Chiefs vs. Broncos: Keys to Victory for Both Teams in Hyped Showdown

For fans of the National Football League across the country, Week 11 will present us with the most enticing showdown of the regular season. 

Anytime arguably the two best teams in the league go head-to-head this late in the season, it's a must-watch game, and that's absolutely true of this clash between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Both squads have been dominant for the most part thus far, as the two teams have racked up a combined 17-1 record, and each appears capable of orchestrating a Super Bowl run. 

Obviously, everyone expected Peyton Manning and the Broncos to be somewhere close to 8-1 at this stage of the season, but despite the additions of Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith, few could've predicted the Chiefs to be at 9-0 at this point. 

Heading into what should be a very entertaining tilt, here's a look at each team's keys to winning this all-important game. 

Kansas City

Offense: Generate offense through the air

Though the Chiefs have been able to continue winning while relying on the run game to generate offense, they'll need to get production from Smith, Dwayne Bowe and Donnie Avery to put enough points on the board to keep up with Denver. 

During his last five games, Smith has thrown two touchdown scores against two interceptions, and he'll have to rack up more than the 124 yards on 19-of-29 passing he did against the Bills to help K.C. to 10-0. 

The Broncos currently boast the league's fourth-ranked defense against the run, so Jamaal Charles won't have as easy a time carrying the mail for the Chiefs offensively. 

In order for Kansas City to outscore Denver, even with a big day from the defense, Smith will have to be an impact player for Reid's squad.

Against one of the league's most porous passing defenses, Smith should be able to rack up enough yards to do just that.  

Defense: Get to Manning early and often

Obviously, Manning has lit up virtually every defense he's faced so far, as the 37-year-old has racked up an astounding 33 touchdowns and 3,249 yards passing through the first nine games of the season. 

However, despite his solid four-touchdown outing against the Chargers last week, Manning has tossed six picks against 17 touchdowns in his last five games, and his recent injury concerns are certainly a source of worry. 

That's because Manning's continued to battle ankle problems, and after being sacked twice and hit a number of additional times by San Diego, he looked questionable at best by the end of the game. 

Without All-Pro Ryan Clady in the fold, the Broncos will have a difficult time keeping the Chiefs' tenacious defense at bay, so Kansas City has to be focusing on getting to Manning, especially during the early stages of the game. 

Denver

Offense: Incorporate more offense on the ground

Given Manning's ankle instability, the Broncos can't necessarily rely on the four-time NFL MVP to do it all offensively, as they have consistently since he arrived from Indianapolis. 

The Chiefs own one of the game's stingiest defenses against the pass, and coupled with Manning's recent injuries, a big day from Knowshon Moreno would be exactly what the doctor ordered. 

Yes, Moreno has registered six games with at least 90 all-purpose yards over Denver's first nine games, but the former first-rounder has yet to exceed 93 yards on the ground yet this season. 

The Chiefs will absolutely be looking to put bodies on Manning, so alleviating some of that pressure by running the football will force K.C. to respect the threat of the rush as the game wears on. 

Defense: Force Smith to throw deep

The Chiefs have managed to put enough points up to win nine games by scoring on the ground or via short passes from Smith, so the Broncos should intend on forcing the former No. 1 overall pick to throw deep. 

Overall, Bowe and Avery haven't put up huge numbers, and the Chiefs have now won five games in which they didn't notch a single passing touchdown, so making Smith do the work offensively will be a key for Denver. 

So far, Smith's 6.09 yards per passing attempt sits 29th in the league, and though part of that is due to the Chiefs' offensive scheme, the 29-year-old hasn't shown much of an ability to thrown an accurate deep ball. 

If the Chiefs win with Charles leading the way on the ground, so be it, but the Broncos have a much better chance at handing Reid his first loss of the season if they can take away short-yardage opportunities.