How the Broncos can shock the football world and upset the Chiefs
Oct 12, 2023, 6:47 AM | Updated: 9:32 am
The Denver Broncos are 1-4 and looking for answers. Those may be tough to find in a short week as they travel to play the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football in Week 6.
I hope this game isn’t ugly. The Broncos are up against one of the best in the league, and they lost by 50 points the last time they faced an offense with this much firepower. Their offense is inconsistent and mostly disappears in the second half, while their defense can’t stop the run to save their lives.
How will the Broncos attack the Chiefs on both sides of the ball? Let’s take a look.
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When the Broncos Run the Ball
It looks like RB Javonte Williams is going to be back out there for the Broncos in this important game against a division rival. I thought Williams was close to playing last week, but HC Sean Payton decided a game of rest was best. Now, Williams can help lead the way on the ground in a contest where the team could use as much help as possible.
The Broncos can use the power from Williams to soften up the Chiefs defense. They cannot shy away from sticking with the rushing attack, even if yards are tough to come by. You’re hoping that those 3-yard carries in the first quarter turn into 7-yard (or more) runs in the fourth quarter as you grind down your opponent. Using Williams and running effectively can help your defense by keeping the Chiefs offense off the field.
When you need lightning on the field, the Broncos should use Jaleel McLaughlin. They need to use him more as he can produce when he touches the ball. For whatever reason, the coaching staff seems hesitant to give the undrafted free agent more work. If they fall behind, which is quite likely, then using McLaughlin and a hurry-up offense could get more points on the board if they need to play catch up.
Can't wait to see Javonte Williams back on the field 🙏
📽️: @NFL | #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/TGdcWP3Wqh
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) May 25, 2023
The best plan for the Broncos is to run the ball early and often. I feel like I’m writing and saying that every week, but it especially holds true when you’re facing a high-powered opponent like the Chiefs.
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When the Broncos Pass the Ball
Of the many problems the Broncos have this season, QB Russell Wilson is not one of them. In fact, if you were to rank their problems, he’d be incredibly low (or off) the list. His game has bene inconsistent this year, but Wilson does look much better this year under Payton’s guidance. Now, he can’t go toe-to-toe with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes so a measured passing attack would be the best plan.
If the Broncos run the ball the way they should, that will set up play-action opportunities for Wilson. The Chiefs have physical corners, and downfield passing will only work if you’ve got them peeking into the backfield waiting for a handoff. I think this is the type of game where a big play or two could come from the likes of rookie WR Marvin Mims Jr. He’s the fastest of the receivers, and his explosion will be tough to handle at the line of scrimmage. The Chiefs want to jump jam at the line, so receivers need to get by them – and if they do then big plays can happen.
Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy may be traded in the near future. They could showcase their skill for 30 other teams in the league who will be watching while the Broncos and Chiefs play on Thursday Night Football. The Broncos may want to use Sutton and Jeudy more to entice teams interested in wide receiver help. They may also want to use them because both have skill, but neither has played up to their full potential this year. Against the Chiefs, fade routes and fade stops can work. That’s great news for Sutton, but those are routes that Jeudy doesn’t run as good as he needs to. For Jeudy, I’d use slant routes to get him open early. These two had better be ready to handle the physical coverage and length the Chiefs defense utilizes.
Report: Some NFL teams believe that the #Broncos will listen to trade offers for WRs Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, as well as players on defense, per ESPN.
The report adds "Nobody's trading for Russell Wilson's contract."
The report also says that Denver is not interested… https://t.co/VXYnqWmQ1h pic.twitter.com/ytk1x1JQWe
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 11, 2023
This team needs a miracle to win in Week 6, and that’s unlikely to come with the passing game. Instead, the Broncos need to be safe and efficient as they protect Wilson and distribute the ball through the air carefully.
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When the Chiefs Run the Ball
The Broncos struggle to stop anyone on the ground, and now they face the angriest runner in the league in Isiah Pacheco. I’ve gone on and on about how the Broncos should’ve drafted Pacheco last year. He was the fastest running back at the Scouting Combine in 2022 (4.37 40-yard dash) and had great film at Rutgers where he used his speed and hi-energy style to attack defenders. The Broncos brought him in for a top-30 visit before the draft, but instead they chose guys like Montrell Washington instead.
The Chiefs plucked Pacheco in the seventh-round last year, and about halfway through his rookie season he took over at the position. He led the Chiefs in rushing last year, beating out former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Pacheco was the leading rusher in the Super Bowl on his way to getting a ring as a rookie. Pacheco is the king of angry runs, and he does not shy away from contact. In fact, last year he played most of the season with a shoulder injury that required surgery in the offseason. He is tough, incredibly fast, and is always on the attack. The Broncos are terrible in stopping the run, so there’s a chance Pacheco could easily go over 100-yards rushing in Week 6.
Edwards-Helaire might also get work, but I think Jerick McKinnon is another player to watch. McKinnon is the team’s receiving back, but the way they use him on swing routes and Texas routes could be difficult to match up with. The Broncos linebackers can’t cover McKinnon, and I fully expect the Chiefs to get him in space against the likes of Josey Jewell or Alex Singleton.
Isaih Pacheco was the fastest back at the combine, with 4.37 speed. He is also the only RB the Chiefs drafted.
Potential “Elijah Mitchell” candidate.
— Jeff Bell (@4WhomJBellTolls) April 30, 2022
It could be a huge day for the Chiefs offense, with Pacheco and his backfield mates leading the way on the ground. The Chiefs are already tough enough to deal with because of their passing game, and the Broncos woes in stopping the run could just make things worse.
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When the Chiefs Pass the Ball
Mahomes is the best in the game, and he’s nearly unstoppable on a weekly basis. He has learned that he doesn’t need to play hero ball where he wants to score on every throw, and that patience has made him even more deadly as a passer. Mahomes cannot be fooled by coverage, and he knows how to pick on your weak spot.
There is no doubt that TE Travis Kelce is the favorite target in the offense. He’s been banged up, but Kelce has been practicing this short week and could play. That’s terrible news for a Broncos defense that still struggles to cover the tight end. The inside linebackers have little chance when covering Kelce, so that means CB Pat Surtain could be covering him on Thursday night. That’s something we used to see when Aqib Talib faced Rob Gronkowski. It’s a formula that can work, and it’s beneficial the Chiefs don’t really have a featured player at the wide receiver position. However, they do have players who could make big plays in Week 6.
Rookie Rashee Rice, another player the Broncos liked before the draft but did not draft, is coming on strong this year. He’s fourth in snaps for the Chiefs receivers, but he’s first in targets this year – and he’s trending to get better and better. Rice has speed, and he makes tough catches on slant routes with a safety coming in. The Chiefs also have Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, and Justyn Ross who could make multiple explosive plays. The Broncos must not blitz Mahomes (or he will kill them), so a mush-rush might be the best method when trying to contain such a superstar passer.
No Travis Kelce, no problem. Patrick Mahomes finds Rashee Rice for the rookie’s 2nd career TD #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/H5Btos2TgT
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) October 8, 2023
We’ll see if Kelce plays or not, but even if he misses this contest it’s going to be a tough draw for the Broncos defense. The array of receivers aren’t known by many fans around the league, but they could go off at any moment – not only because of the Broncos struggles on defense but because of the explosive nature of this offense.
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