Kansas City Chiefs Strategy and Personnel
by Sports Xchange
The Chiefs have not had starting right guard Adrian Jones available for the past three weeks, and he likely won't play against Denver this week. Wade Smith has replaced Jones, but he had to shift to center when starter Rudy Niswanger went down briefly in a knee problem. And now Smith is ailing and was limited in Wednesday's practice. Tackle Herb Taylor had to play guard against Oakland for a couple series until Niswanger could return.
PLAYER NOTES
--RB Larry Johnson had breakaway runs of 65, 34, 17 and 16 yards as part of his 198-yard rushing day in the Week 2 victory over Denver.
--WR Dwayne Bowe had a 9-105 receiving game against Denver last Nov. 10 in a Broncos win in Kansas City.
--C Rudy Niswanger, who continued to play after injuring a knee in the Oakland game, did only a limited workout Wednesday, but the Chiefs think he can be available for Denver.
--G Wade Smith, a starter at RG for the past three games in the absence of Adrian Jones, did only a limited workout Wednesday but is likely to play this week against Denver.
--DE Tamba Hali, who played against Oakland despite getting very limited time in practice during the week, was limited in Wednesday's practice but likely will be available for Denver.
GAME PLAN: The Chiefs would love to replicate exactly what they did in their 33-19 win over Denver at Arrowhead in Week 4. That is, run the ball effectively, limiting the time for Denver's offense. They can't afford to have QB Tyler Thigpen throwing much more than 33 to 35 times, which would likely mean they are trailing badly.
Defensively, the Chiefs have to contain Jay Cutler on his bootleg runs and rollouts and try to get him to give up the ball, like he did in throwing two picks in the loss in Kansas City. But Cutler is going to get his completions, even on a bad day. The key is holding down the YAC pickup by guys like Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Broncos WR Eddie Royal vs. Chiefs CBs Brandon Flowers or Brandon Carr. Rookies playing against rookies, the Broncos have an edge here in terms of beating coverage and getting open. But KC's rookies have been belting receivers and forcing the ball loose, so making Royal pay for his receptions will be big.
Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez vs. Broncos coverage unit. The Broncos have occasionally covered Gonzalez with a corner, which makes sense as he's still Kansas City's most consistent receiving threat. Gonzalez overpowers most corners, but Champ Bailey has been up to the task before.
INJURY IMPACT: Starting LB Donnie Edwards (hamstring, knee) likely will not play. MLB Pat Thomas looked like he was getting ready to return last week after missing the previous two weeks with a hammy, but he missed a third straight game. He did only limited work Wednesday and appears very questionable. CB Pat Surtain looks likely to miss a sixth straight game, but the Chiefs young secondary has gotten used to playing without him. C Rudy Niswanger played hurt against Oakland and likely will do the same against Denver. Wade Smith, who played both center (briefly) and guard last week against Oakland, was limited in Wednesday's practice, but likely will be available against Oakland. DE Tamba Hali was limited Wednesday, but likely will play against Denver just as he did against Oakland last week after only a limited work week.
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