It’s a beautiful sunny day in the press box. It looks cold outside, but I’m relaxing in a regulated 72 degree indoor environment. I am a bit non-plussed however. A second straight game with only vanilla ice cream. Where’s the chocolate pudding ice cream? Also the Broncos are wearing orange. There was once a day when I was happy about this, but they don’t seem to do as well when wearing orange anymore. I hope that changes today. More bad news. Apparently Gidget is picking K.C. Not good.
Kansas City wins the toss and will receive.
15:00 first quarter – Broncos kick it off to Jamaal Charles who fumbles the ball but then composes himself and taking it to the 40 yard line.
13:58 first quarter – A three and out to start the game for the Broncos. The punt goes into the endzone and Cutler and Co. take over at the twenty. I imagine we’ll know pretty quickly how the Broncos offense is playing.
12:33 first quarter – Cutler connects with Marshall for a first down on the first play, then a lateral to Tony Scheffler is fumbled for a five yard loss on second down. Two passes later and Denver must punt. Starting off with five staright passes is a bit puzzling. Denver punts to Kevin Robinson. Robinson has a great return. Two big returns by K.C. so far must be giving Denver some concern.
10:12 first quarter – Dwayne Bowe gets 34 yards after he catches a pass that bounced off his shoulder. A great catch and the Broncos have their backs to their own goal line.
8:42 first quarter – Wesley Woodyard is playing well at LB for Denver. Two great plays so far….make that three as he just runs down two screen plays in a row.
7:30 first quarter – Connor Barth kicks the field goal for the Chiefs and they have the early lead. Denver did a good job keeping the Chiefs out of the end zone.
3 – 0 Chiefs lead
5:53 first quarter – I leave for one minute to get a burrito and Maurice Leggett picks off Jay Cutler and returns it for a TD. That’s a quick 10 points for the Chiefs. Perhaps the Chiefs heard that they’ve never won at Invesco Field and have lost the last seven in Denver. Well now they have a real lead.
10 – 0 Chiefs lead
5:40 first quarter – Broncos get a first down on a pass to Scheffler then get Peyton Hillis into the game with a eight yard run. An important drive in the first quarter because the Broncos don’t want to lose their fourth game in a row at home.
4:20 first quarter – After a terrible pass by Cutler that is incomplete. Peyton Hillis runs over people to get a Broncos first down. He just kills people and the Bronco fans love him for it.
2:05 first quarter – I think Mike Shanahan has figured out that Hillis can get yards. Hillis gets the ball on a key 3rd and 1 and gets the first down. Stokley follows it up with a big gain, then an incredible diving catch by Eddie Royal and the Broncos are down to the seven. When Hillis carries the ball and runs over people, it fires up this offense and they seem to get on track. Chiefs will challenge the Eddie Royal catch, partly to catch their breath I think.
Kansas City wins the challenge and the Broncos are moved back to the 18.
:26 first quarter – It doesn’t seem to matter as Hillis takes the handoff on the next play into the endzone for a touchdown. A flag thrown on the play is for offsides and the Broncos are back in the game. Hillis is the best thing to happen to the Broncos offense since Terrell Davis. He just runs hard and by hard I mean that he hits the other team as hard or harder then they hit him.
10 – 7 Chiefs lead
Kansas City gets the ball back and gets nine yards on two plays before the first quarter expires.
At the end of the first quarter, Chiefs lead the Broncos 10 – 7
14:14 second quarter – Chiefs get the first down on the first play of the quarter, throw incomplete on the second play, and have Thigpen throw an interception to, who else, Wesley Woodyard. Woodyard fumbles it and Broncos corner Josh Bell recovers. Chiefs are challenging this. I don’t know if this will be upheld because I was eating a salad, per my wife’s instructions. I’ll have to find out like everyone else.
Chiefs catch another break. The refs rule that no one had control of the ball and the pass was incomplete.
14:04 second quarter – Dwayne Bowe gets close, but comes up just short. This is exciting for the inactives, who are in the press box. K.C. going for it on fourth down. A QB sneak is gonna be close. A first down by less than an inch.
11:55 second quarter – The reversal of the interception seems to have given the Chiefs life. They’ve converted two first downs and they look much more effective on offense.
10:13 second quarter – Broncos force a third down, almost intercept the ball, but Tony Gonzalez, Broncos killer, makes the first down catch.
That catch gives Gonzalez a catch in 128 straight games. It’s really too bad he’s such a great person, and great in the community, cause I sure hate the guy.
(O.K. I just don’t like the guy because in between his saving people’s lives and giving to the community, he’s taking it to the Broncos.)
8:02 second quarter – And on cue, Gonzales catches a touchdown pass to take the lead back up to 10. Arrrrgh!
17 – 7 Chiefs lead
6:37 second quarter – Two short plays after the K.C. TD, Cutler gets it to Marshall for a first down. he tries for extra yards and, as all the inactives shout out, holds onto the ball.
4:29 second quarter – Cutler has another third down play and puts a hospital ball for Hillis who, predictably, gets hurt. This would be bad, if he can’t continue. Oh, Hillis does get the first down, so that’s good news for the Broncos.
2:46 second quarter – Two Eddie Royal catches and a Tatum Bell rush give the Broncos two first downs. The Broncos reach the two minute warning at the Chiefs 15 and a third and two.
2:00 second quarter – Cutler keeps the ball and gets the first down with a six yard rush.
1:12 second quarter – Broncos take a penalty then get only three yards on the next two plays. Third down and Brandon Marshall catches the touchdown pass. Great touchdown by Marshall bringing the Broncos to within three.
17 – 14 Chiefs lead
There’s about a minute left, but I need a cookie. If anything interesting happens, I’ll let you know.
End of the first half, Chief lead the Broncos 17 – 14
Well I came for the cookies, but stayed for the hotdog. Delicious. Just in time for the second have as well. Broncos probably need to score on their opening drive. Just sayin’.
14:06 third quarter – Tatum Bell gets the second half start and is beginning to look a bit like the guy the Broncos traded away. A good first down run, then a risky Cutler pass (is there any other kind?) gets the Broncos another first down.
11:00 third quarter – Daniel Graham has amazing balance. He gets stopped at short of the first down, keeps his feet and gets another 6 yards and the first. Eddie Royal follows it up with another long gain. A nice drive so far.
8:52 third quarter – Boy, am I a drive killer. just when I say “good drive” the Broncos stall and they have to try a field goal. Prater hits it and the game is tied.
17 – 17 tie game
Chiefs get a first down then complete a long pass to Tony Gonzalez. Denver is challenging, but I’m not sure this will be overturned. And it won’t. Not a good challenge by Shanahan, but I think he wanted to slow down the K.C. offense. Something that,well, everyone else in the league except the Broncos has done this year.
5:36 third quarter – The Broncos look fired up after challenge. They drop Larry Johnson for a loss then the Chiefs take a penalty. Thigpen tries a long pass, but it is, as the crowd says, in-com-plete. Chiefs have to punt.
4:47 third quarter – Cutler completes a first down pass to Scheffler. From where I sit, in the press box, it amazes me how many times Cutler throws into good coverage. He usually completes them, to someone. Another tough throw to Graham gives the Broncos another first down.
By the way, Stokley is out with a sprained ankle.
1:54 third quarter – In spite of the long throws, the Bronco offense stalls and Prater will try another field goal. This one is no good and the score remains tied.
1:32 third quarter – The Chiefs try three straight passing plays but end up going three and out. A good punt puts the ball at the five yard line.
It’s official Peyton Hillis is out with a hamstring injury.
:23 third quarter – On first down, Cutler scrambles out of trouble and completes a 17 yard pass to Scheffler. Cutler does have some escapability, that’s for sure. That brings us to the end of the third quarter.
End of the third quarter, Broncos and Chief tied at 17
14:12 fourth quarter – Cutler completes one pass, then the other side of Cutler’s risky passes rears its head. He nearly throws an interception. Yikes.
12:38 fourth quarter – Coming out of Denver’s last timeout. Tatum Bell breaks a long run down to the 22.
11:20 fourth quarter – The Broncos come up just a bit short on second down bringing up a 3rd and three. Chiefs take a timeout. The Broncos really could use a TD here instead of a FG. It would definitely help their confidence.
11:00 fourth quarter – Marshall takes the Cutler pass to the 6. He gets the first down and goes over 1000 yards rushing for the year. Marshall follows that up with a six yard touchdown pass and gives the Broncos their first lead of the game.
24 – 17 Broncos lead
10:01 fourth quarter – If the Chiefs was to win, I think they pretty much need to score on this drive. They get a good start by picking up the first down on a pass to Gonzalez.
9:14 fourth quarter – Another pass completion to Gonzalez leads me to ask “Is anybody covering Gonzalez?”
8:10 fourth quarter – The Chiefs have a good drive going, but Elvis Dumervil gets in and sacks Thigpen. A big play by Denver. It’s all for not as Thigpen finds Bowe and brings up a third and a yard, which Larry Johnson gets easily. The Broncos sure don’t make it easy on themselves at home do they?
5:55 fourth quarter – a 12 yard scramble by Thigpen gives the Chiefs first and goal at the 10. Both teams need to win this series of downs.
4:44 fourth quarter – An incomplete pass on third down. The Chiefs must go for it on fourth down and five yards to go. Thigpen comes up just short and the Broncos take over on the one yard line.
I gotta go down to the locker room be back later.
A good win. The Broncos have a inside berth to the playoffs and that’s all we can ask.
Darren Copeland 