KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Peyton Manning knows history, but is not a slave to it. The glove on his right hand provides fodder for a statistic he wishes would vanish, tilting the conversation more toward Double Doppler than his receivers.
Manning, the story goes, can’t win in the cold. And the Broncos can’t beat anyone good on the road.
On a Sunday night better suited for the Iditarod, the Broncos mocked the thermometer and laughed at their travel woes, pumping their legs until their fury turned the Kansas City Chiefs into a skid mark in a 29-16 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
PHOTOS: Broncos defeat Chiefs 29-16 in Kansas City
“I wouldn’t say it’s a statement. This is just how we expect to play and how we have to play,” said defensive end DeMarcus Ware. “We showed we can do it. Now can we keep doing it?”
The Broncos’ once-precarious hold on the AFC West felt stronger, the grip tight. Their 9-3 record leaves them ahead of the San Diego Chargers (8-4), and the Chiefs’ title hopes (7-5) are all but buried.
As Manning huddled the Broncos with five minutes remaining before a nearly empty stadium, a thought began to crystallize: Perhaps the critics are psychoanalyzing the wrong quarterback.
For the first time since he joined the Broncos in 2012, the Broncos won without him playing his best. He finished 17-for-34 for 179 yards.
“It’s only fun when you win,” coach John Fox said. “It’s not how you win.”
The Broncos staged a clinic of how games are sealed in December and January. C.J. Anderson ran with purpose and power, rushing for 168 yards on 32 carries. With the weather turning sour, Anderson who wondered if he would make the team in training camp, has equipped the offense with snow tires and 4-wheel drive. He eclipsed 160 yards for the second consecutive game. In his fourth start, Anderson looked more like Terrell Davis than an undrafted free agent.
“I would love to have seven or eight game balls for the offensive line,” said Anderson, who has accounted for 662 yards rushing and receiving over the past four games. “I am just going to the holes they make for me.”
Running wore out the Chiefs. Stopping the Chiefs’ running game stole their hope. Anderson might as well have been a python the way he squeezed the life out of Kansas City. After a clumsy first half against the Miami Dolphins, Denver’s defense has stiffened. The Broncos held the Chiefs to negative yardage until six minutes left in the first half. Kansas City had 66 yards through three quarters.
“We wanted to start early,” safety T.J. Ward said. “Everyone was dialed in from the first snap. We had our foot on the pedal.”
Coaching great Bill Parcells insists that an NFL season begins after Thanksgiving. The Broncos, wobbly and uncertain after an embarrassing defeat in St. Louis, have reshaped themselves. Given the time, place and stakes, this was Denver’s most impressive victory of the season.
The domination was alarming. Denver began the game by converting five consecutive third downs. And for good measure, it turned a fourth down into one of the gutsiest calls of coach John Fox’s tenure. David Bruton, the upback, rambled 13 yards on a fake punt, setting up one of new kicker Connor Barth’s five field goals, which tied a single-game team record.
“It was an opportunity. There were six in the box,” Bruton said. “And I made the call.”
Manning entered the game 9-12 in temperatures less than 40 degrees. Make it 10-12 after two consecutive in arctic conditions, and 11-1 overall against the Chiefs. For good measure, Manning kept hand warmers in his pouch. His first long pass did more to warm the hearts of anxious Broncos fans. Facing a third-and-5 at the 23-yard line, he completed an over-the-shoulder touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas.
He became the first Bronco with 10 touchdowns in three consecutive seasons.
In the second quarter, special teams — ghosts in uniform for weeks — put Broncos the solid footing. Isaiah Burse returned a punt for a season-best 22 yards. The Broncos marched 10 plays behind Anderson. Anderson says he likes defenders to “feel his story.” The first tackler rarely touches Anderson, let alone feels his narrative. He beat defensive end Justin Houston on a swing pass, then sliced through Kurt Coleman’s tackle at the goal line, shoving Denver ahead 14-0.
“C.J. is like a lizard,” Ware said. “He slithers.”
The sellout crowd sat on its numb fingers, stunned.
Fox followed by letting his hair down, at least the follicles that weren’t frozen with the Bruton gamble. Kansas City managed one impressive drive when it mattered. On fourth-and 1 from their 49-yard line, the Chiefs kept their offense on field. Jamaal Charles rammed for 11 yards. Alex Smith discovered his rhythm. He hit Travis Kelce for a 19-yard gain, then found tight end Anthony Fasano for a 20-yard touchdown pass, as both plays victimized linebacker Steven Johnson.
Charles had 35 yards on 10 carries. Smith collected 153 yards through the air, many when the the outcome was determined.
Broncos provided hope for the shivering Chiefs’ fans on their opening drive in the third quarter. On his third straight pass attempt, Manning fumbled, Houston chopping ball out of his right arm after beating right tackle Louis Vasquez. The Broncos’ defense held Kansas City to Cairo Santos’ 39-yard field goal, shaving the lead to 20-10.
After receiving a gift, the Chiefs reciprocated. Terrance Knighton deflected a Smith pass with his right paw, intercepted by Ware. The Broncos turned it into Barth’s third field goal (30 yards).
Stop the run. Step on throats with the run.
This is not the Broncos fans are used to, but a team they could get accustomed to over the next two months.
“This weather is playoff weather. This is how it’s going to be,” cornerback Chris Harris said. “We need to run the ball, and we have to get off the field and give it right back to them. It’s time to keep clicking.”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or twitter.com/troyrenck
