Broncos Report Card vs. Kansas City

After Sunday's 27-11 win at Arrowhead, the Denver Broncos climb back in the race for the AFC West. Check out how BroncosUpdate.com graded last week's performance and be sure and give us your thoughts on our Broncos Hardcore Message Board.

Broncos Report Card

PASSING OFFENSE: B -- Jay Cutler, coming off a badly bruised left leg, played through the injury and performed well. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 192 yards. His fourth-quarter touchdown to Daniel Graham sealed the win. Cutler also had an interception in which he didn't see linebacker Derrick Johnson dropping into coverage, but overall, Cutler played well.

RUSHING OFFENSE: A -- The Broncos' running game was back on track, and they were without Travis Henry. Selvin Young filled in well, rushing for 109 yards and a touchdown. He had some fumbling problems in the fourth quarter, which was concerning to the Broncos, but overall, he gave the offense a spark.

PASS DEFENSE: A-minus -- The Broncos chased Damon Huard from the game, and the four turnovers they caused were the difference in the game. Denver intercepted Huard and Brodie Croyle three times, and Elvis Dumervil's sack on Huard forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Denver gave up 245 yards, but no touchdowns.

RUSH DEFENSE: A -- Priest Holmes had 65 yards on 20 carries, with no gains longer than 11 yards. The Broncos hadn't played the run well very often this season, so even though Holmes was making his first start in two years, a great performance was not a given.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C -- Denver had some problems. A blocked punt was the reason Kansas City led 8-6 in the first half. Penalties by the special teams contributed to the constantly poor field position in the second half. However, Denver had a very good day covering kicks, which helped the defense in its big day.

COACHING: B -- The Broncos hadn't gone on the road and beat Kansas City since 2002. And this year's Denver team was 3-5 with a two-game losing streak. The coaching staff did a good job getting the players focused and using the mediocre AFC West as a motivation for turning the season around. As it stands, the Broncos are 4-5 but only a game out of first place.

---

Got something to say - Voice your opinion on any one of our
Broncos Update Community Forums