Game Preview – Chiefs at Broncos

Sep 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters (22) cannot make an interception over Houston Texans wide receiver Keith Mumphery (12) during the game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Keys

Trust Peters and Smith. Speaking of league-leading interceptions, Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters leads all rookies with three interceptions, one on Manning in the Chiefs’ first meeting with the Broncos. On the other side of the field is Sean Smith who had a heck of a game against one of the best receivers in the NFL in Calvin Johnson. The Chiefs can trust Peters and Smith in the upcoming game to take away the big play. Manning likes to spread the ball around during the first half but he will usually start keying in on a favorite target as the game progresses. Against the Chiefs at Arrowhead it was Emmanuel Sanders but it could just as easily be Demaryius Thomas. The Chiefs defense can take care of business if they trust their two best defensive backs in coverage so they can key in on other aspects of Denver’s game.

Get pressure on Manning. For the Chiefs to beat the Broncos in Denver they must create turnovers and it begins with pressuring Peyton Manning to get him to throw bad passes. It is a simple formula, when a quarterback is consistently pressured, they throw more picks. Sack city stormed back in a big way against Detroit and they could continue the re-emergence against a porous offensive line and a very immobile quarterback. Head coach Gary Kubiak likes to run play action boot leg to get his quarterback out in space and move the defense. The problem with this philosophy is that it doesn’t gel very well with Manning. The Chiefs need get their edge rushers up field and get in Manning’s face to force him into a poor decision.

Key in on the Broncos’ run game. Denver has steadily progressed in running the ball over the last few weeks and it has helped them get big wins over Green Bay and Minnesota. The Chiefs have some stud defensive linemen in Allen Bailey, Dontari Poe and Jaye Howard. Those three have combined for 85 total tackles so far this season and the Chiefs currently have the 11th-best rush defense allowing just a hair over 100 yards per game. In order to beat Denver the Chiefs must stop the run and make them one dimensional.

Next: The mental side...