Thursday Night Football preview: Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs

A big Thursday Night game tonight from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as the Broncos take on the Chiefs. Both teams are coming off of Week 1 victories against their respective opponents. Kansas City defeated the Houston Texans 27-9, while the Broncos won a defensive battle with the Baltimore Ravens 19-13.

Both teams have incredibly strong defenses. In last week's game, In Week 1 the Broncos defense proved critical to the team's success since the offense never really hit stride. DeMarcus Ware proved his best days are not behind him as he tallied a +9.4 rating on Pro Football Focus, one of the highest in the league for Week 1. The combination of Ware, cornerback Aqib Talib, defensive end Malik Jackson, and linebackers Von Miller and Brandon Marshall will provide a formidable threat to the Chief's offense led by quarterback Alex Smith.

This year, it already seems that Smith has a more productive arsenal of offensive weapons including Travis Kelce who was targeted for two touchdowns and 106 total yards. Jeremy Maclin also had a strong game. Part of the reason for Smith's success was an offensive line that was able to stand up to J.J. Watt in their victory against the Texans.

Look for another defensive battle this week. If Peyton Manning continues to struggle, he will need to rely on his defense to stave off the Chief's offense. Smith, however, got off to a great start in Week 1, so the Broncos defense might face more of a challenge against the Chiefs than they did against the Ravens, whose offense was unproductive under first-year offensive coordinator Marc Trestman.

For fans of this Pittsburgh Steelers, this matchup will be between two teams who will face the black and gold at some point this season. The Steelers will play the Chiefs in Arrowhead in Week 7, and the Broncos will come to Heinz Field in Week 15 for a game which could carry serious AFC playoff implications.

As far as match-ups go, this should be a good one. Here's how to watch:

Time: 8:25 p.m. ET

Date: Thursday, September 17

City: Kansas City, Missouri

Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium

TV: CBS