It’s Broncos Week for the Chiefs

It’s Broncos week and this game has the chance to lift the Kansas City Chiefs as much as the last Broncos game defeated them. With the Broncos coming off a loss they are back to looking vulnerable and could be without two of their key players when the teams take the field on Sunday.

DeMarcus Ware is out with a back injury and it is certainly possible that Aqib Talib is suspended after a stupid late game penalty against the Colts that helped the Broncos take their first loss of the season. To make matters worse for himself Talib ended up with a second unsportsmanlike penalty after the field goal that got reversed at the end of the game for his argument with an official.

Kansas City heads to Denver coming off a bye week and coming off back to back wins against the Steelers and the Lions. The Chiefs should be pretty healthy with the extra week of rest and this will be the best test that the Chiefs line will face the rest of the season. Fisher shouldn’t have to deal with the pressure of Ware but Denver does have 2015 first-year pick Shane Ray that will test Fisher.

Kansas City will obviously miss Jamaal Charles on offense but Charcandrick West has been getting better each week since taking over against the Bears. West will have a tough test against the Broncos but if the Chiefs can put him in the position to be successful by calling plays that work to his strengths they should be able to run the ball on the Broncos.

Jeremy Maclin may get a little bit of an easier matchup if the league suspends Talib for his deliberate eye-poking of Dwayne Allen. Even if Talib gets to play, the Chiefs receiving core has gotten better throughout the season and should be able to help the offense move the ball more consistently against a tough Broncos defense. Alex Smith will be under pressure most snaps but should have the opportunity to make a few plays throughout the night.

On defense the Chiefs will have their hands full throughout the game. The Broncos will have Vernon Davis going into his second game who will help open up the middle of the field and an athletic, versatile tight end has been the undoing of the Chiefs against the Broncos in the past. The Broncos still have Sanders and Demaryius Thomas on the outside as well and while Smith should be a good matchup for Thomas, Marcus Peters on Sanders could be a very tall task.

Peyton will come into the game three yards shy of the all-time lead for passing yards in a career which means that the Chiefs will become a trivia answer barring a very early injury on an incomplete pass. Peyton and Kubiak have gotten on the same page and you are seeing much more of the Peyton type offense as the season progresses. Manning hasn’t been running bootlegs as much and is more comfortable in this offense than he was in Week 2.

One place that the Chiefs have a major advantage is going to be with the Broncos left tackle. The Broncos are now on their third left tackle of the season, Ryan Harris. Yes it is the same Ryan Harris that struggled at right tackle for the Chiefs last year. Hali has lost a step but he will be coming off the edge relentlessly regardless.

If I was Sutton I would design some exotic blitzes to send towards the left tackle and left guard Evan Mathis. Get Dee Ford in the game in the first drive or two and let him use his speed and quickness off the line against Harris. Peyton will still try to get the ball out early but a couple of early hard hits can set a tone on defense. The Chiefs have the CB’s to be able to make Manning hold on to the ball for a little longer than he originally wants.

Andy Reid obviously has his work cut out for him heading into the second half of the season but he’s got a chance to turn the season around if he can find a way to get a win in Denver. Reid has been brilliant coming off the bye week in his career but he is 0-2 against the Broncos coming off the BYE week. He is also 0-5 against Denver since taking over as the Chiefs head coach. He has a chance to make a big statement if he can find a way to put his team in position to win.

What do you think, Addicts? Can the Chiefs find a way to start the second half of the season right?