meet the Denver Broncos this Sunday to conclude their miserable 2012 season.
The good news is that after the Chiefs lose this Sunday, they will be officially on the clock for the 2013 Draft where they will be able to choose any player they like with the first pick.
The bad news is that the Chiefs will have to watch Peyton Manning take the Denver Broncos into the playoffs. It’s enough to make you puke.
To get the skinny on the Donks as they prepare for their playoff run, I sat down with FanSided’s Broncos blogger Kim Constantinesco from over at Predominately Orange. One of FanSided’s longest-tenured and most respected bloggers, Kim has turned PO into the premier online destination for Donkey fans.
Let’s go inside the enemy camp with Kim Constantinesco and Predominately Orange!
If Peyton wins you a Super Bowl this year, can we borrow him for next season? It’s the least you could do for us taking Brady Quinn and Kyle Orton off your hands.
In my opinion, there’s no fair trade for Peyton Manning (What were the Colts thinking?). Anyway, we appreciate you letting us dump Orton and then Quinn off. You’re kind of like an orphanage that way. The whole lesson in the Manning acquisition for Broncos fans is that patience is a value worth cultivating. We’ve had to sift through all kinds of quarterback drama over the last few years. in the end, it was our former Super Bowl winning QB who revived the franchise.
Ok, ok, so we can’t have Manning. But he can’t play forever. Eventually his neck is going to disintegrate. What are the early thoughts on that giant QB you guys drafted?
I think Manning’s got 3-4 years of great football left in him, especially if the O-line continues to fulfill their duties.
Rookie Brock Osweiler out of Arizona State showed promise in training camp and in preseason play. He’s a strong, accurate arm that’s learning the ways of the NFL from the best in the business. As long as he keeps his arm moving by getting reps on the scout team, I think he’ll come along. He certainly isn’t as cerebral as Manning, but with a lot of work, he’ll learn some things.
Moreno looks like he is having a revival. Is he any good or is he just a product of the Manning offense?
I think Moreno’s current success is a product of him absolutely needing to perform well to keep a spot on the roster. He’s battled injuries, turnovers, and a lack of production in the early part of his career which doesn’t bode well for a former first-round draft pick (12th overall in ’09). He rode the bench for 8 straight games earlier this year and had Willis McGahee not hurt his knee, that’s where Moreno would have stayed.
Moreno is a gifted athlete that’s thriving in Manning’s offense, and running behind a solid offensive line. With maturity, he’s learned to be patient in following his blockers before making the cut up field at the right time. He’s been a good receiving threat out of the backfield as well.
Without Manning back there calling the right plays, however, I don’t think Moreno would be as successful.
Josh McDaniels may be gone but how are some of his draft picks panning out for you guys now a few years out?
There aren’t many left on the roster from McDaniels’ days, but the two that stand out the most are Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. They’ve combined for over 2,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns. They’re great big targets that trouble opposing defenses, and enhance Manning’s options.
In a way also, when McDaniels drafted Tebow, that kind of led Manning to Denver’s doorstep. Who knows where Manning would be if Tebowmania never descended upon Denver.
Your prediction for Sunday and also, for the Donkeys in the playoffs?
Broncos beat the Chiefs 28-12 on Sunday.
With a Houston loss to Indy and a Broncos’ win this week, the Broncos would secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC which would give them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They beat the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship, but lose to the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl.