Broncos up-down drill: Highs and lows for Denver against the Kansas City Chiefs – The Denver Post

Up: Remembering Reeves. Former Broncos coach Dan Reeves received the moment of silence that was warranted following his passing a week ago at the age of 77. RIP, coach.

Down: Red and blue. Two colors that were prevalent in the upper deck of Empower Field on Sunday: navy blue (14,571 no shows) and K.C. Chiefs red. There may be no better indication of Vic Fangio’s job status.

Up: Drew Un-Locked. Was that Drew Lock or Tim Tebow out there in the first half? The numbers through the Broncos’ first three drives: two completions for 17 yards and two rushes for 28 yards and two TDs.

Down: A little effort? A forgettable season for Jerry Jeudy began with a forgettable effort on the opening drive. We don’t ask for much. Just that our receivers lay out for long passes at their finger tips.

Down: Kelce uncovered. A thumbs up to the Chiefs’ play design: tight end Travis Kelce feigning a block, then releasing to run free across the middle for a 3-yard TD. A thumbs down to Denver for falling for it.

Up: Special teams gaffes. For once, it was the opponent’s special teams that shot itself in the foot. Between Zayne Anderson’s roughing-the-punter flag, and Harrison Butker’s 32-yard, falling-on-his behind shank on a kickoff, K.C.’s special teams gets an assist for Denver’s first scoring drive.

Down: DB’s hands. Broncos cornerbacks Michael Ojemudia and Kyle Fuller both dropped gift-wrapped interceptions on K.C.’s first two scoring drives. Tough plays? Sure. But those are ones winning teams make.

Up: Juice is loose. Early drop aside, Ojemudia put together some solid tape in his first start of the season with two critical pass breakups and sure-handed, double-digit tackles. Sounds like a third year is in order.

Down: Touching Mahomes. Bradley Chubb’s glancing blow of Patrick Mahomes’ helmet early in the second quarter was incidental at best and definitely not roughing the passer. The NFL has yet to make touching Mahomes illegal … we think.

Down: Where’s the mutton? For the second straight year, Broncos fans were denied a mutton-busting halftime show at Empower Field. Good news for PETA. Bad news for everyone else.

Up: Sutton throwing. Is it a good or bad thing that the Broncos’ most accurate pass of the first quarter came from wide receiver Courtland Sutton (16 yards to Noah Fant) on a trick play?

Down: Sutton catching. It’s almost assuredly a bad thing that Sutton hasn’t been one of the team’s better pass-catchers since signing his four-year extension. On Sunday, another drop killed the Broncos’ two-minute drive at the end of the first half.

Up: Shelby swinging. After a slow start to the season, defensive end Shelby Harris finished with a bang. His sack on third-and-long in the first half put him at 3 1/2 sacks over the last four weeks.

Down: Open for business. The difference between a field goal and touchdown? Missed tackles from Fuller and safety P.J. Locke on a swing pass to running back Jerick McKinnon (with Bryce Callahan steamrolled at the goal line).

Up: Third-and-strong. We don’t get running back Melvin Gordon’s 47-yard TD in the third quarter if Lock doesn’t make an exquisite throw between two defensive backs on third-and-13 to Tim Patrick (gain of 31).

Down: Grounds crew. It’s not an easy job keeping Empower Field in playable condition, especially in early January. Judging by all the slipping going on Saturday, it was extra difficult this week.

Up: Gordon’s closing statement. With free agency looming this offseason, Gordon made a strong pitch for another contract with a 110-yard tour de force … right up until that game-changing fumble. Feels like we’ve been here before, doesn’t it?

Down: Conservative Vic. After spending all season going for it on fourth down, Fangio clams up down a touchdown on fourth-and-9 with less than five minutes to go? Sounds like a fitting end to the Fangio Era.

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