Broncos finally discovered a winning formula to topple the Chiefs

The Denver Broncos ended their 16-game losing streak to the Kansas City Chiefs. On Sunday, the Broncos won against their division rival by a score of 24-9.

They haven’t done that since the days Peyton Manning was under center. It’s Russell Wilson who gets credit as the quarterback who helped end the streak. The Broncos players may not have been focusing on the losing streak during the week of practice, but fans in Broncos Country certainly did.

After the game, Payton did not want to say the streak drove their gameplan.

“It’s an important game for us. It wasn’t streak-driven. It was important for us to play well before the bye (week). Getting our third win—we dug ourselves in a hole. Obviously, we’re playing a good team. Honestly, and I told you guys during the week, not once has it come up. I recognize there are a few players that have gone through that time frame, but when you have a new roster, the focus was really on this game. I thought we did the things you do when you win.” Payton said.

Here are three observations from the Broncos win over the Chiefs in Week 8.

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Turnovers the Difference

There are many reasons why the Broncos beat the Chiefs, but the primary reason in my mind was the turnovers generated by the defense. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was under duress early and often, and that pressure caused him to make mistakes. Those mistakes cost the Chiefs the game.

The defense has had an up-and-down season. For the most part, the defense has been bad – and even downright awful at times. However, in recent weeks they have been getting better. The defense has been inconsistent this year, but against the Chiefs they had their most complete game.

Mahomes threw two interceptions against the Broncos. The defense did not blitz him, which I’ve always said was the key to beating him. Instead, they mostly dropped eight into coverage and made him hold onto the ball too long. Then, rushers like Jonathon Cooper, Nik Bonitto, and Baron Browning got after him. This also led to a Mahomes fumble. Along with two other fumbles lost by the Chiefs, one on special teams, it was the turnovers that helped lead the way for the win.

Payton likes the improvements he’s seen since the start of the season on that side of the ball.

“When you struggle stopping the run, then everything else gets stressed. Your safeties are lower to the line of scrimmage, your pass—I think our ability to play the run would be the first thing that comes to my mind when you ask that question. I think playing it better and then your down-and-distances because of that are a little bit more favorable. I think we defended a lot of third-and-longs today. So that would be the first thing I would say.” Payton said.

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Building Momentum

In a season full of disappointments, the Broncos now have back-to-back wins and have built momentum. Now headed into the bye, the Broncos can feel good about the direction they’re going in. Up next is the very beatable Buffalo Bills on the road. It’s not going to be easy, but the Broncos have a new ally on their team; and his name is Mo (momentum).

This is what you want to do in the NFL, but it’s difficult to get momentum on your side. That’s why after the win over the Green Bay Packers, I said that game would mean more if you could beat the Chiefs. I didn’t believe they would beat the Chiefs, but I’m so very happy to be wrong. Now, the Broncos can feel good about themselves and look to make it three in a row.

Wilson is always an optimist, and his teammates seem to believe too.

“We set the standard today by how good we can be. We have a lot more season left. I’ve been saying to you guys, it’s a process, it’s a journey, but we believe. We believe in who we are. We believe in the players that we have. We believe in the coaching staff that we have. We believe in the determination and resilience that we have. We believe in this organization and where we can go and what we can do. We’re going to stay the course.” Wilson said.

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On Their Heels

I forgot what it feels like when the Broncos beat the Chiefs. However, this was not a game where the Broncos held on against the league’s best and then found a way to win at the end. Quite the opposite happened as the Broncos got the lead, kept the lead, and won going away.

The Broncos controlled this game. They did it with the rushing attack! Nobody under the sun should be surprised because this was the way the team was going to win from day one. Payton may want a pass-happy team, but that’s not the best plan for Wilson and the offense. Instead, the Broncos ran 40 times and Wilson only passed 19 times on the day.

Balance was out the window as the Broncos kept the Chiefs on their heels. They did that by running the ball down their throat. Not only is that better for Wilson, but run blocking is what the offensive line is best at performing. It was fun to see guys like right tackle Mike McGlinchey manhandling the guys in front of him regularly.

After the game, McGlinchey said how he felt controlling this game.

“It feels great. You want the game to be in your hands. I’ve always debated whether you want to be the starting pitcher or the closing pitcher. I want to be the starter. I want the ball in my hands. I think the rest of our o-line feels the same way. When we have the opportunity to take control of a game and put it on our backs and do the things that we need to do to stay on schedule, to stay efficient and then be able to convert (on) third down. It was a great day for us. Not perfect. We still have a lot left to improve on for sure. It was a great step in the right direction.” McGlinchey said.

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