Five Key Matchups: Chiefs at Broncos

Quarterback Paxton Lynch will make his second start of the season Sunday when he trots out for the Broncos' game against the Kansas City Chiefs. When he does, he'll have to make sure he keeps track of where Justin Houston is at all times. The four-time Pro Bowler has 9.5 sacks on the season and may pose a threat to Lynch when the quarterback escapes out of the pocket. The Broncos, though, will keep a close eye on Lynch's ankle to make sure he is able to execute the game plan as needed. "I think that's a factor," Offensive Coordinator Bill Musgrave said Wednesday. "We have to assess how his movement is. We want him to be able to get out of the way and defend himself out there on the field during the game. He's hopping along a little bit out here — he still has a little gimp — but he's working through it to his credit. We expect him to be even more mobile three days from now."

Running back C.J. Anderson sits just 54 yards from his first 1,000-yard rushing season, and linebacker Derrick Johnson may be one of the only players who stands in his way. The veteran player also poses a threat in the middle of the field, but if Anderson can escape his grasp, he'll accomplish something that hasn't been done for the Broncos since 2013. "Some people forget I had knee surgery last year," Anderson said. "I had surgery last year, so coming away with 1,000 for this season coming off of knee surgery, I think, is an accomplished and successful season. Staying healthy, that helps too. We have one game to do it. I know the big boys want me to get it and we want to get it. I think that's a positive in our season. Hopefully at the same time — we know the Chiefs, they're going to play man-to-man. — hopefully we can find a way to get 'D.T.' [WR Demaryius Thomas] his sixth straight [1,000-yard receiving season] too."

Adam Gotsis knows exactly what he'll face when the Broncos face rookie Kareem Hunt for the second time this season. The young player made the Pro Bowl in his first season, and that means Gotsis and Co. will be in for a challenge. "I think we've played pretty good up front," Gotsis said. "Not perfect, by any means; not terrible by any means. It's about coming to work every day and doing your job. When it comes to Sunday, you need to be a dominant force. I'm a believer and I think the guys that play in the trenches are believers that the game is won in the trenches. Whether it's the offensive line or the defensive line, I feel if you can dominate one side of the ball, you give yourself a chance. So, we need to go in there Sunday and really dominate as a defensive line and shut down this run game. I think [Chiefs RB] Hunt is back doing what he was doing at the start of the year. They have some guys playing well and their O-line is back healthy and stuff, so it's going to be a big battle up front. But, we feel like we shut them down last time and we can shut them down again."

Cornerback Aqib Talib sits just two pick-sixes away from the NFL record, so he may love the opportunity to play against a rookie quarterback this weekend. Patrick Mahomes will make the first start of his professional career on Sunday, and he will have a tough matchup against the "No-Fly Zone." But he's a talented young player, as Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods alluded to this week. "You don't have a whole bunch of film on him, just in terms of what they're going to ask him to do," Woods said. "But the one thing when you watch this kid is he is talented. He has arm strength, he can make all the throws and he does have some poise in the pocket. He moves around and he escapes pressure. It's going to be a challenge because he can throw the ball, definitely. I'm sure they're going to try to get it deep a few times on us."

Demaryius Thomas needs 108 receiving yards in Sunday's game to extend his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to six. Ring of Famer Rod Smith is the only other Bronco to reach that mark. And while it will not be easy, it's certainly possible. Thomas recorded 133 receiving yards in Week 6 against the Giants and has 26 career regular-season performances of 108 yards or more. The dynamic Marcus Peters may match up against Thomas at times, but if Thomas can get free, it would certainly mean a lot to the eighth-year player. "It [would make] me feel better as a person," Thomas said. "We all have work to do, but being able to come out and do that with three different quarterbacks they started both times, it says a lot about a person."