Random Thoughts on the Broncos Game
 

I re-watch games throughout the week and found that starting a thread and discussing any number of random things I notice is enjoyable both for me and some folks.

If you'd rather not re-live this game, I suggest you put this thread on a very civil ignore.

Sorry about last week and the Raiders thread. As I mentioned, I had to get myself right after confronting some stuff in the family. This week, I should be fine.

On with the show.

Before the kickoff, a Broncos fan in the stands has a #BerryStrong poster out there.

I've always had mad respect for Broncos fans. It's easier to be a great fan when your franchise is awesome, but still it's a very thoughtful thing that the fan didn't have to do.

Pretty hysterical this game was a match of the Chiefs' current kicker Cairo Santos against a Chiefs reject Connor Barth. Neither kicker can reliably kick it deep, and I don't know if either hit the end zone once on a kickoff.

Barth did and I believe Santos did once or twice when he had someone holding the ball for him.

Have not looked at the stats but I wonder if short kicking it and allowing a return results in poorer field position than simply taking a touch back.

This game sliced a nice fat piece of optimism right out of me, not only the losing but HOW they lost... it was worse than the Indy game in many ways IMO.

First play out of the gate by Andy Reid:

Avery and De'Anthony Thomas out wide, with Bowe in the slot. Smith in shotgun with Charles staggered behind him, and Fasano in-line with Fisher.

De'Anthony motions across on a fake jet sweep, Smith fakes the handoff the Charles. Two handoffs to our speedsters, hoping to suck Denver in.

Denver doesn't suck in, at all. Only the four down-lineman are at the LOS, everybody else has dropped into coverage. Alex Smith then unloads for Avery, which is what the play was designed to do from the start.

Possibly the worst throw of Alex Smith's career, however. Holy shit. A 30-yard throw that lands so far away from whereever Avery is that there's no chance to make a play.

Crazy thing is, Avery was in single coverage and was running on the numbers. He had a sideline he could work with. But Smith elects to go inside with the pass, and it's dramatically out of Avery's reach.

Edit: Noted -- Fasano blocked Ware on the play, Fisher down-blocked on the tackle trying to sell the defense on a runplay for Charles.

2nd play out of the gate:

Smith in shotgun, Charles staggered off behind. Bowe, Thomas, and Kelce in a bunch formation on the far side. Fasano standing up off the RT.

Quick fake to Charles, then a bubble screen to Thomas behind Kelce and Bowe -- Von Miller read it brilliantly, but just couldn't get his hand on the ball as Alex zipped it by him.

Bowe and Kelce are ideal for blocking, but T.J. Ward blows them both up. Thomas is still too brilliant on these things, and wriggles six yards out of the play.

Yep. They were completely dominated and out coached. No doubt who the better team was/is. The game was not as "close" as the score indicates.

Thomas needs to be taken off of punt returns. Give that job to Wilson.

3rd play out of the gate:

Smith in shotgun, Charles off to his right. Bowe, Avery, and Kelce out on the RT side, and Fasano in-line next to Fisher.

Fasano takes off down the field, leaving Fisher mano vs. mano against Ware, who torches Fisher with a devastating spin move to the inside.

Smith is too quick with the ball, and has his choice of three slants: a quick slant to Avery, an intermediate slant to Bowe, or a sideline-slant to Kelce.

Broncos play it fairly well, doubling Avery's route. Chris Harris expects the slant all the way (it's the only real play Alex and Dwayne have), and jacks up the pass. Time to punt.

Kelce has a CB all to himself cutting in from the sideline, however. At a certain point you'd think Smith could capitalize on that.

Whatever.

Never. Going. To. Happen.

You forgot to mention the horrendous attempt at a cut block.

Reid and co. took a huge hit in my book with this one... I can understand the dynamics behind the Raider loss more than this abortion.

The offensive talent disparity is one thing, but the gameplan was just sooo uninspired and it was poorly executed at that... after a mini-bye.

No extensive shifts, motioning or other trickery like in the past, two of our three most explosive players mostly rode the bench, throwing it around while Davis and DAT sat, while Charles was virtually ignored again .. it was sad.

On the Broncos' first play, they hand it off to CJ Anderson.

Chiefs have Bailey, Poe, and Howard as downlineman, with Hali and Houston in their usual spots. Mauga and JMJ at ILB.

CJ gets stuck trying to run up the gut on Poe, but Poe shoves a lineman back into his lap, but nobody wraps up and he wiggles forward for a 6 yard gain.

Mauga and JMJ have HORRENDOUS gap integrity on the play. They both step up behind the DEs, and get isolated from the play, getting washed out with the trash. Poe makes the play single-handedly as Gaines steps in to finish him off.