Kansas City, Mo. – Defeats like these present an exercise in half-full, half-empty.
Those who see water would also see the Broncos with a 9-3 record, leading the AFC West and their next three games against lowly Baltimore, Buffalo and Oakland. Beat the patsies and the Broncos are 12-3 entering their New Year’s Eve game against San Diego.
Those who notice the water that is missing, however, would say the Broncos’ 31-27 loss to Kansas City on Sunday at the very least cost them some comfort.
Instead of a three-game lead against the Chiefs in the AFC West, the Broncos lead by only one game. A two-game-swing defeat. Also, San Diego’s 34-10 win over Oakland on Sunday night moved the Chargers within a game of the Broncos.
“We came in with a lot at stake as well,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “Last quarter of the season, whoever plays well in December usually dictates who gets into the playoffs. It’s a very competitive division.”
As for that coveted No. 2 AFC playoff seed that brings a first-week bye, second-week home game and pushes back the prospect of playing the Colts in Indianapolis, the Broncos are tied with the Cincinnati Bengals, who improved their record to 9-3 Sunday by defeating Pittsburgh.
The Bengals also play three weak teams – Cleveland, Detroit and Buffalo – in the next three weeks before finishing against the Chiefs here. However, the Bengals perhaps will get a break here because the game will be played on Jan. 1 and not in Arrowhead’s favorite month of December.
“We’re still in control of our own destiny,” Broncos tight end Jeb Putzier said.
Costly wind
A strong wind may have cost the Broncos a chance to get three more points at the end of the first half. After Bradlee Van Pelt turned his first-ever NFL play into a game-tying touchdown, the Chiefs’ Dante Hall fumbled away the kickoff return.
A run by Mike Anderson gave the Broncos the ball at the 34-yard line with nine seconds left, which would have presented a 51-yard field-goal attempt for Jason Elam. But the wind blowing in from the goal posts made such an attempt prohibitive.
“There was no way you could make a long kick going that way,” Elam said.
Instead, the Broncos threw an incomplete pass before Anderson ran out the clock.
Three-headed monster
Denver used three running backs on Sunday – Anderson, Ron Dayne and Tatum Bell. Bell led Denver with 46 yards on five carries. All of Bell’s carries came in the second half.
Anderson, the starter, had 37 yards on 13 carries and Dayne, the hero in Dallas on Nov. 24, had 26 yards on eight carries. Thus, the three combined for 109 yards on 26 attempts.
Bell missed the Dallas game with a bruised chest. Dayne emerged in that game and set up the game-winning field goal in overtime with a 55-yard run.
“It was good to get some carries, but we all have to work hard for next week,” Dayne said.
Anderson is leading the Broncos with 850 yards. Bell has 686 yards and Dayne has 177.
“We’re all doing our jobs,” Anderson said. “But the main thing is we lost the game.”
A different LJ
Back in September, when the Broncos were facing a Chiefs running back committee that was led by Priest Holmes, backup Larry Johnson was held to 13 yards on eight carries. In this game, with Holmes sidelined with season-ending neck and head injuries, Johnson rushed for 140 yards on 30 carries. He had 90 yards in the fourth quarter.
Former Bronco Clinton Portis was the only other back to surpass 100 yards against the Broncos this season. Portis gained 103 yards for Washington in a 21-19 loss. Johnson just raised the standard for opposing running backs.
“We have to do a better job tackling,” Broncos defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said. “There were a couple times when Larry Johnson broke tackles and got over 100 yards. Credit goes to them, but a lot of pressure goes to our side because we have to do a better job next week.”
Good Samaritans
A fundraiser benefiting the Samaritan House begins this week. Among the top items up for bid is lunch at Del Frisco’s with the Broncos’ offensive line – Tom Nalen, Matt Lepsis, George Foster, Cooper Carlisle and Ben Hamilton.
Contrary to their policy with the media, the linemen promise to converse with the winning bidder. Also up for auction is lunch with Broncos safety John Lynch, footballs autographed by Mike Shanahan, Jake Plummer, Rod Smith, tickets to the game against the Baltimore Ravens this week, and lunch with the team during the 2006 training camp.
Made it in time
A small contingent made it from Invesco Field at Mile High on Saturday afternoon to Kansas City on Saturday night. Broncos assistant coaches Tim Brewster and Steve Watson both have sons who played for Mullen High School in the Class 5A state title game against victorious Douglas County on Saturday afternoon.
Mullen coach Dave Logan, Denver’s play-by-play announcer, like Brewster and Watson, flew to Kansas City after the game.
“It was a long day, for sure,” Logan said.
Keeping perspective
Denver linebacker Al Wilson said while the loss stung, he and his teammates must go back to work this week, not panicking and realizing they still have control of the AFC West.
“We just have to get back after it and everything will be fine,” Wilson said. “We’re still fine.”
Bailey sets personal mark
Denver cornerback Champ Bailey intercepted a pass by Kansas City quarterback Trent Green in the second quarter. It was Bailey’s seventh interception of the season, which set a single-season career high for the seven-season pro. Rookie Darrent Williams also intercepted a pass in the third quarter. Denver now has made 16 interceptions this season. It had a combined 30 in the three previous seasons.
The nerves of that guy
Van Pelt wasn’t surprised to be summoned into the game with the Broncos on the Chiefs’ 7 late in the second quarter. But let the record show he was nervous as he jogged onto the field for his first NFL play, which ended in a 7-yard touchdown run.
“My heart was pounding going into the huddle,” Van Pelt said. “I was a little nervous and anxious, but I know how to play football and I knew what I had to do on the play. Just look at the defense, shotgun snap, and from there it was simple.”
QB or not QB
Shanahan, on Plummer’s crucial end-zone interception on second- and-goal from the Chiefs 4-yard line in the first quarter: “Jake would like to have that one throw back. I think he’d like to have run for it. But that’s the nature of the quarterback. He’s been playing very good. To win on the road, you’ve got to play great.”
Burns and Green inactive
Injured Denver players Keith Burns and Cornell Green were inactive. Both likely will be ready to play Sunday against visiting Baltimore.
Burns, a backup linebacker and Denver’s special-teams captain, suffered a right knee injury Nov. 24 at Dallas and Green, a backup right tackle, injured his shoulder in that game. Taylor Whitley took Green’s place on the 45-man roster Sunday. Rookie Hamza Abdullah was active for the first time and played special teams in Burns’ place.
Denver’s other inactive players were receivers David Terrell and Darius Watts, defensive tackle Monsanto Pope, tight ends Wesley Duke and Nate Jackson and defensive end Marco Coleman. Duke and Coleman had been active the past two weeks.
Footnotes
The Chiefs punted twice, same as the Broncos. Said Bailey, “That’s not like us. We’re going to see five or six punts a game.” … Ekuban, on Larry Johnson’s 14-carry, 90-yard fourth quarter: “For us, it’s all about stopping the running game. We did that for the first half and a little bit in the third quarter, but we didn’t sustain what we had when it was hunker-down time.” … The Broncos’ defense had four offsides penalties. … Putzier continues to play a big role in the Broncos’ passing attack. He made four catches for 50 yards and has 20 catches for 268 yards in his past seven games. … Former Denver receiver Eddie Kennison made four catches for a game high 108 yards … Denver receiver Rod Smith led all receivers with six catches, for 79 yards. Denver linebacker Ian Gold made a game-high 10 tackles. … Denver had no sacks. … It was 28 degrees at kickoff.
Staff writer Jim Armstrong contributed to this report.
