To Defensive Coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, it’s no secret what makes the Kansas City offense successful.
But that doesn’t make it any easier to stop.
“It’s going to be just like coming to your Friday night high school game when you are seeing a ‘Wing-T’ team,” Martindale said. “They run the ball, run the ball, run the ball. And that is what is making them a good team because they are feeding off of their defense’s turnovers and takeaways and they do some good things with it.”
Running backs Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are both on pace to top the 1,000-yard rushing mark this season, leading the league’s top ground attack and taking the pressure off quarterback Matt Cassel, who has thrown 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions in his last six games.
Those stats have proved the key ingredients in the Chiefs’ unexpected rise to the top of the AFC West this season.
“They control the tempo of the game,” Head Coach Josh McDaniels said earlier this week. “They control the pace of the game and they never ever really beat themselves.”
The Broncos learned what Charles can do when the third-year running back ran for 259 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ win in last season’s finale.
Kansas City added the veteran Jones in the offseason, and he has offered a powerful change of pace to give the team the league’s best rushing duo so far this season.
The pair have combined for 1,289 rushing yards and five touchdowns in eight games.
“We know Charles, with his outside ability, but you can’t sleep on Jones, who has been one of the leaders in rushing yards for the last couple of years,” Brian Dawkins said. “They have a potent attack. The thing that we have to do defensively is tackle well.”
At times this season the Broncos run defense has flashed brilliance, such as when the unit held explosive Tennessee running back Chris Johnson under 100 yards in a Week 4 win. But in more recent losses to Oakland and Baltimore the squad allowed more than 200 yards on the ground.
Without Robert Ayers for the fourth straight game, the defense’s job becomes even tougher as they try to set the edge and avoid big runs like the 56-yard touchdown burst Charles had at INVESCO Field at Mile High last season.
With that said, the Broncos relish their opportunity to extinguish a rushing attack that has given defenses across the league trouble in 2010 as they try to halt a four-game losing streak.
“It’s a challenge and that’s what it’s all about in this business,” Justin Bannan said. “If you’re a competitor, you should welcome those challenges and see how you stack up.”
FAMILY AFFAIR
Britton Colquitt’s goal each Sunday is to help the Broncos win in the kicking game. This week the first-year punter has a little extra motivation.
When Kansas City visits INVESCO Field at Mile High, Colquitt will square off against his older brother, Dustin, for the first time.
Among the family coming to town for the occassion will be parents, Anne and Craig — a two-time Super Bowl-winning punter with the Steelers, and cousin Jimmy, who punted for the Seahawks in 1985.
“My dad — it’s his dream come true to see his sons both play against each other,” Britton said. “It’s just really cool.”
The family will arrive in town Friday night, and Britton said the group plans to get together for dinner on Saturday once Dustin arrives in Denver.
Since the specialists normally go out early to test field conditions and loosen up, Britton said he expects to have some time to talk with his brother on the field — and even trade a few pointers — before the opening kickoff.
Once the game starts, family bragging rights will be at stake — at least until the rematch in Kansas City on Dec. 5.
“It’s really exciting,” Britton said, “and hopefully for our team’s sake, I outkick Dustin and help our team win.”
The Broncos had no new additions to the injury report on Thursday.
Ayers (foot) and Andre’ Goodman (hip) did not practice and will not play this weekend. Darcel McBath (ankle), Kevin Vickerson (groin) and Wesley Woodyard (hamstring) were limited for the second straight workout.
For the Chiefs, S Kendrick Lewis (hamstring), WR Dexter McCluster (ankle), S Jon McGraw (knee) and G Brian Waters (shoulder) were limited in Thursday’s practice.
- Eric Detweiler, DenverBroncos.com
Below are some photos from Thursday’s chilly practice session:
Tags: 2010, Brian Dawkins, Britton Colquitt, Denver Broncos, Don "Wink" Martindale, Kansas City Chiefs, Week 10
Baylin, I’m one of the people who voted 7 0r 8 wins on the DP poll. The kool-aid is gooooooood!
27-21 Broncos!!!
Amazing, I really think it’s the rarified Colorado air that makes you guys lightheaded, LOL.
Seriously though, I lived in Dillon in Summit County for ten years, at 9,000 ft altitude and we use to always excuse people’s crazyness on the lack of oxygen to their brains, there is something to it, haha.
I just played an optimistic game scenario in my head and it lead to this:
Broncos-27 Chiefs-24. This is with us actually putting up ten points in the first quarter (LOL, no orange koolaid, just beer). Lord knows that we need the win to even have a chance to even get close to the playoffs.
I have a ‘Fat head’ Broncos horse head that I’ve never put up after almost two years. I’m gong to paste it above my big screen tonight!
As far as Williams is concerned: I wonder what his BAC was? You can fail a breathalyzer and not be drunk. If he was drunk (as heck) he must have had quite a few since he’s a big guy. I can drink a 12 pack along with some shots and still walk a strait line and I’m only 205 lbs. TURN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON DJ!
Or, as a lot of you have said; just call a freaking ride. I’m sure that the limo company would have someone on hand that could drive your BMW back home with you!
Again- B-27/C-24.
Go Broncos!
Baylin, move back to the mountains, it is beautiful here and the kool-aid is delicious! I might be overly optimistic, but it sure is more fun than being a debby downer the broncos suck, f*&k McD, bring back Cutler type. I just watch the games, drink my kool aid, and if they lose, I say wait till next week!
WOW! This is the first time this site has posted my comment in over a week!
Cam, it’s a well known fact that this website is a playa hater, don’t take it personally
r8r, I don’t know what Bronco fans you are talking about, I don’t think I have seen a single blogger here who says bring Cutler back!?!?! LOL.
As far as moving back to the mountains, even though those were some of the best times of my life, no way with my aging bones would I ever enjoy that snow and the frigid temperatures now like I used to. The South is where my body feels best now, enjoy it while you can buddy.
Ok, I’ll bring you guys back down to earth with this NFL.com take on the game, haha:
Kansas City vs. Denver
The storyline:Remember when the Orange Crush at Mile High struck fear with opponents? Yeah, that was long before the Raiders hung 59 on the Broncos a few weeks back. Denver’s season is spiraling away, again, and the Chiefs could continue the misery at the expense of their rivals.
Why you should watch:Kansas City’s double-fisted rushing attack should have its way with this porous defense. The Broncos have been manhandled at the line of scrimmage, and Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles could each top 100 yards. The Broncos, meantime, have the worst rush offense in NFL.
Sorry!!! LMAO…
Not For Long
you gotta believe Baylin
I believe when things in place lead me to believe, but now I just can’t buy, just how I roll, if I believed in what we are doing now I would feel like a fool, but I hear you, it works for you so keep it up, good for you. Thank god we’re all different or we would have nothing to talk about.
Baylin, I have always appreciated your insight, your knowledge, and your ability to be a realist. But r8r has a point. You are a bit of a debbie downer at times. There is a difference between being a realist and noting our problems, and being a debbie downer and having a defeatist attitude about everything. But it is not just you, it is a lot of people on here, and on every other Bronco related site.
I understand your frustrations, because I too feel them. I am sick of good players sitting on the bench, I am sick of having no answers or no idead as to what McD is doing. I am sick of EVERYTHING this team and coaching staff has done wrong. I feel the same pain, confusion, frustration, and anger.
But we as fans can not come on here and bad mouth everything wrong with this team. This blog is not the only place where Denver fans are lashing out, and displaying just how negative their attitudes are about this team’s current state. Yes, it is justified. Every last bit. But it is overwhelming at times.
You don’t think the coaches, the players, and the entire organization already feel terrible? They know we are 2-6, they know we are last in the league in rushing, they know our defense is a joke, etc.
And then they have to deal with fans like us. Who pour it on even more. As if they don’t already know. We complain because we feel like the coaches have lost control over the players. So has half the fan base. You think they are excited to play for fans like us? The same fans that have all lost hope and faith in the team? You think they “feel the love” from us. Hell no. This team doesn’t believe in itself, because hardly anybody else does either.
Yes, that is adversity, and they are professionals who should play through it. But we as die hard fans, need to keep hope. And we need to drink the koolaid at times. We have to believe in this team. This is our team. And we are only as happy and confident as they are.
The Raiders were in a slump for years, and they lost fan support. They lost the confidence from themselves, and they lost the confidence from the fans. Then they have a good draft. People get excited. People hope. People get confidence. The players feed off it. They get wins. And boom, they find success.
The greatest thing about being a fan of the Broncos, is the love we all share for this team. Rain or shine, win or lose, we come out and support our team proudly. Because they are our team. We have one of the best fan bases in all of professional sports. And we need to act like it. Have some optimism, and dare to believe in a team we have all loved dearly.
I will poke fun, I will share my frustrations with all of you. But I will never stop believing in this team to win. Regardless of the situation. Regardless of the coach. And regardless of our current record.
Nobody else is going to give this team credit. Nobody else is going to count on us to win games. Nobody else is going to consider us a threat on the football field.
So it is up to us to believe in and support this team. All of us. Because the “we are probably going to lose” and the “this coach ruined us and we suck and have no chance” attitudes are ridiculous and annoying to read over and over and over.
Go Broncos! Orange and Blue baby! I will be wearing my Bronco hat all day, and I will cheer as loud as I can from my living room from here in Iowa.
I’ll be at the sports bar like for every other game in all my Bronco attire, hat with Bronco pins on it, jersey and T shirt underneath it, and all that in front of other teams fans who think we are crap. If that’s not supporting my team I don’t know what is.
That is supporting our team, and I know you support them.
Again, I agree with your frustrations, your insight, and your knowledge.
But we have to take a break from talking this team into the ground day after day. We all can see the problems. Sometimes we need to talk about what we can do to win, and how we can win. Not just why we are 2-6. It breeds negativity.
All I am saying.
Idk, I just need something to positive to read for once. I just attended the funeral of my aunt today. And hopping on to this blog didn’t help.
If the Bronco`s come out with a chip on there sholders and play tough nosed football and don`t give up, they might pull out a win. If they lose, I see them going 1-7 the 2nd half of the season. Tomorrow the truth comes out.
I wonder if we could get Dick LeBeau to coach Denver. He could get our defense up and running! Put McDaniels as the OC.
There was a time, wasn’t too long ago actually, when the talk of Broncos Country was all positive! We are only a few players away or one win away or one less Cutler red zone pick away.
Excuse some of us for not being all Positive Pete’s here. It’s not like any of us aren’t justified with these feelings. Since McD took the reins it’s been chaos. Or lack of stability at the very least. He has tried to change the ‘culture’ doing things his way. What exactly do we have to show for it? The worst home loss in history? Our best player on the verge of FA? Captains making dumb decisions? Former players tearing up the league on new teams? 0 home division wins? Draft picks as bench warmers or injury prone?
Believe me, I want to be positive. I don’t like
where our team is at. What’s worse is the only thing that breeds any ‘hope’ is a QB. Who, with our current structure, will be in a position to fail.
Oh, I am a die hard fan alright. But I’m not holding on to false hope. Call me Scheff, cause I can’t wait for THIS season to be over with!
Denver 0723, the root of all the Bronco`s problems is the O-Line and running game. We fix that and everything else will fall into place. That and good play calling, clock management thus a rested D-Line. I like it.
Sndvl, we lose tomorrow we will have a top 5 pick in April.
Holy snike’s denver0723,
That was epic, couldn’t have said it better….yet none of these other people even commented on it. I think I am more worried about the Broncos fan base more than I am worried about the team. I think you hit the head of the nail when you said
“People get excited. People hope. People get confidence. The players feed off it. They get wins. And boom, they find success”
It seems like with all these gloomy Bronco fans out there crying about anything and everything, the Broncos are doomed to fail because they ain’t getting no love from the majority of its fan base.
I used to think that Bronco fans were some of the best fans in the world, there used to be some crazy die hard Bronco Maniacs out there. Now it just seems like a bunch of spoiled, upper middle class people who would rather bitch and whine than to have fun, actually get excited,
Hey sorry bout my rant, I’m bummed out with all the complainers on this site. Sometimes I wish this was a segregated site between the optimists and the pessimists.
Also Denver0723, sorry about your Aunt. Hopefully she can watch a Broncos win tomorrow from the best seats in the house
And for goodness sakes if people respond to something I say in a post, please don’t just spell “R8R” for me, it makes me sound like I’m a Raiders fan and that makes my skin crawl
dude, there is a place just for you on this site called orange colored glasses where only positive fans are allowed, it is strictly monitored as to have nothing negative on it, you’ll find it in the fan zone. I think you will be much happier over there, odds are it may get a lot worse here before it gets better, just saying, you guys not wanting to hear the negative is just not gonna happen on this open blog.
And yeah, sorry about your loss 0723, I extend my condoleances to you and your family.
35- 10 KC
I`ve been a fan of the Bronco`s since the 70`s and on one can tell what I can and cannot say. Win or lose I`m a true fan. I`m going to tell it like it is. We suck right now. The only way is up. I`m going to celebrate in the fact that the only way is up. SO BE IT!!!! Believe me, I want to win. I`ve said it before. When I lived in Orange County, California I went to the raider – Bronco games at the L.A. Collosium waring my Orange and Blue and proud. Believe me, that takes balls to do that there. No one can tell me I`m a doom and gloom fan. I was at a stadium where my life was on the line. And some of those guys that were all dressed in black were gang bangers. If I would have died in my Bronco`s garb at least I would have died true blue. You get the picture.
28 – 17 KC
sndvl…I couldn’t have said it better myself bro!
strandoftds….great story,you my friend are a DIEHARD fan!!!!!
Apologies for the rant fellas. I appreciate the support. It has been a long day with the funeral and everything. And I was looking for good news from Bronco nation and I did not find it. DJ getting in trouble was just another slap in the face. And with all the negativity I have been facing this week, I lost it.
We are all true fans, and I was never trying to question that. We all come here day after day, and we cheer on our team. All of us are quality fans.
My biggest concern was the negativity. We have every right to be negative. To be angry at McD. To be concerned and frustrated with how our team has been handled. But like someone already said, the only way to go is up from here. And we need a spark out of the fans as much as we do the players.
Amidst all the things gone wrong, there are some bright spots. The offensive line is back to the line-up that was set up in training camp. The 5 guys that were meant to be the line-up all season are healthy and ready to go for the last 8 games.
Moreno is healthy. And I believe he can do great things for us if he stays that way. He is about as fragile as glass, but as long as he holds up he shows heart and toughness we need.
Cox is back, McBath could be back, and we could have Vickerson and Woodyard playing for us this weekend. As long as they are 100% that is great news. If they can play without re-injuring themselves, then the defense gets a little stronger. That is a positive.
I’m not looking for “OMG YES WE ARE SOOOO GOOD! 2-7 IS NO BIG DEAL! SUPERBOWL HERE WE COME!”
That would be obnoxious.
But we can’t throw in the towel on everything fellas. We can’t expect the playoffs, or maybe even a winning record. But we can still upset some contenders. And even if we finish 3rd in the division, how great would it be to push SD to the basement after all the talk they had of a SuperBowl the last how many years?
A lot of things to suck right now. And there is a lot of discussion to be had about what went wrong. But there are some bright spots left. And there is at least some small things to still root for. We can be angry, and upset. We can dissect the problems, and have good discussion and debate everything about this team. And I will join in. But as we discuss our frustrations, we have to realize that it isn’t the end of the world. We have 8 games left to play. And we have nothing left to lose boys. Might as well cheer as loud as we can.
Broncos then, Broncos now, Broncos forever.
denver0723….I hear ya buddy,keep us motivated,it’s hard times right now for our beloved Broncos,but we still have a glimmering shot!!!
Condolences to you and your family and sorry for your loss.
BFE
Broncos 30 Chiefs 10, and Tebow throws a touchdown to Thomas, Moreno runs for…let’s say 97 odd yards and a touch, and Orton throws a deep ball to Loyd for a TD, and Quinn plays the waterboy/ballboy/benchwarmer position that we brought him here for, How’s that for predicting?
denver0723 – condolences on your loss. As far as your most recent posts on this thread – thank you; it’s some of the more sensible commentary I’ve seen on here in quite some time.
Speaking of sensible, I’m glad to hear that McD will apparently finally put Harris and Beadles on the field at the same time. (Was he hesitant to have two rookies working side by side on the line or something?) Restoring Harris to RT, and moving Beadles to LG, seemed so obvious, to many on the outside; maybe the fans will have proven to be ahead of the curve on the coach with this one, as we were with, oh, Peyton Hillis….
We need to score in the first quarter, to help cast out this infection of losing that seems to have set in to some of the players’ minds. We’re certainly due for some more turnovers, and some good luck rather than bad; and some solutions to the pass rush problem being drawn up over the bye would be nice, though I’m afraid I won’t hold my breath on that one. Still have our excellent pass offense, and a full compliment at RB – if not now for an improvement in the rushing attack, then when? Broncos 31 KC 24. Go Kyle Orton, go Broncos!!!
Hey guys, haven’t been on in a while and hope everyone is doing great and trying to find some hope for our boys!!
Tomorrow presents a HUGE opportunity for us!!! Oakland and San Diego both have bye weeks this week so they will not be playing and our division leader is playing us which means if we come out hungry for a win and win this game then we move up one whole game on everyone in our division!!
I only have hope for our beloved Broncos so i am hoping that we can pull off a win! It looks pretty slim though with DJ not playing at all now!! We need everyone out there that can play and not playing our player with the most tackles is going to hurt us very bad!!! I really hate to see how our defense plays!
I say, if we lose tomorrow, then it is Tebow time, let him develop and get some games under his belt for the rest of the year because we will have close to no chance with coming back into contention!!! Tebow will give many fans signs of hope for next year and could give us that excitement that we all die to see!!
Here’s to us showing the world tomorrow that we still got it and beat the Chiefs at our hometown!!!!
I love me some Broncos Country!!
Broncos 24 Chiefs 17
All score predictions are in, NO PICKS ON GAME DAY.
Good morning Broncos Country!!!!!
THIS IS GAME DAY!!!!
IS IT TEBOW TIME YET…?????!!!
ILMSDB!!!!
OC….if we lose today it will be TEBOW TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope McD does put Tebow in on more plays than he has been,especially short yardage plays,Tebow gives us more options I think,let him run some spread,where he can run or pass.jomho.
A quarter to OC! Well maybe 4.
Go Orton! Go Broncos!!
close loses dont count.. we are (2-6) we have to better go broncos n wut is d.j williams doing getting arrested…smh…
Denver0723, It`s been a few days since our last blog here. I`m sorry to hear about your loss bro. Hang in there Bronco friend.