Drew Lock just pulled off a feat not even Peyton Manning could claim.
Well, at least during PFM’s four years with the Denver Broncos.
The return of Lock unlocked the upset of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in Foxborough last Sunday. The final score was 18-12, but it shouldn’t have been that close. Still, you never complain about a win in New England.
The last Broncos quarterback to accomplish that?
Jake Plummer, circa Sept. 24, 2006, when the Broncos won 17-7.
Now Lock is looking to achieve what no Denver quarterback has since Manning — beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
The last time the Broncos (2-3) beat Kansas City was Week 2 of the 2015 regular season.
That’s five years.
Five years since Denver beat the Chiefs (5-1).
Will the Broncos finally end this absurd streak this Sunday?
Broncos vs Chiefs odds
To the surprise of no one, the various CO sports betting apps don’t think so.
They’re in agreement that Lock and Denver are huge underdogs to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Since this is 2020 and the year anything and everything happens, perhaps this losing streak to the AFC West divisional rivals will end Sunday.
Fun fact for those betting on the Broncos: They’re 4-1 against the spread this season. Keep that in your back pocket as you contemplate your wagering strategy for the game.
How the Broncos beat the Chiefs
The most crucial aspect of Sunday’s game is to win the turnover battle.
Denver finally did that in its win over New England.
The Broncos defense needs to find a way to steal possessions from KC’s offense.
Lock also can’t turn the ball over as he did late in the Patriots game.
Not only must Denver win the turnover battle, it must also control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
The Chiefs rushed for 245 yards in their 26-17 over the Buffalo Bills. Needless to say, the Broncos can’t get dominated like that on Sunday and expect to win.
Denver also must run the ball offensively.
The return of running back Phillip Lindsay sparked the Broncos offense, as he’s akin to do.
Denver rushed for 135 yards against the Patriots, with 101 coming from Lindsay.
The Broncos need a similar showing on Sunday.
The good news on that front for Denver? The Chiefs aren’t good at stopping the run. Even though Kansas City held the Bills to 84 yards rushing, it’s still 30th in the NFL in rush defense, allowing 145.3 yards per game.
Score more touchdowns
In addition to those two things, Lock and the offense must also score touchdowns.
Denver’s offense was able to efficiently and effectively move the ball on a defense that held Mahomes and the KC offense in check.
The problem is the Broncos had to settle for field goals.
For Denver to finally end the Chiefs’ five-year winning streak, Lock and the offense must rack up touchdowns.
The sports betting odds are certainly against the Broncos on Sunday.
But Lock just pulled off a feat even PFM couldn’t during his four years in Denver.
This is 2020, so perhaps Sunday is when the Broncos finally beat the Chiefs and end this ridiculous losing streak.
