On this week's Mile High Salute from The Matchup, Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders preview the Broncos' AFC West rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs and look back at Denver's win over Arizona.
Episode summary
Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders break down what the Denver Broncos need to do in their Week 8 rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, with first place in the AFC West on the line. Chris wants Denver's receivers to attack the Chiefs' rookie corner downfield and the defense to clean up the missed tackles from the first meeting at Arrowhead. They also look back at the win over the Arizona Cardinals, from Bo Nix's long touchdown run to a dominant defensive performance without Pat Surtain II, and share their own memories of playing the Chiefs, including how Tyreek Hill changed the challenge of defending Patrick Mahomes.
Topics covered
0:00 Intro: Mile High Salute, Week 8
0:29 Broncos roll past the Cardinals
1:45 Denver's offense is still finding its identity
3:26 A dominant defense, even without Pat Surtain II
4:20 Riley Moss and a questionable pass interference call
5:02 Fixing the missed tackles from the first meeting
6:05 Stopping Walker and keeping Mahomes in the pocket
6:45 First place in the AFC West is on the line
8:45 The key for Denver's offense: test the rookie corner
10:08 Memories of playing the Chiefs at Arrowhead
11:09 Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and the fastest player they've seen
12:54 Wrap-up
Intro: Mile High Salute, Week 8 (0:00 to 0:29)
The episode opens with a preview of the topics before Emmanuel Sanders kicks off the Mile High Salute, the segment where he and Chris Harris Jr. talk Denver Broncos football, and reminds Chris that he called the blowout against Arizona.
Broncos roll past the Cardinals (0:29 to 1:45)
Chris said the road game in Arizona felt like a home game, with Broncos fans traveling in big numbers. He said Bo Nix showed he's healthy with his long touchdown run, and liked how Denver ran the ball, with RJ Harvey contributing out of the backfield.
"I like the way they played. I knew it was going to be a little blowout. Defense came with it," Chris said.
He added that the passing game still isn't where it needs to be, saying Jaylen Waddle and the receivers are getting better but "we're still not there yet."
Denver's offense is still finding its identity (1:45 to 3:26)
Emmanuel said he sees a Broncos team starting to find its identity, with plenty of empty packages against Arizona. He highlighted a post-corner route from Waddle on the outside and a perfect throw from Nix, comparing it to the deep shots Seattle has used to get Jaxon Smith-Njigba open.
"That's the type of timing that you need," Emmanuel said.
He called it one of Waddle's best performances and Courtland Sutton's best of the season, but noted the offense went just 3 for 11 on third down. Emmanuel said he doesn't want to be too critical of a winning team, especially with a defense he believes is "championship caliber."
A dominant defense, even without Pat Surtain II (3:26 to 4:20)
Chris broke down the defensive numbers against Arizona and singled out linebacker Alex Singleton, who leads the NFL in tackles. He also praised Nik Bonitto's pressure, Jonathon Cooper's forced fumble and Zach Allen's play in the middle.
Stat | Broncos vs. Cardinals |
Sacks | 3 |
Tackles for loss | 6 |
Passes defended | 9 |
Quarterback hits | 13 |
Alex Singleton tackles | 19 (12 solo), plus a sack and a tackle for loss |
Offense on third down | 3 for 11 |
"He's kind of like a J.J. Watt type," Chris said of Allen, pointing to his ability to rush the passer and play the run. Chris noted the defense is "flying around" and doing it all without star cornerback Pat Surtain II.
Riley Moss and a questionable pass interference call (4:20 to 5:02)
Both hosts pushed back on a pass interference call against cornerback Riley Moss, saying he made a clean, athletic pass breakup that should have been a highlight. Emmanuel said it feels like officials expect Moss to commit a penalty, even on good plays.
Fixing the missed tackles from the first meeting (5:02 to 6:05)
Chris credited the rest of the secondary, including Ja'Quan McMillian and Brandon Jones, and backups stepping up without Talanoa Hufanga and Surtain. He said the rematch is a big test of how much the defense has improved since the first meeting at Arrowhead, when Denver missed a near-record number of tackles in one of the worst tackling games of Vance Joseph's tenure.
"They got a chip on their shoulder to show that they've improved," Chris said. He expects Denver to stop Kenneth Walker III, get ballcarriers on the ground and take away the yards after the catch that hurt them on short completions.
Stopping Walker and keeping Mahomes in the pocket (6:05 to 6:45)
Emmanuel said the run game starts with Walker, but the second half against Seattle showed Patrick Mahomes can still go back to scrambling and making plays. He recalled a defensive plan built around Mahomes completing fewer passes inside the pocket than outside it, and said Denver needs a plan to keep him contained.
First place in the AFC West is on the line (6:45 to 8:45)
Emmanuel said a win at home would put the Broncos in first place in the AFC West, giving the defense a shot at redemption and the offense a chance to prove it belongs in the playoff conversation. He called it a "beautiful moment" for Denver against a team that had been the bully of the division for years.
Chris said the Chiefs won't come in rattled after losing to Seattle. "Nah, they mad. They hungry. They going back in the lab," he said, expecting Andy Reid to have a strong offensive game plan ready.
Chris added that division games are different because both teams know exactly what the other runs, and that Kansas City is still upset Denver ended its run of nine straight division titles.
"So now Broncos trying to take it back," Chris said. "Let's see if they can repeat."
The key for Denver's offense: test the rookie corner (8:45 to 10:08)
Chris said the biggest key for Denver's offense is creating explosive plays, the way Seattle did. He wants the Broncos to challenge Kansas City's rookie cornerback and Nohl Williams in man coverage, with downfield shots to Sutton and Waddle.
"We got to search for the explosives just like Seattle did. Find them, take advantage of these guys up top," Chris said.
He noted Denver's explosive plays against Arizona came from an RJ Harvey bubble screen and a Marvin Mims catch against Cover 2, and said that won't be enough against the Chiefs. "We're going to really find out what the Broncos receivers are about this week," he said.
Emmanuel said big-time players make big-time plays in big games, and that this week will show whether Waddle and Sutton are those players. "Do I think they are? Hell yeah I do," he said.
Memories of playing the Chiefs at Arrowhead (10:08 to 11:09)
Chris remembered Denver's 2015 Thursday night win in Kansas City. Emmanuel recalled catching a touchdown from Peyton Manning and flipping into the end zone, and said that same era was his introduction to cornerback Marcus Peters.
Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and the fastest player they've seen (11:09 to 12:54)
Emmanuel said it doesn't feel like the Mahomes of old this season. Chris pointed to Tyreek Hill as a big part of Mahomes' best years. "Anybody can make you look like that when you got a Tyreek Hill," Chris said, noting Mahomes' biggest touchdown seasons came with Hill.
Emmanuel agreed it was a combination of both, recalling the Chiefs beating his Buffalo Bills team in 13 seconds behind Hill. He said Hill is the fastest player he's ever seen, ahead of Mike Wallace, Rashid Shaheed and DeSean Jackson.
"Nobody touches Tyreek Hill," Emmanuel said.
Broncos vs. Chiefs Week 8 key takeaways from Chris Harris Jr. and Emmanuel Sanders
A Broncos win over the Chiefs would put Denver in first place in the AFC West.
Chris Harris Jr. wants Denver's receivers to attack Kansas City's rookie cornerback downfield and create explosive plays.
Denver's defense has to fix the missed tackles from the first meeting and limit Kenneth Walker III's yards after contact and after the catch.
The Broncos' defense dominated Arizona without Pat Surtain II, led by Alex Singleton's 19 tackles.
Both hosts expect an angry, well-prepared Chiefs team after Kansas City scored just three points against Seattle.
What is the key for the Broncos' offense against the Chiefs in Week 8? Chris Harris Jr. says Denver needs explosive plays, challenging the Chiefs' rookie cornerback and Nohl Williams in man coverage with downfield shots to Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle.
What does the Broncos' defense need to fix against the Chiefs? Chris Harris Jr. says Denver has to clean up the missed tackles from the first meeting at Arrowhead, get Kenneth Walker III on the ground and take away yards after the catch, while having a plan for Patrick Mahomes when he scrambles.
What is at stake in Broncos vs. Chiefs in Week 8? First place in the AFC West. The Broncos ended the Chiefs' run of nine straight division titles last season, and Chris Harris Jr. says Kansas City wants it back.
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