2013 Broncos Season, Week 13


It was another fierce battle, but another win for the Broncos over the division rival Kansas City Chiefs.

Week 13: Broncos 35, Chiefs 28
Season Record: 10-2 (6-0 Home)
Key Play: On the opening drive of the second half, trailing 21-14, Peyton Manning connected with Wes Welker on a 20-yard pass on Third and 11 to keep the drive alive. The Broncos went down and tied the game on a 37-yard strike to Eric Decker. The Broncos scored on their next two drives as well, taking a 35-21 lead and ending up with the big divisional victory.

Recap: If you want to be the top team in your division, you have to handle your business against divisional foes. For the past two seasons, Manning and the Broncos have done just that. The Chiefs were 9-0 three weeks ago, one game up in the AFC West. Now, after a brutal stretch that saw the Broncos play the Chiefs twice and the Patriots, Denver is 10-2, the Chiefs are 9-3, and the AFC West runs through Denver. That is always the goal, and Denver won when it mattered most — beating the Chiefs twice as Manning maintained his perfect record as the Broncos' quarterback against the AFC West. Best yet, the brutal stretch didn't see any more big hits on Manning, who seems to be getting healthier. Now, if only the rest of the team would follow suit. The injuries are piling up and it's really starting to show on defense. The Broncos have some good players, but the team's depth is being tested. Overall, though, coming through the last four games with a 3-1 record, in first place in the AFC and the AFC West puts the ball in our court. A strong finish and the road to New Jersey could run right through Denver, Colorado. Plus, John Fox returns to coaching this week, so that should be a boost for the Broncos.

Game Balls:
* Eric Decker. This might be filed under the obvious category, but when you catch four touchdowns in a game, you are on the Game Balls list. Decker has had a quiet season, but he broke out in a big way on Sunday. He made big plays and clutch catches on the way to a team record four touchdowns.

* Peyton Manning. He rebounded from a poor performance in New England to spark the Broncos. Manning threw for more than 400 yards and five touchdowns, tying his own record for the most touchdown passes by an opposing quarterback in Kansas City.

* Knowshon Moreno and Monte Ball. Moreno was hobbled all week, but he made the big plays when it counted. His 72 yards in the pass game really helped move the ball at critical junctures for the Broncos. He didn't have a lot of rushing yards, but they were hard hards. Ball, meanwhile, finally cracked the Century mark, and he held onto the ball. This is what the Broncos expected when they drafted Ball in the second round.

Areas of Concern:
* Special Teams. This was a unit of pride for the Broncos, and a place where they made big plays a year ago. Now it is a place where big plays happen that are negative. Trindon Holliday is hurt, and even when he's been in he hasn't been good. There have been too many turnovers and big plays against this unit. That has to improve.

* Injuries and Depth. The Broncos are starting to resemble a mash unit. Hopefully Julius Thomas will return soon, and the Broncos can use improved health from Knowshon Moreno and Peyton Manning. But it's on defense where the injuries are mounting. Without Kevin Vickerson, Derek Wolfe, Rahim Moore, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Champ Bailey for periods yesterday the defense got shredded. We can't win with offense alone.

Revised Playoff Predictions:
With the NFL season three quarters over, it's time to revise our playoff predictions again. So, here it goes.

AFC:
West Champ: Denver Broncos
South Champ: Indianapolis Colts
East Champ: New England Patriots
North Champ: Cincinnati Bengals
Wild Card: Kansas City Chiefs
Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens

Round 1:
Ravens over Colts; Chiefs Over Bengals

Round 2:
Broncos over Ravens; Patriots over Chiefs

AFC Championship:
Broncos over Patriots (in Mile High)

NFC:
West Champ: Seattle Seahawks
South Champ: New Orleans Saints
East Champ: Dallas Cowboys
North Champ: Detroit Lions
Wild Card: Carolina Panthers
Wild Card: San Francisco 49ers

Round 1:
Lions over 49ers; Panthers over Cowboys

Round 2:
Seahawks over Panthers; Saints over Lions

NFC Championship:
Seahawks over Saints (in Seattle)

Super Bowl:
Broncos over Seahawks

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