Dissecting Most Crucial Matchups in Denver Broncos' Week 13 Contest with Chiefs

After rallying to beat the Miami Dolphins in Week 12 at home, the Denver Broncos improved their record to 8-3 on the season. But now, the games get even more important, especially if they are to catch the New England Patriots for home-field advantage.

Week 13 brings a true test. Though the Kansas City Chiefs became the first team to lose to the Oakland Raiders this season last Thursday night, they are generally always tough at home.

Though the Broncos have won three in a row at Arrowhead Stadium, they have an 18-36 all-time record there. But the Broncos can take solace in the fact that Peyton Manning is 3-0 against the Chiefs in their stadium as a member of the Broncos.

Still, the Chiefs will be a team that comes out swinging after a 10-day break. Andy Reid is a good coach, and after a tough loss like the one they just had against Oakland, they know they don't have much margin for error.

A win for the Broncos would give them a two-game lead in the AFC West and a season sweep of the Chiefs. Expect Kansas City to play like a team in a must-win situation because for all intents and purposes, it is.

Here, we have identified three critical matchups that should have a great impact on the outcome of this divisional tilt.

Denver Safety T.J. Ward vs. Kansas City Tight End Travis Kelce

The Chiefs don't have a single touchdown pass to a wide receiver this year—not one. That sounds ridiculous, but it's completely true.

However, quarterback Alex Smith loves to make full use of his tight ends, especially in the red zone. Aside from Jamaal Charles, Travis Kelce is easily the most dangerous offensive weapon on the team.

Kelce has made 41 catches on the season—28 of which have resulted in a first down. He has also snagged four touchdown receptions.

Smith isn't going to stop looking for him, so that makes T.J. Ward's role in pass defense an important one Sunday night.

Ward seems to be getting fully acclimated to the Denver defense after a slow start to the season, but his play as a pass defender in recent games has been the biggest improvement.

In the last three games, Ward has two interceptions and three passes defensed.

After Denver took its first lead of the game last Sunday against Miami, Ward's fourth-quarter interception off a tipped pass stopped the Dolphins' drive and ended up being one of the biggest plays of the game.

Ward was brought in to help shut down strong, athletic players like Kelce. Sunday will be a perfect opportunity to show that he is up to the challenge.

Denver Linebacker Brandon Marshall/Lamin Barrow vs. Kansas City Running Back Jamaal Charles

With the injuries Denver has suffered to the linebacker position this season, it was in dire need of a player to step up and play at a high level.

Brandon Marshall has not only done that, but he's also made it so it will be hard to keep him off the field even when it gets back to full strength.

Marshall is all over the field. He's made 94 tackles on the season. That puts him in a tie for seventh in the entire league for tackles made.

There's just one problem. Marshall could miss the game too after being diagnosed with a concussion after leaving the game against Miami.

The Chiefs have one of the best running backs in the league in Charles. He has run for 772 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. But his best weapon is his elusiveness in the open field. If he gets past the first line of defense, he can turn a two-yard gain into a long touchdown run in the blink of an eye.

He has averaged 5.5 yards per carry through the course of his career. That ranks as the best all time—ahead of names like Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Gale Sayers.

If he is able to go, Marshall will play a big role in slowing him down on Sunday, either coming off the edge to catch him in the backfield as he tries to turn the corner or shadowing him as he comes out of the backfield as a receiver.

If Charles ends up having a quiet night on Sunday, you can bet Marshall was a big factor.

But if Marshall doesn't pass the league's concussion protocol and is forced to miss the game, then the Broncos have some serious problems.

Rookie linebacker Lamin Barrow would likely slide into his starting spot. If the coaching staff didn't feel comfortable with that, using Ward as hybrid linebacker-safety, while playing an extra defensive back, would be another option.

"

Fox on rookie LB Lamin Barrow: “it’s a process…we’ve got some young guys that we’re rotating…hopefully, they continue to improve…"

— Brandon Krisztal (@BKDenverSports) November 24, 2014"

But if either of those moves comes to fruition, expect the Chiefs to get the ball in the hands of their star running back as often as possible.

Denver Offense vs. Crowd Noise

This may be a little outside the box, but it could also be the biggest factor in the game.

Arrowhead Stadium has long been known as one of the loudest in the league. In Week 4, when the Chiefs beat the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football, Arrowhead set the record for the loudest outdoor stadium.

With last year's Super Bowl and this year's loss to New England being prime examples, the Broncos haven't exactly been great at dealing with noisy stadiums.

This will be a true test for them, because there is no doubt that it will be loud.

One cause for concern is the constant shuffling of the offensive line. Manny Ramirez snapped the ball over Manning's head on the first play of the Super Bowl, and he had played center the entire season.

Will Montgomery is now being used at center.

For the Broncos to tune out the crowd, they need to employ the same strategy they used against Miami. Run the ball often and run the ball hard. If they are able to keep the chains moving, they can avoid those long third downs where the crowd really turns up the volume.

Having Virgil Green back is invaluable to the running game. In order to shut down the Kansas City crowd, the Chiefs should see a heavy dose of C.J. Anderson on Sunday.

Have Manning line up under center. There's no reason for him to be in shotgun on every single snap. A power running game was established against the Dolphins, and it will be the best weapon against noisy Arrowhead Stadium.