Sometimes I like to go back to my predictions just to see how prescient I really am. I'm not bragging. Sometimes I really am that good. So, here's what I said regarding the first four weeks of the regular season:

"W at Cincinatti Week 1 – This team is still reeling from an absurdly wretched 08, and the Broncos should get a steal.

-W vs. Cleveland Week 2 – This will be a rough match-up, but I expect McDaniels to really shine in this one and outcoach Eric Mangini. After all, his offenses punished the Jets when Mangini was their coach.

-W at Oakland Week 3 – It’s Oakland. I wasn’t about to predict a loss, and Oakland is so horrific that the Broncos will probably be 10 point favorites. If they lose this one, they’re in trouble.

**At this point the Broncos will be 3-0 and people might start to jump on the bus. But this is also when things get rough.

-L vs Dallas Week 4 – Dallas will be good this season. I think they’ll make a push deep into the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl. Denver will lose."

Now, when I said we'd get a steal at Cincy, I had no idea that we'd win on a last second miracle play. I thought the Cleveland game would be closer than it was, and Oakland may actually be more horrific than I had foreseen. But, all in all, I hit the nail on the head.

And the bandwagon has started to fill up. On the radio show, I heard Alfred Williams make an intriguing argument that the Broncos have a great shot to get into the playoffs this year. The Denver Post has articles pointing out that our defense is ranked #1 and on pace for historic bests in all defensive categories. They also highlight that Orton is only one of three QB's who haven't thrown an interception. I haven't heard this much positive Broncos news since. . . well, since last season's 3-0 start. And given our past history, this is usually where I would throw out the caution flag and remind people that we have a bitch of a schedule coming up.

But what the hell? Let's do some more radical rethinking in terms of the upcoming schedule. As you can see above, I predicted that Dallas would be a powerhouse who would crush the Broncos en route to a possible Super Bowl birth. Well, after three games, I have to say that Dallas looks incredibly vulnerable. Their offense, in particular, looks disjointed and incompetent. Meanwhile, the Broncos defense looks to be quite solid. We now have a favorable match-up against Dallas, if only because we've shown that we can run the ball effectively against solid defensive units like the Raiders and throw a plethora of 5 yard passes. The way things are going, I think the Broncos can defeat the Cowboys in a low-scoring game in which Kyle Orton redefines the statistics of a successful quarterback by going 14-20 for 203 yards and one touchdown and no interceptions. This might prove to be his high-yardage mark for the year.

I still think New England will beat Denver, even at Mile High, so that prediction stays the same. In our sixth game, we face San Diego on the road. At first I predicted a loss because San Diego has more or less owned Denver in recent years, barring the Ed Hochuli debacle last year. However, if Denver goes into San Diego at 4-1, with a confident and top-ranked defense along with the type of consistently plodding offense that helped Trent Dilfer win Super Bowl XXXV (in which he threw a touchdown to Brandon Stokely who currently plays for Denver: coincidence, I think not), then they just might win. And yes, I will go out on a limb and compare Kyle Orton to Trent Dilfer; Orton just might be that good. That would put Denver at 5-1 at the bye week, and after the bye the Broncos have two games against the wretched Chiefs and another one versus the Raiders at home, all three of which should be victories. The schedule after the bye week is still hellacious, as in formidably difficult, but it's encouraging to think that Denver just might pull off a better than .500 season.

And, if you happen to be at the stadium during the next two weeks, I will be selling beer at one of two locations: near section 534 by the philly cheese steak grill or at the tiny draft stand near section 100. For the record, I pour a perfect beer - no rip-off foam. You're already paying 6.50 for a beer, and I'll make sure you get your money's worth. Come buy food or beer from me. Proceeds go to the Europe trip I am taking with students this spring - Italy and France.