After being smacked around by the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener, the Denver Broncos had a gloomy forecast early in the season. They had just lost to their division rival and faced a five-game stretch that looked extremely difficult to navigate.
But the Broncos won five of their next six games to put themselves right where they need to be heading into Week 8. A win over those same Chiefs this Sunday puts the Broncos into first place in the AFC West.
These three factors will play a key role in whether or not they get that victory.
Broncos' keys to victory vs. Chiefs in Week 8
1. Have a much better effort against Kenneth Walker III
Through the first seven weeks of the season, Kenneth Walker appears to be the best offseason addition made by any team in the league. His new spot in Kansas City looked great immediately when he took on the Broncos
in Week 1.
In that game, Walker ran over, around and through Broncos defenders en route to 173 yards on the ground. The number of missed tackles by Broncos defenders was both embarrassing and completely laughable. It goes without saying that the team needs to have a much better effort in defending him in this game.
One player to keep a close eye on is linebacker Alex Singleton. He played arguably his worst game in Denver in the first meeting with the Chiefs but has played great football since then. He made 19 tackles last Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals and will be a needed asset in slowing down Walker.
2. Ride Jonah Coleman
In Week 1, rookie running back Jonah Coleman was on the field for just three offensive snaps and didn't touch the ball. Two and a half months later, he's the lead running back in Denver's backfield, or, at least, he should be.
The Broncos need to control time of possession in this game and the best way for them to do that is to feed Coleman the ball in order to get the running game going. RJ Harvey will miss this game due to injury, leaving the Broncos with Coleman and J.K. Dobbins to shoulder the load.
Coleman needs to be given a bare minimum of 15 carries in this game. If he can churn out four or five yards on each carry and leave the Broncos with manageable down and distance, particularly on third down, Denver will have a great chance to win this game.
3. Fluster Patrick Mahomes
Like most quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes is not the same player when he is under a heavy amount of pressure. With the Broncos' secondary being as good as it is, it should easily win the battle against the Chiefs' downfield receiving options.
If the Broncos can dial up the pressure on Mahomes and have him running backwards to evade it, it could be a long night for the Chiefs. The Seattle Seahawks provided a blueprint on how to beat this Chiefs team last week. Mahomes doesn't have enough offensive options to beat a great defense and that showed.
If the Broncos can keep Walker in check and get heavy pressure on Mahomes, they will win this game.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos vs. Chiefs: 3 keys to victory for Denver vs. division rival
