Miles
Well-known member
- Mar 18, 2019
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A season ago, the Broncos rebounded from an 0-4 start to win two consecutive games.
Following victories over the Chargers and Titans, Denver entered a prime-time home game against the Chiefs with a chance to pull within a game of Kansas City in the division and boost its record to 3-4.
The Broncos opened "Thursday Night Football" with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to take an early lead against the Chiefs.
Denver, though, wouldn't score again. The Chiefs scored 30 unanswered points to earn an easy win and drop Denver to 2-5. The Broncos wouldn't truly challenge for the division title again during the rest of the season, though they did make a late charge to earn second place over the Raiders.
One year later, the Broncos are bearing down on another Week 7 game against Kansas City. This season, the Broncos started 0-3 before rebounding to win two consecutive games over the Jets and Patriots.
This year's game won't be on prime-time TV, but a win over the Chiefs this season would push the Broncos back to .500 and could tighten the division race.
More important than the division standings, though, is if the Broncos can earn a much-needed third win — and snap a nine-game losing streak to the Chiefs.
"We'll find out," Head Coach Vic Fangio said when asked if the Broncos are better prepared this year. "We certainly hope so. There are a lot of different players here that weren't here from that game last year, either through attrition or through injuries. We'll see where we're at. It's going to be a great challenge. They're the defending champs. They came within an offsides penalty of probably winning the Super Bowl the year before also. We know who they are, and they're a great, great team. They score a lot of points, their defense has gotten a lot better from early on last season, and it will be a major challenge."
Fangio said Andy Reid and the Chiefs sport a "Star Wars offense" that features dynamic players like Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Mecole Hardman and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Mahomes, Fangio said, is "getting better and better" — and it's difficult to focus attention on just one of those skill players.
As such, the Broncos' defense will likely face its biggest challenge of the year. If they're up for it, the Broncos could earn a monumental win and defeat the Chiefs for the first time since Week 2 of the 2015 season.
"We knew we could be a really good team; we just have to keep putting these pieces together and keep rolling," Drew Lock said after a win over the Patriots. "We are playing a really, really good team next week. It's going to be a really good test for us to see who we are and see if we're mentally and physically tough enough to come in there and try to get a win. I truly feel like we're an extremely good team, we just have to put both sides of the ball together — all three actually: special teams, offense and defense. We were a little bit together tonight, but I'd say special teams and defense carried this win, without a doubt."
REED IT AND WEEP
Outside linebacker Malik Reed earned a roster spot as an undrafted player in 2019, and he started eight games after Bradley Chubb suffered a season-ending injury.
Reed, a Nevada product, has again benefited from an unexpected opportunity. He has started the last two games as Jeremiah Attaochu recovers from a quad injury, and tallied two sacks against the Patriots. The second one came on second-and-10 with the Patriots driving for the lead. Reed dropped Cam Newton for a 6-yard loss to set up a third-and-16. The Broncos would hold on an ensuing fourth-and-10 to get the win.
"He put together two good rushes there," Fangio said Monday. "They were rushes where we had an extra guy or two in the rush which helped eliminate the quarterback's ability to step up and wiggle through a space. He took full advantage and they were two great plays by Malik."