Broncos vs. Chiefs: 7 questions

Was all the O-line shuffling worth it?

This will be a tough test for Clady and Clark. Clady has always had a tough time with Tamba Hali. Chris Clark...well, let's just say he wasn't my first choice to play right tackle for similar reasons. It is hard to imagine that the choices made in the offseason would already face some scrutiny, but after last week, I think the offensive line is something we need to keep an eye on going forward.

Can our running game buy 4.0 yards per carry?

That's about the league average year in and year out, yet it seems we've grown accustomed to three yards and a cloud of dust. All too often against the Colts-who do not have the greatest front line in the game, Montee Ball had no running lanes or room to wiggle through. The only time the running game flashed was against 6-man boxes. Here's the thing, if the Broncos can't line up with two tight ends and pound the rock consistently, teams can start gearing their defense to read playaction.

This version of the Broncos is not going to be a team that can just run the ball at will like the 97-98 championship teams. Manning can't keep this ship afloat all by himself however.

Orange Julius ripe to dominate?

So you have Eric Berry who JT has made look silly in the past...then you have two guys named Mauga and Johnson-Michael (or is it Michael-Johnson, or Jordan-Michael?) or for lack of a better term two scrubs playing inside linebacker. There's no way at least part of the gameplan won't be geared to help Orange Julius turn the Chiefs secondary into pulp.

Can Von get his explosiveness back?

I'm a bit concerned. Von Miller played well last week considering it was his first game coming off a torn ACL. But that signature explosion just is not there. RT Gosder Cherilus had no problem bottling up Von's pass rush. Von is not the same player without his speed, hopefully we see some steady improvement as the season wears on.

Is Cover-3 the Standard Operating Procedure going forward?

A lot of what I was screaming at my TV last week was "WHY ARE YOU PLAYING SO MUCH ZONE???" After a thorough look, the Broncos were channeling their inner Seattle Seahawk by playing a ton of Cover 3. Not sure if this will be the norm going forward or something concocted specifically for the Colts.

Will the turnover train continue rolling?

It has been ages since the Broncos have been a club that can force turnovers. Last week they tipped a couple of balls that were picked off by Rahim Moore. They also had 9 other passes defensed. If they keep the pressure on like that, there will be more opportunities. The normally careful "Checkdown Alex" threw three "no-nos" last week. By hook or by crook, let's keep the party going!

Can the Broncos coverage units be effective if David Bruton is missing from action?

We lose a lot of speed and leadership if David is out with a separated shoulder. Our coverage units in recent history have been prone to give up some big plays. One of the only ways the Chiefs can stay in the game is by generating points on defense and special teams. Hopefully the Broncos coverage units will play disciplined football.

GO BRONCOS!!!