Denver Broncos: Behind Enemy Lines with Ellen Mathis
The stage is set, and we are just hours away from kickoff between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos.
At this point, every game is do or die for the Broncos, who were lucky to slip away without too many injuries after they faced the top NFC seed New Orleans Saints, especially considering the Denver Broncos didn’t have a quarterback.
Unfortunately, this is a bad game for the Broncos to need to win. They are a heavy underdog, and for good reason. However, at least there will be an actual quarterback taking the snaps this week (although Kendall Hinton has forever earned a place in the hearts of Broncos Country).
Of course, here at Predominantly Orange, we strive to bring you the best content about all things orange and blue. However, we also enjoy getting the perspective from our opponents.
On this week’s edition of Behind Enemy Lines, PO’s Shelby Manning had the opportunity to visit with Ellen Mathis of Arrowhead Addict to preview Chiefs-Broncos.
Q & A With Ellen Mathis of FanSided’s Arrowhead Addict
Q: Ellen, thank you for agreeing to chat with me this week about the upcoming Broncos-Chiefs Week 13 matchup. Please tell us about yourself, and how you came to be a Chiefs fan.
A: I am a lawyer living in the Kansas City area. I write for Arrowhead Addict on the side because I really love having a place to obsessively talk about my favorite team and my husband won’t listen! I was a Chiefs fan from birth thanks to my dad. His dad was a Vikings fan and when the Vikings played the Chiefs in Super Bowl 4, my dad decided to cheer against the Vikings and for the Chiefs. The Chiefs won and the rest was history. I suppose it was inevitable, but as I grew up, I appreciated all the family moments that centered on the Chiefs.
Q: Do you feel the Chiefs will be the first back-to-back Super Bowl winners since the 2003-04 New England Patriots?
A: I certainly think this might be the team with the best shot. Are there flaws in this 2020 version of the Chiefs? Of course, but Patrick Mahomes has an unbelievable ability to lift a team and cover for flaws. I look around the league at who poses a threat to the Chiefs and it seems like there might be one or two teams that could really cause them fits, but it is hard to think they won’t be back to back champs.
Q: What AFC team/s do you feel are the biggest threat to the Chiefs in the playoffs, and why?
A: I think the biggest AFC threats to the Chiefs in the playoffs will be those that run the ball really well. The Chiefs have been bad against the run for years now and if you can hold onto the ball and limit possessions for the Chiefs offense, you have a much better shot. Because of that, I think the Titans are a threat. I also think the Colts could pose a problem because they run the ball and have a fantastic defense. Finally, one that sneaks under the radar is the Browns. They are 8-3 and run the ball well. They could be overlooked.
Q: Do you foresee OC Eric Bieniemy leaving the Chiefs in the offseason for an HC gig in the offseason? What program do you think he would be a good fit for?
A: Eric Bieniemy will absolutely leave the Chiefs this offseason. I think there are two routes he goes – go to a franchise where he can build his team or go to one where all the pieces are there. Assuming they fire their head coach, I think the Jaguars are a really attractive option. There will be GM and head coach openings plus tons of draft picks and a lot of cap space. The other place I could see him land is with the Chargers. They have all the pieces – Herbert looks like he is the real deal and they just need a good coach.
Q: Now, for these last few questions, let’s discuss the upcoming matchup. Do you like the matchup between Sammy Watkins and the Broncos’ secondary, especially considering the Broncos will be without Bryce Callahan?
A: So Sammy came back last week and had an impact on the offense. Statistically, there is no doubt the Chiefs are better when he is on the field. I love the matchup. Most teams focus on Kelce and Hill for obvious reasons which frees up Sammy. He is a great route runner, has strong hands, and Mahomes trusts him on big downs. I think we could see a really big day for Sammy especially since he is on a contract year and was plagued by injuries for the last few weeks.
Q: The Chiefs are allowing an average of 128.2 rush yards per game. If Phillip Lindsay is active this week, and it sounds like he will be, do you think that between Lindsay and Melvin Gordon, the Broncos can establish the ground game this week? This is something they’ve struggled to do thus far this season.
A: The Chiefs run defense is not great. I think establishing a ground game early is key. What is most important, though, is to stick with the run game. What so many teams did last year is establish the run and do it successfully but then they went away from it. I think if teams stick with what works, they can be successful. I love the 1-2 punch of Lindsay and Gordon so this might be a “get right” game for them.
Q: What are your keys to a Chiefs’ victory, and what are your keys to a Broncos’ victory?
A: For the Chiefs, they need to play their game. What has been a little frustrating is they have seemed to play down to opponents this year. There were a couple games where it seemed like they let inferior teams hang around. They need to score early and then keep that lead and not let up. For the Broncos, they are going to have to force turnovers which will limit the Chiefs offense scoring. Run the ball and then take the deep shot. The Chiefs pass rush is not getting home this year so if you can use the run to set up the deep shots, there is a chance.
Q: It is no secret that the Broncos’ special teams unit has struggled once again in 2020. Do you think that we see a kick or punt return score from Tyreek Hill on Sunday?
A: I doubt it will be from Tyreek. Mecole has handled the majority of the punt return duties this year and now it looks like Rashad Fenton is doing kick returns with Byron Pringle on IR. Mecole needs a flash because of last weeks’ missed connection for a wide open TD with Mahomes and he loves to take those chances. I think we could absolutely see one and it would make the game extra fun – especially under the big lights.
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Q: Coming into this game, what is one weakness the Chiefs have that you feel the Broncos have an opportunity to exploit?
A: The Chiefs pass rush hasn’t been effective. If the Broncos offensive line can hold, it exposes the secondary because you just can’t cover for that long. Exploit that and keep Lock upright and you may have a great day through the air.
Q: Obviously, Patrick Mahomes and Co. are a heavy favorite on Sunday, especially considering how difficult it is to win at Arrowhead in December. Give us your score prediction!
A: I am trying to be as realistic as possible – the Chiefs need to keep pace with the Steelers if they have hopes of a first round bye so I don’t buy into the idea that this game will be overlooked. Mahomes also likes to show off in primetime. With all the Broncos injuries, I just don’t see this being a close game. I predict Chiefs win 34-17.
Ellen, thank you once again for taking the time to break down this week’s game with us! Broncos Country, Ellen does great work over at Arrowhead Addict, whenever you feel the need to study up on our opponent!