Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Full Report Card Grades for Denver
The Denver Broncos are now 6-0 with Peyton Manning as their quarterback against the Kansas City Chiefs. That's after a 29-16 Broncos victory on Sunday Night Football.
Denver marched into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday night and took it right to Kansas City, running the ball at the Chiefs the same way it did against the Miami Dolphins last week.
Denver had a 17:34 advantage in time of possession. The defense also forced three turnovers while allowing Kansas City to convert just one of its nine third-down attempts.
With the win, the Broncos (9-3) drop the Chiefs (7-5) two games back in the AFC West division. By virtue of a season sweep over them, the Broncos dealt the Chiefs' playoff hopes a severe blow in this game.
The Broncos also got some good news as it relates to their hopes for home-field advantage prior to this game when the New England Patriots lost to the Green Bay Packers. Denver and New England are now tied atop the AFC.
The Broncos will travel back home next week to face the Buffalo Bills.
For more on Sunday night's game, including report card grades for each positional unit, read on.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Peyton Manning doesn't have to attempt 50 passes and put up video game numbers for the Broncos to be successful. That was proven on Sunday night in Kansas City.
Manning completed 17 passes for just 179 yards on the night. He did throw two touchdown passes. But he wasn't exactly accurate.
Manning completed just half of his passes and was erratic on several throws. On two occasions, Emmanuel Sanders had to become a defender in order to prevent an interception.
Manning also threw several passes over the heads of his receivers while just overthrowing others. Perhaps the wind bothered him?
Still, the fact that the Broncos didn't need him to do anything spectacular is the mark of a team that is turning a corner toward a run at the Super Bowl.
Anyone who has followed Manning's career knows that he can make a spectacular play, and that makes this a dangerous team.
Similar to John Elway. Manning has had an excellent career. But when Denver beat Green Bay in the Super Bowl, Elway only threw for 123 yards and had no touchdown passes.
Just some food for thought.
Grade: B-
Running Back
2 of 10
The last time a running back ran for 150 yards or more in back-to-back games, it was Adrian Peterson during his 2,000-yard season in 2012.
C.J. Anderson accomplished the same feat on Sunday night.
Anderson carried the ball 32 times for 168 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He had a long of 20 yards, but Anderson made some tough runs, breaking the first tackle nearly every time he carried the ball.
Undrafted out of California, Anderson probably never dreamed of the kind of success he's had over the last two weeks. The Broncos probably didn't expect him to be quite this productive, either.
But the team has really found something, and going forward, it is the key to its playoff run.
Anderson also caught a 15-yard touchdown pass on a critical third down in the first quarter. This allowed the Broncos to go up 14-0 rather than kicking a field goal.
Juwan Thompson also provided a nice spark off the bench. Thompson had 39 yards on 10 carries, showing that a variety of backs can have success in the current scheme Denver is using. Per SNF's Twitter account:
"C.J. Anderson receives a game ball! #SNF @Broncos pic.twitter.com/AZ4DWndkAs
— SundayNight Football (@SNFonNBC) December 1, 2014"
When Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman get healthy, this team will have some important decisions to make. However, they're the kind of decisions many teams wish they had to make.
Grade: A+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Having to go without tight end Julius Thomas for a second straight game, the Broncos still found ways to be resourceful in the passing game.
However, credit to the Chiefs for playing very good in coverage, despite not having Eric Berry on the field.
Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas each caught six passes in the game. Thomas made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the first quarter for the Broncos' first points of the game—a 23-yard touchdown.
But the rest of the receivers didn't have much of an impact in the passing game. Wes Welker, for instance, has all but disappeared from the offense.
Jacob Tamme dropped a sure touchdown and finished with just one catch for four yards. When it comes to replacing Julius Thomas, he has left a lot to be desired.
Virgil Green, on the other hand, is proving invaluable. While Green won't catch many passes, he has been extremely reliable as an additional blocker since returning from injury.
So while the Broncos have lost something in the passing game with Julius Thomas, they've gained something in the running game with Green.
If they can get those two tight ends on the field together, they could cause a lot of problems for opposing defenses.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Watching the Denver Broncos' offensive line from a few weeks ago compared to the one we're seeing now is like day and night. The play of the offensive line is the biggest reason Denver has gotten wins against Miami and Kansas City in the last two weeks.
The Broncos ran the ball for over 200 yards on Sunday night. In addition, Peyton Manning was sacked just one time.
The O-line is opening up big holes in the running game, pushing the defensive line backward.
The Chiefs have one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL—Dontari Poe—and he was kept in check in this game. Playing center, Will Montgomery had his way with Poe.
The Broncos seem to have found something by moving Louis Vasquez over to the right tackle spot as well. Vasquez gave up the lone sack when he let NFL sack leader Justin Houston run right by him, but he has played well in the position, particularly in the running game.
But the biggest change has been Denver adding a sixth offensive lineman to its game plan. Paul Cornick, who struggled in his time at right tackle this season, has excelled in this role, which is basically an extra tight end who just blocks.
The Broncos are pounding the ball at their opponents, and the balance they have created on offense has transformed the team. Per TheFootballEducator.com's Brandon Thorn:
"CJ Anderson is a godsend. This guy + the move of Louis Vasquez to RT looks like exactly what the #Broncos needed to get back on track
— Brandon Thorn (@OneDayGM) December 1, 2014"
It seems they learned a lot from their loss to the St. Louis Rams. The Broncos have found a new way to play, and they will be very difficult to beat because of it.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Though Kansas City didn't attempt to run the ball all that often on Sunday night, Denver held the Chiefs to just 41 yards on the ground. The push that the defensive line was getting was a big reason why.
DeMarcus Ware came to play in this one as well.
On the night, Ware had a sack, two tackles for loss and an interception. On that play, Terrance Knighton tipped a pass from Alex Smith, and the deflection was snagged by Ware. Though Denver only got a field goal following the turnover, it was a massive play by the Denver defense.
With a two-score lead in the fourth quarter, the Broncos put a lot of pressure on Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith. They had six sacks on the night and forced Smith to rush several throws.
Ware was pleased with the defensive showing, per ESPN NFL Nation's Jeff Legwold:
"DeMarcus Ware said this was defense's most complete game of season other than win over S.F.
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) December 1, 2014"
This is the kind of football Denver excels at. If it has a big lead in the fourth quarter, you can bet you'll see Ware, Malik Jackson and Derek Wolfe being let loose on the opposing quarterback.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
6 of 10
The Denver defense got a huge boost when linebacker Brandon Marshall was made available for this game after leaving last week's win over Miami with a concussion.
Marshall led the team in tackles, something he is doing on a regular basis, but he contributed in other ways as well.
He had a sack on the night and came up with a big play after a Kansas City score. Following a touchdown pass from Alex Smith to Jamaal Charles in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs decided to go for a two-point conversion.
Smith and the Chiefs offense ran everything one direction, and Smith tried to catch everyone off guard by throwing back across the field to tight end Anthony Fasano. But he didn't fool Marshall. The Denver linebacker knocked the ball down, keeping it a two-score game.
Von Miller had another excellent game as well. Smith probably doesn't want to see him for a very, very long time.
Miller finished the game with 1.5 sacks and three hits on the quarterback. He also batted one pass down at the line of scrimmage. Miller has really put together an excellent season.
Grade: B+
Secondary
7 of 10
The Broncos didn't have Aqib Talib on Sunday night. They didn't need him.
Kansas City, which has yet to throw a touchdown pass to a wide receiver this season, never really threatened the Denver cornerbacks on the outside of the field.
Kansas City receivers accounted for just five receptions on the night, and when it looked like they'd finally hit a big play when Alex Smith completed a 20-yard pass to Donnie Avery, Rahim Moore came up with a nice tackle that popped the ball loose.
Bradley Roby recovered, cutting short Kansas City's last chance to get back in the game.
Denver got big plays from safeties T.J. Ward and Quinton Carter as well. Ward had six tackles on the night and a quarterback sack. He also got a big hit on Smith when the quarterback scrambled, popping him before he could slide.
Carter also got a sack, coming right up the middle on a well-designed blitz by defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.
The Broncos still had a bit of trouble covering the tight ends, as Smith used them to produce Kansas City's first score, but the secondary was helped by a very good pass rush that never let Smith find his targets down the field.
Grade: B
Special Teams
8 of 10
Special teams have been a weakness in Denver this season. But this game gives hope that those struggles could be in the past.
Replacing Brandon McManus, Connor Barth came out and kicked five field goals in his debut with the team. Though none of the field goals were very difficult, they were the same kind of kicks McManus was missing.
Barth made kicks of 22, 24, 30, 33 and 37 yards on the night. That had to feel good for a kicker who hadn't played in an NFL game since December 2012.
It was a windy night in Kansas City, so we'll have to wait until the Broncos return to the thin air of Denver to totally pass judgment, but it was a little troubling to see Barth's short kickoffs.
The Chiefs were given very good starting field position on nearly all of their possessions. One of Barth's kickoffs was fielded at the 12-yard line.
But that would be about the only knock on special teams on this night.
In the second quarter, the Broncos were forced to punt and were called for a penalty when Andre Caldwell ran out of bounds to avoid being blocked before coming back into the field of play.
Because return man De'Anthony Thomas was tackled immediately after catching the ball, Kansas City chose to make Denver kick it again.
This time, Denver called a fake punt, directly snapping the ball to David Bruton who ran for 13 yards on the 4th-and-7 play.
Grade: B+
Coaching
9 of 10
Since the loss to the St. Louis Rams, the Broncos have turned things around. The coaching staff deserves some credit for that.
The coaches have installed what seems like an entirely new offense in just two games, finding success with two undrafted rookies as their only healthy running backs.
Adam Gase is doing a great job calling games. Running back coach Eric Studesville and offensive line coach Dave Magazu have done a very good job helping to prepare the team for what it has done the last two weeks.
On defense, Jack Del Rio is doing a good job allowing his defense to feed off the offense. Del Rio called timely blitzes and took full advantage of the weapons he has, such as Von Miller.
Plus, the fake punt was excellent. Head coach John Fox has often been criticized for being too conservative, but that was far from it. Broncos writer Troy Miller praised Gase's play-calling:
"Adam Gase is calling his best game of the season. Stick with it.
— Troy Miller (@TheTroyMiller) December 1, 2014"
This is the kind of mentality the coaching staff needs to keep. One that keeps the opponent on its toes. One that sends a message that the Broncos are willing to try anything at any time.
Denver has been able to win games despite some of the decisions its coaching staff has made. This was the best game the coaches have had this year.
They brought a well-prepared unit into a hostile environment and left with a huge victory.
Grade: A
Overall Grade
10 of 10
Quarterback: B-
Running Back: A+
Wide Receiver/Tight End: B
Offensive Line: A
Defensive Line: B+
Linebacker: B+
Secondary: B
Special Teams: B+
Coaching: A
Overall Grade: A-
This was as complete a win that the Broncos have had this season. The fact that they ran for 35 yards more than they passed for is not only surprising, but also very encouraging.
This is a formula the team can win with. And even if a team is able to step up and slow down the running game, it will just open the door for Peyton Manning to go back to what he does best.
Using the run to set up the pass is something that makes the Broncos a very hard team to defend. If the coaching staff follows this pattern, the Denver offense will be as potent as any in the league.
Defensively, the Broncos will be getting Danny Trevathan back soon, and they should be ready to make a deep playoff run with the brand of football they're playing.
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