Everything you need for this week’s edition of Thursday Night Football. Denver found themselves in a hard fought slugfest in their opening week game against the Baltimore Ravens in which they prevailed 19-13, thanks to their stellar defensive play.
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Manning acknowledged the size of the task facing the Broncos, warning they faced “growing pains” as the team developed.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Alex Smith (11) scrambles for yards against the Houston Texans during the se …
Buffalo will be facing a Patriots squad that is led by controversial quarterback Tom Brady, who played well against Pittsburgh having 25 completions for 288 yards and four touchdowns.
While Denver’s defence – one of the top units in the league – should offer plenty of resistance, the more concerning aspect of facing the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium will be protecting Peyton Manning. Throws that would have once been clear touchdowns for the star veteran have ended in the balls bouncing off of the turf, or ending behind receivers. They were playing in the high altitude in Denver and the offense couldn’t mount any long, serious drives, but the defense has to come up big in these situations.
These teams are considered to be the two front-runners to take home the 2015 AFC West crown, and the winner of tonight’s game will have a huge early season advantage in their race for the division crown. The offense didn’t score a touchdown, and that’s very similar to how things went in the preseason, with Manning struggling to get the team in the endzone. But we’ve seen this matchup before, back in 2013, when the first-place Chiefs hosted the Broncos in another night game at Arrowhead. The Broncos offensive line is not going to give him the protection that he has been accustomed to in his entire career.
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Kansas City is going to do everything in their power to bring pressure on Manning and force him to make quick decisions. Manning faces the Kansas City Chiefs and last year’s sack leader Justin Houston. They’re currently tied with the San Francisco 49ers with 12 consecutive divisional road game wins. Denver may not be the same as the last few years, but they should still be a great team and Kansas City is primed to show they deserve respect as true playoff contender.
