In their first meeting of the fall, Chiefs beat Broncos with guys not named Mahomes
In a game between Teams B and C, the B’s led in these statistical categories: first downs (24 to 17), passing yards (234-185) and total yards (411-286). The C’s went 0-for-8 on third downs and lost the time-of-possession battle by nearly seven minutes.
Looks like it must’ve been a good day for the B’s, right? Not so fast — the B-roncos, with those advantages, lost to the C-hiefs 43-16 in the teams’ first meeting of 2020, in Week 7 in Denver.
So, what happened? A kickoff return for a touchdown by Byron Pringle and an interception return for a score by safety Dan Sorensen, plus a season-high four takeaways by the Chiefs blew the margin out of proportion.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio remembers all too well the oddity of a game the Chiefs’ won largely through defense and special teams.
“It was an unusual game,” Fangio said. “They had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and they had a 50-something yard pick-six for a touchdown. They had some short field. So, it was unusual circumstances — their offense against our defense.
“As a result, their team beat our team. The way the game played out, their offense didn’t — it wasn’t a normal game for them, nor a normal game for our defense.”
Here are some potential difference-makers for Sunday’s game besides quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Drew Lock.
Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman
In the teams’ first meeting this fall, Mahomes threw behind his second-year speedster on what would have been a 89-yard touchdown pass last weekend. Look for Mahomes to make it up to Hardman this week. With 29 receptions, Hardman has already surpassed his total from last year (26), but his yards-per-reception average is down from 20.7 to 15.0.
Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward
Ward came up big against the Broncos in the first meeting with a team-high nine tackles and the first sack of his three-year career. Against the Bucs last weekend, Ward played every defensive snap for the second time this season.
Broncos running back Melvin Gordon
If Phillip Lindsay can’t play due to a lingering knee injury, Gordon figures to become busier. In nine career games against the Chiefs, the former Charger has 533 rushing yards and six touchdowns. The Chiefs haven’t been great against the run, ranking 23rd in yards allowed. But by taking early leads, they’ve often forced teams into passing situations.
Broncos safety Justin Simmons
Simmons is a gamer. He owns the longest streak of consecutive snaps among NFL defensive players: 2,753, entering Sunday’s game. The streak started in 2017. He leads the Broncos with four interceptions and three of his 15 career picks have come against the Chiefs, including two off Mahomes (2018, 2019).
Simmons was a second-team All-Pro last season. The 2016 third-round pick also can block kicks. He has three blocks in his career. Against Mahomes, Simmons said, “You have to have great eyes, and you can’t be afraid to make plays on the ball when it’s in the air. He’s shown he’s not afraid to throw it.”