Brain Fertilizer

1) Champ Bailey: wow! I don't think there was anyone else in the NFL who could have made that interception.

2) The crowd is making a big difference, just in being able to keep KC from getting in a rhythm.

3) KC's injuries at WR are making it difficult to get momentum, as well.

4) KC's defense is quite a bit better this year. Only one real break-down: giving Quentin Griffith the 26-yd TD. But kudos to Denver for going right at the place where KC was blitzing from.

5) The single biggest factor in this game so far is that the refs are not calling the contact downfield that they said they would. I haven't seen Denver's WRs get mugged, but Tony Gonzalez has been chucked, arm-blocked, and grabbed beyond the 5-yard space on 2 separate occasions that I could see. So was Eddie Kennison on at least one. It is absolutely pitiful to let Denver's get away with it after all the off-season talk about enforcing the rule.

6) John Lynch: non-factor. The only time his name has been called in the first half of the game was on a dirty hit, leading with the helmet to the facemask/chin of Dante Hall. And he took 2+ steps to take the hit, which is generall accepted to have time to not take the hit.

Bottom line: KC's defense is much improved, but so is Denver's. Denver has control of the game and can probably cruise to a victory unless KC gets its offense untracked. At least 10 of Denver's points were from winning the battle of field position, so if KC's offense can get back on track, I think KC outscoring Denver by 14 in the 2nd half is possible.

...unlikely, but possible.

Nice job, Broncos!