The last
time the Chiefs and Broncos played, Denver’s offense ran up and down the Arrowhead
Stadium turf like it was their own backyard. In that game, six different
Broncos ran the ball 45 times for 245 yards, leading the Broncos to a dominant
44-13 victory over the Chiefs.
Needless
to say, the Broncos will be putting their playoff hopes in the hands of their
rushing offense again this Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High. Rookie Broncos
head coach Josh McDaniels, already down one playmaking wide receiver in Eddie
Royal, has benched Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall and tight end Tony
Scheffler for Sunday’s game.
So if the
Broncos are to make the playoffs, they’re going to have to do it with defense
and their running game. That means if the Chiefs are going to play spoiler,
they’ll need a much better performance on Sunday from their defensive front
seven than they turned in back on December 6th in Kansas City.
The
Chiefs rush defense has been the single most disappointing thing about the team
all season. Only the Buffalo Bills defense has allowed more rushing yards this
season than the Chiefs’ 2,420, which equates to over 161 yards allowed per
game. By contrast, the Chiefs offense is only averaging 107.5 yards per game.
Sunday
also marks the last opportunity for players like defensive tackle Ron Edwards
and linebackers Corey Mays and Derrick Johnson to make a case for being members
of this team next season.
The line
of Edwards, rookie end Tyson Jackson, and second-year end Glenn Dorsey has
struggled to keep opposing offensive linemen off the Chiefs linebackers. As a
result, players like Mays and veteran Demorrio Williams often get swallowed up
by lead blocking guards and fullbacks, springing opposing running backs for big
gains.
Additionally,
in the passing game, the Chiefs front three has yet to produce a single sack
this season. In fact, the Chiefs sport the only defensive line
in the entire NFL without a single sack by one of its starting defensive
lineman.
And since the Broncos won’t
likely be throwing much on Sunday, there’s a good chance the group of Jackson,
Edwards, and Dorsey will end the season with a goose egg in the sack
column.