A rare Adam Vinatieri failed game-winner sent the Colts home with a loss for the second straight week as San Diego (5-4) upset Indianapolis (7-2) on Sunday Night.

The Bolts now hold sole possession of the AFC West by one game, above both the Broncos (4-5) and Chiefs (4-5).  Many had speculated that a Broncos win and Chargers loss would catapult the Broncos to the top of the division; with this game going the Chargers’ way, it looks like the division won’t be handed out that easily.

The AFC seems a little too crowded to expect a Wild Card out of the Broncos; the Jaguars, Titans, Browns, and Bills all have better records, along with two other clubs that hold the same record in the Ravens and Chiefs, all of whom still hope to sneak into the playoffs.  If the Broncos are to aim for the playoffs, they will have to win the division.  It won’t be easy, but by no means is it impossible.

They still have the opportunity to go to San Diego and and deliver a loss to the Chargers themselves.

The chase for the pennant excites me, to be honest.  Knowing the Broncos will have to earn it rather than have it handed on a silver platter can only make our club stronger.  Will they step up, week in and week out, to keep the pressure on the Chargers?  I hope they will, and believe they can.  As Javon Walker returns healthy, and John Lynch hopefully recovers from his neck injury, this team can improve from the dominant performance we saw in Kansas City.  We’re not out yet, Broncos fans.

This next week the Broncos face the Titans, and the Chargers play the Jaguars.  The Jaguars may have David Garrard back in the lineup, and their recent running frenzy may be difficult for the Chargers to handle.  If the Broncos can take care of themselves, the team can catapult ourselves into the division lead in a mere week or two.

AP Photo/Dick Whipple

Broncos 27, Chiefs 11

The Denver Broncos sent a message to their AFC West rivals this week – we may be down, but we’re not out.

After falling behind 6-8 at halftime, the Broncos burst into the second half with 14 points in just over 9 seconds of game clock, both touchdowns coming off Kansas City (4-5) turnovers. In the end, both the Denver Broncos (4-5) offense and defense stepped up in big ways to deliver a 27-11 trouncing of the AFC West leaders in Arrowhead.

Kansas City was kept out of the end zone, while the Broncos forced 4 turnovers, 1 of which was returned for a touchdown. Cheifs quarterback Damon Huard never got into any kind of rhythm and was ultimately knocked out of the contest in the third quarter. Brodie Croyle stepped in and looked sharp at times while looking very young at others. He completed 17/30 for 162 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Recap below. Both the recap and photo above courtesy ESPN (AP) –

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Denver finally won a game without asking Jason Elam to kick a walk-off field goal.

At the same time, the injury-wracked Broncos may have ignited a new quarterback era in Kansas City.

Backup Selvin Young rushed for 109 yards and the Broncos (4-5) scored two touchdowns in a 9-second span of the third quarter Sunday for a 27-11 victory over the Chiefs (4-5), who replaced shaken-up, turnover-prone Damon Huard with second-year man Brodie Croyle.

In the decisive series in the third quarter, Dre’ Bly intercepted Huard returned it 18 yards to the 31. Three plays later Young, subbing for the injured Travis Henry, broke Bernard Pollard‘s tackle and went 20 yards for a touchdown and a 13-8 lead for the Broncos, who hadn’t won in Kansas City since 2002.

On Kansas City’s next play from scrimmage, defensive end Elvis Dumervil crashed into Huard and knocked the ball loose. Linebacker Nate Webster, standing in the right place at the right time, scooped it up and dashed 17 yards for another touchdown and the Broncos led 20-8 en route to just their sixth win in their last 21 games overall.

Huard, an 11-year veteran who has played poorly this year, was slow getting up and he stayed on the bench with an icepack on his neck while Croyle finished the game, going 17-for-30 for 162 yards, with one interception.

Dwayne Bowe had nine catches for 105 yards for the Chiefs, who were without Pro Bowl running back Larry Johnson. Priest Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowler, had 65 yards on 20 carries in his first start in more than two years.

The home team had won the last nine games between these old rivals, and it seemed that would continue as the Broncos stumbled around in the first quarter, dropping two interceptions and getting six penalties.

Elam, whose game-ending field goals produced Denver’s first three wins, made it 3-0 in the first period with a 44-yarder. Then Dave Rayner, following Derrick Johnson‘s interception of Jay Cutler‘s pass, kicked a 38-yard field goal for KC.

Pollard blocked Todd Sauerbrun‘s punt through the end zone for a safety just a few seconds into the second quarter. Then Elam kicked his 37th career field goal of 50 yards or more when the ball hit the crossbar and tumbled over from exactly 50 yards.

Cutler, whose availability was in question earlier in the week because of a deep bruise on his left leg, was 17-of-29 for 192 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham with 10:44 left in the fourth quarter.

The Broncos were without three injured starters: running back Henry, safety John Lynch and wide receiver Javon Walker. They were already playing without defensive ends Ebenezer Ekuban and Jarvis Moss, tight end Stephen Alexander and Nate Jackson, and Pro Bowl center Tom Nalen.

Young had only 222 yards for the season coming into the game, but had his first 100-yard game and his first NFL touchdown against a Kansas City defense that played fairly well most of the season while the offense, under Huard and an inconsistent line, struggled.

Holmes was making his first start in 742 days. He carried 13 times for 41 yards in the first half, but had one monstrously bad run on third-and-2 from the 5. The 34-year-old running back who was away from football for almost two years before launching a comeback, started left and then tried to reverse his field. But he wound up losing 14 yards and the Chiefs had to settle for a 36-yard field goal.

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Halftime score is 8-6 Kansas City thanks to a blocked punt safety. The Broncos are limping everywhere but have shown a lot of fire and passion, which they’ll need to pull out a victory.

Kyle’s first half awards:

HALFTIME STUD – Selvin Young, who is making big plays that are oh-so close to going all the way.

HALFTIME DUD – Matt Lepsis, who is getting beat constantly by The Mullet.

Talk Broncos below with us – I’ll be back after the game and (cross your fingers) a Broncos win!

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Post your thoughts on the game here. GO BRONCOS!

Inactive List for Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs, Week 10 in the NFL, November 11, 2007.

Travis Henry will NOT play against the Chiefs, and John Lynch has been ruled out as well.

Broncos

RB Mike Bell
DE Larry Birdine
DE Paul Carrington
QB Darrell Hackney
RB Travis Henry
S John Lynch
OL Isaac Snell
WR Javon Walker

Notes: Darrell Hackney is in uniform and could play per the NFL’s 3rd quarterback rules. … DEs Larry Birdine and Paul Carrington were added to the roster this week but will not suit up. New additions DL Josh Mallard and WR Taylor Jacobs are active.

Chiefs

CB Rasahd Barksdale
RB Larry Johnson
DT James Reed
WR Bobby Sippio
OL Will Svitek
OT Herbert Taylor
QB Tyler Thigpen
LB Pat Thomas

Notes: Priest Holmes gets the start in lieu of Johnson.

Another glorious game day morning. Here are some quality BroncoTalk-approved links worth checking out.

• Darrell Hackney has been promoted to the active roster as the third QB.  Hopefully this means I will never have to watch Mike Leach take warmup snaps on the sideline ever again.  [CBS4 Denver]
• Simeon Rice didn’t last for one simple reason: he’s a selfish douchebag. Seriously. Even as he leaves, claiming he gave up bonus money just to leave (note: yeah, I’m sure you broke the bank to get out Rice), all he mentions is himself. Me me me. Shut up. Quit crying. Good luck finding a job. I don’t think I’ve ever seen or heard a more whiny, immature potential future Hall of Famer. [Denver Post]
• On the other end of the spectrum (and the Broncos defensive line lately), we see Elvis Dumervil, who once vied for the Dumervil Family Water Drinking Championship. Great interview here. [Denver Post]
• Catch up on everything the guys and I said on the Chiefs all week in our Game Center.  [BroncoTalk]
• Go Broncos!  I’ll have the inactives and open thread just a little later.

Taking a look around the Internet, on what the experts, beat writers, soothsayers, and your grandpa are saying about the upcoming game. We’ll give you a snippet, then you can jump through the links provided and read everything they had to say.

“The Chiefs’ offense is built around a running game that has struggled in stretches this season. On Sunday, whether it’s Holmes or Johnson or Smith carrying the load, the Chiefs could look robust against the Broncos’ league-worst run defense. The Chiefs’ offensive line will face an undersized Broncos front seven that can be worn down. To take full advantage, the Chiefs should run up the middle 25-plus times.” — The War Room (Sporting News)

“Broncos OT Matt Lepsis vs. Chiefs DE Jared Allen — Allen is having a big year, and Lepsis is coming off a disappointing game. Jay Cutler‘s mobility probably will be limited because of a lower leg injury, making Lepsis’ performance all that more important to the Broncos offense.” — Inside Slant (USA Today)

“The biggest advantage appears to lie with Kansas City’s defense. They are starting to look like a dominating defense that can both rush the passer as well as stop the run well enough. Arrowhead stadium can be a very difficult place to play and if Denver is not hitting on all cylinders this could end up being a long game for the Broncos.” — ESPN

“Even with its top running back injured, Kansas City could get an offensive boost on the ground against a Denver defense that allows 161.5 rushing yards per game – most in the NFL. The Chiefs, though, will also need improved play from Damon Huard, who has thrown nine interceptions and just eight touchdown passes. He had two of each as Kansas City lost 33-22 to the Packers at home. The Chiefs fell to 2-2 at Arrowhead Stadium, where they had gone 13-3 over the previous two seasons.” — Fox Sports (AP)

Picks Around the Web

Jerry Rice Adam Schein	Ron Jaworski Seth Wickersham Merril Hoge Sean Salisbury Mark Schlereth Mike Golic Pat Kirwan Shannon Sharpe Gil Brandt Moose Johnston Brian McGovern Eric Allen Chris Mortenson Hagen/LeGreca Bruce Murray Solomon Wilcots Jim Miller Tim Ryan

Picks from ESPN, Sirius

Injury Report for the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs for Week 10 in the NFL, November 11, 2007.

Denver Broncos

OUT
WR Javon Walker (Knee)

QUESTIONABLE
K Jason Elam (R Calf)
RB Travis Henry (Knee)
S John Lynch (Neck)

PROBABLE
WB Jay Cutler (Ankle)
DE Elvis Dumervil (Knee)
DE John Engelberger (Shoulder)
WR Glenn Martinez (Knee)
CB Karl Paymah (Knee)
RB Cecil Sapp (Calf)
LB D.J. Williams (Finger)

Slant – Coach Mike Shanahan said he would expect K Jason Elam to play, and Henry and Lynch will be game time decisions. … The Broncos’ defensive end lineup is in flux right now as both starters appear on the injury report as probable; meanwhile, Jarvis Moss was placed on Injured Reserve and Simeon Rice was waived, opening the door for three new additions this week. … Jay Cutler should play without a hitch.

Kansas City Chiefs

OUT
RB Larry Johnson (Foot)
T Will Svitek (Foot)

PROBABLE
TE Jason Dunn (Eye)
LB Keyaron Fox (Hamstring)
WR Eddie Kennison (Hamstring)
T Damion McIntosh (Illness)

Slant – Larry Johnson was ruled out by coach Herm Edwards earlier this week. Priest Holmes will share time with Kolby Smith in replacing Johnson. … T Damion McIntosh missed practice late in the week due to illness, but is listed as probable on the injury report. He should play Sunday.

The Denver Broncos are expected to announce that they have released veteran defensive end Simeon Rice today, 950 The Fan reports.  The report was confirmed through CBS4’s Insider text message service.

Must say that I love the move, as you all know I hated Rice after his comments last month.  After the club signed three defensive ends this week, I had speculated Rice’s lack of production and loud mouth might find him on his way out.  Good for the Broncos for not putting up with his crap.

Jason Elam was added to the injury report and is questionable for Sunday’s game.  I’ll have more later tonight.

UPDATE 1:55 AM 11/11/07 – Changed my pick from Carolina to Atlanta.

What, the Pick Ems, on a Friday?

Must be Christmas time.

I knew I was going to blow last week, and blow I did. Even one of my two “sure things” (ahem Chargers) lost! Hell, the Chargers blew!

J.D. picked with his heart, against the AFC West, and blew me out of the water.

He did so well I was blown away.

Last week

Kyle – Against the Spread – 1-5 (.167)
Straight up – 6-7 (.462)
Jonathan – Against the Spread – 4-3 (.571)
Straight up – 9-4 (.692)

To Date

Kyle – Against the Spread – 10-17 (.370)
Straight up – 80-49 (.620)
Jonathan – Against the spread – 17-17 (.500)
Straight up – 80-49 (.620)

Yeah, I blow, I’m hanging my head in shame. At one point I had a huge lead on J.D., but he’s caught up and now we’re tied. I guess that’s fitting for the midpoint of the season.

8 rematches this week, kinda weird. Even weirder? The away team won most of the time, so these rematches mostly have home teams who beat the other guys on the road already. You’ll see the REMATCH ALERTs below.

Looks like Jonathan and I only differ in one game- Jags/Titans. Season’s bragging rights thus far are on the line in this one game. GO JAGS! (See UPDATE above).

Kyle’s pick	Kyle’s Thoughts/Notes/Ramblings	Jonathan’s pick
	JAC (+4) @ TEN – REMATCH ALERT – In Week 1, these two teams played in Jacksonville and Tennessee blew them out of the water. Something like 280 rushing yards or some ridiculous number. They won’t get that this week – in a defensive juggernaut, I’ve got 13-10 Jaguars.
	DEN (+3) @ KC – Must-win game. Lose this one and the AFC West, and playoffs, and my “Anything can happen in January” theory is all but gone out the window. We may still pull it out but we need to start winning some time, and being 2 games behind the Chiefs isn’t exactly comforting. 24-23 Broncos.
	BUF (-3) @ MIA – It feels good to be right about something this season, and it looks like I was dead-on with my prediction of the Bills being the 2nd best team in the AFC East, as well as potential Wild Card winner. They’re in the thick of things and should take care of business against Miami. 31-17 Bills.
	CLE (+9.5) @ PIT – REMATCH ALERT – Pseudo-rematch. There’s a big difference between the Charlie Frye Browns and the Derek Anderson Browns. The only similarities between the Week 1 Browns that got blown out and the team that will take the field Sunday are the helmets. I’ve still got Pittsburgh, 23-13.
	STL (+11.5) @ NO – The Saints have bounced back to win 4 in a row and should keep the streak going against the awful Rams. The difference is the line play on both sides of the ball – through 4 weeks, Drew Brees was getting hit as bad as anybody, and the defensive line had yet to disrupt enemy passers. Night and day as both lines have stepped up. In a SHUTOUT that could cost Scott Linehan his job right now, I’ve got the Saints 35-0.
	ATL (+4) @ CAR – REMATCH ALERT – Panthers had the division lead and let the 0-4 Saints come back and take it away from them. As long as Vinny Testeverde is playing, they have a better shot. Neither offense is that good, but both defenses are BAD, so in a high scoring affair, I’ve got 31-24 Panthers.
	PHI (+3) @ WAS – REMATCH ALERT – Washington went to Philly and took care of business. But the Redskins have been playing bad, bad, football lately, no matter what the win/loss column tells you. Not that the Eagles are playing much better, but I’m going out on a limb with this one and taking the Eagles, 22-21.
	MIN (+6) @ GB – REMATCH ALERT – The freshest face vs. the oldest face. Packers-Vikings is always a good game (sorta like our Chiefs-Broncos), but I think the Packers come away with a season sweep. Packers 27, Vikings 14.
	CIN (+4) @ BAL – REMATCH ALERT – Cincinnati actually won this game in the first week of the season. Remember ex-Bronco Mike Myers scoring a touchdown to win it? Yeah, weird. Not gonna happen again. Neither will the Bengal defense’s four turnovers for 24 points. The Ravens defense will show up just enough to win. Ravens 17, Bengals 15.
	CHI (-3.5) @ OAK – I haven’t heard, but is this game being blacked out too? Nah, probably enough Bears fans desperate to see their team win. Bears 20-10.
	DAL (-1.5) @ NYG – REMATCH ALERT – Game of the Week, probably, unless the Chargers make it interesting. If this game were three weeks ago I would have taken the Giants, but something about their bye week curse (they always lose after) and their season meltdown (2-6 down the stretch) last year makes me take the Cowboys, 42-31.
	DET (+1) @ ARI – The two biggest sports bloggers on the Net, representing Fanhouse and Deadspin respectively, have a friendly wager on this game. The terms? A post on the other’s site. We sports bloggers are a different breed, indeed. Oh yeah, 44-7 Lions, because I’m bitter.
	IND (-3.5) @ SD – The Colts are fumingly angry mad. Fumingly. They’re so mad you can’t make up words to show it. You thought Tom Brady had an off game last week… wait til you see Philip Rivers. 31-17 Colts.
	SF (+10) @ SEA – REMATCH ALERT – 23-3 Seahawks was the result of the last game. Of course, then, the Seahawks looked like they were back in 2005 form. They’ve returned to their not-so-good ways. Then again, Alex Smith is the lowest ranked quarterback in the NFL in passer rating. Great Monday Nighter, eh? 26-11 Seahawks, because I can’t immediately figure out how to reach either point total, but these two team will find a way.