Chiefs vs. Broncos: Defensive Preview

What better way to celebrate one of the greatest rivalries in the game than over a plate of turkeys, yams, and cranberry sauce? The Chiefs' defense might not be eating delicious turkey, but they might be licking their chops about playing the Broncos' 20th ranked offense.

When the Broncos pass the ball:
The Chiefs did a very good job shutting down the passing game in their first matchup against the Broncos. Most other defenses have followed suit by doing a pretty good job against the Broncos' passing game as well. However, the Broncos might have another driving force in their favor: a fired up Jake Plummer. According to our fellow blogger at the Broncos' Fanhouse, Jake Plummer is expected to be replaced by Jay Cutler when the Broncos face Seattle.

That would make this start Jake Plummer's last. Do you think he might want to prove something? Do you think it's a coincidence that the Broncos would leak out this kind of rumor before perhaps the Broncos' biggest game of the season? This cannot bode well for the Chiefs. Plummer can be a dangerous when he maintains his focus. Plummer might respond with either a big game to stick it to the Broncos. Then again, Plummer has a long history of also trying to do too much and forcing dumb mistakes. My vote is that we will see the former version of Jake Plummer.

The key to stopping Jake Plummer, as Chiefs' fans are well aware, is to get in his face, seal off the bootleg, and don't give Plummer room to run.The Chiefs are in a better position to contain the bootleg than in the past because they have two defensive ends in Jared Allen and Tamba Hali who do a terrific job of containing quarterbacks. When Eric Hicks comes into the game, you can almost sense that he is about 5 seconds behind the quarterback, which explains why the Chiefs have struggled in the past to contain the bootleg. Unfortunately, one of the reasons the Chiefs have been outstanding against the bootleg is because Derrick Johnson is lightning fast getting to the edges. DJ is out for this Sunday's matchup and, believe me, he will be missed.

The Chiefs have an added challenge of containing Javon Walker, who has been downright lethal this year. The best way to keep the ball out of his hands is to influence the guy who gets it to him. No doubt the Chiefs' pass defense will sink or swim depending on how they handle Jake Plummer.

When the Broncos run the ball:
The Broncos have gashed the Chiefs in the past with their running game, but this is a different team for the Kansas City Chiefs, and this is a different team for the Denver Broncos. Mike Shanahan might have gotten carried away with his mantra that they can dominate the running game with any running back, because the Broncos' running game just doesn't look the same this year. It's been inconsistent and there's no clear workhorse back that can put up yards on a consistent basis.

The Chiefs should get a huge boost from returning Greg Wesley to the lineup. Jarrad Page is a spectacular pass defender and he held up well against the run, but Wesley has been outstanding against the run this year. He and Sammy Knight should be all over the field making plays for the run defense and they'll need to, because the Broncos are so tough blocking up front that Broncos' running backs make it to the second level pretty consistently. It is essential that Knight and Wesley don't let any of Denver's running backs get past them.

Prediction:
While I have not been impressed with Denver's offense, I also believe that Plummer is going to come out with a mission. The Chiefs have been good, of late, at sealing up the bootleg, but who knows how susceptible they will be with Derrick Johnson out for yet another game. Plummer has struggled to pick up victories in Arrowhead, so that might just be the edge the Chiefs need. Chiefs 27 - Broncos 24.