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Broncos Took 3 Massive Strides in Brutal Chiefs Loss

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Broncos Took 3 Massive Strides in Brutal Chiefs Loss


Beating the league’s best team is no easy feat. However, the Denver Broncos‘ Week 10 performance against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs showcased how Bo Nix and the defense have shown the resolve to thrive under pressure and compete with the best.

The Broncos are proving they can go toe-to-toe with any opponent in the league. But how exactly have the Broncos taken strides to deliver what the fanbase yearned for?

Let’s examine.

The Broncos defense came into Arrowhead Stadium with one mission: disrupt Mahomes’ rhythm and bring Kansas City’s high-powered offense to a screeching halt — a mission it performed quite well. Denver tallied four sacks, nine quarterback hits, and held the Chiefs to a meager 300 total yards — their lowest yardage output of the season. 

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Defensive end Zach Allen and rush linebacker Nik Bonitto had the most significant impact in this contest. Allen used his ability to collapse the pocket, and Bonitto was a nightmare off the edge with his speed rush.

While Allen and Bonitto had stand-out games, it was a team effort, as Mahomes dealt with pressure from practically every player on Denver’s defensive front.

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While Denver is coming off a heartbreaking loss, the Broncos’ young gunslinger refuses to hang his head and is confident they can square off with the league’s best teams. When asked whether the Broncos could build any confidence in the wake of this disappointing loss, Nix said, “Oh, yeah. We’re very confident. We feel we can compete against a lot of teams in this league, all of them, really. We’ve faced a lot of good teams this year and have been in one-possession games, it feels like, in every single one of them.”

This game showed Nix’s ability to perform in the most crucial moments, especially that huge third-down conversion at the end of the game, connecting with Courtland Sutton to ensure Mahomes wouldn’t see the field again. Finishing with 215 yards passing and two touchdowns, Nix showed he could go up against the league’s top teams while remaining poised in critical in-game situations.

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Denver’s running game has been inconsistent, to say the least. While Javonte Williams has had a couple of good games, the rest have been relatively lackluster.

Rookie fifth-rounder Audrice Estime was supposed to compete with Williams for carries this season. Unfortunately, injuries and ball-security issues temporarily delayed Estime’s involvement in the offense. Even so, Sean Payton refuses to give up on him.

“We keep wanting to get him involved,” Payton said. “He is a handful.” 

While Estime didn’t pop off for a 100-yard game, he did have some impressive, hard-nosed carries that sadly reminded Broncos Country of Williams before his multi-ligament knee injury. If Estime can build on his last performance and, more importantly, hold on to the ball, he has a serious chance of locking up the starting job.

Denver’s recent performance against the Chiefs showcased a team on the rise. Despite the narrow loss, the Broncos demonstrated that with their elite defense and offensive potential, they can play with anyone in the league.

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While still a work in progress, the Broncos are trending in the right direction, building a foundation that could make them a force for years to come.

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Kansas State Fans Unload On Jerome Tang After Wichita State Loss

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Kansas State Fans Unload On Jerome Tang After Wichita State Loss


Kansas State’s meltdown loss to the Stockers can be attributed to many on the team.

But it was coach Jerome Tang who was the center of the criticism Saturday night. This is the second time in the last three games where the Wildcats were outdone dramatically in the second half.

Kansas State stars Coleman Hawkins and David N’Guessan combined for just 15 points on 35 percent shooting. Meanwhile, David Castillo went 0 of 7 from 3-point range, contributing to a 28 percent shooting performance from the arc.

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On the other end, Wichita State’s Xavier Bell and Corey Washington combined for 42 points. The Shockers collectively got to the paint and free-throw line very often Saturday.

“I saw this live,” one user said. “Competitive for 30 minutes, the Cats freaked out being down by 4 and couldn’t stop chucking threes and play horrible defense. Tang tries but this squad has no heart and grit. Soft. Fragile.”

Kansas State starts facing conference opponents next week, with their first Big 12 matchup against Cincinnati (9-1) Monday night. But honestly, most fans are ready to throw in the towel on the season already.

“I love this college with my whole heart,” another fan said. “Will always support the University but this is one of the worst starts to a season I have ever seen. This is not the standard we have built and something needs to change. The program should be embarrassed because the fans sure are.”

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Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.





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Chiefs Suffer Several Big Injuries Before Steelers Game

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Chiefs Suffer Several Big Injuries Before Steelers Game


The Pittsburgh Steelers have been pummeled with injuries over recent weeks. They aren’t alone in that predicament, however, as their Christmas Day opponent in the Kansas City Chiefs are currently dealing with their fair share of bumps and bruises.

Defensive tackle Chris Jones (calf), wide receiver Xavier Worthy (ankle), offensive tackle Jawann Taylor (knee) and linebacker Jack Cochrane (ankle) all went down in Kansas City’s win over the Houston Texans on Saturday afternoon, casting doubt on their collective statuses for Wednesday’s meeting with Pittsburgh in a short week.

Jones, widely regarded as one of the NFL’s elite defensive talents for the better part of a decade, sustained his injury in the fourth quarter. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid described it as a strain, and it’s unclear if he’ll be ready to go against the Steelers.

The five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro has recorded five sacks on the season to go with 30 total tackles, nine of which have gone for losses, and a forced fumble.

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Worthy, who was selected with the No. 28 pick of the first round in the 2024 draft, posted a career-high six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown versus Houston. He departed with his injury in the second quarter before returning after halftime and remaining available from that point forward, meaning he’s likely good to go against the Steelers.

Reid also described Taylor’s injury as a strain after he was pulled in the third quarter of Saturday’s contest. The 27-year-old has held a spot on the Chiefs’ injury report since Week 13 with a knee issue, though he’s yet to miss a game both this season and throughout his entire six-year career.

Taylor occupies the right tackle spot and has made 15 starts this campaign. Kansas City’s depth has already been tested after left tackle D.J. Humphries was inactive versus Houston with a hamstring injury, leaving Wanya Morris and second-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia as the team’s most likely options at the two spots if the former pair of players can’t work their way back onto the field in the coming days.

Cochrane fractured his ankle, per Reid, which may very well end his year. The special teams ace logged a total of 306 snaps, mustering five tackles over that stretch.

The Chiefs are now 14-1 and have a magic number of one to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC, meaning another win or a single Buffalo Bills loss would do the job.

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Thus, Kansas City could adopt a safe approach by resting some of its guys and opting not to risk worsening the health of its players with such little down time before taking on the Steelers.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has seen its hold on the AFC North slip out of its hands following a loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday that has both teams sitting with a 10-5 record.

Though the Steelers have clinched a postseason berth, they are currently on a two-game losing streak and would ideally avoid slipping any further.

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) and wide receiver Ben Skowronek (hip) both suffered injuries against Baltimore while cornerback Donte Jackson (back), defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (groin), quarterback Justin Fields (abdominal), safety DeShon Elliott (hamstring) and wide receiver George Pickens (hamstring) all didn’t make an appearance with pre-existing wounds.

Pittsburgh needs to get off the schneid quickly, and the hope is that it can return several key pieces whom are currently on the mend for its bout with the reigning Super Bowl champions from KC.

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Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!



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Kansas State Has Another Second-Half Collapse In Loss To Wichita State

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Kansas State Has Another Second-Half Collapse In Loss To Wichita State


The Kansas State Wildcats looked like a strong basketball team for one half.

And then the second half happened.

The Wildcats were outscored by 23 in the final 20 minutes in an 84-65 loss to Wichita State Saturday night on the road.

“They were better than us, especially in the second half,” K-State coach Jerome Tang said. “I thought their staff did a great job of putting a game plan together of how they wanted to attack us.”

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It was the second time the Wildcats had a second-half collapse. The same thing happened in a blowout loss at St. John’s earlier this month.

“The other coaches did a better job of making adjustments than our staff did,” Tang said.

Xavier Bell led the Shockers with a season-high 24 points. Macaleab Rich led the Wildcats with 20 points.

WILDCATS SIGN RECEIVER

Kansas State is making moves within the transfer portal. Their most recent acquisition former Boston College wide receiver Jerand Bradley.

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Bradley had just six receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns last season with the Eagles. However, he compiled 92 receptions for 1,274 yards and 10 touchdowns with Texas Tech, illustrating his ability to produce. He will have many opportunities to replicate this in Manhattan, with the Wildcats reeling after losing their top two receivers.

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS HAVE NEW UNIFORMS FOR RATE BOWL AGAINST RUTGERS

As Kansas State gears up for the Rutgers Scarlet Knight, storylines have been flying around regarding the transfer portal, new recruits, and possible breakout performances.

But a more light-hearted note was the Wildcats getting to unveil their new uniforms in the Rate Bowl.

Wildcats veteran Taylor Poitier said it was “really cool” to be able to suit up in these newer designs.

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“We rarely get to wear those types of uniform combos, so I’m really excited to wear them,” Poitier said. “They’ll look pretty cool out there.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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X: @KStateOnSI



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