Broncos vs. Chiefs: 5 Things We Learned About Denver in 17-10 Win

The Denver Broncos have done something that seemed impossible when the schedule was originally released. They have gone on the road to their two toughest divisional away games and won both in successive weeks.

Even for a Denver team projected to be successful and competitive that would have been a tall order, but this team of underdogs has done what nobody expected. 

This team has come together and grown every week since the disaster against Detroit. Here are five more things that were learned about Denver.

With McGahee and Moreno All Game, It's a Rout

The beginning of that game was as dominant a display of running as the Broncos have had in recent memory. If even one of the two starting running backs stays healthy past the first quarter, Tim Tebow may never have even attempted a pass.

The offensive line is playing extremely well with the new focus on rushing in Denver, but it is the experience of McGahee especially that makes the attack so dangerous. Add to the mix an exciting showing by Knowshon Moreno on the outside edges and the Broncos were ready to roll.

Sadly, both players went out and Lance Ball was left to shoulder the load. He handled the responsibility well and had help from the line and Tebow. Still, if McGahee stays in the game, the Broncos would have found the end zone more than twice.

The Chiefs Were Thoroughly Beaten Physically

This evening, Matt Cassel might see a backwards No. 58 bruised into his chest, considering how often Von Miller got up close and personal with the Chiefs' QB.

While the Broncos offensive line dominated the trenches against the KC defense, it was the Broncos pass' rush that harassed Cassel and eventually forced him off the field for fear that he might risk serious injury in the final minutes.

If that game was within one possession, Cassel surely would have come back on the field, but since the game was basically out of reach, coach Todd Haley waved the white flag and let backup Tyler Palko mop up against the prevent.

The Defense Is Better When They Have No Messes to Clean Up

How many times has a defense gotten a bad reputation for the sins of their offensive counterparts?

What fans saw today was how good the Denver defense can be when they only need to worry about their own actions. Not once was the defense asked to come out onto the field with poor field position as a result of a turnover.

The result of that was a shutout in the first half and a more than adequate second half in which the defense only truly yielded one meaningful score. In fact, if the Denver defense had converted on several interception chances, the score could have been more lopsided as well.

It Might Be Time to Worry About Matt Prater

No, it is not time to start trying out new place kickers, but this team is showing that they are going to stay close in many more games than expected. Therefore, a lights-out kicker is an asset.

Prater has not cashed in on some chances that are usually chip shots for a kicker with his power. Is this a situation like those seen on the PGA tour where a usually steady putter develops a case of the "yips"?

The Broncos need to hope that these misses are not indicative of a bigger problem, as opposing teams might be seeing that Prater could be vulnerable to the dreaded "icing" technique pioneered by former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. 

Turnovers Are All That Matters

A team with no turnovers is a team in position to win a lot of games in the NFL. The most interesting thing about Tim Tebow is that, despite his deficiencies in the passing game, he takes such good care of the ball.

Some of that could be thanks to Mike McCoy and opposing defenses, as Tebow will gladly throw the ball up into single coverage and trust that his receivers will either win the battle or protect the ball from being intercepted.

Either way, the biggest difference between the Orton-led Broncos and the Tebow-led Broncos is that more often than not with Tebow at QB, the Broncos are not turning the ball over. That alone allows Britton Colquitt to do his work, which in turn allows the defense to play with some great field position.