What we learned from Chiefs' victory over Broncos Published: Oct 17, 2019 at 04:22 PM Digital Content Editor *On a bittersweet evening, the (5-2) survived a knee injury to to trounce the division-rival (2-5), , on "Thursday Night Football" to kick off Week 7. Here' Jeremy Roenick Jersey s what we learned: * Kansas City enjoyed a blowout three-score victory in the division to snap a two-game losing streak. And yet, Thursday night's romp over the Orange Crush feels like a crushing defeat. That's because, up 10-6 in the second quarter, signal-caller and reigning MVP converted a fourth-down QB sneak in territory but in the proce s. Mahomes was helped off the field and into the locker room after several minutes lying on the turf with his hands over his eyes. It's believed that Mahomes suffered a patella dislocation, NFL Network's James Palmer reported; he'll undergo an MRI to determine if there is any ligament damage. While it's unclear how much time the gunslinger will mi s, Mahomes is bound to sit out multiple weeks if not the remainder of the season. His absence is a major blow, to say the least. When healthy, Mahomes' ability to extend plays, throw lightning rods from improbable arm angles and the like makes every player on Kansas City's offense look like an All-Pro. Ask or . With under center, the offense can contend; the veteran's touchdown to s to proved he can still hit speed in stride. But if Mahomes Jonathan Toews Jersey is out for longer than a few weeks, Kansas City might want to look elsewhere for a starting QB. Behind Moore on the depth chart is, well, no one, and the only have rookie on the practice squad. Until more is gleaned about the severity of Mahomes' injury, all K.C. can do is plan. The AFC West is still theirs to lose, but the might have already lost too much. Against a defensive front that had logged just four sacks in the last three weeks, and the were ripe to break out on Thursday evening. Instead, Flacco and company broke down. Denver allowed six sacks in the first half (five on Flacco, one on punter , whose second-quarter fake punt-pa s in Denver territory failed miserably) and nine in total. (filling in for Ja'Wuan James) and were human turnstiles against and (two sacks each), with Bolles earning three offensive holding calls to boot. But the main culprit on the night was Flacco, whose flat-footed quarterbacking left him vulnerable to pre sure and who surrendered himself too often to defenders when a fleeting footballer would have easily evaded them and extended plays. Following a game-opening 10-play touchdown drive, Denver embarked on 12 more drives, eight ending in a punt, two on downs, one on a strip-sack TD and one on the final whistle. Boos rained down like a hail storm from the rafters at Empower Field for the last 20 minutes of game time, and rightly so. There is nowhere for Denver to go for a quick fix, as there is not just one facet of this offense to blame. The offensive line, quarterback and offensive coordinator are all equally culpable. But Denver's already beset by injuries on the line; is on IR and doesn't inspire confidence behind Flacco; and Rick Scangarello is a first-year OC. Something needs to change at Mile High, something has for a while, but maybe it needs to come at the top. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So let's celebrate the pa s rush for a hot sec. Led by Okafor, Clark and , Kansas City generated pre sure on 31 percent of dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats, with seven players forcing at least two Marian Hossa Jersey QB disruptions. Okafor, Clark and became the first team trio to each record at least two sacks and a forced fumble in the same game since 2003, per NFL Research. The a sault on Flacco was a surprise given Kansas City's struggle to generate pre sure in recent weeks. Kansas City entered Thursday night ranked 24th in sacks and 26th in QB hits and was mi sing its leader enforcer, defensive tackle . Despite all that, the mustered their most stellar shutdown of a signal-caller this season. Denver failed where Indianapolis and Houston had succeeded in stopping Kansas City: The couldn't establish the run Jan Rutta Jersey and couldn't keep the off the field. Denver tried from the get-go but (36 yards) and (35 yards) rarely saw daylight and the saw too many third-and-longs. After breaking 100 rushing yards in three of their last four games, the finished with just 71 against the league's 30th-ranked run defense. Kansas City won the time of po se sion by four-and-a-half minutes after averaging the lowest TOP since Week 5. Tear up that blueprint. The got a welcome boost from their skill-position players with Mahomes out. enjoyed a vintage Shady game, breaking multiple long runs en route to a 64-yard outing. Hill's touchdown was the highlight of Kansas City's dim second half and saw him hit over 20 mph. In addition to scoring Kansas City's first (and game-winning) touchdown on a cro ser, Hardman ran a first-half punt back 36 yards to set up Kansas City for another score. If Mahomes is to mi s multiple weeks, Moore and Andy Reid will need to rely on the bevy of shifty speedsters Kansas City has stockpiled over the years to carry the day. Thursday night was a good sign. Could this embarra sing home lo s initiate a fire sale in Denver? , and are among three veterans on expiring contracts who boast unique value on the block. If John Elway chooses to shut it down, shipping one of those tricenarians out of town for draft picks will be his first move. (That, or benching Flacco for a healthy Lock.) Kansas City would kill for a bye right now, but the won't enjoy a break for another four weeks. Before then, Kansas City faces a gauntlet of defenses in the , , and . Two of those tests are in prime time, and all of them could come without Mahomes under center. With Oakland (3-2) surprisingly nipping at their heels, the can't afford to drop more Patrick Kane Jersey than half of their next four contests. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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