Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos: What Are the Experts Saying About Denver?
This Sunday will feature the first divisional matchup between AFC West of the 2014 NFL season.
The Denver Broncos (1-0) will play host to the Kansas City Chiefs (0-1), and simply put, it doesn't look good for the Chiefs.
The Broncos came out swinging in Week 1, easily beating the Indianapolis Colts 31-24 in Denver. The Chiefs, meanwhile, who were an 11-5 Wild Card team last season, did not open their 2014 campaign on a good note. They were upset at home against the Tennessee Titans. In the 26-10 loss, the Chiefs were beat on both sides of the ball, although they looked particularly dismal on offense.
As a Broncos fan and a sportswriter, I am predicting a fairly easy win for Denver this weekend. Divisional matchups can never be written off, however, and the Chiefs are certainly hungry for a victory after the disappointing Week 1 performance.
Don't take my word for it though. Let's see what some of the experts around the country have to say.
Nicki Jhabvala: The New-Look Denver Defense Could Overwhelm the Chiefs
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Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post noted that things do not look good for the Chiefs given Denver's revamped defense.
Jhabvala quoted Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith as saying, in reference to the Denver defense, "There are similarities as far as scheme, but even with that you can tell they worked during the offseason putting some different stuff."
Following a tough Week 1 loss, Jhabvala added that "turning around and having to face Peyton Manning & Co. in Week 2 can hardly be a comforting prospect."
Between the Broncos' stellar offense and their improved defense, the Chiefs might look like a semi-pro squad on Sunday.
Despite all the negatives, however, Smith did add an optimistic note, saying, "It's a division game, a chance to get back on the right track for us."
Rich Kurtzman: Chiefs Are Coming into Denver Hungry for a Victory
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Rich Kurtzman of CBS Denver wisely acknowledged that as dismal as the odds look for Kansas City, they cannot be written off.
Kansas City and Denver are division rivals and longstanding foes, so there is always a large incentive to win when the two face off, and the Chiefs' Week 1 whooping "helps fuel the fire a bit."
Proving critics and doubters wrong is one thing that NFL teams must do constantly throughout the season, and this week, the Chiefs have an excellent chance to do precisely this.
ESPN's Adam Teicher also noted that wide receiver Dwayne Bowe returns from his one-game suspension this week, adding another much-need weapon for quarterback Alex Smith.
Mike Klis: Do the Chiefs Know the Meaning of "Omaha"?
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Veteran defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson, who spent the last four seasons with the Denver Broncos before being cut this offseason, is now a Kansas City Chief.
Vickerson is 31 years old and, by all accounts, past his prime. Yet he is still a proven asset on a defensive line and both he and the Chiefs believe he still has some gas left in the tank.
Vickerson can prove to be a source of much insight for the Chiefs this season, but the question on everyone's mind, as The Denver Post's Mike Klis noted on Twitter this week, is has Vickerson revealed the meaning of "Omaha"
"Omaha," or more accurately "OMAHA!," is the now-famous play call that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning yells multiple times throughout games while preparing for the snap.
Apparently, Vickerson has been quite insightful indeed:
"Andy Reid was asked if his new DT Kevin Vickerson told him meaning of "Omaha!": "He said it was a city in Nebraska."
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) September 10, 2014"
Well, maybe we're all being a little facetious here...
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Adam Teicher: History Is Not on the Chiefs' Side
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ESPN's Adam Teicher wrote this week on the AFC West Blog that history is not on the Chiefs' side when they face Peyton Manning.
Teicher writes that the Chiefs' history against Manning is "particularly sad. Manning is 11-1 against Kansas City all-time, counting a pair of playoffs games, including one in which the Chiefs never forced Manning’s Indianapolis Colts to punt."
Teicher also shares some fun facts in his blog post, noting that, "Manning has undefeated records against the Cincinnati Bengals (8-0) and Cleveland Browns (6-0). Otherwise, his winning percentage is better against the Chiefs than any team he’s started against more than three times."
The Chiefs shouldn't feel too bad though; Manning has "won almost 70 percent of his regular-season games since arriving in the NFL, so he’s hurt a lot of opponents for a lot of years."
The Bleacher Report Experts: No One Is Banking on Kansas City
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Every week of the NFL season, 15 of Bleacher Report's NFL experts, writers and analysts make their picks for all the games of the week.
This week, all 15 of these football-savvy professionals picked the Denver Broncos to win the game.
Yikes.
Check out the article here by my colleague Gary Davenport; it is, as always, a great read.
For the record, all 15 experts also picked the Seattle Seahawks to beat the San Diego Chargers this week as well.
Vegas: Denver Nearly a Two-Touchdown Favorite
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As reported by Joel Thorman of SB Nation, the experts in Vegas, possibly the smartest experts of them all, are calling for Denver to win easily this week at home.
How easily you ask?
Well, the game opened up with the Broncos as 12.5-point favorites, and the line has since shifted a half-point in their favor, making them now 13-point favorites against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now, just like the rest of us, the sharks in Vegas can be way off in their projections, yet more often than not, they are in the right ballpark.
In the NFL, it doesn't matter if you win by one point or three touchdowns, and it's not too often that a 13-point favorite loses the game outright.
Whether or not Denver covers this large spread, expect the Broncos to be 2-0 come Sunday night, and the Chiefs to be looking for their first win of the season in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins.
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