Plenty of intrigue in Denver on Sunday afternoon as the Broncos can clinch the AFC West with a win over Kansas City, a team that will be starting Kyle Orton at quarterback. Of course Orton was Denver?s start to begin this year but was replaced by Tim Tebow and eventually waived.
Struggling to a 1-4 start under Orton, the Broncos turned to Tebow as the full-time starter beginning with their Oct. 23 game at Miami. Tebow led one of his many comeback victories in that contest, 18-15 in overtime after throwing a game-tying touchdown pass with 17 seconds remaining in regulation. Orton became the odd man out, getting released Nov. 22, and Tebow went on to win seven of his first eight starts. Orton has not played up the game, saying he?s focused on helping the Chiefs end on a high note even though they were eliminated from playoff contention with last week?s 16-13 overtime loss to Oakland.
The Broncos had an opportunity to secure the division after a six-game winning streak but dropped the next two, losing to New England and Buffalo by a combined score of 81-37. The defense that carried Denver through its winning run has given up 802 yards in two weeks, and Tebow has committed as many turnovers in his last two games (5) as he had in his previous eight games combined. The Chiefs have limited opponents to 30 points over the last two weeks, which included a 19-14 win over Green Bay. Orton passed for 299 yards without an INT in that game, but threw two in last week?s overtime loss to Oakland.
The Broncos completed just two passes in a Week 10 win over the Chiefs. One of them was 56-yard TD bomb to Eric Decker, but the real work was done on the ground. Kansas City?s front including Tamba Hali, Justin Houston and Glenn Dorsey were at times blown off the ball and often caught in space by Denver?s brand-new read-option attack to the tune of 244 yards on 55 carries. The read option has since lost some of its luster. After seeing Buffalo blow up gaps in limiting the Broncos to 133 rushing yards, expect Kansas City to come out with an improved gameplan. Tebow may have to beat this team through the air, which has proven difficult over the past two weeks.
WAGERWEB.COM LINE ? Broncos by 3
RECORD VS. SPREAD ? Kansas City 8-7; Denver 7-8
SERIES RECORD ? Chiefs lead 55-48
LAST MEETING ? Broncos won 17-10, Nov. 13
LAST WEEK ? Chiefs lost to Raiders 16-13 OT; Broncos lost to Bills 40-14
CHIEFS OFFENSE ? OVERALL (25), RUSH (12), PASS (25)
CHIEFS DEFENSE ? OVERALL (15), RUSH (20), PASS (9)
BRONCOS OFFENSE ? OVERALL (23), RUSH (1), PASS (31)
BRONCOS DEFENSE ? OVERALL (23), RUSH (25), PASS (20)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES ? Romeo Crennel 0-2 lifetime against Denver and John Fox 3-0 in his career against Kansas City. ? Last time teams met in Denver, on Nov. 14, 2010, Kyle Orton threw career-high four TDs against Chiefs and Tim Tebow also threw first career TD pass. ? Orton started 33 games with Broncos before release Nov. 22, passing for 8,263 yards with 49 TDs, 27 INTs and 86.4 passer rating. In two starts with KC, Orton averaging 299.5 yards passing. ? Chiefs RB Dexter McCluster had career-high 89 yards receiving last week. ? Dwayne Bowe (1,066) has topped 1,000 yards receiving for third time. ? LB Tamba Hali needs two sacks to join Neil Smith and Derrick Thomas as only Chiefs to register 14 sacks in two seasons. ? With win, Broncos reach playoffs for first time since ?05. ? Tebow 7-3 as starter in ?11 with 16 TDs. In two career games vs. Chiefs, Tebow has two TD passes, no INTs and passer rating of 102.8 with two TD runs. ? Broncos averaging NFL-best 161.1 yards on ground. ? RB Willis McGahee (1,054) last week became second player in league history to record 1,000-yard seasons for three different teams (Buffalo, Baltimore). ? In last meeting, RB Lance Ball had career-best 96 yards rushing. ? Since Week 13, WR Demaryius Thomas tied with Detroit WR Calvin Johnson for NFL lead with 103.5 yards receiving average. ? WR Eric Decker?s 56-yard TD catch that sealed 17-10 win at Kansas City earlier this season was career-long for him and one of only two completions on day for Tebow as he threw eight passes and Broncos ran 55 times. ? LB Von Miller leads AFC rookies and ranks second to San Francisco?s Aldon Smith (14) among NFL rookies with 11? sacks despite playing past month with cast to immobilize right wrist and thumb. Injury cost him a game and he?s had one sack last three weeks. ? DE Elvis Dumervil aiming for ninth straight game with sack. He and Miller were both named to the Pro Bowl.
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