The Denver Broncos did it again. They did it again. Somehow, some way, this team just keeps going. When we all think they're down and out, those cardiac Broncos find a way, and that was on display in Week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Denver trailed for much of the game, but, in typical Broncos fashion, this team mounted multiple score drives in the second half to take the lead, while also converting a huge two-point play as well. The Broncos are now 6-2 on the season and have won four games in a row.
Let's get into our immediate takeaways here.
Denver Broncos immediate takeaways following a thrilling victory at home against the Chiefs
The Broncos need to give Jonah Coleman more touches
It felt odd to see the Broncos use J.K. Dobbins so much in the early part of the game, but the team seemed to learn their lesson. Jonah Coleman ended up with 11 carries, four more than Dobbins. He gained 41 yards on those 11 carries.
He also led the Broncos in receiving, finishing with 63 yards, including a 51-yard gain to set the Broncos up for what turned into the go-ahead touchdown. Coleman finished the game with 15 touches, and it still feels like he needs more, perhaps adding a few more carries and further phasing Dobbins out of the mix on offense.
Bo Nix and the offense keep heating up when they need to the most
The Broncos scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, out-scoring the Chiefs by eight points in the second half. Denver had two touchdown drives, and, once again, Bo Nix heated up when his team needed him to the most.
We keep talking about when this is going to stop, as it seems unsustainable, but it just keeps happening. The Broncos clearly tick it up a notch in 'gotta have it' situations, as the defense even stepped up on the Chiefs final drive.
But for as disjointed as the Broncos offense looked in the first half, the team, including Nix, looked every bit of an elite unit in the second half against a very good defense.
The Broncos are now first place in the AFC West
The Broncos clinch a season split with the Chiefs, move to 6-2 on the season, and now take ownership of first place in the division. This game puts the Broncos in a great spot to win the division, and while it is still early in the season, Denver getting to 6-2 with an easy-ish schedule remaining does give them a very realistic shot at earning the division title for a second season in a row.
The defense has been a problem on early downs
It feels like we saw this a lot in Week 8 - whether run or pass, the Chiefs seemed to gain 4+ yards on first down, giving the team very manageable second and third down situations. This puts a ton of strain on defenses and only makes their job harder. The Broncos were largely able to contain Kenneth Walker III, but the early downs weren't kind to them, and that's a huge reason why the Chiefs were able to extend so many drives.
Frankly, the defense played losing football up until those final few plays in the deep red zone. Fortunately, the team's early down defense didn't result in a loss.
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