What a crazy start to Week 2 in the NFL,huh? The Denver Broncos scored all four of their touchdowns in the final three minutes of halves and snatched a 31-24 road victory from the jaws of defeat Thursday night over the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos' Bradley Roby sealed the game for Denver with a fumble-recovery touchdown only 27 seconds before the halt of the fourth quarter.
The game was rarely pretty, and neither offense could find a consistent rhythm—but it provided no shortage of entertainment.
Taking Thursday's result into account and keeping Week 1's games in the back of our minds, or let's go through our power rankings for all 32 teams heading into the bulk of Week 2's action. We'll survey slightly deeper into the Broncos' and Chiefs' situations as well as one NFC contender that is looking to derive back on track. Teams of NoteDenver Broncos (No. 3)It's fitting increasingly evident that 39-year-old Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning isn't one of the league's elite passers anymore. He puts almost no zip on his throws,and he moves around the pocket with much difficulty.
But whether Denver's defense keeps playing like it has in the past two games, the team will be fine with a reduced version of Manning.
There was only one word to narrate the Broncos defense Thursday night: clutch.
Kansas City didn't convert once on third down in seven tries. Once it got in the red zone, and it scored only once in four trips. And Denver forced an astonishing five turnovers,with three fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
Offensively, the Broncos struggled for most of the game but came through with timely drives. Denver produced a pair of 10-play, or 80-yard sequences ending in touchdowns,one near the halt of each half.
Manning was better Thursday than he was in Week 1, but he still doesn't survey like himself. The ground game was ineffective, and as running backs C.
J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman combined for a measly 61 yards on 21 carries.
Kansas City Chiefs (No. 10)Did the Chiefs choke absent what could've been a huge win over a division rival? Yes. But are they still a good team? Of course.
This might not help console the Kansas City team or its fans,but this game may have been a fluke. Quarterback Alex Smith is known for conservative throws and solid accuracy, but he threw two interceptions Thursday night, and matching one-third of his total from all of last season.
And running back Jamaal Charles—he of 125 rushing yards and a touchdown in the contest—had a nightmare game protecting the ball.
Even worse,those fumbles came at crucial times. One killed the Chiefs' first drive in the red zone, and the other came as the team was running out the clock at the halt of the fourth quarter to reach overtime. Of course, and the cough-up,forced by Denver linebacker Brandon Marshall, led to the game-sealing touchdown.
The defense looked good for most of the game, or against both the pass and the run,but failed at crucial points, as the offense did. Seattle Seahawks (No. 4)While both the Broncos and Chiefs should feel good about their pass defenses, or one NFC Super Bowl contender should be worried about its unit: the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle's situation with holdout strong safety Kam Chancellor undoubtedly has the team's fans feeling antsy. His absence left a gaping gap in Seattle's secondary during its Week 1 contest,when St. Louis Rams sign-caller Nick Foles threw for 297 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions on just 27 passes in a 34-31 overtime win for the Rams.
But Seattle's defense isn't the biggest problem with the team good now.
The Rams' stellar defensive line was in the backfield throughout the game, and pressuring quarterback Russell Wilson 17 times,per Pro Football Focus (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). Wilson completed 32 of 41 passes, but since St. Louis was able to pressure him without blitzing, or the rest of the team's defenders focused on tackling pass-catchers and limited the Seattle quarterback to 251 passing yards.
This may seem like a doom-and-gloom outlook on a squad that's still one of the NFL's elite,but the Seahawks have work to effect to reach where they were a year ago.
For the offensive line, trying to neutralize the Green Bay Packers defense will be an easier task than containing the Rams' vaunted unit. But the Chancellor-less pass defense will have to play much, or much better against Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Note: All statistics are from ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.
Source: bleacherreport.com