Broncos seek consistency ahead of Super Bowl rematch
DENVER — Word was waiting for Denver Broncos players as soon as they returned to their locker room Sunday evening after escaping with a 24-17 win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Their next opponent, the big, bad, dreaded Seattle Seahawks, had lost. Next week's Super Bowl rematch suddenly has a new wrinkle. If the San Diego Chargers could topple Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman and Co., could the Broncos?
"They beat us bad in the Super Bowl. They think they have the pedigree, they talked noise all offseason. That's what we've been waiting for," Denver wide receiver Andre Caldwell told Paste BN Sports.
The Broncos, who for the second time in two weeks survived a second-half meltdown, will have little time to celebrate beating the Chiefs. They won't let themselves spend much time enjoying Peyton Manning's three touchdown passes, but they also won't have long to stew about a shaky defensive performance that allowed a depleted Kansas City team to come within yards of a game-tying score in the final minutes of regulation.
"I'm going to enjoy this tonight, and then (Monday), it's straight Seahawks, ready to go," Broncos cornerback Chris Harris said. "I think everyone on this team is ready to turn the page fast."
For everything the Broncos accomplished in their first two games — important wins, certainly, against two 2013 playoff teams in Indianapolis and Kansas City — the Broncos understand the Seahawks isn't just a regular game. When it comes to perception and reputation, this will be Denver's chance to make a statement.
"Coach (John) Fox will do a great job of getting that team ready — look, we know what that team represents. We also know they're a different team at home than they are on the road. We can't make the mistakes that we've made in the previous two games and go up there and expect to get a win," former Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe told Paste BN Sports. "I expect them to play a more sound and disciplined football game. If they play like I think they can play, they can win that ball game."
The only way the Broncos will truly be able to judge just how much they improved in a single offseason is to line up against the very team that blew them out seven months ago. A lopsided loss again would be devastating blow to a team that right now believes it is deeper, healthier, meaner and more talented than the one that lost 43-8 in New Jersey.
A win, meanwhile, would be validation for a binge on big-name free agents Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and T.J. Ward, and would remind the rest of the NFL that the Broncos deserve to be among the Super Bowl favorites once again.
But here's what the Broncos will take with them back to their training facility south of Denver when they gather on Monday. Yes, they beat the Chiefs, but it was hardly an inspiring performance.
Denver's offense was either brilliant or baffling.
First for the brilliant. Peyton Manning led three near-perfect touchdown drives, the longest of which lasted just 4:26 and spanned 11 plays. He tossed three more touchdown passes, one each to tight ends Julius Thomas (his fourth of the year) and Jacob Tamme, and one to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, while Emmanuel Sanders had his first 100-yard receiving game as a Bronco.
And then for the baffling, like back-to-back three-and-outs in the first quarter, and a third-quarter drive that featured a sack and two penalties, one of which that wiped out a 50-yard gain. After Manning's third-down pass fell incomplete on that drive, he was spotted screaming at Julius Thomas on the sideline.
"You're never too big, or had too good of a game or be too good of a player to get ripped by him," Caldwell said. "He's ripping him like he's a rookie or something. But he does it to everybody. We've all gotten it. It is definitely needed. It makes you try as hard as you can to get off his bad side. Maybe you'll work a little harder."
"We're always looking to play that perfect four-quarter game," Manning said. "It's something we'll keep striving for."
The Broncos defense has its own issues to solve before facing the Seahawks. After allowing the Colts to nearly erase a 31-10 lead last week, the Broncos defense nearly collapsed again as the Chiefs converted 11-of-16 third downs, including 7-of-9 in the second half, while the Broncos defense committed seven penalties, six of which came on third down.
For the second straight game, the Broncos needed a fourth-down stop in the game's final moments to hold on to the win.
"We're beating ourselves. It's nothing our opponents are doing to kill us. Until we figure it out, and stop beating ourselves on dumb penalties and missed assignments, we're going to keep having dog fights like this," Harris said. "Man, I'm so ready for this week. I'm going to make sure everyone is on point, make sure that we don't kill ourselves, because we can't. If we're going to beat the Seattle Seahawks, we can't go down there with these mental mistakes and dumb penalties like we had."
Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones.