Broncos vs Chiefs: The No Bull Overview

The drought is over! 8 lengthy years since our final postseason recreation, Broncos Nation will get to take pleasure in as soon as once more being within the NFL’s huge dance.

Let’s begin off by saying that nobody ought to put an excessive amount of which means into this specific recreation. With out their key gamers, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs crew that we noticed in Week 18 was extra like a preseason warmup opponent.

However the Denver Broncos can solely come to work and play the crew in entrance of them. I’m completely happy to see them do precisely what a very good crew ought to do within the final recreation of the season with their backs in opposition to the wall in opposition to an inferior opponent resting its stars: dominate from begin to end.

Official request for the Broncos’ entrance workplace: please make this model of the uniforms our new major uniform. They kick ass greater than every other mixture of shade and helmet we’ve seen this yr. I completely love them they usually assist us stand out in a means that the opposite designs don’t.

Offense

One factor that inspired me concerning the playcalling on this recreation was that they had been principally working primary ideas from our playbook. I’m not saying Sean Payton didn’t toss some wrinkles on the market (he did), however we weren’t making an attempt to be too fancy.

The run recreation was efficient sufficient. The road did all the pieces fairly darn properly. The passing recreation was absolute fireplace.

The offense is pretty much as good because it could possibly be on the finish of an extended season coaching up our younger roster. Any time you eclipse 35 factors in a recreation is a fairly spectacular offensive outing in my books whatever the competitors on the opposite aspect of the sector.

Quarterbacks

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I beloved seeing Bo Nix get to cap off his rookie common season with a bang. He’s labored his tail off and it confirmed in what he did on the sector. He threw the ball to all ranges of the sector and regarded nice doing it. He was nails on third down as properly utilizing his legs to create and hold this offense churning down the sector.

I beloved seeing Nix attempt to lateral to Williams for extra yards, however he has to throw it behind to not the aspect. A part of that’s on Williams for not being far sufficient again. It’s going to be an ideal studying alternative for the offense although I doubt it’s a play that Payton will encourage.

My favourite go of the sport was his third and 11 to Vele within the 2nd half. He threw an immaculate go that any beginning quarterback on this league could be pleased with.

Line

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We’re fairly robust on our offensive line right here in Broncos Nation. They need to all get taken out to dinner for this recreation. I used to be particularly impressed with Quinn Meinerz’s play on this one as he was completely obliterating his defender again and again all through the sport. It’s a crying disgrace he didn’t get voted to the Professional Bowl as a result of he completely is among the high 5 guards enjoying the sport proper now.

Operating Backs

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Javonte Williams performed like his profession relied on this recreation. He averaged 5.6 yards per keep on 5 runs and added 3 catches for 50 yards. I don’t understand how a lot this strikes the needle on his total season, however he regarded good on this recreation.

Jaleel McLaughlin put in some actually good work for the crew on this recreation. Few will discover that he was killing it till his drive within the third quarter. The Chiefs knew we had been working and that one drive had him get 5 carries for six yards. It appears dangerous on the stat sheet on the finish of the day (2.4 ypc), however once you blow out an opponent, these working lanes get clogged within the 2nd half. McLaughlin isn’t the kind of again who’s going to win usually in these conditions.

Audric Estime put in some first rate work on this recreation as properly with 12 runs for 34 yards and a landing. I favored his energy later within the recreation greater than handing the ball off to McLaughlin. He simply has the physicality to nonetheless churn out yardage in opposition to stacked containers.

Receivers

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Marvin Mims Jr. had an outstanding landing run after the catch. He’s a participant that has particular athletic skill that makes these sorts of trick performs work. I’ll additionally level out that I used to be very impressed together with his effort getting the landing previous the pylon within the third quarter on third and aim to aim. He ran it completely and manipulated the defender with a delicate slowing-down juke that gave him the house to achieve the ball into the tip zone as he was going out of bounds.

Cortland Sutton really obtained separation on a deep route which is one thing we’ve not seen a lot of lately from him that gave us a 47-yard achieve. On the very subsequent play, he makes a giant boy catch in the long run zone to safe one other landing for the Broncos. He deserved each penny of the motivation he earned. As I mentioned earlier this yr: I don’t know the place this offense would have been this season with out him.

Devaughn Vele made such a heads-up soccer play to get the third landing of the sport. Because the ball bounced off two Chiefs defenders, he snagged it earlier than it hit the bottom together with his knee down within the endzone to get 6 on the board for the great guys. Vele has a giant future on this league. He’s not what I might name a #2 WR but, however I feel he’s obtained the potential to be an actual playmaker as he retains studying and rising.

Protection

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Vance Joseph had this protection able to play they usually dominated the Chiefs to get a shutout secured. His protection was wholesome they usually had been again to their smothering fashion of play that helped safe so many wins for our crew earlier this season.

Having a wholesome secondary was key because it actually let the protection get again to its roots with a mixture of coverages however a wholesome dose of man-to-man permitting the blitz recreation to return into play and be disruptive.

Entrance 7

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Nik Bonitto was a Tasmanian satan on this recreation. He obtained 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, and a couple of quarterback hit. He’s a playmaker at edge and it confirmed on this recreation.

Jonathan Cooper pitched in a sack, sort out for loss, and a quarterback hit as properly. What impressed me most about his sack was simply the relentless pursuit of the play. Wentz was scrambling for an eternity and Cooper simply stored coming till he obtained the sort out secured.

Let’s additionally give a giant shout-out to Jonathan Franklin-Myers for pitching in a sack, sort out for loss, and two quarterback hits as properly. Like Sutton, he additionally earned an incentive for his season by getting that sack secured (within the broadcast they talked about him sharing it with Cooper, but it surely went within the books as his sack).

Jordan Jackson, we see you! Jackson isn’t a participant Broncos Nation may be very acquainted with, however he obtained 9 snaps within the 4th quarter and made probably the most of his time getting a sack (with a pressured fumble), a sort out for loss, and a quarterback hit in his few alternatives. I’m wanting ahead to seeing extra from this younger participant sooner or later.

Secondary

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I really like our secondary they usually performed nice, however let’s be actual for a second: this Chiefs offense didn’t actually problem them. As a matter of reality, lots of the performs that the protection stopped had been dangerous throws or drops.

The one be aware I had through the recreation was a go protection by Ja’Quan McMillian. It was text-book protection and I imagine was a third down try as properly that killed a drive.

Particular Groups

One factor I noticed as soon as once more on this recreation was an issue I’ve observed a handful of occasions this yr. Mims known as for a good catch that he had a transparent return alternative on. It’s one thing that I feel might use some consideration and work subsequent offseason as he’s the form of participant that may take any return to the home. When he requires a good catch that has such a cushion to work with, it goes down in my books as a destructive play (although I’ll gladly admit the return recreation isn’t one thing I’ve geeked out on fairly as a lot as different sides of the sport…I’m completely happy to listen to within the feedback if any of you have got ideas that differ on this one).

Remaining Ideas

I’m so pleased with this crew for the work they’ve put on this season to get this franchise again into the postseason. I’ve seen from my viewpoint a younger, hungry crew working alongside a wonderful teaching employees that has squeezed rattling close to each ounce of profitable they may muster this season.

This crew deserves nothing however thanks from its fanbase for the product they’ve placed on the sector for us.

For these of you who’ve been with me for a very long time, you might bear in mind my measure of a NFL crew: it wasn’t a very good season if you happen to don’t make the playoffs.

I feel I could have softened a bit on that given what we’ve seen over the previous 8 years, however this crew rose to the event anyway.

We’re attending to go to Buffalo with a chip and a chair. That’s all any fanbase can ask for. We simply need an opportunity to see our crew play significant soccer within the submit season. Thanks, Denver Broncos!