Broncos vs. Chiefs: Denver Grades, Notes and Quotes
If you didn't catch the game of Thursday Night Football between the Denver Broncos (2-0) and the Kansas City Chiefs (1-1), you missed a wild one.
It would be hard to argue that the Chiefs didn't outplay the Broncos all game, but Denver didn't roll over. The team made adjustments all game and came up with big play after big play when it was desperately needed.
The Broncos also used five turnovers to help stun the crowd at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kansas City will find it hard to overcome this crushing defeat, as they had Denver exactly where they wanted them and a 2-0 start was within reach. The Broncos then scored two touchdowns in 40 seconds to steal the win.
After Peyton Manning found Emmanuel Sanders for his second touchdown of the night with under one minute to play, the Chiefs handed the ball to Jamaal Charles, who fumbled for the second time in the game. Bradley Roby scooped it up and ran it in for the decisive score.
You probably could have heard a pin drop at Arrowhead.
Denver made plenty of mistakes and many of those will likely be overlooked based on the unbelievable finish to this one, but much like last week, the win didn't come easily.
The Broncos will now get some much-needed rest before heading to Detroit to play the Lions in Week 3.
For more on this game, click forward.
Position Grades for Denver Broncos
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Position Grade
| QB | B- |
| RB | C- |
| WR | A+ |
| TE | B+ |
| OL | C- |
| DL | B- |
| LB | A |
| DB | A |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | B- |
Quarterback: Watching the first few drives of this game, it looked like Manning was well on his way to not only earning a very low letter grade, but also inviting much more talk of his imminent demise.
For the second week in a row, he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. It looked like things were really going to get out of hand, but head coach Gary Kubiak began to let Manning run the offense like he used to, lining up almost exclusively out of the shotgun formation. The game completely turned at that point.
Manning finished with three touchdowns and he looked like a much different player by the time it was over.
Running Back: For the second week in a row, the running game failed to materialize. While this certainly isn't the way Kubiak likely planned on things going, he'll take the win.
Denver ran for 61 yards on 22 carries, averaging just 2.8 yards per attempt. That's not going to get it done. However, much of their lack of success can be attributed to the play of the offensive line.
Wide Receiver: Emmanuel Sanders played another solid game for Denver, and he is emerging as one of the better playmakers in the league. He caught eight passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns in this game.
Demaryius Thomas went over 100 yards receiving, but the two catches he made on the game-tying drive in the fourth quarter were as big as any plays in this game.
Tight End: Owen Daniels and Virgil Green combined for five catches for 31 yards and Green added a touchdown catch. Though he initially bobbled the ball, he was able to get his feet in bounds.
Offensive Line: In the first quarter, the offensive line looked as bad as Manning. They couldn't adequately protect the quarterback and couldn't open up any running lanes.
Justin Houston had his way with the Broncos offensive line. He had two sacks in the game. On the first, he ran past tackle Ryan Harris like he wasn't even there. Later, he bowled over Evan Mathis before getting to Manning.
Things got better for the line later in the game when Manning began to run the offense fans have become accustomed to seeing him in.
Defensive Line: The Broncos had a tough time slowing down Charles, despite his two fumbles. Antonio Smith and Malik Jackson each recorded a sack in the game. Jackson was able to hit the arm of Alex Smith, creating a critical interception made by Chris Harris in the fourth quarter.
Linebacker: For the second game in a row, Danny Trevathan led the team in tackles. Brandon Marshall continues to prove his worth as well. He was the man who forced the fumble that led to the game-winning score, popping the ball out of the hands of Charles.
Defensive Back: Harris and Aqib Talib both made interceptions in the game. Talib showed excellent anticipation on his. Both turnovers were a great example of the flexibility that defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has with his unit.
Special Teams: Brandon McManus booted another long field goal, connecting from 54 yards. In two games, he has already made three field goals of over 50 yards.
Coaching: Kubiak and his staff made the proper adjustments in this game. That, and a gritty performance by the players helped lead to victory.
However, Kubiak must realize that Manning isn't built for the offense he has used in his coaching career, so he will need to set up a game plan that plays to his strengths. If Denver has a start like this against a true contender, they won't be so fortunate.
Oh, and Kubiak, if Manning is in at quarterback, please remove the bootleg from your playbook. It doesn't work with him, and it's not going to.
Important Note No. 1: Denver Sets Mark for Divisional Road Wins
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With their win on Thursday night, the Broncos have now won 13 straight road games within the AFC West. That is a new NFL record.
Adam Schefter of ESPN talked about the streak in the video here, noting that the only other team to win 12 in a row was the San Francisco 49ers from 1987-1990. That puts the Broncos in a elite category.
Though beating the Oakland Raiders on the road isn't much to get excited about, getting wins in places like San Diego and Kansas City isn't necessarily an easy thing to do.
The fact that Denver has won 13 straight divisional road games in today's NFL is nothing short of remarkable.
Important Note No.2: Peyton Manning Goes over 70,000 Passing Yards
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Having a quarterback eclipse 70,000 passing yards has been a rarity in the NFL. In fact, until Thursday night, only one quarterback—Brett Favre—had ever done it.
Manning joined that exclusive club on Thursday night and now sits less than 2,000 yards away from becoming the NFL's all-time leader in that category. Though Manning will certainly downplay the feat, it is something that should be celebrated.
By comparison, Tom Brady, who sits at No. 5 on the all-time list, is nearly 20,000 yards behind Manning.
By the end of this season, Manning will not only hold the record, it will likely be out of reach of being broken for a very long time.
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Important Note No.3: Jamaal Charles' Fumbles a Rare Occurrence
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Jamaal Charles gave the Broncos plenty of trouble on Thursday night. He eclipsed 100 yards rushing and scored on a 34-yard touchdown run. But his two costly fumbles stood out.
According to stats collected on ESPN, Charles has never lost more than three fumbles in an entire season and never more than one in a single game. On Thursday night, he gave the ball up twice for the first time in his eight-year career.
Without the fumbles, the Chiefs win this game. The first came inside the red zone on Kansas City's first offensive possession and the second led to the winning score for Denver.
Though it will be a game the Broncos and their fans won't forget for a very long time, it will be one Charles will likely have a tough time putting behind him.
Quote No. 1: Peyton Manning After the Game
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Following the game, Manning was interviewed by sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson. He touched on the crazy finish to the game.
"I'm not quite sure I'd ever been in one quite like that. That was a new one.I've been involved in a couple of pretty crazy games, but nothing quite like this", he said, as reported by ABC News.
Manning even mentioned that he wanted to ask Jim Nantz and Phil Simms—the commentary team for the game—if they'd ever been a part of a game like that.
Manning also praised the effort of Kansas City, knowing the Broncos were lucky to escape with the victory.
"I'll tell you, their defense is so much better than last year. They're so stout against the run. They just make it hard all night. We just kept plugging."
Quote No. 2: Mark Schlereth on Play of Offensive Line
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In recapping the game for ESPN, Mark Schlereth talked about the play of Denver's offensive line in this game and he summed it up by calling them "absolutely horrendous" in a video posted on ESPN.com.
Schlereth talked about issues in both run-blocking and pass protection, and when asked what exactly it was they weren't doing well, Schlereth replied with, "pretty much everything."
Though it is the job of analysts such as Schlereth to be critical, he does know a little something about playing offensive line in Denver. He spent six seasons with the team and helped the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl championships.
Though Schlereth's words were somewhat harsh, they're not exactly off base. The offensive line is clearly a weakness. Though that was expected coming into the season, it is something that the coaching staff needs to continue to work on in order to strengthen the offense.
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