- Final0GB
CHI7
197
19 - Final1JAC
CLE20
1420
14 - Final2MIN
DET21
1621
16 - Final3TEN
IND3
353
35 - Final4BUF
MIA23
2423
24 - Final5TB
NO10
310
3 - Final6DAL
NYG10
1710
17 - Final7CIN
PIT38
3138
31 - Final8ATL
CAR6
246
24 - Final9HOU
BAL15
1615
16 - Final10WSH
STL24
924
9 - Final11ARI
SF17
1017
10 - Final12DEN
KC27
3127
31 - Final13NYJ
NE3
163
16 - Final14OAK
SD10
3410
34 - Final15SEA
PHI42
042
0
Final
4:15 PM ET, December 4, 2005
Top Performers
Passing: J. Plummer (DEN) - 276 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: L. Johnson (KC) - 30 CAR, 140 YDS, 2 TD
Receiving: E. Kennison (KC) - 4 REC, 108 YDS
Denver (9-2) at Kansas City (7-4) Sunday 4:15 pm EST
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- The Kansas City Chiefs opened a brutal closing stretch in impressive fashion.
On Sunday, the Chiefs look to move closer to the first-place Denver Broncos when the AFC West rivals meet for the second time this season.
Kansas City began a stretch of six straight games against teams with winning records to end the season with a 26-16 victory over two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England last Sunday.
The victory over the Patriots helped the Chiefs remain tied with San Diego for second place in the AFC West, two games behind Denver.
Denver made an early statement within the division this season with a 30-10 victory over Kansas City on September 26 in a Monday night game.
Jake Plummer went an efficient 13-of-18 for 152 yards and a touchdown and also ran for a score and Mike Anderson rushed for 98 yards and a score to pace the Broncos. Denver also received a big effort from its defense, which held Kansas City out of the end zone until the waning moments.
The Broncos did a stellar job against the Chiefs' vaunted running game, holding the duo of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson to 74 yards on 22 carries.
Holmes is now sidelined for the season, but Johnson has played well in his absence. Johnson has four straight 100-yard games and is 32 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season.
Johnson's impressive run will be tested against the Broncos, who allow just 79.1 yards per game on the ground to rank first in the NFL.
The Broncos ran their winning streak to four games with a 24-21 overtime victory at Dallas on Thanksgiving. Picking up the slack for Tatum Bell, who missed the game with a shoulder injury, Ron Dayne rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown. The former Heisman Trophy winner busted loose for a 55-yard run in overtime to set up Jason Elam's 24-yard field goal.
Matchup to watch: Chiefs right end Jared Allen, who has eight sacks, against left tackle Matt Lepsis.
Series: The Chiefs leads, 50-41.
Next week: Denver hosts Baltimore, December 11 Kansas City visits Dallas, December 11
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Scouting Report
Chiefs must stop the run
It is crunch time in the AFC West, which is shaping up as the AFC's most competitive division. For the visiting Broncos, Sunday's trip to Arrowhead Stadium serves as an opportunity to distance themselves from the pack. Led by QB Jake Plummer, Denver's balanced offensive attack will look to control tempo versus a Kansas City defense that picked off New England QB Tom Brady four times last week.
The schedule down the stretch for the Chiefs is very difficult, which makes Sunday's home game versus the division-leading Broncos that much more critical. In order to capitalize, RB Larry Johnson must use his bruising running style to overpower Denver's athletic linebacking corps, and QB Trent Green must limit his mistakes -- particularly when throwing in DC Champ Bailey's direction.
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Matchup
DEN | KC | |
|---|---|---|
| W-L | 9-3 | 8-4 |
| Avg Points | 25.8 | 25.1 |
| Avg Points Allowed | 18.4 | 21.4 |
| Home Record | 6-0 | 5-1 |
| Road Record | 3-3 | 3-3 |
| Division Record | 3-1 | 3-2 |
| Conference Record | 6-2 | 7-3 |
| Complete Standings | ||
Passing Leaders
| Denver | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P. Manning | 68.6 | 4659 | 37 | 11 |
| B. Osweiler | 50.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Kansas City | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT |
| M. Cassel | 58.1 | 1796 | 6 | 12 |
| B. Quinn | 56.9 | 1141 | 2 | 8 |
Rushing Leaders
| Denver | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W. McGahee | 167 | 731 | 4.4 | 4 | |
| K. Moreno | 138 | 525 | 3.8 | 4 | |
| Kansas City | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | |
| J. Charles | 285 | 1509 | 5.3 | 5 | |
| P. Hillis | 85 | 309 | 3.6 | 1 | |
Team Averages & NFL Ranks
| TEAM OFFENSE | TEAM | PER GAME AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | DEN | |
| KC | ||
| Yards Passing | DEN | |
| KC | ||
| Yards Rushing | DEN | |
| KC | ||
| TEAM DEFENSE | TEAM | PER GAME AVERAGE |
| Yards Allowed | DEN | |
| KC | ||
| Pass Yds Allowed | DEN | |
| KC | ||
| Rush Yds Allowed | DEN | |
| KC |
Head to Head Matchups (Since 2001)
| Denver leads 6-4 | |
|---|---|
| Sep 26, 2005 | DEN 30, KC 10 |
| Dec 19, 2004 | DEN 17, @KC 45 |
| Nov 6, 2004 | DEN 17, KC 11 |
| Sep 12, 2004 | DEN 34, KC 24 |
| Dec 7, 2003 | DEN 45, KC 27 |
| Oct 5, 2003 | DEN 23, @KC 24 |
| Dec 15, 2002 | DEN 31, KC 24 |
| Oct 20, 2002 | DEN 37, @KC 34 |
| Dec 16, 2001 | DEN 23, @KC 26 |
| Oct 7, 2001 | DEN 20, KC 6 |
