Broncos Fall to Chiefs: What Our Predictions Got Wrong & Right

While the loss wasn't surprising, the game went better than expected for the Denver Broncos.

Our bold predictions for this game were not favorable for the Denver Broncos. While the Kansas City Chiefs did themselves no favors with self-inflicted wounds, the Broncos defense played a good game. 

In a season where the Broncos have been historically bad on defense, they made some big plays when needed and kept the score relatively low in Kansas City. It wasn't a great game for them, but it was a good one, which no one was expecting. 

With how the game went, the more significant issue was clearly on the offensive side of the ball. There were issues with everything involving Denver's passing game, but its run game was good, though Sean Payton eventually went away from it. 

Russell Wilson had one of his worst games as a Bronco, throwing two interceptions, taking a sack on fourth down, and barely completing over 50% of his passes. There were issues with the receivers not getting enough separation, but Courtland Sutton showed that it doesn't matter with his touchdown catch and drawing a defensive pass interference. 

This was a collapse by the Broncos' passing game against the only team with a top-10 passing defense they've faced so far. It's reasonable to believe that Denver's success over their first five weeks was due to the poor opposing defenses, but the sample size is still tiny. 

This was a rough week for the Broncos relative to our bold predictions, with only one of them favorable for the team. The other four pointed to a complete meltdown on both sides of the ball. That didn't happen, so that is somewhat positive. 

Biggest Threats

Patrick Mahomes | QB

The biggest threat was Mahomes, and there was no stopping him. The best bet was to limit him, but the Broncos defense didn't do that as much as the Chiefs did to themselves. 

Mahomes completed 30-of-40 passes for 306 yards, with a single touchdown and an interception. He did a good job of avoiding pressure, taking two sacks, both in the second half. 

It was a good game for Mahomes, especially when looking at some of the plays he made and the timing thereof. It wasn't perfect, and the Broncos defense did give him some issues. 

Chris Jones | DL

Jones was a problem all night, and it didn't matter where he lined up. He accumulated multiple pressures, though only one sack. 

Jones' run defense was stout in the middle, with most of the Broncos' yards coming from running away from him or to the outside. While he may not have dominated statistically, when watching the game, his impact was apparent. 

What happens next on the Broncos? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Wilson Has 12-Plus WR Targets at Half

Result: Not even close. 

The Broncos only had 13 targets to wide receivers in the game, ending the first half with only seven targets. On those targets, the Broncos had four completions for 15 yards. It's not what you want from your playmakers. 

Now, the Broncos didn't do a great job getting separation, especially in the first half. However, you still have to use them in the passing game. That doesn't mean you force things, but you have to be willing to make a few tight window throws. 

That's especially true when you have a receiver like Sutton, who has a history of making contested catches and drawing defensive pass interference penalties. Sutton is the type of receiver you can still target when someone is on him, and Wilson did twice later in the game, earning that PI and scoring a touchdown. 

That isn't Jerry Jeudy's game, however. He relies on getting separation; if he doesn't, it's best to avoid him. Wilson's lack of usage of the wide receivers also comes down to knowing their strengths and not being gun-shy. 

You have to be willing to try for some of those tight-window throws, especially as the game winds down and you need a big play. That happened just once in this game. 

Another issue is protection, which wasn't great with how aggressive the Chiefs were. However, there were still missed throws and yards left on the field. This has been a consistent issue all season, but outside of this game, the Broncos receivers were doing an excellent job of getting separation. They were simply being missed by the man with the ball. 

McLaughlin Rushes for 100-Plus Yards

Result: Not even close. 

The Broncos started the game by running the ball extremely well, barely passing it, but moved down the field with a good rushing game. Before the first half, Javonte Williams and McLaughlin combined for 10 carries for 67 yards. 

Williams and McLaughlin had seven rushes in the second half when the game was still manageable, and going away from the run wasn't warranted. The run wasn't as successful in the second half with only 15 yards, but both of these backs are the type where it's important to still give them opportunities. 

McLaughlin finished with seven carries for 30 yards, with another 12 yards coming off two catches. 

Broncos Go Sackless, Jones Picks up 3-of-6 Chiefs Sacks

Results: Failed. 

Jones only picked up one sack and multiple pressures, and the Chiefs only got home four times. Each of those sacks came at the most opportune time for their defense. 

Meanwhile, the Broncos ended the game with two sacks, which also came at opportune times.

Chiefs Total 600-plus Yards & 5 TDs

Results: Failed.

The Chiefs kept shooting themselves in the foot by taking the ball out of their best players' hands when they needed key plays. This left points on the board and yards on the field. The Chiefs only scored one touchdown and picked up 389 yards on offense. 

It was a surprise that the Broncos defense played a good game, especially considering the opponent. Even though the Chiefs kept getting cute, it was still on the Broncos to make the stop. 

The defense did well with an interception, a couple of timely sacks, and a stop on a weird fourth-down attempt. Now, can the Broncos sustain it? 

Broncos Lose by 30-Plus Points

Results: Failed.

This goes with the previous bold prediction. The Broncos defense made some timely stops, including a red-zone interception, and the Chiefs were getting too cute. Kansas City may have achieved this bold prediction if it didn't try to get so cute.

The fact of the matter is, the Chiefs didn't, which helped the Broncos have their best defensive game of the season. Maybe it will give them confidence to sustain it for the rest of the season. A victory for morale and confidence, one could say, even in the face of a defeat. 

 

---

Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.

Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!