Broncos

(SPORTS NETWORK) In past years, a December showdown between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs usually played a part in determining the AFC West champion. But this time there won't be much more than pride on the line when the two storied rivals meet this Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High.

Denver lost significant ground to the first-place San Diego Chargers in the AFC West standings with last Sunday's disappointing 34-20 loss at the hands of the hated Oakland Raiders, while the Chiefs have taken themselves virtually out of the playoff picture with defeats in five consecutive games.

The 5-7 Broncos now sit two games behind San Diego with four to play and are mired in a two-game losing streak after a forgettable performance against the Raiders. Denver's season-long troubles on defense plagued the club once again, as Oakland racked up 175 rushing yards on the afternoon and received three passing touchdowns from quarterback Josh McCown.

The Broncos didn't show much on offense either, netting just 292 total yards against a relatively soft Raiders defense and committing four turnovers. Second-year quarterback Jay Cutler threw two interceptions and completed just 16-of-32 passes in arguably the most ineffective game of his young career.

At least Denver will have top rusher Travis Henry in uniform on Sunday, after the troubled back was able to get a one-year suspension for violation of the NFL's drug policy overturned on Tuesday due to a procedural error by the league.

Kansas City's problems have come on the offensive side, as the Chiefs have averaged a paltry 12 points over their last four defeats and rank 30th in the NFL in both total yards (280.7 ypg) and scoring (14.3 ppg).

One explanation for Kansas City's meager output is the absence of star running back Larry Johnson, who will sit out a fifth straight game with a sprained foot. Rookie Kolby Smith has filled in quite capably, though, having compiled 233 rushing yards over the team's two most recent setbacks.

The Chiefs' current slide is their longest since a five-game skid from November 5-December 4, 2000. Kansas City has not dropped six in a row since the 1998 campaign.

The latest loss, a 24-10 decision at San Diego last Sunday, dropped the Chiefs to 4-8 on the season and came without the services of recently-promoted starting quarterback Brodie Croyle, who sat out with a back bruise. The second-year pro is expected to make his third NFL start in this matchup, however.

Croyle relieved deposed starter Damon Huard during the second half of Kansas City's 27-11 home defeat to the Broncos in Week 10 and finished with 162 yards and an interception on 17-of-30 passing. He then started the team's next two contests before getting hurt in a loss to Oakland on November 25.

SERIES HISTORY

Kansas City holds a 52-42 lead in its all-time series with Denver, but was a 27-11 home loser when the teams met in Week 10. The home team had won the previous nine games in the series, including a conventional home-and-home split of last year's series. The Chiefs are 0-6 in Denver since last winning there in 2000, and dropped a 9-6 overtime decision at Invesco Field at Mile High last season.

The two storied franchises have met just once in the postseason, with the Broncos claiming a 14-10 road victory in a 1997 AFC Divisional Playoff.

Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan is 14-15 against Kansas City in his career, including 12-14 since taking over in Denver in 1995. The Chiefs' Herm Edwards is 2-3 against both Shanahan and the Broncos as a head coach, including 1-2 since arriving in K.C.

WHEN THE CHIEFS HAVE THE BALL

Kansas City has fielded one of the NFL's best rushing attacks over the past few years, but the team has failed to establish a strong run game this season even when Johnson's been healthy. The Chiefs average a meager 85.6 yards per week on the ground (29th overall), although Smith (252 rushing yards, 2 TD) has breathed some life into the offense since taking over as the starter. The fifth-round draft choice ran over the Raiders for 150 yards and two scores two weeks ago and followed up with 83 yards on 21 carries against a tough San Diego defense last Sunday. A shaky offensive line has been partly to blame for the Chiefs' rushing struggles and could be without starting tackles Damion McIntosh (knee) and Chris Terry (personal) this week. That doesn't bode well for Croyle, considering the front wall has yielded a poor 42 sacks this year.

Croyle (614 passing yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) is considered Kansas City's quarterback of the future, but the ex-Alabama star has been understandably inconsistent in his limited action. He played very well in his first career start, nearly leading the Chiefs to a road upset at Indianapolis in Week 11, but went just 12-of-23 for 145 yards and an interception versus Oakland in his subsequent outing. Despite the club's year-long erratic play at quarterback, tight end Tony Gonzalez (72 receptions, 4 TD) has turned in another Pro Bowl- caliber season, while rookie receiver Dwayne Bowe (54 receptions, 4 TD) looks like a future star. He had a season-best nine catches for 105 yards against the Broncos last month.

Denver limited the Chiefs to just 67 rushing yards earlier this season, a rare stout effort by a defense that's been bullied on a week-to-week basis. The Broncos are surrendering a woeful 149.1 yards per game on the ground (31st overall) and also sit next-to-last in the league in points allowed (27.4 ypg). In an effort to improve on those poor numbers, the team released aging tackle Sam Adams on Tuesday and will insert promising rookie Marcus Thomas (12 tackles, 1 INT) into an every-down role. Two of the defense's few bright spots have been middle linebacker and leading tackler D.J. Williams (109 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) and Hamza Abdullah (37 tackles), who's done well since replacing veteran Nick Ferguson (55 tackles) at strong safety in midseason.

Despite a No. 9 overall ranking in pass defense (202.8 ypg) and the presence of two quality cornerbacks in perennial Pro Bowler Champ Bailey (59 tackles, 2 INT) and Dre' Bly (37 tackles, 4 INT, 11 PD) in the secondary, the Broncos really haven't been overly strong against opposing aerial assaults this year either. After McCown's surprising three-touchdown effort last week, Denver has now given up 20 passing scores in 2007. Bailey and Bly did have interceptions in the Week 10 win over the Chiefs, while the defense added four sacks in one of its best games of the year. Rookie reserve Tim Crowder (14 tackles, 4 sacks) had two of those takedowns, while speedy end Elvis Dumervil (28 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 forced fumbles) has been the team's best havoc-wreaker.

WHEN THE BRONCOS HAVE THE BALL

As is the case with most young quarterbacks, Shanahan has had to endure growing pains from Cutler (2598 passing yards, 13 TD, 12 INT), who's had his share of highs and lows in his first full season as a starter. The rocket- armed 24-year-old has fared well at home, however, having posted a strong 94.3 passer rating and a 69 percent completion percentage in Denver's six games at Invesco this year. Cutler's got plenty of weapons to work with, as second-year wideout Brandon Marshall (65 receptions, 4 TD) has enjoyed a terrific sophomore campaign and the injury-plagued Javon Walker (20 receptions) is a top-flight receiver when healthy. Veteran Brandon Stokley (39 receptions, 4 TD) had 102 receiving yards last week, but injured his knee during the game and is considered questionable for Sunday. Denver's also been pleased with the play of young tight end Tony Scheffler (29 receptions, 3 TD), who's been more involved in the offense recently.

The Broncos' eighth-rated rushing offense (120.8 ypg) is keyed by a stable of capable backs headlined by Henry (629 rushing yards, 3 TD), although he's still trying to regain form after sitting out three straight games with a partially torn knee ligament. He struggled in his return to action last week, gaining just 49 yards on 15 carries but also scoring twice on short runs. Henry will be pushed for time by exciting rookie Selvin Young (413 rushing yards, 1 TD, 25 receptions), who came through with a career-best 109 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs in November, and possibly fellow youngster Andre Hall (206 rushing yards, 2 TD), provided he can come back from a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss the Oakland game.

Kansas City's seasoned defense has been good against the pass but vulnerable to strong running games like Denver's, as evidenced by the Broncos' 141 rushing yards in the Week 10 meeting. The Chiefs were even more submissive against San Diego last week, as reigning league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson piled up 177 yards and two scores on just 23 carries. Making matters worse, linebackers Derrick Johnson (75 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 INT) and Donnie Edwards (85 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT) could miss Sunday's tilt. Johnson is dealing with the recent death of his father, while the 34-year-old Edwards' streak of 149 straight starts is in jeopardy after he injured his hamstring last week. Even with those two in the fold, the Chiefs have ranked only 21st versus the run (115.8 ypg).

Throwing the ball on Kansas City has been more of a challenge for opponents, as the Chiefs have yielded just 197.3 passing yards per game (7th overall) and only 10 touchdowns through the air. Jared Allen (47 tackles, 9 PD) has been a dominant force from his defensive end spot, having racked up a league-best 11 1/2 sacks despite being suspended the season's first two games. Second-year man Tamba Hali (34 tackles, 5 sacks) has performed well on the other side, while thirty-somethings Ty Law (38 tackles, 2 INT, 8 PD) and Patrick Surtain (46 tackles, 2 INT) are a pair of savvy cornerbacks.

FANTASY FOCUS

With two defenses that struggle to stop the run, look for the running backs to take center stage in this matchup. Smith should have a third straight productive outing and has proven to be solid No. 2 fantasy back, but the position is a little more unsettled on the Denver side. Henry will surely be motivated but appears to not yet be at 100 percent health, meaning he could lose touches at the expense of Young and possibly even Hall. As for the quarterbacks, Croyle is not yet worthy of starting status and Cutler will be facing a tough Kansas City pass defense, which makes him a risky play. Marshall has been remarkably consistent and is a good option as a No. 2 wide receiver or flex player, but hold off on using either Walker or Stokley because of health concerns. For the Chiefs, Gonzalez is an obvious must-start at tight end and Bowe's been very productive as well, although there's a chance his numbers could drop this week with Croyle under center and Kansas City likely having success running the ball.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

One would think that the Broncos would be able to rise to the occasion in a rivalry game with their playoff hopes currently on life support, but Denver was in the same situation a week ago and laid an egg against the Raiders. Fortunately, the team catches a Kansas City squad that's suffered injuries in a number of key areas and is clearly playing with an eye on next season. The Chiefs always play hard under Herm Edwards and their defense should be able to keep them in the game, but expect the Broncos to eventually wear them down with the run and keep their home dominance in this series intact.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Broncos 26, Chiefs 17

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