Ultimate Fan: W-L records be damned; Broncos won’t lose to the Chiefs

It would not be an Ultimate Fan Guide if our guest fan didn’t predict a victory. So put away your complaints from last week (unless you’d still like to complain about the refs because we’re fans and we can do that if we want to) because it’s time to focus all our positive Broncos energy on cheering this team to an upset win over the Chiefs. And it will not only be important for the Broncos to beat the Chiefs in order to keep the AFC West from getting out of their grasp Authentic Case Keenum Jersey , it will be important for us Broncos fans to keep those Chiefs fans from getting out of hand before the end of the season. Because if there is one thing that’s unbearable when your team has just suffered a tough loss, it’s a pompous ass fan from a rival team talking trash (just kidding, Kdub!) Funny side story - I once thought it would be fun to do a “He said, She said” column with a friend of mine who wrote for Arrowhead Pride. The idea was to do two - posting one on AP when the game was at KC and the second on MHR when we hosted the Chiefs - and it was to be a light-hearted, friendly trash-talking preview of the game. We had a good time writing it and then posted on AP for Week 2 of the 2015 season (which you may recall ended up being the Bradley Roby scoop and score play the year that the Broncos went on to win SB50). Anyway, many of the commenters at AP were such asses that I now absolutely cannot stand Chiefs fans (and they used to be my favorite rival fan base!) Anyway, there’s no real point in telling that story other than to say, I love these two games every season even when we might be the underdog and even if we lose, because I know we will eventually win and it will always be sweet, sweet redemption :)That venting aside...let’s get to the excellent preview from Trogdoor, who likes his Broncos the way he likes his music - hard core! He’s going to the game Monday night in his Phillip Lindsay jersey and you can bet he’ll be screaming - so you should too. OK, let’s hit this thing like Steve Atwater hit Christian Okoye!Week 3: Chiefs at Broncos on Monday Night Football!MHR - The Broncos’ first loss was a complete opposite of the weeks before - starting fast but not finishing. What concerns you about that and how much do you chalk it up to “just wasn’t their day?” How much do you put on coaches for the lack of discipline?Trogdoor: Last week’s second-half issues could have been different had the phantom block in the back on CHJ’s blocked kick return not been called. What is it with the Ravens and lousy officiating?The call on Lindsay was bollocks! Anyway, can’t blame it on the refs, as the saying goes; good teams overcome all types of adversity to win. They had three drives where they were in field goal range, and then penalties and sacks took the points away.The fourth drive they had to get a TD, but they couldn’t do that either.It was a frustrating loss because it would have only taken a few turns of events to make it a win.I would spread the lack of discipline blame evenly between players and coaches.The players have to remain focused on the field, and it seems that great coaches are able to teach the players how to do that.But these players have been playing a long time and have had multiple coaches telling them the same fundamentals, so they should know these basics by now.“If you can see the player’s name (unless covered by dreadlocks), then don’t block them there.”MHR - Kansas City’s defense is not all that stout http://www.denverbroncosteamonline.com/brandon-marshall-jersey , but it hasn’t had to be with its explosive offense. How can the Broncos’ offense take advantage of that early and keep pace - or even get ahead - of the Chiefs’ offense? Trogdoor: The Broncos have to score TDs nearly every possession to win this week.And they must win the turnover battle.I have to think Mahomes isn’t going to go all season without a INT, and I think this week would be a good game for him to throw a couple.Our D-line has to get its hands up to try to get deflections. And the secondary has to cover tight enough to prevent the long ball. Bend-don’t-break defenses have to be stout in the red zone. I haven’t seen the stats on KC’s D in the red zone, but I would think they aren’t great. Just score TDs - and having Lindsay on the field should help.MHR - Jake Butt is lost for the season with an ACL tear. How much of an impact will that have on our offensive scheme? Trogdoor: It’s a real bummer losing Butt, but I think Heuermann and Lacosse can get the job done.A TE threat is not really something the Broncos had even with Butt, so I don’t expect much change there. Maybe put Jano in the mix for a few more snaps.MHR - I called for an up-tempo Broncos’ offense as the solution for keeping pace with the Chiefs, but there’s definitely logic to controlling the clock and running the ball - though it hasn’t worked out too well for three other teams this season. If you were Bill Musgrave, what would be your offensive plan this week and which players would you try to utilize the most?Trogdoor: It’s that double edged sword that keeps raising its ugly head.Like Pete’s article says, “Unleash the Offense.”I think it’s true they have to be aggressive but also run the clock.So that means a good mix of runs and passes, which I think so far Musgrave has done a decent job of, so they should keep doing what they are doing.I expecta lot of running if it is working, but Broncos can’t get one dimensional. They have to keep the KC D guessing.Mixing some no-huddle can help the offense, even if they don’t snap the ball right away to let the clock run. I do think they need to try to shorten the game.It gets tougher if they don’t have success running the ball.Then it will be more wailing and gnashing of teeth come Tuesday on MHR.Minimize mistakes; penalties and turnovers will spell doom!MHR - The Chiefs offense presents a lot of problems for the Broncos’ defense - even with its strong defensive line and elite pass rush. Patrick Mahomes has been accurate, poised and deadly even under pressure. Travis Kelce will no doubt be a problem, and Tyreek Hill is lightning fast. So HOW does Joe Woods handle these weapons this week? Trogdoor: I’m sure Joe Woods is having a hard time answering that question himself.The interior D linemen have to get penetration and get their hands up when Mahomes cocks his arm.The Chefs certainly have a great offense, much like Denver’s in 2013, scoring at will, against whatever D is thrown out there to try and stop them.There is no doubt KC is going to score, but keeping the huge chunk plays minimized with good tackling would be a start. I have nothing really!MHR - Chris Harris Jr. said: “We always want to be an attack football team here. That’s our motto here. It’s been like that ever since I’ve been here. That’s always what we’ve done: been in attack mode, not sitting back.” Do you trust Joe Woods to come up with a plan to confuse them and do you think this version of the Broncos’ secondary can handle that?Trogdoor: I trust that he is trying his best.I’m not in the camp that is ready to fire all of the coaches after a loss.I watched the Thursday night game with the Rams and Vikings Womens Phillip Lindsay Jersey , and both teams are supposed to have top 5 defenses, yet neither team could stop the passing games of the other.The Broncos can get it done, but it’s easy to be an armchair coach and second-guess the game plan when it fails.It’s too bad that they couldn’t keep Talib, and the secondary is having a tough time because of it.That’s what the salary cap does, it brings parity.I just hope they can get some strip sacks and INTs. That is what the Dr. ordered.MHR - Brandon McManus has been great and Marquette King has been underwhelming. But ST coverage has been a big improvement. How do you feel about our special teams this year, particularly as Broncos will have to contend with Tyreek Hill? Trogdoor: The special teams have been great this year with new players and a new coach. I would not kick the ball to the freak Hill though. That’s asking for pain.MHR - Which players will be playmakers for the Broncos this week?Trogdoor: I think Lindsay will be fired up after getting ejected last game. I’m expecting some lightning from him.The D is going to need everyone to step up, but I’ll say Simmons gets a pick and makes some solid hits to slow the KC O.MHR - What does encourage you about this team? Why are you excited about Monday night? Trogdoor: That the ST is so much better this year, and we have a QB that is going to fight hard to win.I’m excited to see the rookies have a big impact too - Bradley Chubb, Lindsay, Courtland Sutton. I’ll be sitting in the North Endzone sporting a new Lindsay jersey that my TGF bought for me just because I said I like the kid!MHR - What should “burninate” about this team? Trogdoor: We should burninate all of the negativity and whining that happens after a loss.It’s not helpful.We are all on MHR to discuss and analyze but it gets really ridiculous at times to hear the same drum beat, “time to fire VJ”, “Keenum sucks, we should have paid Cousins, etc.”MHR - Why do Broncos fans and Chiefs fans hate dislike each other so much? ;)Trogdoor: Hate is such a strong word!The Chef fans are so annoying with their rhetoric about how they’ve already won the Super Bowl this year and that Mahomes is a lock for the HoF!Fandom has some weird psychological dynamics; it makes people irrational. It’s also hard to throw an entire fan base into one pot.There are some really good Chef fans that I totally respect.Percentage wise, the Raiduhs fans are worse.PredictionsThe Favorites:How did you become a Broncos fan?Born and raised on Colorado sunshine! Put it this way, I’m also two months older than Elway, and I’ve been a Broncos fan from the beginning in 1960.What is your most memorable Broncos-Chiefs matchup?The 1994 Monday Night Football showdown between John Elway and Joe Montana (even though the Broncos lost 31-28) because I was there (13th row on the 20!) I can still smell Montana’s bad breath!! And just as memorable was the 14-10 divisional round game that lead to the first Broncos Championship. I watched highlights of that over and over.GIF Horse: Denver Broncos showdown with the Seattle Seahawks Most weeks the GIF Horse will take a bit of a look back to review what happened in the last game as well as a look ahead at the upcoming matchup. Obviously that’s going to be a little hard with the first game of the season, so instead we’ll dive right in an break down the matchup between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.The Legion of Boom Whom?Scotty Payne hit this at length yesterday, but the Seattle team Denver will open with looks a lot different than even last year’s team. No Richard Sherman http://www.denverbroncosteamonline.com/bradley-roby-jersey , Kam Chancellor or Earl Thomas means the Legion of Boom is no more. Instead it looks like Dontae Johnson or Tre Flowers will start at the right cornerback spot with Shaquill Griffin manning Sherman’s old spot on the left corner. This is Johnson’s only pick last year. The San Francisco 49ers were among the 10 worst defenses against the pass by FootballOutsiders’ efficiency statistics.They didn’t expect Johnson to become the starter at right corner but with Byron Maxwell placed on injured reserve they’re in dire straights there. Griffin had a promising rookie season, so it would make sense for Musgrave and Keenum to go after Johnson early and often. Behind the corners will be a 2017 4th rounder Tedric Thompson and Bradley McDougald, who is a strong coverage player but weaker in the run game. The Front 7: Frank Clark, Bobby Wagner and? Clark could pose a lot of problems for Garett Boles. Say what you will about Clark’s character, but there is little doubt that Clark is one of the Seahawks’ win conditions in their tilt against the Broncos. He’s a promising pass rusher who has seen his snap count rise every season with little dropoff as teams have gathered more tape on him. Clark has a variety of moves to attack an offensive lineman. There is little doubt that Musgrave and the Broncos will need to provide help to Bolles if they hope to keep Keenum clean.Clark is adept at using the threat of his speed rush to get inside pressure. One thing that should concern Bronco fans is the GIF above. Clark has a good speed rush, but he often uses that threat outside to crash inside to get to the quarterback even faster. Bolles was famously grab happy as a rookie and has shown some signs of that kind of play again in the preseason. Even if Clark doesn’t get home, Bronco fans need to hold their breath and hope Denver’s second year tackle can have a clean game. Beyond Clark though, the Seahawks defensive line is littered with questions. Pete Carroll ‘not opposed’ to playing Seahawks Dion Jordan in DenverIt’s likely that even if Jordan plays, he won’t be quite where he was at the end of last season when he had a sack in each of the Seahawks last 3 games. If he can’t go, it’s likely that Branden Jackson and 3rd round rookie Rasheem Green will be heavily featured in his spot. Even if he does play, they’ll likely rotate in. Both are built closer to former Seahawk Red Bryant, who famously played a 5 technique role for Pete Carroll in the early 2010’s.What that means is neither offers the kind of pass rush threat that Jordan can.Jordan isn’t near the player Clark is, but he’d add punch to the Seattle pass rush. The big name to watch inside is nose tackle Jarran Reed.Shaquem Griffin was the feel good story leading up to this year’s NFL draft, but he’s also likely to start Sunday with K.J Wright still recovering from knee surgery. Barkevious Mingo looks like the other name to watch as he’ll fill the old Bruce Irvin role and attempt to lift the Seattle pass rush. Both players could be a nuisance, but the real threat at the second level of the defense is easily Bobby Wagner. Wagner played hurt for a large part of the 2017 season, but at his peak he’s among the best in the game. The Russell Wilson Show Let there be no doubt, if the Seahawks are going to find a way to beat Denver this weekend, their quarterback is going to need to make some plays. He’s shown an ability to do just that over the years with the kind of eclectic style that reminds some of Fran Tarkenton tape. The Broncos can’t afford to let Wilson play his sandlot game. In and of itself, Wilson’s aptitude for making something out of broken plays is a bit concerning. What raises the threat level a bit more is the Broncos cornerback depth chart after Chris Harris and Bradley Roby. Adam Jones or Tramaine Brock are likely to be key contributors Sunday. One was signed this month while the other has done little to inspire confidence so far. What should come as a bit of a relief to those fears is the state of the Seahawks receiving corps Authentic Bradley Chubb Jersey , as well as the rest of the supporting cast around Wilson. The pass catching group got significantly weaker over the offseason when Paul Richardson elected to sign with Washington for 5 years and $40 million and Jimmy Graham wasn’t resigned. While both were expensive, their absence means Seattle is counting on Tyler Lockett, 3rd-year-pro Nick Vannett and ex-Bronco Brandon Marshall to fill the void. Then there’s Doug Baldwin, who is easily the best receiver on the roster but also playing hurt.Seahawks star Doug Baldwin admits left knee “won’t be 100%” for 2018 season - Field GullsWith the Broncos pass rush a notable threat, it’s likely the Seahawks attempt a conservative gameplan. The starting offensive line is the best it’s been in recent history, but with German Ifedi starting at right tackle the potential is there for Bradley Chubb to get off to a hot start to his rookie season.I’m hard on Bolles, but at least he wasn’t Ifedi last year. Across from him is the recently resigned Duane Brown, who John Schneider traded two day 2 draft picks for. Brown made the Pro Bowl last year, which speaks volumes about the NFL’s annual vacation designation. Don’t be surprised if Von Miller has a monster day.They’ve got a Schott. Coordinating the Seahawk offense is Brian Schottenheimer, son of Marty and he who has not coordinated an offense that ranked in the top third of the league to date. Pete Carroll sang his praises for the work he did with the Rex Ryan era Jets running game, which was decent from at the end of the 2000’s. More recently, Schottenheimer coordinated the 2015 Georgia offense. If nothing else, Schottenheimer is proof that playing “the game” and having the right last name can ensure long career in the NFL. That should give hope to Deuce Gruden.Schottenheimer’s offenses over the years, stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference and Football OutsidersMatt Ulford of ForbesSummary This first game will be a good test for the Broncos right out of the gate. I’m a big believer that good teams beat bad teams badly and this rebuilding Seattle team looks as if they’ll contend for the first pick in the 2019 NFL draft.