Two weeks ago I laid out the formula I thought the Kansas City Chiefs could use to beat the Denver Broncos on the road. The Chiefs didn't exactly follow my plan.
I called for the Chiefs to score touchdowns in the Redzone and go for it on 4th-and-short. Andy Reid elected to kick a field goal on 4th down from the 2-yard line and elected to punt in enemy territory down by 17 early in the 4th quarter.
I figured they would have to punish Denver's every mistake. After a Derrick Johnson fumble recovery, FB Anthony Sherman gave the ball right back on the next play (while in the Redzone too, which violated the first rule as well).
I thought the Chiefs would have to win the special teams battle. I'll call that matchup a push.
The only thing the Chiefs did right, according to my own plan anyway, was throw the ball deep downfield and get Dwayne Bowe more involved in the offense.
But lastly, I thought they should remain aggressive on defense. I may be crazy, but I think injured outside pass rushers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston could be the least important players to the Chiefs' defense this Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. I couldn't have imagined saying that two weeks ago, but I watched that Week 11 game, and Houston and Hali were non-factors.
Browns QB Jason Campbell wrote the book on how to beat the Chiefs' defensive scheme, and Peyton Manning perfected the formula. Both players threw the ball less than three seconds after getting it in their hands, and Hali and Houston had no chance to make an impact. Kansas City has two sacks in the last four weeks, and none of them were registered by the elite pass rush duo.
Your move, Bob Sutton.
Call me crazy, but I hope the Chiefs simplify things just a little. There is no need to conjure up some complex blitz package in some futile attempt to confuse Peyton Manning. It just isn't going to happen. And even if such a plan were made, it wouldn't work. Manning knows he's a statue in the pocket, and he still has the quick release to get rid of the ball before any Chiefs pass rusher can count "three one-thousand." Maybe the trick is to rush three guys, drop eight into coverage, and force a couple coverage sacks. Maybe your nose tackle or linebackers tip a few balls at the line-of-scrimmage, or Manning airmails several balls due to double coverage.
The Chiefs won't sack Manning with Hali and Houston, and they won't sack him without those guys either. They won't sack Manning whether they blitz six guys, or send only three. Why force something that isn't there? Not only that, but CBs Marcus Cooper and Sean Smith have had a rocky past few weeks and it's highly likely the Chiefs need to help them out in coverage anyway.
It's rarely a good idea to rush three guys for an entire game, that's why I think when Sutton does choose to dial up the blitz he sends the double A-gap pressure that we didn't see vs Denver in Week 11. No matter how fast your speed rushers are, they can't get to Manning coming from the outside. But brute strength combined with a little speed coming up the middle might do it.
So, how would I go about beating the Broncos? 1) Score touchdowns in the Redzone 2) Win the special teams battle 3) Capitalize on every Denver miscue 4) Convert 4th downs and 5) Rush three and drop eight
Follow me on Twitter: @JimScheffres
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