Rocky Mountain Stampede

Denver had their opportunties to leave Arrowhead victorious, but they simply got beat up front on both sides of the football late in the game when it mattered most. 

All game long, Trent Green was comfortable in the pocket throwing darts to his receivers as he went 16-23, averaging 11 yards per attempt.  With future Hall of Fame tackle William Roaf back for the second meeting, the Denver front four were not the same disruptive force they were earlier this season during their week 3, 30-10 rout on Monday Night Football.  They failed to sack Green and defensive coordinator Larry Coyer couldn't figure out a way to rattle the former Indiana Hoosier with effective bltizes.  Green showed every reason why he's one of the best in the game against the blitz.

Furthermore, the Broncos #1 NFL ranked run defense fell apart in the second half.  Pro Bowl offensive linemen Roaf, Will Shields and Brian Waters manhandled the front four while the back seven overpursued their gaps and missed their share of tackles.  Chiefs running back Larry Johnson enjoyed the best game by an opposing running back this season as he carried the rock 30 times for 140 yards and 2 rushing TD. 

With the exception of the two interceptions by cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Darrent Williams, the Denver defense stunk it up like Pepe Le Pew.     

As for the offense, Denver had success most of the day moving the ball.  They racked up 388 total yards, averaging 6.0 per play.  However, they could only muster 6 points in the second half.  There were times when the running game was clicking, especially with Tatum Bell in the second half (5 carries, 46 yards).  Towards the end, the Chiefs front seven started to beat the Broncos offensive line at the line of scrimmage.  When Denver gets beat on the run, they are forced to drop Jake Plummer back in the pocket, which is far from his strength.  All season long, long 3rd down situations have been the Broncos' Achilles heel.  Denver was only 3 out of 10 on 3rd down attempts on Sunday. 

When the game was on the line with just over 2:00 to play, the Broncos offensive line failed to get the push to allow Mike Anderson a running lane to convert a critical 4th and 1.  I have always loved their light, athletic offensive line, but those situations you wish you had a road grader inside to pave the way.  Max Jean-Gilles anybody?

I really felt the play that turned around the game was Plummer's 1st quarter red-zone interception after the long 56 yard completion to Ashley Lelie.  Denver had an opportunity to take a 14-7 lead on Kansas City and take the crowd out of the game.  Plummer threw his most bonehead pass of the entire season when he had plenty of running room to take it into the endzone on a bootleg.  Other than the 2 picks, I felt Plummer played well.  He created some plays on his own with his legs and ability to improvise when Kansas City brought the heat. 

Some other thoughts on the game:

-The officials made a horrible call by throwing a flag on John Lynch for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Eddie Kennsion.  At that point in the game, the Broncos were leading 27-24 and would have forced Kansas City into a crucial 3rd and goal from the 9 with the incomplete pass.  The contact was incidental.  Lynch didn't lead with his helmet.  Lynch didn't even close on Kennison at full speed.  If Kennison hadn't ducked his head, Lynch wouldn't have hit him with his helmet.  Basically, Lynch ran into Kennison's body and their helmets happened to touch.  Big freaking deal!  It's football.  **** happens.  That was far from a personal foul.  Once again, the officials take the game out of the players' hands for some powder puff penalty.  In the past, Lynch has deserved some of his penalties for spearing, but this was a flag for an incidental tap. 

-Mike Shanahan deserves credit for utilizing backup quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt on a 5 wideout shotgun draw that brought back memories of John Elway.  At Colorado State, Van Pelt was known for being a run firstquarterback.  He's one of the best athletes on the team and he's  such a pure runner.  "Sunshine" had a few jaw dropping scrambles during the preseason that catapulted him from 4th to 2nd on the QB depth chart.  All season long, Van Pelt has never had an opportunity to display those skills.  I thought it was one of the best playcalls all season to line Plummer out wide and let Van Pelt barrel it in from 7 yards out.   

-The 66 yard Mike Anderson screen pass was a thing of beauty.  The offensive line executed textbook blocks and the Kansas City defense looked silly missing several chances to bring down Sarge in the open field.  It makes me sick to see an amazing play go to waste.

Denver had their moments and chances, but they will have to wait another year to end their slump at Arrowhead.  The Broncos still have their hands on the AFC's second seed at 9-3, but the competition is more fierce with Cincinnati and San Diego winning.  They had an opportunity to deliver a crucial blow to their rivals, but now they have let them back into the division race that looked bleak for the Chiefs after their week 10 loss in Buffalo. 

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• #1 Comment from dmvfoster 
  12/10/05 6:38 PM | Permalink

      It is ridiculous to call the KC victory a rout. They barely beat the Broncos on their own home field, and the Denver victory over KC was by a wider margin. 9/3 is not a record to cause embarrassment, and I look for Denver to easily win the AFC West, and to meet Indy in the AFC championship game. Don't be surprised if Denver goes to the big show to beat the Giants.