It was a glorious win in prime time for the Denver Broncos (9-3) over the Kansas City Chiefs (7-5) and a huge win in terms of AFC West title implications. The Broncos pushed the Chiefs into third place behind the (now) 8-4 San Diego Chargers, who now pose the biggest threat to Denver in the division. Luckily for the Broncos, they already have a win against the Chargers and a head to head matchup yet to play against them. They control their own destiny and hold a one win advantage.
With the impressive win against the Chiefs, the Broncos played their most complete game of the year as a team other than the game at home against the San Francisco 49ers. From the first snap of the game, this one was all Broncos. Here are my five observations from the Sunday Night Football win.
1. C.J. Anderson Makes Statement
The Broncos needed a big performance from C.J. Anderson in the frigid, windy conditions of Arrowhead Stadium, and he did not disappoint. Becoming the first running back since Adrian Peterson in 2012 to do so, Anderson ran for over 150 yards for the second consecutive game and also scored a huge touchdown on a third down reception. His performance was awesome, and the Broncos’ offensive line paved the way yet again for Anderson to gain 168 yards on 32 carries. He was truly the force the Broncos needed and they took advantage of a weak Chiefs run defense.
Anderson has been stellar since being inserted into the starting lineup for the Broncos, but he looked absolutely dominant against the Chiefs. Anyone that tried to tackle him, he punished. When the Broncos needed a big chunk of yards, he got it. When Peyton Manning couldn’t get it done, Anderson did. You can’t say enough about his performance in this one.
Not only were the Broncos doing a great job of opening holes for Anderson, but he shows fantastic lateral movement skills in addition to being a bruiser in between the tackles. When runs break down to the inside, Anderson has the ability to kick them to the outside. He gives the Broncos’ offense the added dimension it needs for a Super Bowl run, and he gives Peyton Manning the fallback he needs when he is playing as bad as the sheriff was last night.