The Broncos are off to a sizzling 3-0 start while division rival Kansas City has stumbled out of the gates with a vastly contrasting 0-3 start to its season.
But don’t think the Broncos are overlooking this weekend’s matchup against the Chiefs, they would be foolish to do so. Not only is K.C. one of Denver’s most bitter rivals but also Sunday’s game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, historically a notoriously hard place for the Broncos to come away victorious.
Photo: Getty Images
Sunday’s game will be quarterback Jay Cutler’s third start against the Chiefs and second at Arrowhead but he knows already how tough it is to beat Kansas City.
“It has a lot to do with the rivalry,” he said. “We have been playing them for a long time. It’s a tough stadium—it’s one of the loudest in the league. They just play good defense against us. They always have a good scheme, they always come ready to play and every NFL team out there has talent. Every team can win each and every week and you can lose to anybody. We have our hands full, definitely.”
Since Mike Shanahan became Denver’s head coach in 1995 the Broncos own a 3-10 record at Arrowhead, so don’t think Shanahan is taking this weekend’s matchup lightly.
“You can look at our history that shows how tough those games have been,” he said. “We haven’t faired very well. Our football team is well aware of what it is like to play at Arrowhead. Hopefully we are ready for it.”
Photo: Getty Images
With a win on Sunday the Broncos can win two consecutive regular season games at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since 1979.
One Bronco who would particularly like to see the nearly 30-year streak of not winning two consecutive regular season games at Arrowhead come to an end is center Casey Wiegmann.
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke
Wiegmann came to Denver this offseason after spending seven seasons as a Chief, starting 111 consecutive games with the club during that time.
He has filled in for injured veteran center Tom Nalen for the first three games of 2008, and now that Nalen has been placed on injured reserve for the season, Wiegmann is the team’s starting center.
Shanahan said the Broncos signing of Wiegmann had little to do with questions about Nalen’s health but instead had everything to do with Wiegmann’s talent as a football player.
“Casey (Wiegmann) was such a great player in Kansas City for so many years and we were just shocked that he was on the street,” he said. “When we saw that he was on the street, we just tried to gobble him up as quickly as we could knowing that any injury is possible during the season.”
The center position is one that doesn’t get a lot of recognition, and Cutler said having a person and player of Wiegmann’s caliber at that position helps a lot.
“It’s a tough position,” he said. “You don’t get a lot of love. The left tackle gets a lot of attention. I have to have a great relationship with the center because you communicate a lot. We have to be on the same page. Me and Casey (Wiegmann) are still battling through some stuff communication-wise, but he’s been phenomenal this year. We are lucky to have him.”
-Jake Grilley, DenverBroncos.com
Tags: Casey Wiegmann, Jake Grilley, Jay Cutler, Kansas City Chiefs, Mike Shanahan
Nothing sweeter than a win at Arrowhead (even if the Queefs suck this year). Let’s hope the D can stop the run.
“Since Mike Shanahan became Denver’s head coach in 1995 the Broncos own a 3-10 record at Arrowhead, so don’t think Shanahan is taking this weekend’s matchup lightly”
Yikes! That is ownership. Didn’t realize we had won so few games in Arrowhead. Perhaps I must have grown so used to us splitting with KC every year, I didn’t realize it.
elusive?
they mean hard to get
Jay took over at QB after a loss to KC in November ’06. Since then we’ve gone 2-0 vs. the Chiefs (last year). Last years win in KC, (27-11) was the first we one we got at Arrowhead, I believe since B. Griese was our QB. Not sure if Plummer ever got a win at KC, but I know he didn’t fare well over there.
Keep it going Broncos…. take it to them in their house!!
That losing record in KC is in no way a surprise… KC is a hard team to play against even though when you watch them against another team they look like the worst team in the NFL. That stadium isn’t exactly the dream stadium for visiting teams. As a beloved Bronco fan, when I’ve gone to games at that stadium only KC vs. Broncos games, the fans there are a FAR cry from being friendly. The rivalry we have isn’t friendly, the fans of the Chiefs aren’t going to be friendly but I would at least demand some respect but anyhoo… that stadium and crowd is always tough to be around.
Since I live here, Huard is going to be the starting QB for the Chiefs on Sunday… so I’m expecting some pretty good entertainment from that alone!!!! I really do hope we can put 50 points up on the board against these guys… that would be so awesome. We’ve averaged 38 points a game so far, why not continue that, except for that last game but we still put up at least 30 pts. I usually expect a close game when it comes to division rivalries especially against the Chiefs but I really don’t think they’ll be that tough to get around. We have to be 1 million percent rock solid on Sunday and if we are, which I have no doubts, we will walk away with a very sweet victory and hopefully 50 points.
I’d laugh so hard if their D was so bad they’d let us put up that many points against them. Oh my goodness… HA HA HA, oh man I can picture my Monday at school now. Pure bliss!!!!!!!! Go get ‘em guys!!!!
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If anything lets just improve are D let some talent show from are rookies let moss prove he is worth a #1 pick he defiantly has the speed lets see some talent we traded up for you make us proud. Speaking of draft picks with the way are team is playing I will be expecting a late round draft pick next year does anyone want to make this week exciting and mention any stand out college players that will be a impact on this defense how exciting to think about stand out players from next years draft in September I expect this game to be a (won) sided game lets make improvements and shanny let woodyard get some licks in. Go BRONCS p.s. next week tell CBS or FOX to post your game in southern cali!!! ANOTHER THING THIS IS THE NFL AND ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN (I AGREE) BUT LETS LET BARRET PLAY HIS ROOKIE SEASON THIS YEAR AND NOT NEXT!!
The jackass Chiefs fans don’t respect us even though they cheer for arguably the worst team in the league. Thus, let’s make them pay the price for being losers. If we take care of business, this can easily be a rout. Keep talking on your stupid posts and blogs Queefs fans, we’re not overlooking you and thus, it sucks to be in the red and gold on Sunday.
Play 53 Niko, He knows how to run a defense.
i’ll be at this game, my first broncos game (sucks it has to be at arrowhead), and i couldn’t be more excited. i’m not particularly concerned about this year’s version of the chiefs, especially with the way our offense is running. let’s stick it to ‘em.
its time to sit paymah and let jack williams play the nickel and to get d jack back so we can start running some 4 and 5 wide sets to really open up this offense. the d needs to shut these guys out and make a statement and offense needs to put up 55 and let everyone we are for real
I agree, Paymah gave up some big play against SD. Jack Williams proved that he can play DB in the preseason. As far as it being elusive, it may be. Even with the Chiefs struggling Tony Gonzalez can still make some big plays. Arrowhead stadium is one of the loudest in the league, so that may cause some issues.
I am a Bronco Fan who lives in the “darkness” of Kansas City… I love nothing more than to hear the Chief fans whining… Let’s make them drunk with their own whining this week!!!!
I’m with ya rev79… I too live in that dreadful “darkness” and it sucks but nothing is more funny and enjoyable then living in the hometown of a rival team and watching them lose BIG time and then hearing all the whining and complaining for the next week.
In KC, they have a sports broadcaster on one of the news channels and he annoys the crap out of me and since the Chiefs have done so badly he was talking about the Broncos playing here on Sunday and he compared stats and after seeing those stats I truly believe we’ll be playing the worst team in the NFL on Sunday in their own stadium. Thought this was amusing and thought all you in Bronco Country would enjoy a little humor and be assured (as if no one else already knew this) the Chiefs are hurting badly this season so far… we just need to continue that let them know who’s BOSS!!! Knock ‘em dead Orange & Blue
GO BRONCOS!!!!!!!!!!
It’s a shame i wont be able to watch the game this sunday, but im hoping the defence can turn things around, keep LJ under 80 yards and prevent this game from being a shoot out like the last 2, i hope jack williams gets a lot of time as the nickel-back to see what he can do and put a little more youth in the secondary, paymah has been getting torched far too often
The defense needs to turn things around this week. I sure hope they don’t overlook the chiefs because anyone can win in this league. If the defense does good, they’ll have good momentum going into Tampa Bay.
Chef Salad on the menu !!
Let’s rip a giant Orange and Blue hole in that Red Wave.
GO BRONCOS !!!!!!
monhitster i got a late first round draft pick for us, marcus freeman ohio state outside linebacker, ray mauaga for usc might be available but i doubt it at the mike position. jasper brinkley south carloina would be a steal maybe get him in a later round but there are thousands so who knows we need line backers and another corner now brian cushing too usc hes good, victor harris virgina tech corner malcom jenkins ohio state corner, armando murillo in a latter round from nebraska we like to take third round corners and later,
Unfortunately, I had the disavantage of going to this game (Ha, that’s the exact opposite of what I was saying before the game!) Our Broncos looked alright but has any1 ever been to Arrowhead? The atmosphere was great. Living in Nebraska and being a Husker fan, (went to the VT game this week also, THIS WEEK SUCKED!) I was surprised to know that pro team’s fans could be that good. Come on Broncos Nation, we need to be louder, so next time your at a game and the other teams Offense lines up, STAND UP AND SHHHHHOOOUUUUUTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (you husker fans will get that)
-jm-