Thursday night's Broncos-Chiefs game will be remembered for many different reasons. The wild finish saw Denver tie the game at 24 with only 36 seconds left, and then Bradley Roby scooped up a Jamaal Charles fumble and scampered 21 yards to win the game 31-24. The game also saw Peyton Manning's career at a crossroad, Andy Reid botching play-calling and game management, and the Chiefs gagging away a game that they never should have lost. This game had everything, and it was about as wild of an ending as you will ever see. Denver rallied from a 14-0 hole in the first half, and Manning drove the Broncos down for the tie late in the game. In a game where Denver probably should have lost, they somehow and someway found a way to win-thanks to Chiefs, of course. Here are my thoughts and observations on a game that will be remembered for a long, long time....
1) The Broncos started slow and they paid for it as the Chiefs built a 7-0 lead on the legs of Jamaal Charles. After Marcus Peters picked off Manning and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown, KC led 14-0, and the game looked like it would be a rout. Manning looked like he was done as an effective QB, and the Broncos season looked like it was going to crumble like their offensive line was crumbling in the first half.
2) Things changed quickly once Manning went to a no-huddle approach and picked up the pace of play. He started completing more passes in the shotgun, got more comfortable, and drove Denver down the field and made it 14-7 after a 16 yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders. That might have saved Manning and the Broncos season right there.
3) Up 14-7, the Chiefs and Andy Reid decided to throw the ball instead of killing the clock on the ground, and Aqib Talib made them pay by jumping a short route and picking it off deep in KC territory. Talib has been great so far this year, and this play was sensational. A Manning to Virgil Green 1 yard touchdown pass tied it up at 14, and now we have a game going into halftime.
4) The third quarter was basically a standstill as both teams traded field goals. Both defenses were able to disrupt the other team's passing games and Smith and Manning were having trouble surviving everytime they dropped back. You still felt the momentum was on the Chiefs side heading into the last quarter.
5) The Broncos defense was bending in the 4th quarter and a interception by Chris Harris looked like it was going to save the day for Denver. Unfortunately, the Broncos offense sputtered and KC got the ball right back and Knile Davis galloped into the end zone to make it 24-17 with only 2:15 to play.
6) Peyton Manning showed the world that he is not done yet, and the Sherriff went to work on a classic 10 play 80 yard drive to tie the game on a 19 yard hookup with Emmanuel Sanders to tie it at 24. Manning was clutch on the drive and so was Demaryius Thomas who made some amazing jump ball catches on the drive. Thomas finished with 8 catches for 116 yards in the night. It was a statement drive by Manning and this offense and something that a lot of people did not think Denver's offense could do at that point in the game against a hostile crowd in Arrowhead.
7) Then, the Broncos got the gift of all time. KC is trying to run out the clock and get the get to overtime, but Jamaal Charles coughs up the ball on a hit by Brandon Marshall, and Bradley Roby is right there to scoop it up and run in for the winning score with only 27 seconds left in the game. Incredible finish. I had to rewind it live on DVR just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. That was one of the craziest endings I have ever seen in a Broncos game in my lifetime.
8) The storylines in this game are numerous, but let's start with the defense. They played great again for a second week. They forced 4 turnovers (2 interceptions and 2 fumbles), scored another defensive touchdown, recorded 4 sacks, and harassed Alex Smith all night long. Yes, they did give up 125 yards to Jamaal Charles, but that doesn't bother me because of the short week of rest for this game. The defense is the strength of this team, and that is the reality at this point.
9) The Broncos offense is a work in progress, but the real culprit is that the offensive line is really struggling. They can't run the ball because their O-Line can't block anyone. They can't pass protect and they are getting Manning killed right now. They gave up 3 sacks last night, and he was pressured a lot more. This offense won't get going until the offensive line gets more consistent. No one really knows how long that will take.
10) Now to Manning. This isn't about his arm strength. This is not about his offense or Gary Kubiak's offense. This is about getting him comfortable. You saw how well he played when the offense was tailored to what made him comfortable. Just let him run the quick, no-huddle pace of play that he likes to throw. Let him get into a rhythm, and let him get off quick passes to get the passing game going and settle down the offensive line. Then, once they get a lead they can work more under center and run the ball-if they can. Just let Manning be Manning please!
11) Forget about the issues the Broncos have because they are 2-0 and they just won a tough road game at KC in a game they were destined to lose. Now, they have 10 days to rest up and get ready for the Lions next Sunday Night. The win also gave the Broncos a NFL record 13 straight road divisional wins breaking the mark by the 1990 Niners. Manning is now 4-0 in Arrowhead against the Chiefs as the Broncos QB. This game will long be remembered, and it might be the turning point of the season even though it was only Week 2. Go Broncos!
Onto the picks for Week 2...
Last Week's Record: 7-9
Overall Record: 7-9
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
Houston (+3) over CAROLINA:
Tampa Bay (+10) over NEW ORLEANS:
PITTSBURGH (-6) over San Francisco:
Detroit (+3) over MINNESOTA:
New England (-1) over BUFFALO:
CHICAGO (+3) over Arizona:
CLEVELAND (+2) over Tennessee:
San Diego (+4) over CINCY:
St. Louis (-3) over WASHINGTON:
Atlanta (+3) over NY GIANTS:
Baltimore (-5) over Oakland:
Miami (-6) over JACKSONVILLE:
PHILLY (-3) over Dallas:
GREEN BAY (-3) over Seattle:
INDY (-7) over New York Jets:
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