Who has the Upper hand in the Chiefs Vs. Broncos Matchup

This Sunday the Chiefs face the Broncos a second time this season but hope for a different outcome. The last time these two teams met the Broncos won 17-10 on the road at Arrowhead Stadium but with more emphasis on the running game rather than Tebow's passing game. Tebow was only 2-8 for a total of 69 yards opposed to Matt Cassel who went 13-28 for 93 yards. For Sunday's game on New Year's Day both teams have a somewhat different look due to the quarterback situation on the Chiefs; Kyle Orton. The Chiefs now have a more vertical passing attack due to Orton, but it is necessary that he has time in the pocket to deliver these passes. It will be interesting to see if Bronco's defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will bring heavy blitz packages to force Orton to get rid of the ball faster than he would prefer. If the Chiefs plan on winning this game, they need to contain Tebow from a rushing standpoint with designated spies who will take away the threat of a run and force him to throw the ball which may create more defensive opportunities for the Chiefs. Also Denver needs to protect the football and commit as few turnovers as possible and control the clock in order to win Sunday. Denver lacks the explosiveness on offense to be able to come from behind in games to overcome costly mistakes and turnovers, so it is important to protect the ball at all costs.

Overall, this game will be a battle of who can control the ball and clock the most and commit the fewest turnovers. The Broncos will need to apply pressure on Orton to force him out of the pocket, while the Chiefs need to contain Tebow and the deadly read option plays which are vulnerable to big gains on the ground. If the Chief's can contain Denver's explosive plays on offense and be productive in the red zone they have a great chance of winning. But who knows...it could be "Tebow time" in Denver once again.