Kansas City Chiefs: Despite Loss and Injuries, Team Shows Promise and Fight

Going into Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs fans weren’t too optimistic. Many expected a blowout, and some thought the scoring by Denver would be so excessive that the outcome of the game would be decided at halftime.

It was the complete opposite.

Peyton Manning threw three touchdowns to give Denver a 21-10 lead at halftime as the Chiefs lost running back Jamaal Charles and safety Eric Berry to ankle injuries. It was assumed that the Broncos would run away with the game in the second half, which turned out to not be the case.

The Broncos’ high-powered offense only mustered three points in the second half, as Kansas City marched back with the strong play of some backups.

Running back Knile Davis rushed for 79 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while inside linebackers Josh Mauga and James Michael-Johnson—filling in for Joe Mays and Derrick Johnson—played well against the run.

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With a little more than three minutes to go in the game, the Chiefs had possession of the football with a chance to tie and possibly win if they did not want to risk Manning getting the ball at the start of overtime. But Kansas City fell short in completing the comeback and lost to Denver 24-17.

But where do you stand with the Chiefs after this defeat? A loss is a loss, but some losses are more discouraging than others. Even with a myriad of injuries, Chiefs fans have to feel a little bit better about their team after a strong stand against the Broncos.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid never prepared the team to go into Week 3 to play without seven starters. But the team did not stand back and gave Denver a run for its money.

Chiefs fans are upset because of the missed opportunities, as there was a golden one for their team to beat the Broncos for the first time since they acquired Manning. But there are reasons to feel a little bit better going into Week 3. There was noticeable improvement from Week 1 to Week 2, regardless of how many starters were absent.

What is the common denominator in both games? The Chiefs lost.

With a lack of consistency in the kicking game and a couple of errors, the Chiefs were unable to finish on top.

But when people expected it the least, especially without some of their Pro Bowlers, the Chiefs showed they can compete. At this point, we should expect the Chiefs to figure out their woes. The next step in this improvement process is to win a game and turn this 0-2 start in the right direction.

We are at that point where we can anticipate the Chiefs to pull off a win soon.

It is likely the Chiefs will have to do it without Charles, but Davis has shown that he can fill his shoes and help the offense.

Many of us were ready to write the Chiefs off for the season after a brutal 26-10 loss to Tennessee. Now, we know the Chiefs can compete, but it will still take a couple of adjustments to get the team into a rhythm. 

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