"Having battled so frequently, Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey? and Kansas City wide receiver Dwayne Bowe? must know each other's mannerisms and tendencies well enough to guess what the other will have for breakfast before Sunday's game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Bowe is completing his fifth year with the Chiefs; Bailey hopes to extend his 13th NFL season (eighth with Denver) with a playoff run.

"He's tough every time I face him," Bailey said Thursday. "He's one of my biggest challenges. I look forward to it every time. I know he's going to give me his best shot. And I'm going to give him mine."

Bowe, 6-foot-2 and 221 pounds, is having one of his best seasons. His 75 catches rank fourth in the AFC. His 1,066 yards rank sixth. He's within range of the 1,162 yards receiving he amassed a year ago — his best season as a pro.

"He's an excellent football player," Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said Thursday. "He's big, he's strong. He's good in and out of breaks. He provides a real challenge for us."

Of late, Bailey has gotten much the better of that challenge. Bailey shut out Bowe in last year's second meeting, a 10-6 Chiefs victory in Kansas City.

And Bowe was a nonfactor in this year's first meeting, managing just two catches for 17 yards in Denver's 17-10 win at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 13.

Bowe did torch the Broncos with 13 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns in Denver's 49-29 home victory on Nov. 14, 2010. But several Broncos defensive backs drew Bowe that day, not just Bailey."