Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Halftime Observations for the Broncos

With the Oakland Raiders taking down the San Diego Chargers on Thursday night, this division matchup is crucial to the division standings.

If the Denver Broncos take the matchup, they will be just one game behind first place with some serious momentum. If the Kansas City Chiefs can stop Tebow and company, they will vault themselves into the No. 1 spot in the AFC West.

Either way, this game has large playoff implications. Let's take a look at some first-half observations and a few keys to getting the Broncos back into the win column.

You've Set Up the Pass, So Now You Pass

Only one of the Broncos first plays was a pass, but that didn't stop them from averaging well over six yards per carry in the first half.

With Tebow running the option most of the time in the shotgun, it's confusing to see the Chiefs not expecting the run at all times, unless they are and simply can't stop it. Because the Broncos have been able to be successful on the ground, it should give them plenty of confidence and the ability to actually put the ball into the air.

Eventually the Chiefs are going to stack the box with eight, maybe even nine defenders. When that happens, Tebow needs to be able to read the defense effectively and get rid of the ball through the air. 

Never Back Down

So the first and second string running backs are hurt. So What?!

Denver is doing an excellent job at spreading the ball around to his runners. I say runners because we've already seen Eddie Royal run the ball multiple times, but he may be the X-factor that the Broncos need. He's one of the fastest players on the roster, and with Lance Ball as the feature back right now, they're going to need a change-of-pace runner.

Storm the Cassel

The Chiefs offense hasn't gotten much started in the first half, but one of the biggest reasons is because D.J. Williams and rookie Von Miller have been in beast mode all day, not giving him much time to throw.

The Broncos have been able to get into the backfield with ease, already with four tackles for losses. Like most games, if that's happening, the other team is not scoring.