Broncos ride win streak into Chiefs game again, but this one feels a bit different
The last time the Chiefs and Broncos met Denver was coming off a two-game winning streak and feeling better about itself after opening the season with four losses. The Chiefs won 30-6 in Denver. Sunday, the Broncos arrive having won their last two. But this feels a little different because the team believes it has found its quarterback, Drew Lock.
Coach
Vic Fangio won’t have a winning record in his first season as a head coach. At 5-8, one more loss ensures a losing record. How the Broncos finish the season will determine how fans feel about Fangio. He had an interesting suggetion on future NFL scheduling this week. Fangio said his plan was the keep the season at 16 games - there is talk about going to a 17th regular-season game - but eliminate division and have each team in the conference play each other once. That’s 15 games. Then add a game from the other conference to complete the schedule. That way in a six-team playoff format, the top six teams advance and you wouldn’t have years where an 8-8 ream would host a 12-4 team. Not going to happen, but interesting.
Offense
Hello, Drew Lock. It was one thing to get a victory in his first NFL game, a last-second field-goal victory over the L.A. Chargers at home. What Lock did next, though, was eye-popping: a 309-yard, three-touchdown performance in a victory at AFC South-leading Houston. Is this, finally, the Broncos’ long-awaited quarterback of the future? This Lee’s Summit High and Mizzou graduate? His replica jerseys are arriving in Denver stores just in time for Christmas. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton (59 catches for 940 yards and six TDs) and tight end Noah Fant (35-492-3) are his top targets. And running back Phillip Lindsay can do damage, too.
Defense
Von Miller has been dealing with a knee injury but was a full participant in practice Friday. Safety Kareem Jackson is coming off an AFC Defensive Player of the Week effort against his old team, Houston. The Texans were in catch-up mode throughout the game, but the Broncos put the clamps on their Deshaun Watson-led offense and held the standout quarterback to a 63.1 passer rating. Denver has allowed eight rushing touchdowns in its last four games. The Chiefs have scored at least 27 points each time during their eight-game winning streak in the KC-Denver series. Former Chiefs QB Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes are both 4-0 during the run, although Matt Moore played most of the snaps in the teams’ last meeting after Mahomes suffered a dislocated kneecap.