The Broncos have placed 29-year old, starting guard Chris Kuper on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season to a broken left leg.  Kuper played in 16 games (all starts) for the Broncos last year.  He has now played in 79 games (73 starts) in his first six years with the Broncos.  This is a big blow for the Broncos heading into the playoffs this weekend.

The Broncos have signed 26-year old OT Ryan Harris.  Harris has not played in the NFL yet this year.  He has played in 46 games (34 starts) in his four years with the Broncos, with the last year being in 2010.  The Broncos need depth along the offensive line due to injuries, so it was smart to bring in a guy like Harris.

The Broncos really laid an egg last Sunday at home against the Chiefs.  Tim Tebow was pathetic in this game as he completed only 6 of 22 passes for 60 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 INT.  He also carried the ball 6 times for 16 yards (2.7 ypc) in this game.  Willis McGahee led the way on the ground for the Broncos with 145 yards rushing on 28 carries (5.2 ypc).  Lance Ball pitched in with 24 yards rushing on 9 carries (2.7 ypc) in this game.  WR Demaryius Thomas led the way in the passing game for the Broncos with 3 grabs for 34 yards (11.3 avg).  The Broncos finished up with 216 yards rushing on 47 carries (4.6 ypc) and they completed 6 of 22 passes (27.3%) for 50 yards as they had possession of the ball for 32:58.

The defense gave an outstanding effort for the Broncos last Sunday.  DE Elvis Dumervil (8 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss) and LB Joe Mays (7 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss) led the way for the Broncos.  The Chiefs finished up with 106 yards rushing on 30 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 29 passes (51.7%) for 175 yards in this game.  The Broncos won the AFC West with a 8-8 record in 2011 and they will host the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend in the first round of the NFL Playoffs.

The Broncos need to get back on the right track if the want to win the AFC West.  They have lost their last two games by a combined score of 81-37!  The Broncos can win the AFC West tomorrow with a win over the Chiefs or a loss by the Raiders at home against the Chargers.  They can also still get a wildcard spot with a lot of help.  The Chiefs are going to be a tough out for the Broncos as Kyle Orton is going to be out for revenge in this game.  The Broncos won the first meeting of these two teams, 17-10 at Arrowhead Stadium.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Broncos have the ball:  The Broncos rushed for 244 yards in the first meeting of these two teams, but Tim Tebow only completed 2 passes.  Look for the Broncos to have the same gameplan this time around.  That means that Willis McGahee and Tim Tebow are going to run the ball a lot in this game.  But, I have a feeling that they are going to have to throw more this week, if they want to beat the Chiefs.  Tebow will also need to get Eric Decker back involved in the passing game, as Demaryius Thomas is likely going to be double covered in this game.

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Chiefs will come out running the ball early with Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster carrying the load against a Broncos’ D that is allowing 127.7 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry.  But, the running game will just likely be for show as Kyle Orton is going to want to fill the air with footballs to try to stick it to his old team.  The Broncos need to get a good pass rush going against Orton, because if he has a lot of time to throw the ball….they are in big trouble.  WRs Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston, Jonathan Baldwin and RB Dexter McCluster give the Chiefs a lot of weapons in the passing game.

PREDICTION:  CHIEFS 23, BRONCOS 17

33-year old CB Champ Bailey, 27-year old DE Elvis Dumervil and 22-year old rookie LB Von Miller have been elected to the Pro Bowl.  Bailey and Miller will be starters.  Bailey has played in 12 games for the Broncos so far this year and he has 36 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 interceptions, 8 passes defensed and 1 tackle for a loss.  He is getting a little long in tooth, but he is still playing at a high level.  Elvis Dumervil got off to a late start this year due to injury, but he has been making up for lost time.  Dumervil has played in 13 games for the Broncos so far this year and he has 34 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass defensed and 1 tackle for a loss.  Rookie first round pick Von Miller has been everything the Broncos dreamed he would be when they took him in the first round of the NFL Draft last April.  Miller has played in 14 games for the Broncos so far this year and he has 64 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles and 4 passes defensed.  This trio of guys all deserved this honor as the Broncos’ D played a lot better this season than they did in 2010.

The Broncos have waived 29-year old PR/KR Quan Cosby.  Cosby played in 10 games for the Broncos this year and he returned 27 punts for 269 yards (10.0 avg) and 17 kickoffs for 457 yards (26.9 avg).  Cosby will be replaced by WR Eddie Royal.  Royal has played in 11 games for the Broncos this year and he has returned 10 punts for 171 yards (17.1 avg) with 1 TD and he has also returned 3 kickoffs for 47 yards (15.7 avg).  Royal has also caught 19 passes for 155 yards (8.2 ypc) with 1 TD grab and he has carried the ball 5 times for 30 yards (6.0 ypc).

The Broncos were lousy on both sides of the ball in this game, but especially on offense.  Tim Tebow imploded in this game for the Broncos.  He completed only 13 of 30 passes for 185 yards with 1 TD pass and 4 interceptions (two were pick sixes in the fourth quarter which doomed the Broncos).  He also carried the ball 10 times for 34 yards (3.4 ypc) with 1 TD grab in this game.  Willis McGahee led the way on the ground for the Broncos in this game with 64 yards rushing on 15 carries (4.3 ypc).  Jeremiah Johnson pitched in with 6 carries for 23 yards (3.8 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 19 yards (9.5 avg).  WR Demaryius Thomas led the way in the passing game for the Broncos with 4 grabs for 76 yards (19.0 avg).  TEs Dante Rosario (2 rec, 46 yards) and Daniel Fells (2 rec, 22 yards, TD) also pitched in for the Broncos in the passing game.  The Broncos finished up with 133 yards rushing on 35 carries (3.8 ypc) and they also completed 13 of 30 passes (43.3%) for 160 yards as they had possession of the ball for 30:31.

The defense and special teams were awful for the Broncos yesterday.  Leodis McKelvin of the Bills returned a punt 80 yards for a TD in this game.  CB Chris Harris led the way for the Broncos on D in this game with 8 tackles.  Safety David Bruton (5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 pass defensed) and LB D.J. Williams (5 tackles and 2 tackles for a loss) also helped out on D for the Broncos in this game.  The Bills finished up with 160 yards rushing on 28 carries (5.7 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 27 passes (55.6%) for 191 yards in this game.  The Broncos are now 8-7 on the season.

The Broncos control their own destiny as far as the AFC West goes.  They lost last weekend, but they are still one game ahead of the Chargers and Raiders in the division.  The Bills have now lost 7 games in a row as they look nothing like the team that started 5-2 in 2011.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Broncos have the ball:  The Broncos are going to try to grind out a big win on the road tomorrow.  Willis McGahee and Tim Tebow will likely find a lot of running room against a Bills’ D that is allowing 139.5 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry.  This will set up Tebow for some playaction passes down the field.  He will be aiming for WRs Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker against a Bills’ D that is allowing 230.0 yards passing per game so far this year.

When the Bills have the ball:  The Bills are going to come out passing, so the Broncos need DE Elvis Dumervil and OLB Von Miller to get after Bills’ QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.  Fitzpatrick has 19 interceptions so far this year, so he can be sloppy at times with the football.  RB C.J. Spiller has the speed to stretch a defense, so the front seven are going to have their hands full for the Broncos tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  BRONCOS 20, BILLS 17

The Broncos started out good yesterday, but they couldn’t maintain it.  Tim Tebow completed 11 of 22 passes for 194 yards with 0 TD passes or interceptions.  He led the way in the running game for the Broncos today with 12 carries for 93 yards (7.8 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  Willis McGahee also was solid with 7 carries for 70 yards (10.0 avg).  Lance Ball pitched in with 64 yards rushing on 11 carries (5.8 ypc) with 1 TD run and he also caught 2 passes for 41 yards (20.5 avg).  WR Demaryius Thomas led the way in the passing game for the Broncos today with 7 grabs for 116 yards (16.6 avg).  The Broncos finished up with 252 yards rushing on 31 carries (8.1 ypc) and they also completed 11 of 23 passes (47.8%) for 141 yards as they had possession of the ball for 26:19.

The defense was pretty lousy today for the Broncos.  CB Chris Harris (9 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss), LB Wesley Woodyard (9 tackles) and DT Marcus Thomas (9 tackles) led the way for the Broncos on D in this game.  The Patriots finished up with 141 yards rushing on 36 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 23 of 34 passes (67.6%) for 310 yards.  The Broncos are still in first place in the AFC West with a 8-6 record.

The Denver Broncos have won six games in a row and they are 7-1 with Tim Tebow at QB.  The Patriots have won five games in a row.  Both teams need this game for playoff reasons.  The Patriots are chasing to be the top seed in the AFC, while the Broncos are trying to win the AFC West.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Broncos have the ball:  The Broncos can’t afford to let the Patriots get a big lead in this game, so they will have to throw the ball a lot more than they like to early in this game.  With that being said, Willis McGahee and Tim Tebow are still going to run the ball a lot tomorrow.  The Broncos will have to protect Tebow, because if they give him time to throw the ball, he’s going to make some plays down the field against a Patriots’ D that is giving up 308.7 yards passing per game so far this year.  WRs Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Matt Willis are likely going to be open a lot in this game, so the question will be…..Will Tim Tebow get them the ball?

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Broncos only real hope of stopping Tom Brady is by getting a good pass rush on him.  Brady is likely to keep the pedal to the metal the whole game, because he knows all about Tim Tebow’s comeback ability.  TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are going to five the Broncos’ safeties big time trouble in this game.  That also means that the Broncos’ corners are going to have to go solo against WRs Deion Branch and Wes Welker….and that’s not good.  RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis will likely get quite a few carries if the Broncos load up to stop the pass and he is a very physical runner.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, BRONCOS 20