Broncos at Chiefs
THE STORY: Love him or hate him – there appears to be no middle – Tim Tebow has turned heads since taking over as quarterback of the Denver Broncos. Tebow will try to win for the third time in four starts this season when the Broncos visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in one of many key AFC West games to be played down the stretch. Kansas City is one-half game behind Oakland, which won at San Diego 24-17 on Thursday. Denver is 1½ games back. Tebow rushed for a career-high 117 yards and spearheaded a comeback which saw the Broncos score the final 24 points in its 38-24 victory at Oakland last week. The Chiefs, meanwhile, missed a golden opportunity to take over first place by themselves when their four-game winning streak was snapped in embarrassing fashion at the hands of previously winless Miami 31-3.
TV: CBS, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Chiefs -3.5, O/U 41.
ABOUT THE CHIEFS (4-4): Kansas City used backup quarterback Tyler Palko, who is left-handed, during practice this week to simulate Tebow. A changing of the guard – actually running back – is occurring as Jackie Battle is slowly taking over. With the loss of Jamaal Charles to a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, many thought Thomas Jones would simply step in. But Battle has become Kansas City’s top runner, averaging 76 yards on 17 carries in the last four games. Jones has 89 yards on 27 carries during that span. Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe had a career-high 186 yards and tied a career high with two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 49-29 loss at Denver last season, but was held without a catch three weeks later in Kansas City’s 10-6 victory.
ABOUT THE BRONCOS (3-5): After Denver’s 45-10 loss to Detroit in Week 8, few could have seen a postseason in the Broncos’ future. But last week’s victory, coupled with losses by San Diego and Kansas City, has Denver in realistic position to win the West. While Tebow is still learning how to consistently throw accurate passes – he has completed 46.4 percent this season – he has helped revitalized Denver’s running game. So has Willis McGahee, who rushed for 163 of the Broncos’ 299 yards last week and has four 100-yard rushing games this season.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. The Chiefs allowed five sacks last week after yielding 13 in the previous seven games.
2. The Broncos are 15-36 all-time at Arrowhead Stadium, including 4-12 in their last 16.
3. Denver wide receiver Eric Decker is tied for the AFC lead with six touchdown catches.