Every week is an important week for the Denver Broncos defense when they’re counted on to carry so much of the weight, but with these final two weeks serving as playoff games, the stakes are as high as ever.
One loss to the Chiefs this Sunday or the Raiders next and the Broncos are done; they’ll be watching the Wild Card games from their comfy couches, waiting for next season to begin.
Nobody wants that.
A lot of the heat has fallen on the offense, and rightfully so, but, as we’ve seen over the last two seasons, this defense is capable of winning a game single handily — just look at their playoff run last season. That’s the way they look at it.
Here’s what the defense had to say about their matchup against Alex Smith, Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Wade Phillips on the defense’s mentality
“The way I’ve always approached it is, our defense has to play better than the other team’s defense. It’s not about our offense. If their defense holds our team to 10 points, then we need to hold them to nine in order to play better than the other team’s defense. It’s not what our offense does, it’s what we do and what their defense does. We don’t even approach it that way. That’s why there really isn’t a divide as far as I’m concerned. There’s always frustration when you don’t win, it doesn’t matter, offensively, defensively and special teams. You’re going to get upset when you lose. If you don’t you’re going to have a bad football team. I don’t see it as a problem and our players don’t see it as a problem.”
Phillips on stopping Tyreek Hill
“He’s become a player for them. He’s a force for them. Obviously he was in the kicking game last game, but also on the field as a receiver. Now, they have [Chiefs WR Jeremy] Maclin back. He’s a really good receiver, too. He’s a young, emerging star probably. We have to be aware of him. They put him in there and he can run the deep routes and he can run the regular routes. He’s a threat on jail-break screens and all of those things. He’s just like any other good punt returner. You have to be aware of him in the short game, too.”
Von Miller on the defense’s goal against KC
“We want to have some of the same success that we had last game. When we get to the quarterback [is] where our success starts. Getting after the quarterback and putting pressure on [Chiefs QB] Alex [Smith]. They have a great team [and] are on an incredible run. That Tennessee Titans game, you count it, but you really don’t. That came down to the wire. They have a very good team and we’re going to have our hands full going into the [Arrowhead Stadium] this Sunday.”
Miller on their mentality
“It’s the playoffs now, for us. We’re in playoff mode. I know for me, I’m great. Another week we play another great team. We still have an opportunity and we still have all of our goals in front of us. The mentality is right where it needs to be. We have to go out there and get a win this weekend. We have to go out there and get a win this weekend and next weekend. Those are ‘musts’ for us and that’s where our focus and our priority is.”
Miller on his leadership role
“You’re dealing with 25 [year-olds] and [OLB] DeMarcus [Ware] 36-year old; you have all of these guys in the locker room. It’s really not much that you do. I don’t have to stay on these guys and tell them, ‘This is a big game, this is a big game, this is a big game.’ You kind of take the sting away from it, in my opinion. We all know that it’s a big game from leadership, all the way down to the guys in the cafeteria and the field guys. We all know what type of game this is for the organization and we’re going to go out there and take it one play at a time. Hopefully it swings in our favor.”
Miller on how they react to a conservative KC offense
“We have to make them make mistakes. I don’t know any other way around that. You have to make it happen. We have to force fumbles. I don’t think we have had a turnover in a couple of weeks now and that’s what we pride ourselves on. Whether it’s an interception or ‘strip-sack Miller’ or whatever it may be, we have to get the ball out and we have to get the ball back for our offense. If we’re able to do that then I feel like the magic will start flowing for us. It starts with us getting turnovers and we have to make it happen; no matter what they show us.”
DeMarcus Ware on possibly playing without Derek Wolfe
“Sometimes [Kansas City] might give an inside guy a one-on-one. A testament on how guys teach each other, ‘the next guy up’, whoever plays if it’s Derek or the guy behind Derek, if he has more time, he’ll do well. Everybody has to pick up the pieces. There are 11 guys out there playing, so everybody has to do their job.”
Ware on how the team is responding to the playoff push
“Guys are responding very well. For us, it’s always a do-or-die. I told the guys, ‘No matter what, win, lose or draw, you still have one more game.’ You want to have a game that you’re playing something for, so why not go out here and play your hearts out, go out here and get this win. Let everything else fend for itself.”