FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/14/15 http://twitter.com/nfl345

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL PREVIEW: DENVER BRONCOS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Following an exciting opening weekend, Week 2 begins on Thursday night (CBS/NFLN, 8:25 PM ET) with the DENVER BRONCOS (1-0) traveling to take on the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-0) at Arrowhead Stadium. Last week, Denver cornerback AQIB TALIB’s 51-yard interception return-touchdown in the third quarter helped the Broncos to a 19-13 victory over the Ravens. The play was Talib’s seventh-career interception return-touchdown, tied for most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2008. “I think we played our butts off against Baltimore,” says Broncos linebacker BRANDON MARSHALL. “We showed heart, determination, and we pulled one out. We cannot worry about this game anymore, we need to worry about Kansas City on Thursday night.” When the Broncos travel to Kansas City this week, quarterback PEYTON MANNING looks to extend his success on Thursdays. Manning is the all-time leader on Thursdays with 3,591 passing yards, 38 touchdown passes and a 123.7 passer rating. Since joining Denver in 2012, he has 1,347 passing yards and 13 touchdowns for a 118.1 passer rating on Thursdays. Denver wide receiver DEMARYIUS THOMAS has been a reliable target for Manning, tallying the second-most receiving yards (394) and tied for the fifth-most receptions (22) in the AFC over the past three seasons on Thursdays. The Thursday receiving leaders in the AFC since 2012 (minimum 10 receptions):

PLAYER TEAM RECEPTIONS PLAYER TEAM REC. YARDS

Julian Edelman New England 30 Andre Johnson Houston 441

Andre Johnson Houston 29 Demaryius Thomas Denver 394

Heath Miller Pittsburgh 26 Antonio Brown Pittsburgh 302

Antonio Brown Pittsburgh 25 Torrey Smith Baltimore 292

Demaryius Thomas Denver 22 Julian Edelman New England 283

PLAYER TEAM(S) YARDS PER CATCH

T.Y. Hilton Indianapolis 19.1

Donnie Avery Indianapolis, Kansas City 18.7

Demaryius Thomas Denver 17.9

Mike Wallace Pittsburgh, Miami 17.8

Torrey Smith Baltimore 17.2

Meanwhile in Kansas City, Chiefs quarterback ALEX SMITH completed 22 of 33 passes for 243 yards with three touchdowns in a 27-20 Kickoff Weekend win at Houston. Smith threw two first-quarter touchdowns to tight end TRAVIS KELCE, and added another in the second quarter when he connected with running back JAMAAL CHARLES on a seven-yard score. Kelce, who also had 106 receiving yards in the game, joined TONY GONZALEZ as the only tight ends in franchise history with at least 100 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in a game. He is the only Kansas City tight end to accomplish the feat in a season opener.

“I think Alex and the rest of the guys did a good job,” says Chiefs head coach ANDY REID, who has a 4-3 career record as a head coach on Thursdays. “We need to keep getting better. It is important how we handle the quick turnaround for the Thursday game. We have a great opponent coming in against Denver and it will be exciting.” Since Smith joined Kansas City in 2013, the Chiefs have a 1-1 record on Thursdays, with Smith throwing for 507 yards with two touchdown passes for a 90.5 passer rating. Kansas City linebacker JUSTIN HOUSTON recorded a sack-fumble in the second quarter that set up Smith’s third touchdown pass. Houston, who led the NFL with 22 sacks in 2014, enters Week 2 with 5.5 sacks in three career games on Thursday, including a career-high 4.5 sack performance on Thursday Night Football against Philadelphia in 2013. The Chiefs will honor their Super Bowl I and IV teams with celebrations on the field before the game, during pregame player introductions and at halftime with highlights and memories from both Super Bowls. The matchup marks the first of seven early-season Thursday Night Football broadcasts aired on CBS and simulcast on NFL Network. NFL Network and CBS will team to feature Thursday Night Football, a schedule of 16 games for the 2015 season – 14 on Thursday night and two late in the season on Saturday night (Weeks 15 and 16). Additionally, CBS will broadcast the Week 13 Thursday night contest between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions on December 3. NFL Network will televise six late-season Thursday night games and two Saturday night contests in the run-up to the playoffs. Weeks 15 and 16 will each showcase a Saturday primetime game on NFL Network – the New York Jets at the Dallas Cowboys (December 19) and the Washington Redskins at the Philadelphia Eagles (December 26). Thanksgiving will feature a tripleheader on Thursday, November 26. The first game will send the Philadelphia Eagles to Detroit to face the Lions (12:30 PM ET, FOX). The late afternoon game will feature the Carolina Panthers visiting the Dallas Cowboys (4:30 PM ET, CBS). The holiday concludes with an NFC North rivalry as the Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears on NBC (8:30 PM ET). A look at the remaining games to be played on Thursday in 2015:

Week DATE GAME TIME (ET) NETWORK Week 2 Thursday, September 17 Denver at Kansas City 8:25 PM CBS/NFLN Week 3 Thursday, September 24 Washington at New York Giants 8:25 PM CBS/NFLN Week 4 Thursday, October 1 Baltimore at Pittsburgh 8:25 PM CBS/NFLN Week 5 Thursday, October 8 Indianapolis at Houston 8:25 PM CBS/NFLN Week 6 Thursday, October 15 Atlanta at New Orleans 8:25 PM CBS/NFLN Week 7 Thursday, October 22 Seattle at San Francisco 8:25 PM CBS/NFLN Week 8 Thursday, October 29 Miami at New England 8:25 PM CBS/NFLN Week 9 Thursday, November 5 Cleveland at Cincinnati 8:25 PM NFLN Week 10 Thursday, November 12 Buffalo at New York Jets 8:25 PM NFLN Week 11 Thursday, November 19 Tennessee at Jacksonville 8:25 PM NFLN Week 12 Thursday, November 26 Philadelphia at Detroit 12:30 PM FOX Week 12 Thursday, November 26 Carolina at Dallas 4:30 PM CBS Week 12 Thursday, November 26 Chicago at Green Bay 8:30 PM NBC Week 13 Thursday, December 3 Green Bay at Detroit 8:30 PM CBS/NFLN Week 14 Thursday, December 10 Minnesota at Arizona 8:25 PM NFLN Week 15 Thursday, December 17 Tampa Bay at St. Louis 8:25 PM NFLN Week 16 Thursday, December 24 San Diego at Oakland 8:25 PM NFLN

WEEK 2 - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015

DENVER BRONCOS (1-0) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-0)

SERIES

BRONCOS CHIEFS

THURS. RECORD 9-10 10-9

SERIES LEADER 56-53

STREAKS Past 6

COACHES VS. OPP. Gary Kubiak: 2-1 Andy Reid: 1-5

LAST WEEK W 19-13 vs. Ravens W 27-20 at Texans

LAST GAME 11/30/14: Broncos 29 at Chiefs 16. Denver RB CJ Anderson rushes for 168 yards & adds 2

catches for 17 yards & TD. Broncos defense totals 6 sacks.

LAST GAME AT SITE 11/30/14

REFEREE Walt Anderson

BROADCAST CBS/NFLN (7:25 PM CT): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson (Field reporter). Westwood

One: Ian Eagle, Tim Ryan. SIRIUS: 83 (Den.), 93 (KC). XM: 226 (Den.), 225 (KC).

STATS

PASSING Manning: 24-40-175-0-1-59.9 Smith: 22-33-243-3-0-118.6

RUSHING Hillman: 12-41-3.4-0 Charles: 16-57-3.6-0

RECEIVING Sanders: 8-65-8.1-0 Kelce (TE): 6-106-17.7-2

OFFENSE 219.0 330.0

TAKE/GIVE +1 +2

DEFENSE 173.0 396.0

SACKS Marshall, Ware: 1 Bailey: 2

INTs Talib, Stewart: 1 Peters (R): 1

PUNTING Colquitt: 51.8 Colquitt: 43.9

KICKING McManus: 13 (1/1 PAT; 4/4 FG) Santos: 9 (3/3 PAT; 2/3 FG)

NOTES

BRONCOS: QB PEYTON MANNING ranks 2nd in career pass yards (69,866) & needs 134 to join BRETT FAVRE

(71,838) as only players with 70,000. Since joining Den. in 2012, is 6-0 vs. KC with 1,736 pass yards & 16 TDs vs. 3 INTs

for 111.9 rating…In 8 career starts, RB C.J. ANDERSON averages 117.8 scrimmage yards per game (706 rush, 236 rec.,

942 total) & has 9 total TDs (8 rush, 1 rec.). Rushed for 168 yards & had TD catch in last meeting…In past 5 vs. KC, WR

DEMARYIUS THOMAS has 26 catches for 474 yards (18.2 avg.) & 3 TDs, incl. 3 100-yard games. Since entering NFL in

2010, has 41 TD catches, tied for 1st among AFC WRs. TE OWEN DANIELS had 5 rec. for 79 yards (15.8 avg.) in last

meeting (10/17/10 w/ Hou.)…Since 2011, LB VON MILLER is 3rd in AFC & 4th in NFL with 49 sacks. Has 3 sacks in past

2 meetings & aims for 3rd in row with sack vs. KC. In past 4 meetings, DE MARCUS WARE has 5 sacks & INT. CB AQIB

TALIB had 51-yard INT-TD last week. Since 2008, is tied for 1st in NFL with 7 INT-TDs…CHIEFS: Since 2011, QB ALEX

SMITH is 39-16-1 (.705) as starter & has passed for 11,696 yards & 74 TDs vs. 23 INTs with 93.3 rating. Has passed for 2

TDs in 3 of past 4 vs. Den…RB JAMAAL CHARLES has 15 TDs in past 14 overall (9 rush, 6 rec.). Has 59 career total

TDs & needs 3 to surpass LARRY JOHNSON (61) & OTIS TAYLOR (60) for 3rd in club history. Averages 5.5 yards per

att. for career, highest of any NFL RB in history (min. 750 att.)…WR JEREMY MACLIN had 5 catches for 52 yards in KC

debut. TE TRAVIS KELCE led team with 6 rec. for 106 yards & 2 TDs vs. Hou. Joined TONY GONZALEZ as only TEs in

KC history with 100+ rec. yards & 2+ TDs in game (1st to do so in Week 1)…In past 11, LB JUSTIN HOUSTON has 16

sacks & 4 FF, incl. sack & FF last week. DE ALLEN BAILEY led team with career-high 2 sacks vs. Hou.