The Chiefs’ Josh Mauga chases the Broncos’ C.J. Anderson on a run in the second quarter on Nov. 30, 2014. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
Offense: This is the type of offense that wins in the playoffs. At halftime, the Broncos had rushed 21 times, compared to 20 passes. C.J. Anderson’s ability to make the first tackler miss, then wear down defenders in the second half, paid huge dividends. He bulled for 100 yards for the second game in a row. Grade: A
Defense: The Chiefs didn’t reach positive yards until the second quarter. They owned 66 through three quarters, one of Broncos most dominant performances in recent memory. The Broncos stopped the run, created a turnover (DeMarcus Ware’s third career pick) and harassed Alex Smith. Grade: A+
Special Teams: The group rebounded like Dennis Rodman after last week’s failing grade. David Bruton converted a fake punt into a first down. Isaiah Burse delivered a season-high 22-yard punt return. And Connor Barth made five short field goals. The one issue was Barth’s leg strength, raising the question: Should the Broncos re-sign Brandon McManus to boot kickoffs? Grade: A
Coaching: Coach John Fox showed an iron gut, calling a fake punt. Defensive boss Jack Del Rio’s defense produced an early blitz sack by safety T.J. Ward and offensive coordinator Adam Gase trusted the running game. Grade: A
C.J. Anderson: His 80 yards in first half defined dominance.
Offensive line: Second straight week the brutes led the offense.
DeMarcus Ware: Pressured Alex Smith, and intercepted pass.
