MP's Broncos Update

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2010-08-10T12:36:00.001-06:00

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Some Draft Ruminations

2010-04-23T17:44:00.000-06:00

You gotta love the fact that Josh McDaniels is a riverboat gambler if ever there was one. As many experts have mentioned, McDaniels seems be staking his early coaching career on some downright zany if not completely absurd draft decisions.

This analysis is based off of rounds one and two because that seems to be where the major talent is in this particular draft. Let’s see what the Broncos started with and what they ended up with. Prior to draft day, the Broncos had the number 11 pick (round 1), the number 43 pick (round 2), and the number 45 pick (round 2).

After all the trades, they ended up with number 22 pick (round 1), the number 25 pick (round 1) and the number 45 pick (round 2). To get the two picks in the first round, the Broncos had to give up the number 43 pick and picks in the third and fourth rounds. I have no real criticism there because this seems to be a top heavy draft. Yeah, there are always some solid players in later rounds, but this year seems to be incredibly deep through the first two rounds. Might as well go after the studs.

The Broncos ended up with Demaryius Thomas (WR) with the 22^nd pick, Tim Tebow (QB) with the 25^th pick, and Zane Beadles (OG) with the 45^th pick. Thomas is a great pick at 22. The Broncos absolutely needed a big young receiver to compliment Eddie Royal. In a few years, the Royal-Thomas combination should be among the top 5 or six in the NFL. Clearly McDaniels is trying to replicate the Welker-Moss combination from his time in New England. At least, that’s what I hope he’s doing. And there shouldn’t be any more ‘character’ issues from that position.

The Beadles pick is also pretty nice. He’s a large young man – 6’4” and 310 – who should fit in with the power blocking scheme that McDaniels favors. And with the loss of Ben Hamilton to Seattle, he might start this year at guard. After this draft, all the linemen on the roster are at least 6’4” and over 300 lbs. Power blocking indeed. None of Shanny’s skinny-mini chop-blocking boys were big enough to hold these guys jocks…err pads. Add in Daniel Graham at TE and the Broncos should be able to muscle up most teams in the NFL with our bevy of average running backs grinding away for 3 and 4 yards a play. Of course we have no center, but who cares? Does anyone have Tom Nalen’s phone number? It’s not like he’d talk anyway.

The trouble starts with Tebow at 25. It might be the best gamble in the world, or it might fail miserably. Brady Quinn is a great insurance policy either way since he’s only a couple of years older than Tebow. (And if I’m Kyle Orton, I’m starting to think this whole “Kyle’s the starter” mantra that McDaniels spouts at every other press conference is a pack of crap.) The problem is that the Broncos likely could have gotten Tebow with either of their second round picks, especially since Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy were still on the board after the Broncos last pick in the second round. And the Broncos easily could have taken one of the other two guys, both of whom will stick around as either starters or solid backups for the next 8-10 years, though neither will likely be great.

To justify the Tebow pick, the Broncos have to think that their offensive line isn’t far from being perfect. Problem: we have no center and we could have drafted Maurkice Pouncey at 11 and still gotten Thomas and Tebow in the second round. Pouncey would likely start on every other team except Pittsburgh who got him. It bugs me that we could have had him and still gotten our receiver and Tebow.

The Broncos also have to think that their d-line and linebacking corps are solid enough to avoid picking up some high quality guys in favor of Tebow. The Broncos passed on a number of solid defensive players, including some solid backups to aging Brian Dawkins, in order to get Tebow, who they surely could have taken in later rounds.

The Broncos still have two more third round picks, a fifth rounder, and a sixth rounder. Maybe they’ll bring a bunch of hard-nosed young players to camp, but the studs are all playing with different teams, and the Broncos will now have to deal with a 3-way clusterfuck at QB (that is only if you ignore last year’s QB draft pick Tom Brandstater who’s got to be thinking about getting with another team right about now).

But McDaniels has got some stones. And hey, you only coach once…I mean live once.

2009-12-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

I remain continually impressed by the Denver Broncos this season. I expressed my doubts earlier about the possibility that any loss could be considered “good.” I think that the Indianapolis game has changed my mind on this subject. Of all the games on the schedule, I think that the Indy game was a “for sure” loss. That being said, it was by far the best loss of the season. In the previous losses, the Broncos simply weren’t competitive. The offense was incapable of putting up points against Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and San Diego, and the loss of Kyle Orton in the Washington game proved how valuable he is on the offensive side of the ball. The Broncos managed four scores against Indianapolis, which is 2-3 more scores than they averaged in the losses against Pitt, Baltimore, and SD. Obviously it would have been nice if some of the field goals from the 4th quarter (3 of them) had been touchdowns, but you take what you can get against an undefeated team.

Interim Fact #1: The Broncos’ defense is currently ranked third in the defensive yards allowed category (a category that says a lot about how good a defense is). There are lots of ways to interpret this, but I’m going to keep it simple by saying that we used to suck at defense and now we are good.

By now, we all know that the Broncos will likely win a wildcard playoff spot if they can beat the Raiders and the Chiefs in home games. The Raiders are up this Sunday, and despite their record the Oakland Raiders are no longer the pushovers they were at the start of the season. They have better than average talent on the defensive side of the ball, and QB Bruce Gradkowski has NFL talent whereas JaMarcus Russell seems to have only junior college talent. Gradkowski suffered serious knee damage in Sunday’s game against the Redskins and it’s likely that he will miss next Sunday’s game. The Raiders have several replacement candidates: JaMarcus Russell, the superstar himself; Charlie Frye, who was a third-stringer in Cleveland before becoming a third-stringer in Oakland; and Bills castoff J.P. Losman who was recently plucked from the USFL. All of them are fairly athletic, though none could hit the proverbial barn-door, & none really deserve to start for an NFL franchise. This can only bode well for Denver, as I suspect they will win regardless of who starts for Oakland.

Interim Fact #2: Brandon Marshall is the sole record holder for most receptions in a game with 21, accomplished against a strong Colts secondary. He also put up 200 yards in the same game. He was unstoppable. There are also many ways to interpret this; I submit the following: Jay Cutler sucks. Those of you in the know will see the obvious connections.

After the match up against Oakland, Denver travels to Philadelphia to play the Eagles. They are playing awesome football the last 5 weeks. They are riding the intangible Momentum Wave at the moment and are unlikely to fall off. They are a doppelganger of sorts for the Broncos. Denver’s scoring defense is ranked fifth in the league while their offense is mired somewhere in the middle of the pack. Philly scores the third most points in the league while their defense is mired somewhere in the middle of the pack. The Eagles win relatively close games by outscoring their opponents (check Sunday night’s close victory over the New York Giants, who Denver manhandled if such comparisons mean anything). Denver wins games by keeping their opponents from scoring even when their offense looks significantly dysfunctional. Broncos players talked at length about how the Indy game served as a measuring stick of sorts – “how good are we when matched against a playoff bound team?” The Colts are a terrible team to use as a measuring stick, since they are having an insane year by any normal criteria and Peyton Manning is probably the best offensive player in the league (the guy is a throwback to the likes of Bill Russell who was a true player/coach, and we all know how good Russell was). The Eagles game is the real measuring stick. Denver will be on the road against a team much like themselves: average talent at most positions, above-average heart on gameday, with a true superstar leading the offense (McNabb and Marshall respectively). If Denver beats the Eagles, they will all but guarantee themselves a playoff spot and they should gain some much-needed confidence that they are capable of winning against the type of team that they will likely see in the first round – Cincinnati, New England (though I’m rooting heavily for the Dolphins in the AFC East), or possibly San Diego.

Interim Fact #3: Elvis Dumervil has yet to be offered a contract extension by the Denver Broncos. He will likely be the first Broncos player to lead the league in sacks. He is the only pass-rusher the Broncos have had in almost a decade. This can be interpreted in one way: The Broncos front office are acting like silly ninnies (yes, that is a technical term) by not trying to lock this guy up immediately; he is a tremendous player, doesn’t beat on women (like other guys playing in a contract year), and positively influences the team in every game. Oh and did I mention he’s active in the community. Silly ninnies indeed!

Washinton Postgame

2009-11-18T10:10:00.002-07:00

Denver would have won against Washington if Kyle Orton hadn't gotten hurt. It's as simple as that. With Orton possibly out against San Diego in a game with playoff ramifications, Denver fans might start to see his true value to the team. If Franken-Simms starts against San Diego, the Broncos will lose.

Just like last year, the Denver Broncos are fading just as the Chargers begin their mid-season ascent of the rankings. And frankly, the Chargers are playing some awesome football right now. Even with a healthy Orton, it might be incredibly difficult for Denver to win this game.

Football success tends to rely on a few basic postulates:
1) Teams must have the luck to have a majority of players stay healthy for a preponderance of the season.
2) Teams must have a locker room full of players who are willing to let team victory transcend individual ego.
3) Teams must peak at the right time.

If Orton can't play for more than a game, then the Broncos will fall victim to postulate 1. They seem to be fairly solid on postulate 2, which is surprising given all the off season criticisms of the team. As for postulate 3, Denver might have peaked too soon this season, and will unfortunately face a Chargers team that is starting to put things together and fields more talent than Denver. The Chargers were a wreck the first time Denver played them, but they seem to have coalesced around the stellar play of Rivers, LT is making plays, and their defense is keeping games close.

I would love to be wrong, but I think San Diego will take this one. Of course, McDaniels and the rest have surprised me this year, and it's just possible that Denver will utilize their home-field advantage and the superior arm strength of Franken-Simms to keep the Chargers off the field. The Denver defense can definitely hold the Chargers to a mid-20's output but only if they're not exhausted in the second half. If I were an arm-chair coach, I would use the following offensive recipe. Early deep passes to Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Scheffler to stretch the field; intermixed with heavy doses of a power running game and a few short passes to burn the clock. If Denver can dominate time of possession, then they have a chance to win this game. If Franken-Simms and the rest put up three-and-outs all game then the defense will give way and the Chargers will win.

Washington Pregame

2009-11-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

You have to ask yourself if any loss can be considered a "good" loss. The answer to that question really determines how you feel about the two losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

If you consider that Pittsburgh is last year's Super Bowl champion and that last year Baltimore went 11-5 and would have been in the Super Bowl themselves until Troy Polamalu made a great interception for the Steelers to win in the AFC championship game, you might not feel so bad about Denver's two losses. You might not worry that Denver is now 6-2 and starting to lose ground to San Diego because you will think that Denver was bound to lose a few games, and they might as well be against two AFC powerhouses. You will in fact be very excited about the upcoming game against Washington because they are pitiful, and the Broncos will undoubtedly pounce upon them like a cat mauling an unsuspecting little mouse. In other words, our losses were "good" losses. We learned valuable lessons going up against some good football teams, and those lessons will serve us well as we continue to win down the stretch.

If you think that Denver still managed to stink it up pretty bad, especially on the offensive side of the ball, then you might be a little upset and possibly harbor feelings of great animosity and disgust. You might look at the Washington game as a 'trap' game and worry that they will take advantage of our struggling offense and our exhausted defense. You might think that Ladell Betts will find a way to score points and run around our confused defense, while Orton and the offense will continue to look lethargic and generally woeful. If the above adequately reflects your feelings, then of course there is no such thing as a good loss, we are on the verge of being pretty terrible, and will most likely lose in Washington to an inferior team.

Meet and Greet Part I

2009-10-23T08:58:00.002-06:00

Hello, I'm Kyle Orton, the quarterback for the Denver Broncos. You may not know me too well. Let me introduce myself. Football is very important to me. I went to Purdue, where football is an institution, and put up numbers comparable to Drew Brees who also attended Purdue. When I made it to the pros, I decided that distractions could derail my career. So, I grew some horrific facial hair to keep away all the groupies. In fact, my facial hair pretty much keeps everyone away, including organizations that would pay me lots of money. But that's a good thing, because it helps me focus on my job: winning football games. In my career, I have won 27 of the 39 games I have played, giving me a winning percentage of 69%, about 5% better than Peyton Manning. There is one word that describes how I play and how I look: unflattering. But that's okay, because at less than $1 million per year, I'm cheap. Yup, cheap and unflattering, that's me. (Pssst: Kyle, you're also a winner.) Oh yeah, I also win a lot.

How's it going? I'm Brandon Marshall. I am one of the top-five most talented receivers in the NFL. Some people might put me in the top 3. I make very average quarterbacks look very, very good. I single-handedly (sometimes literally) help my team win games they wouldn't win if I wasn't playing. I probably should have received a new contract. After all, the NFL doesn't guarantee contracts, and like every other player in one of the most exploitative sports in history, I need to get mine now before some sort of terrible injury (or crime) derails my career. I understand that the player's association probably won't help me when I retire. It's all up to me to get a huge signing bonus as soon as possible, and I think it's unfair that I have been singled out and made an example of when I do what every player should be doing to guarantee their future. I also have a history of committing crimes against women, but, like most Americans with short memories, I'm sure that this fact will be completely overlooked if I perform at a high level (see Kobe Bryant, the rapist). That's my goal this season.

What's up? I'm Elvis Dumervil. I came into the league at the same time as fellow player Brandon Marshall. He makes about $2 million this season, while I make about a half million. I lead the league in sacks, I make Josh McDaniels look brilliant for instituting the 3-4 defense in Denver, and I'm pretty much responsible for the pass-rush on one of the best defenses in the league. Bargain? You betcha! Do I get a lot of press? No. Will I get a big contract after this season? Time will tell, time will tell.

2009-10-12T09:54:00.002-06:00

The Broncos continue to impress. And here's what's impressive: no points allowed in the second half for the fourth straight game. Mike Shanahan's biggest failure as a coach (and this applies to his teams that were wildly successful as well as to the mediocre ones) was his inability to make adjustments during the game. Even when he was winning Super Bowls, his teams tended to look stagnant and predictable in the second half of games. Those teams often scored 20 or 30 points in the first half, but they tended to play with the prevent mentality the rest of the way. This proved true in the second half of games as well as in the second half of the season.

The new Broncos look to have solved the dilemma of second half stagnation. (The second half of the season remains unresolved at this point for obvious reasons.) Not only does the defense make the necessary adjustments, but so does the offense. In fact, the offense tends to be rather unimpressive for the first 30 minutes of games. They come alive, though, in the second half, putting together long drives and figuring out ways to put points on the scoreboard. Sunday's game against New England was the epitome of the "second half strong" mentality that Josh McDaniels and his coaching staff have instilled in the players. For the second week in a row, the Broncos stunk up it up offensively in the first half. They looked worse than pedestrian - they looked like Oakland. But if football is truly a chess-match between coaching staffs, then one might make the argument that Denver spends 30 minutes feeling out their opponents before employing the necessary tactics to win the game. So far, this seems to be a pretty effective method for winning football games.

And it's all based on having a strong defense. The Broncos defense repeatedly mauled the offensive players of New England (to be fair, this is exactly what New England was doing to Denver as well). They were trying to strip to the ball from every possession player and pounding them to the dirt when they couldn't. And the M.O. after halftime is quite simple: no points. Tom Brady has never looked quite as mediocre as he did Sunday, and Randy Moss's biggest play was on the defensive side of the ball. It took all game, but Denver finally got to Brady and that play may have been the game-changer. Strong defenses make for boring games. Kyle Orton's NFL reputation has been hampered by this maxim. He had a great defense in Chicago, and this Denver team has one of the best defenses in the league. Orton wins games because he has consistently played on teams that are defensively talented. I've been saying it for weeks now - Kyle Orton is the reincarnation of Trent Dilfer, and lest we forget: Dilfer has won as many Super Bowls as Brett Favre, and more than Dan Marino, Warren Moon, and Jim Kelly combined. Now, I'm not trying to be mean to Orton. The guy put up awesome numbers on Sunday and had the single best offensive possession in the NFL this year in the form of his 90+yard scoring drive. (Call me mean, but Cutler would have thrown an interception in the same circumstance.) A better Orton comparison might be to Brad Johnson - the QB for Tampa on their Super Bowl team earlier this decade. He put up better-than-average numbers on a team with a brilliant defense. That seems to be the path that Denver is walking down right now. And if it leads to a Super Bowl, I will be more than satisfied.

2009-09-29T13:14:00.002-06:00

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.

Healthcare, the Bungles, and other notable Minutiae

2009-08-29T17:21:00.005-06:00

I read a version of the healthcare reform bill. A short version, which still took me countless hours I will never get back. Upon completion, a few thoughts: I'm glad we have a former lawyer as President. I'm also glad I'm not a lawyer. Or a politician. The bill is highly boring, though it is ridiculously logical and far-sighted. I'm a teacher. I like George Orwell. I encourage my students to write clear and concisely. If they ever grow up and enter politics, they will not have benefited from having me as a teacher. I also think that there must be an incredibly high number of conservative Americans who would benefit from this legislation. These very same people are inexplicably trying not to have the bill passed. In other words, they are protesting a future law which would, in effect, save them money and possibly provide them with an essential service at a far cheaper rate than is currently offered, particularly the part with a government sponsored option. I worry about a country in which high numbers of individuals are actively working against their own self-interest. Those crazy conservatives who are listening to uber-rich people on the radio and on Fox News should decide to stop doing things that are against their interest. Also, these very same people look silly and sound uneducated when they call in and talk to Mike Rosen, who is himself an incredibly wealthy former corporate executive, and say things like this: "Get your government hands off my medicaid." Really, people? And anybody else that calls the democrats Nazis for wanting what we've all pretty much decided is a universal right, i.e. healthcare, should be sent to a mandatory history class, then a mandatory civics class, and then they should probably go talk to Holocaust survivors before promptly shutting the fuck up.

As for the Bungles:

A win is a win. And it was especially promising to see the defense put up a stout effort against a team with several gamebreakers. Palmer and Ochocinco may not be the superstars they were a few years ago, but they are still incredibly talented and can change a game on a single play. But it was the slow-footed, dimwitted Broncos who came up with the gamebreaker. That, my friends, is why you never give up on a play. Thank you Stokely, the forgotten Brandon, for affirming all the encouraging words of every Pop Warner and high school football coach. And thank you Champ Bailey for forcing one of the few Broncos’ interceptions I can remember in recent history.

Otherwise, there were several rather depressing elements to Sunday’s Broncos game.
The first was Kyle Orton’s shy pussycat imitation while hanging around the pocket and waiting for something to happen. Orton is a big, strong guy who must have some mobility stashed away somewhere. I thought the whole reason he ditched the beard was to become more aerodynamic, giving him the ability to slip out of the pocket and make things happen. On at least two or Orton’s three sacks, he could have slipped out of the pocket and made it back to the line of scrimmage or hit one of his returning receivers. But I guess all those years in Chicago behind a horrific offensive line have left him more of a deer in headlights than a Randall Cunningham Redux. But he didn’t throw any interceptions, or four, and had several dropped passes that would have changed drives. Say what you will but Orton tends to win games. Look for him to improve.

Second is the rather depressing fact that the Broncos never made it to the red-zone. Shanahan may have had red-zone troubles, but at least he was in the red-zone. McDaniels is going to have to figure out how to move his team, especially when the Broncos go up against offenses that can put up multiple scores and double-digit points.

Finally, what the hell happened to our vaunted running game? Let’s face it people: the running game is the only thing we’ve had since the retirement of the Horse-Toothed Republican. Without it, we really epitomize mediocre. The Broncos managed 227 passing yards, which is decent if not spectacular. But they only put up 75 rushing yards. How sad. Buckhalter averaged 5.8 yards on eight attempts, which prompts the question: why didn’t he get the ball more? A pass-first offense only works if your team can pass. And apparently the Broncos can’t do that yet. But we’ve always been able to run. . . . here’s hoping Bobby Turner gets a little more say in next week’s gameplan.

Up next – the Cleveland Browns, putting a new spin on craptacular every season.

Oh, and who says sports and politics don't mix?

Modest Ruminations

2009-08-28T00:36:00.002-06:00

This is gonna be long ‘cause I’ve had a lot of things percolating in the old cabeza this summer. Consider this your warning. Go get your glasses if you need ‘em.

People, it’s the damn preseason. It’s a big waste of time. Your job as serious football fans is to watch the games and hope nobody really important gets injured. After that, you need to chill and start watching Rockies games. For the record, I’ve been a huge Rockies fan since their inception, but my problem is that I’m really only a fan for about eight weeks during any given year. The last baseball strike really pissed me off and completely modified my baseball affection. As it stands now I check the team out a bit in April and May, but I don’t really care much until after the NBA Finals are over in June. Then I become a freakishly avid fan for about eight maybe ten weeks until the NFL starts. When the team is good, as it is this year, my fan duration time stretches until the last game. 2007 was ridiculously fun and the Rockies were great. 2008 was an eight-week year. 2009 is shaping up to be something special. And who knew EY had a kid? And that he could hit? Crazy. Thank you baseball for helping me to ignore the supercilious crapfest that is the preseason.

However, all that being said, this really has been one long telenovela of an offseason for the Broncos, so I will try to address the most interesting points.

Interesting Point #1:

Jay Cutler is gone. (Phew, glad I got that one done with.)

Moving on to Draft Issues:

I’m not saying the first McDaniels Era Draft was a bust or even unwise. In the NFL, it’s sort of a given that the majority of young players don’t really ‘get it’ until about their third year. So, we really can’t judge this one for at least a couple of seasons. But if I was looking to fill holes and create a potent defense similar to the one in New England, then I probably would have gone after a whole bunch of linemen and linebackers who could learn the 3-4 system. Instead the Broncos got several secondary players, a third-string tight end, a third-string QB, and an undersized running back. Oh yeah, they also got Robert Ayers. He’s big and fast, but based on this preseason it doesn’t look like he’ll get much playing time this year. Aside from other McDaniels moves this offseason, the draft was probably the most surprising, especially if you consider that McDaniels sold himself as a Bill Belichick protégé.

Here’s how Belichick tends to draft: he eschews first-round picks (none for New England this year but four players in the second round) who demand higher guaranteed money and hold out till they get it (think of Ayers and especially Moreno who missed significant camp time and then got injured), and he goes after defensive players and offensive linemen who can be molded into fitting his system leaving himself free to sign skilled offensive free-agents like Wes Welker and Randy Moss (eight of the Patriot’s eleven picks were defensive players or offensive linemen).

Now, the Broncos don’t particularly have a need for offensive linemen this year. They have a solid front five and two or three good reserves. So their draft was necessarily going to be a bit different than New England’s, but the Broncos definitely have a need for linemen and linebackers. And in this draft, all Denver got was Ayers. . . .who won’t start. . . .and who looks confused most of the time. As for the rest of the draft, only four of the Broncos ten picks were defensive players, and only three of their top five picks were defensive. All the sports analysts were sort of surprised by this, and it might help to look at another team to understand the baffled looks on the faces of folks like Vic Lombardi. The Packers, who just like Denver are installing a 3-4 defense, had just eight picks in this year’s draft. Their first pick was BJ Raji, a great choice to build a stout front three primarily because he’s ridiculously huge – 6’2”, 335 lbs.. Next they picked up Clay Matthews, a solid lineman who gives them an immediate pass-rush. They picked up another linebacker and lineman in the later rounds, along with a cornerback. That means they got four or five solid defensive players out of their eight picks. The Broncos? Well, they got one maybe two solid defensive guys out of their ten picks, but only Ayers meets their most pressing needs. I’m no Paul Krugman, but it’s pretty obvious that the numbers just don’t match up. And we very easily could have drafted the very same people that Green Bay got.

Preseason Issues:

After the San Francisco game, it didn’t look good. After the Seattle game, it looked a little better, but it still wasn’t very encouraging. I still think the Broncos should have hired Leslie Frazer or that Spagnuolo guy from the Giants, but we got McDaniels. Probably the most encouraging thing I’ve heard about McDaniels is that the players really liked his training camp and the physical and mental preparation that he stressed. Shanahan was no slouch on the mental preparation, but there’s tremendous truth in the fact that his teams ran out of energy and got bullied, both at the end of games and at the end of the season. However, McDaniels’ team hasn’t exactly looked sharp this preseason. I am encouraged by the fact that Orton looks like he knows the offense. He’s audible-ing at the line and his protection has been great. He’s hitting open receivers, when he’s not throwing interceptions with his left and right hands, and he generally looks sharp. Everybody’s been bitching about his interceptions, and it’s true that the three in San Francisco came on pretty lousy QB decisions, and the one in Seattle was a brain-fart eerily reminiscent of Jake Plummer. But I’ll bet that he doesn’t throw another interception in the preseason.

That’s a pretty big bet, but I have confidence that Orton will do well, for him. And doing well for him means managing the game, throwing for 200+ yards and accounting for two scores each game. If he can do that, the Broncos will be fine. Part of optimism comes from the fact that defense looks decent. I remember the preseason last year when Dallas’s second-string made the Broncos first-string defense look like the boys from the local underachieving high school. I was worried then, but I’m not now primarily because the defense has looked respectable. No, they in no way resemble the dominating units from Minnesota and New York (4-3’s), and so far they don’t even look like the stout fellows from New England and Pittsburgh (3-4’s), but they look serviceable, which is far better than we’ve had in a long time.

The Schedule:

It’s damn brutal is what it is. A good team with a returning head coach, QB, and defensive unit would be hard-pressed to come up with more than 8 wins when matched against the NFC East. The Broncos realistically have very little chance of winning more than 9 games, and even that might be excessively optimistic. My season prediction breaks down like this:

-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.

-L vs New England Week 5 – They flat out embarrassed the Broncos last year. This one should be closer but Belichick has made a career out of winning close games. He won’t lose to is protégé.

-L at San Diego Week 6 – They are a better team. If this was in Denver I might go the other way.

**At the bye, the Broncos should be a respectable 3-3. But since they will have lost 3 straight, the sayers-of-nay will be chanting loudly in papers and blogs. To hell with ‘em.

Weeks 8-12 include games against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Washington, San Diego, and New York. This is where it gets brutal. The Broncos can reasonably expect to lose all these games, but I have a feeling they’ll win at least one. If they pull out two wins, say against the Chargers at home and against Washington, they should count themselves lucky.

-W at Kansas City Week 13 – These are the types of games that a young coach has to win. Plus it’ll be interesting to see which team’s 3-4 defense has progressed the farthest. Expect something close with a 4^th quarter Broncos victory.

-L at Indy Week 14 – Indy was very quiety a great team last year that got shafted by the refs in the playoffs. They won’t lose this one unless they’ve locked up home-field advantage, and even then they’ll probably win.

-W vs Oakland Week 15 – It’s Oakland. Come on people.

-L at Philadephia Week 16 – A road game against Philly in the Winter. . . Expect the Broncos to come home with bruises, some season-ending injuries, and a renewed commitment to put it all together for next season.

-W vs Kansas City Week 17 – The blue-and-orange will finish strong in a battle of pride.

That gives a minimum of 7 wins with an outside shot at 9. 10 wins would be a stellar accomplishment and should earn McDaniels coach-of-the-year honors. But I’m thinking the Broncos will go .500.

Final Thoughts:

There you have it: the off-season analyzed, the preseason denounced for the farce that it has always been, the Rockies extolled, and the regular season predicted. What more could you possibly ask for? If you’ve made it this far, I thank you. Next week: a breakdown of all 1,000+ pages of the Health Care legislation. You won’t find it anywhere else. I’m not kidding.

Welcome to Denver, Kyle Orton

2009-04-03T17:58:00.002-06:00

So I didn't really see the whole Cutler for Kyle Orton trade happening, but I'm not really very worried anyway. Wanna know why? Call me naive, but this is what Orton had to say about himself today while he was at Dove Valley:

"I've taken the same approach my entire and that is, my job description is to win football games," he said. "And I've done a pretty good job of that and I plan to keep that up. I'm a hard worker. I'm not flashy by any means but my job is to play football and win and I plan to do that."

Sounds good to me. I like a guy who's cocky and confident.

Welcome to Denver, Kyle Orton. We expect great things.

Possibilities

2009-03-16T15:34:00.004-06:00

Let's explore some interesting possibilities that might arise from the whole Cutler fiasco.

First, let's examine what Cutler is actually giving up in demanding a trade. Cutler is giving up the chance to work with a brilliant play-caller. Like it or not, McDaniels is one of the finest offensive minds in the NFL right now. He's a sophomoric team manager, but he's the closest thing to an offensive genius in a league that is dominated by conservative playcalling and punishing defenses. Cassel is the the perfect example of this: an average QB with no NFL experience spent one year with Cassel and put up legitimate numbers, became a franchise player, and earned marquee status. Damn. Imagine what someone with an arm like Cutler might accomplish with Josh McDaniels calling the plays.

Instead, if he is traded, he'll go play in Detroit where he'll have to throw it to Calvin Johnson who will be in double-coverage for the rest of his career. Or maybe he'll end up in Tampa Bay throwing to Kellen Winslow when he isn't hurt. Chicago is another possibility, though their receiving corps has no one of significant talent. I'll admit that Cleveland is an interesting possibility with Braylon Edwards and Donte Stallworth, but coach Mangini couldn't get to the playoffs with Brett Favre running the show, and they're years away from being a legitimate contender anyway. One final possibility is Tennessee, and I'll buy you lunch if you can name one of their receivers right now. Anyone? Didn't think so. Plus they lost Haynesworth, so they'll be mired in mediocrity for another couple of seasons.

No matter where Cutler is traded, he will find the going rough, at least for several seasons until his new team can build around him. But what about the Broncos? What will life be like without Cutler? Will the Broncos find success with a new "face of the organization?" It all depends on the replacement. Recent free agent acquisition Chris Simms has the mental ability to be an above-average game-manager, but his physical skills alone won't win the Broncos any games. If our defense and our running game were solid, Simms just might be okay for a season or two. However, our run game lacks the intimidation and track record of success that defined it for so many seasons, and our defense is a shambles until they prove otherwise. Simms is a perfectly fine backup, though, and I hope he thrives in that role.

Potentially interesting trade partners include the Cleveland Browns. I like Derek Anderson, but he's had one strong season, and I'm not sure that makes him a great fit for the Broncos. Plus, he seems to be injury prone. However, if he could operate behind a solid offensive line, which we have, and throw to guys who actually catch the ball, he might thrive. Brady Quinn is certainly intriguing (especially if would could get Quinn and a high draft pick or two). He's young, athletic, and could be great in the complicated system that McDaniels will install. Or he could be the next David Carr - it's hard to say.

The Lions don't really have a tradeable QB, but they have several first round draft picks. The problem with those picks is that they would require giving a rookie guaranteed money and committing to the rookie for at least 2-3 years before seeing results (Matt Ryan in Atlanta is the exception to the rule, and Joe Flacco in Baltimore got to play with a top-5 defense). McDaniels believes he can compete right away, and given the state of the AFC West he has a valid point. The Lions might try to get Cutler in some sort of three-way deal, but I can't see too many teams willing to part with a proven veteran.

Then there's the almost-there Bears. They would love to get their hands on Cutler and could offer Kyle Orton, if nothing else a servicable veteran presence, and possibly even a draft pick. Orton is a decent option, especially if he comes with Tommie Harris, or one of the Bears linebackers, and a draft pick. But let's be serious for moment. After all, it's Kyle Orton. He's just not the type of guy you envision hoisting the Lombardi trophy.

About the only interesting option in this giant mess is Vince Young, and he's a psychological catastrophe waiting to happen. I'm envisioning the tennis meltdown scene in The Royal Tenenbaums only at the 50-yard line at Mile Hi. Young is a great athlete who can play with intelligence when he's not the only offensive weapon. Plus, he's looking to rejuvinate a career that gave way to Kerry Collins. If anyone needs redemption, it's Young (and possibly Michael Vick, but there's no way Bowlen would sign off on that one).

Finally, there's the possibility that the Broncos won't trade Cutler, that he'll report to camp in April, and all this silliness will just melt away. Cutler will win 10 games under McDaniels in the first year (supposing that Brandon Marshall isn't sitting at home wearing the dunce cap for 8 games). In year two, the slightly less mediocre 3-4 scheme coached by a dapper Mike Nolan, alongside an efficiently creative offense helmed by Cutler will go 12-4 and make it past the first round of the playoffs, prompting us all to forget this crazy little interlude and rejoice in happy quarterback times.

2009-03-03T00:50:00.002-07:00

In a quite unexpected twist of fate, my evil plan to bring down the Rocky Mountain News via the blogosphere has actually worked. I failed to realize the impact of my actions when I was forced to read about Jay Cutler's insolence and Josh McDaniels' sophomoric mismanagement in an august yet distant New York Times article. What do those fools know about the Broncos? the fans in Colorado? or the Rocky Mountains?

Josh McDaniels had the opportunity to take over the reigns of a proven offense. With a minor tweak here and a slight adjustment there, Jay Cutler and the rest would likely have had another exceptional offensive season in 2009. All McDaniels had to do was rework one of the most inept defensive units in NFL history, and he probably would have made the playoffs in his first year as head coach. That would have been the safe thing to do.

But no. McDaniels felt the need, as all first time coaches do, to install his own offense. He replaced one 400 page technical manual in language A with another equally bulky and technically obscure manual in language B. This was no big surprise. Everyone knew it was coming. It's status quo for a new coach in the NFL. Then he considered hiring someone who already knew language B to be his frontman for the Broncos. Matt Cassel would very obviously run McDaniels' offense with more ease than Jay Cutler - at least for a few games. And it's not like McDaniels was stupid to consider this. I think back to the 41-7 drubbing of the Broncos by the Patriots, and I can't help but think that maybe McDaniels knows something we all don't.

McDaniels' mistake was letting his thoughts get out into the public. Young, young fool. Bill Belichick would never commit so obvious a mistake. Hell, his own wife doesn't even know that he loves her. Josh McDaniels failed to employ the single most effective strategy that Bill Belichick uses on a regular basis - don't say a goddamn thing to anybody about anything. Have you seen Belichick's postgame conferences, or his pregame ones for that matter? He uses his dry monotone to tell more mistruths and misdirections than former White House Press Secretary Scott McLellan. I'm really baffled as to how McDaniels missed out on this tactic. If he would have followed the footsteps of his mentor, then we wouldn't have all this absurd drama right now.

And Cutler? There're two things you need to know about Cutler: he's 17-20 and he's never been to the playoffs. So basically he should shut up. That's it. Hey Jay, stop talking. Get your agent to stop talking too. Be happy you're not in Detroit, shut up, and start practicing with Jabbar Gaffney 'cause Brandon Marshall will be riding the pine for about 8 games. Case closed.

2008-11-10T14:54:00.002-07:00

The Broncos are a deeply flawed team full of mystery, despair, and perhaps even promise. Their victory against the Browns, another highly talented yet strangely underperforming team, merely raises the spectre of their deep flaws and their mysterious talents. Very simply, the Broncos are not good enough to soundly beat any team in the NFL. This fact should not overly haunt the loyal fans though. Very few teams this year have what I like to call the "trouncing ability." The Patriots dominated the regular season last year with the trouncing ability, yet they were dismantled in the Super Bowl by another profoundly inconsistent team, the New York Giants. The fact that no NFL team has the trouncing ability this year, and I include the unbeaten Tennessee Titans in this bold statement, merely points to the possibility that the Broncos will indeed win the division and make the playoffs despite their obvious inability to run the offense on a consistent basis and stop opposing teams from scoring at will.

The loss of Ryan Torain for the year symbolizes the deep dilemmas that confront this team during this toss-up year. He was young, full of promise, and started the game with a promising if not overly impressive performance. He scored when called upon, and ran effectively when the holes were open. Much like the franchise in this calendar year, Torain looked solid but not necessarily overpowering. He promised good things and the possibility of something great in the not-to-distant future, much like the Broncos during the first few games of the year when they went undefeated yet seemed quite plebian. But during the course of a rather uninspiring game, he was injured on a rather nondescript play. Out for the season claimed the papers and the websites on the following day. What started out so new and so fun became a cause for lament as the team scrambled on the bench to find a suitable replacement. And so Peyton Hillis took over the job and survived the night while playing admirably in a new position. He was not inspiring or even brilliant as perhaps he had been the week before against Miami when he racked up yards in the triple figures, but he got the job done. And in accomplishing that small effort, he just might remake the Broncos in his lonely rookie image - 'the little team that could' might become the mantra for our oft-injured franchise as we ponder the moutainous task of winning 5 of our last 7 games.

The offense found something to build upon as Eddie Royal stretched the field for a long touchdown and Daniel Graham bulldozed his way in for another. Fortunate, perhaps even a little implausible, the second-half comeback has the potential to propel this offensive unit to new heights just at the moment when they seemed most downtrodden and ineffectual. Vernand Morency or maybe Ron Dayne will join the team in what political pundits will no doubt describe as an advisory role; the job: run up the field, don't get hurt, don't fumble, keep us competitive until someone named Young or Pittman gets healthy enough to take your job. Or maybe the coach will just tell Peyton Hillis to jump in and do the best he can, which was good enough on a fourth and one to keep the Broncos alive last Thursday. In either case, cautious optimism seems to be the word of the week as the Broncos hope for fast healing and/or a spare running back or fullback to replenish the corps.

The defense of course is another matter entirely. Inept doesn't seem to accurately describe what is more or less the tragic flaw in our heroic franchise. No matter what we do, the other team scores on us. Opponents usually take a long jaunt against our speedy yet tackle-phobic defensive players. And the red-zone is a happy place for most opponents only because they visit so often and get so comfortable there. This doesn't bode well next week as the long-winded, speedy, and powerful Atlanta Falcons will challenge the Broncos with a tremendous backfield of Michael Turner - fast, strong, and TD friendly - and Jerious Norwood - mostly just fast. Their rookie QB looks good too. He throws well down the field which will create problems for our battered and mostly ineffectual secondary. We stand a chance in a shootout, but a defensive battle will surely end in defeat with Elam and Foxworth doing happy little jigs against their former team.

Yet despite our flaws, we are a team of promise. We lead the division with a winnable schedule down the stretch. We have tremendous players on offense, visionaries who need only consistency and maturity (and perhaps a double-digit lead if they plan on a much-needed and long-missed symbolic display of politics and society - maybe this is your week Brandon). Our defense needs many things, but if they could learn to tackle during this long break it would surely help. I sit and ponder with the cautious optimism of the offensive backfield of how things will be in the next four years. . . I mean rather in the next four weeks as the Broncos look forward to wonderful things to come.

Ugly . . . but not exactly a debacle

2008-10-13T16:29:00.004-06:00

Prediction: L home Jacksonville (10/12) - Man for man, pound for pound, Jacksonville is a superior team. Their running game is unparalleled (ranked #2 last season). Their QB is solid and virtually flawless (only 3 INT's last season). Their defense resembles a brick wall (no meaningful stat necessary - those guys are simply big, fast, and mean). Our only chance is to keep things close and hope for a last-second field goal. Hence the loss. But moral victories count, and hopefully the Broncos can keep it close. A drubbing would hurt morale. Besides, if things go well, this will only be the second loss of the year.

In a round-about sort of way, this is exactly where I predicted the Broncos would be after six games. I didn't expect our other loss to come from the lowly Chiefs, but overall 4-2 is a great place to be. The conundrum of yesterday's loss, aside from the fact that we were controlling the tempo of the game until the turnover spree, is how obvious our strengths and weaknesses are.

The Broncos have tremendous offensive potential. While turnovers killed Cutler and the offense, they did show the ability to move the ball effectively against a big, fast, and bully-like defense. Michael Pittman looked solid, so solid that Shanahan should consider giving him the running-back role until his old-man legs give out. He ran strong, caught passes on the checkdowns, and provided decent pass protection for Cutler. Very simply, Selvin Young just isn't very tough. He can't get the tough yards and he doesn't catch passes. Minus the touchdowns, Pittman had a statistically similar game to Maurice Jones-Drew. And obviously the touchdowns were the difference, but for the third-string back to put up 125 total yards against the Jags is pretty impressive. Then of course there's Brandon Marshall who looked like a man playing against children on every play except the fumble. He's easily the most talented receiver in the league, but he's given up two huge fumbles in the last three games. For the Broncos to make the playoffs, Marshall's fumble-itis must be eliminated. His fumbles have cost the Broncos in two games. They can't afford another.

Cutler looked solid. He was missing three of his top four targets, as the commentators so aptly reminded us, over and over and over, but he made good decisions against an impressive defensive team. His interception was a toss-up ball that didn't hurt the Broncos, and his fumble came on a tremendous play by Reggie Hayward (one of many defensive playmakers the Broncos let go in the last five years). Cutler didn't look like he was forcing too many passes, at least until the end when he really had to. While he's not good enough to take over a game or win a tough one in the final minutes, he is already a great game-manager with tremendous athleticism. Teams have gone farther with less. But he will have to take the next step sometime this season for the Broncos to be a post-season competitor.

It would be easy to say that our defense is weak and that they can't keep us in games. To some extent, that criticism is true. But it's not the whole story. We have enough talent to field a reasonable defense, and the coaching scheme takes advantage of guys like Champ Bailey, DJ Williams, and the servicable but by no means impressive defensive line. Our defense is missing what Jacksonville's has in abundance - a pissed-off, school-yard bully attitude that manifests itself in making plays when the game is on the line. We can't stop determined teams from making plays. That's our problem plain and simple. We couldn't stop an inferior KC team when they wanted it more, we couldn't stop an over-confident Chargers team in the beginning of the year, and we couldn't keep the Jags from bull-dogging their way to an ugly victory in our house. Jacksonville has no receivers of note. All they really have is an intelligent-yet-average QB, and a couple of solid runners, one of whom we nearly knocked out for the game. There was no reason for Maurice Jones-Drew to run us down or for Mercedes Lewis to score an easy touchdown in the late stages of the game. That shit is ridiculous. The Broncos' defense needs attitude. With attitude, we take the AFC West and advance past the first round in the playoffs. Without, we let the Chargers catch us, make it in as a wild-card and lose in the first round to a team that isn't as talented but wants it more.

Mark my words.

I thought they brought back instant replay for a reason

2008-09-14T22:05:00.003-06:00

Since I know you're going to ask, I'm just going to come out with it. Yes, I paid the referees to "help" the Broncos beat the Chargers. I told them to be innocuous - an offsides here, a holding there. I even had a ticket to the game so I could watch my money in action, but I never thought they'd take it this far. Who's even heard of a replay machine malfunction before? There are several hundred TV's scattered thoughout the stadium and all of them could show Bailey's interception. All but one. And the blown call on Cutler's fumble was just a tragedy. For Chargers' fans. Referee Ed Hochuli sure gave me my money's worth - he's a lawyer, you know. All jokes aside, I told a friend this weekend that the Broncos had a chance to steal one against the Chargers. I was being figurative. . . . or so I thought.

Preseason Prediction: L home San Diego (9/14) - There are a lot of problems with this one. First, the Broncos will come off a short week from the Monday Night Opener against the Raiders. They will have to play nearly flawlessly to win in Oakland, which will leave them slightly tired and less than perfect against San Diego. Second, the Chargers are returning nearly every starter on both sides of the ball from last year's team, a team which punished the Broncos in painful and embarassing ways. Twice. Plus, this is the team that took the Patriots to the brink in last year's AFC championship. They are not just good, they are playing for nothing less than the Super Bowl and they're mad enough to take it out on opponents every week. Even if the Broncos manage to play a perfect game, San Diego is just too good. Third, the loss of Marshall hurts the most against the Chargers. His presence would open up the field and give the running game a chance against one of the best front-seven in the NFL. And there's always the chance that he'd make a game-changing play. However, if the Broncos win this one it'd be the upset of the week and maybe shake things up in the AFC a bit.

There were several major flaws in my prediction for this game. First, the Broncos didn't need to play flawlessly to beat the Raiders. They just needed to show up. Second, the Chargers are returning nearly every starter except Shawn Merriman who is out for the year. He's the backbone of the Chargers' defense. With him, there is no way the Chargers give up 39 points, even if the last eight were a bit suspect. Third, the Broncos played a nice game, but it was not perfect, not even close. While we kept LT to under 30 yards, we gave up nice big chunks to backup Darren Sproles and Chris Chambers abused Karl Paymah over and over again. Our defense couldn't stop the slow flow of ketchup down an off-ramp right now, and our special teams coverage is worse than the proverbial sieve.

I was right about Marshall, though. If he missed this game, the Broncos would have lost. The guy had 18 catches. 18!!! He had 166 yards and a crucial touchdown to finish the first half. I'm not sure how San Diego gave up 18 catches to one player.On average, most teams give up about 20 completions a game - we gave up 21 to the Charges. JaMarcus Russell, for example, only completed six passes in the Raiders' victory over the Chiefs & all-pro Carson Palmer only completed 16 passes all day. Everyone will talk about Cutler's heroics and Eddie Royal's two nice catches at the end, but Marshall was the obvious player of the game.

This has to rank as an upset, and I'm sure the Broncos are loving their two game cushion over the Chargers in the AFC West. The New Orleans Saints are coming to Denver next week, and they might be the only other team in the NFL with a defense as flawed as ours. The two teams might score over 100 points combined, and I'm being completely literal. Both the Saints and the Broncos gave up over 450 yards this week so don't expect defense to figure heavily in this one, unless Champ Bailey manages to get another interception. Maybe it doesn't matter though. Shanahan clearly didn't trust the defense to help win this game. Otherwise he wouldn't have gone for it at the end. It was a riverboat gamble by a desperate madman with no absolutely no faith in his porous defense. And it paid off. Who needs defense when your team averages 40 points a game?

Not the Broncos. Not yet anyway.

It really is that easy

2008-09-08T23:32:00.003-06:00

Preaseason Prediction: W @ Oakland (9/8) - I'm not Raider Hating on this one. Well, okay maybe a little, but I truly believe the Broncos will win this one even without Brandon Marshall. The Raiders are too new at too many key positions including coach, QB, and possibly even RB. Plus, Shanahan plans for these games like no other. Shanahan likes to win on the big stage and this is a Monday night game against a bitter rival. It should be close because the Raider defense is stout, but the Broncos should win a close one.

It’s sort of embarrassing that I overestimated the Raiders. I mean, really. It was pitiful. They were completely ineffective in nearly every aspect of the game. And they spent so much money in the offseason, too. DeAngelo Hall got mauled by the littlest dog on the block, but it’s not nearly as bad as the mauling Al Davis will receive throughout the season after signing Hall to a $70 million contract. It wasn’t all bad for Raiders fans. It was nice to see Ashley Lelie again, and JaMarcus Russell showed some signs…of being a great backup, some day. He looked particularly sharp when the game was out of reach. Honestly, I’ve never seen so many people spend so much time getting dressed up and then look so miserable.

I’m not convinced the Broncos are quite as good as they looked either. They’ll have to play a real NFL team first. But Cutler looked like a top-5 QB (okay, top-4 now that Brady is out for the year). I don’t think he made a bad throw all game, and the touchdown to Eddie Royal was picture perfect. And Eddie Royal – wow! You don’t usually see receivers get so wide open in the NFL. It just doesn’t happen, especially against one of the more highly-touted secondaries around the league. There didn't seem to be a defender anywhere near him for most of the game. He looked like a true veteran out there, especially when he threw it out-of-bounds on the failed reverse. That was quick-thinking. Casual fans probably won't notice how well the offensive line played. They were superb, especially in pass protection. Cutler didn't take a hit all night. Sure, he was chased out of the pocket several times, but that only makes him more dangerous. The RBBC (running back by committee) posse put up a respectable 142 yards, but their three touchdowns was even more important given the Broncos' struggles to score on the ground in the redzone last year. It was a delightful drubbing that spoke more to the Raiders mediocrity than to the Broncos brilliance. After all, the defense did give up 150 rushing yards against a team that was looking to pass first. But when you win, all is well. And it was kind of nice to see Al Davis looking so lonely up in his box.

*Looking around the league: Both Jacksonville and Cleveland looked average at best the first week, and San Diego looked mortal. This bodes well for the Broncos' playoff chances. Plus, Tom Brady's injury means that the Patriots will have to earn a playoff spot against emerging division-rival, the NY Jets. A wild-card spot looks a lot easier to attain after week 1. Next up: the 0-1 San Diego Chargers at Invesco.

Preseason Gibberish and Regular Season Predictions

2008-08-08T11:48:00.005-06:00

What did we learn from this weekend's preseason game? One, we learned that Matt Prater can kick the crap out of a football, just not in the desired direction. I personally just learned that Matt Prater did not have a kicking coach in college; apparently, he just flailed like a madman, which makes me all the more excited that he is Jason Elam's replacement. Shanahan really is a gambler - .500 football here we come! Two, we learned that the running game lacks power, especially without Ryan Torain, and that Selvin Young is more of a Barry Sanders type than an Earl Campbell type. Not a surprise really, but exactly how many Super Bowls did Barry play in? Well, you get my point. Third, we learned that the NFL is really all about the QB. The Broncos of 2008 greatly resemble the Broncos of 1988 - they both featured an incredibly talented QB and that's about it. Finally, we were reminded that preseason games are a nuisance that serve to make money for owners, injure otherwise healthy players, and provide forums for gibberish.

Below you will find slightly more intelligent, and slightly less belligerent gibberish - a prognostication of the first 8 games of 2008:

W @ Oakland (9/8) - I'm not Raider Hating on this one. Well, okay maybe a little, but I truly believe the Broncos will win this one even without Brandon Marshall. The Raiders are too new at too many key positions including coach, QB, and possibly even RB. Plus, Shanahan plans for these games like no other. Shanahan likes to win on the big stage and this is a Monday night game against a bitter rival. It should be close because the Raider defense is stout, but the Broncos should win a close one.

L home San Diego (9/14) - There are a lot of problems with this one. First, the Broncos will come off a short week from the Monday Night Opener against the Raiders. They will have to play nearly flawlessly to win in Oakland, which will leave them slightly tired and less than perfect against San Diego. Second, the Chargers are returning nearly every starter on both sides of the ball from last year's team, a team which punished the Broncos in painful and embarassing ways. Twice. Plus, this is the team that took the Patriots to the brink in last year's AFC championship. They are not just good, they are playing for nothing less than the Super Bowl and they're mad enough to take it out on opponents every week. Even if the Broncos manage to play a perfect game, San Diego is just too good. Third, the loss of Marshall hurts the most against the Chargers. His presence would open up the field and give the running game a chance against one of the best front-seven in the NFL. And there's always the chance that he'd make a game-changing play. However, if the Broncos win this one it'd be the upset of the week and maybe shake things up in the AFC a bit.

W home New Orleans (9/21) - I'm being generous here. The Broncos might not even be favorites in this game. The Saints look to have a stellar team this season. However, the Broncos should get Brandon Marshall back for this one, and the Saints will have to play outside the comfort of a dome. Also in the Broncos favor, the trio of Bailey, Bly, and Foxworth ought to make life a little harder for Drew Brees. A problem arises if Deuce McAllister is healthy. The Broncos will have to stop him if they hope to control the clock and steal this one. If Deuce is out and Boss Bailey starts opposite DJ Williams, the Broncos have an even shot. Don't discount the homefield advantage which helped the Broncos steal one against Pittsburgh last year.

W @ KC (9/28) - This should be a gimme. If it isn't, they might as well call it a season. The Chiefs will blast the defensive line with Larry Johnson. Denver should play eight and even nine guys in the box and dare Brodie Croyle to beat us. And he won't. He doesn't have any weapons aside from Johnson. If we stop him, we win. In fact, we don't even have to stop him. Slowing him down a little will probably do the trick, especially since the Broncos offense should be potent against a rebuilding Chiefs defense. I have nightmares, though, about Larry Johnson steamrolling Marlon McCree.

W home Tampa Bay (10/5) - This is another close-call that should go for the hometown team. Tampa Bay was solid last year. Jeff Garcia made it the ProBowl, the defense regained some of their dominance, and the running game finally found their man in Earnest Graham. The Bucs haven't really lost anything coming into 2008. This one should come down to how good a QB Jay Cutler really is. He can and should win this one with his arm. Michael Pittman should have a solid game catching balls out of the backfield against his old team, Brandon Marshall should have a coming out game, and the Broncos can send 3, 4, even 5 wide-receivers out and find success. Again, this is all dependent on the defense containing the run and letting the offense control the clock.

L home Jacksonville (10/12) - Man for man, pound for pound, Jacksonville is a superior team. Their running game is unparalleled (ranked #2 last season). Their QB is solid and virtually flawless (only 3 INT's last season). Their defense resembles a brick wall (no meaningful stat necessary - those guys are simply big, fast, and mean). Our only chance is to keep things close and hope for a last-second field goal. Hence the loss. But moral victories count, and hopefully the Broncos can keep it close. A drubbing would hurt morale. Besides, if things go well, this will only be the second loss of the year.

L @ New England (10/20) - There's really no reason for the Patriots to lose any games this year either, especially at home. This is a vengeance year and the Broncos are just a bump on the road. If the Pats needed any more bulletin-board fodder for this one, here it is: Bill Belichick has had three meaningful playoff losses in the last three years. One came from the Broncos. It won't happen twice. Not in the regular season, not at home, and not against a very average Broncos team.

W home Miami (11/02) - Do I even need to explain this one? Didn't think so.

5-3 at the halfway point is plausible. Optimistic but within reason. The schedule gets decidedly easier in the second half of the season, which means the playoffs are a distinct possibility if the Broncos can start strong.

Dog Days of Summer

2008-08-01T23:54:00.004-06:00

Training camp is in full swing, John Lynch has left the team, and just this morning Mike Shanahan boldly guaranteed that the Broncos will make the playoffs. Do you hear that on the wind? Do you hear the faint background hum in the quiet of the 100 degree day? That 's football people. It's waking from its slumber. It's stretching its creaky limbs and getting ready to stalk its prey.

It's still early, but the first preseason game is only eight days away. And there's so much to consider. In the form of an ode, if you will, to the old "Thoughts, Myths, and Half-Truths" articles written by Bob Kravitz, here are some tidbits to get you ready for football season.

Broncos nuggets:
1) Will Brandon Marshall be suspended by Roger Goodell? Yes, the question is duration.
2) For how long? Nobody seems to know.
3) Will this affect the Broncos? Undoubtedly, because let's face it Darrell Jackson and Keary Colbert just aren't as talented. But the length of the suspension will determine the fate of the Broncos' early season efforts.
4) Brandon Marshall, just so you know, is really as good as the hype.
5) He's probably a top-five receiver in the NFL, even with the hand injury.
6) And Roger Goodell - well, he's maintained a strange punitive mystique. Kind of like the God of the Hebrew Bible. I like it. But I'm still afraid.
7) This is Cutler's year. It has to be.
8) This also means that it's the year of the offensive line.
9) Which isn't looking good since Montrae Holland is too fat, literally, and Tom Nalen has a bum knee.
10) On the plus side, Ben Hamilton seems to be doing okay.
11) And we haven't really heard anything about Ryan Clady, which at this point is also pretty good.
12) But back to Cutler. He needs to be probowl caliber in order to back up Shanahan's playoff claim.
13) And the word out of camp is that he is right on track.
14) The defense also needs to step up.
15) Shanahan's defensive units have never been elite, but they have always done the job.
16) Until last year, that is. Last year, they were among the worst in the league.
17) They will go with a more traditional scheme this year.
18) In theory, this should allow their top-notch atheletes - Champ Bailey, Dre Bly, Foxworth, DJ Williams, Boss Bailey, and the young guns on the defensive line - to make plays.
19) We might not be spectacular, but we should be in the top-half and maybe the top-ten.
20) And that might be all that Cutler and the offense need to excel.

Rookie nuggets:
1) Eddie Royal is impressing everyone so far. He's pushing for one of the top receiver slots. He might be a difference maker.
2) ESPN is reporting that Ryan Torain is a potential starter as well.
3) This is looking pretty good, people.
4) Otherwise, nothing on the rookie front.
5) Which is why the draft is a bit of rubbish wrapped in a shiny package.

NFL nuggets:
1) What the hell is up with the Brett Favre situation? Retirement, unretirement, trades, releases, now I hear about $20 million bribes, which Favre seems to be considering. Craziness.
2) Packers GM Ted Thompson may be the most insane man on earth. But he makes the offseason exciting, doesn't he?
3) I expect Favre will play this season. . . . for someone besides the Packers. Whatever team he plays for will make the playoffs. The Packers should make the playoffs as well. Might get interesting around the new year.
4) The Patriots signed a washed-up Lamont Jordan this week.
5) They still officially have no running game.
6) They're still Super Bowl favorites.
7) Steve Smith beat up teammate Ken Lucas. Feisty little guy isn't he?
8) Orpheus Roye, a mighty DT, is still available as a free agent.
9) I would suggest the Broncos sign him. But he's a former Brown. I don't know if we can take another Brownco.
10) The AFC has way too many solid teams. Tops: New England, San Diego, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Jacksonville. Decents: Jets, Broncos, Browns, and Titans. There's six playoff spots, and I listed nine teams. Houston, we have a problem.
11) It'll be just like the NBA: a bunch of undeserving NFC teams will get into the playoffs while some impressive AFC teams will get left out. The Broncos are a potential victim of this.
12) Although the Giants won it last year. So I guess you never know.
13) I'm secretly a Texans fan. I don't like to admit it because I don't like most things from Texas (San Antonio excluded), but it's a Kubiak thing. So yeah, I like the Texans and I'll be rooting for them this year.

A Legend Calls it a Day!!!

2008-07-29T11:46:00.000-06:00

Rod Smith's 80 yard touchdown reception in Super Bowl XXXVIII

Here's hoping that Rod Smith takes one of the numerous job opportunities offered by Mike Shanahan. He is the greatest receiver in Broncos' history, and I say this as a colleague of Haven Moses who just recently got a smile from my daughter.

2008-05-01T22:44:00.004-06:00

Why, MP, do you care about the Broncos and football?

The answer to that most simple of questions is quite complex really - there's no one thing that I can point to definitively and say, "That is why I like football." Part of it has to do with loving to play football but knowing early on that I would never play in college and that if I played in high school I risked horrific bodily injury as happened to several of my close friends. My spleen and I are quite content with our current relationship and my clavicle sits quite nicely and pain-free, I might add, on my completely mobile and also pain-free shoulders. But give me a ball, a park, and 9 friends (plus flags when possible) and I become a reckless trashtalking madman. I have the ability to catch nearly anything remotely close to me, and while I cannot run quickly or jump very high, the glue-like stickiness of my upper appendages has brought me no small measure of fame as well as hatred by those with more athletic ability but much less coordination and intelligence. When I score a touchdown at the park, I still envision myself celebrating in the South stands at Mile-Hi. For that moment I am as good as any NFLer. I like the Broncos because they are my unreachable dream, and since I am not a bitter person I feel their joy and weep silently at their inadequacies since they are my own writ large.

Also, the world is a big place and having a favorite team in a favorite city makes it a little less intimidating and a whole lot more cozy. For instance, I can strike up immediate, if not necessarily polite, conversations with denizens of Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Kansas City. And while football americano may not be a global language, it is certainly a national one with symbols and rituals and a nomenclature all its own. And I firmly believe that we don't have enough symbols and rituals in our post postmodern world, and without symbols and rituals we are in danger of losing precious parts of our identities. We can get together and bond over football regardless of the game being played on our TV's. Maybe it's our raison d'etre our maybe it's just our excuse. Either way it gives us a precious connection to faces and voices not our own. Like my beloved partner says: Who cares about the football? It's just an excuse for good food and good company. And there's so few things we can make a similar statement about. So football becomes in its own unique way a savior of sorts. It saves our souls from getting lost in the anonymous morass of post postmodernity; it creates an insiders club that is ironically and pleasantly open to anyone of any age, sex, religion, ethnicity; it is an energy field that surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds us together. . . .but I digress.

Football is like jazz. It is angst, culture, and improvisation all wrapped in one happy Sunday package. It is the violence of everyday life contrasted with the flowing grace of a spiral, a jump, a catch, a sprint, and possibly a silly little celebration of the kind that kids perform without hesitation or embarrassment. It is LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Strahan, and Peyton Manning. And yes, unfortunately, it is Michael Vick and Adam Jones too. But that is America. And if it is too painful to confront on the streets, like the panhandler's eyes you avoid because of how they look back into your own, then perhaps we can confront it in our houses on our TV's in a fashion slightly more realistic than Friends. When we spend too much of our time lost already, it is a step in the right direction.

Passing Excitement

2008-04-15T17:22:00.003-06:00

Other than playing with the him on Madden, I can't say that I know a whole lot about new Broncos acquisition WR Samie (one "i" not two) Parker. I do know that he's fast on the video game. I also know that the Broncos signed Parker to compete for a roster spot. Given his contract, he's not guaranteed to even make the team, but I suspect that Shanahan is eyeing Parker as a kickoff/punt returner. I also read that the Broncos are going after Darrell Jackson, late of the underachieving 49ers, though he had tremendous success with Seattle a few years back.

In a perfect world, here's what the Broncos could achieve in their passing game. First the personnel: Brandon Marshall and his 1,000 yards on one side, Darrell Jackson's sure hands and precise route-running (think of a smaller yet quicker Rod Smith) on the other, Brandon Stokely back to slot where he thrives, Samie Parker as a speedy fourth receiver who could also stretch the field by playing opposite Marshall in a two receiver set, and Keary Colbert as an efficient number five (though he could play any receiver position in a pinch; i.e. great insurance policy if he makes the team). The Broncos will field Daniel Graham as their primary blocking tight end while Tony Scheffler will be the primary receiving tight end. Nate Jackson is solid enough to spell either in case of injury. The potentially exciting thing is that Graham has great hands and is a receiving threat anytime he's on the field. This lineup gives Cutler a minimum of 3 receivers on any down and a potent 5 receiver set as well. If the offensive line gives Cutler enough time, he'll throw for well over 3,000 yards and should get 25+ touchdowns in the regular season.

We all know that a good running game sets up the pass. Well, this may be a case where an aggressive passing game can open up the run. Selvin Young works perfectly in this system as a speedy back who can break big runs while defensive units drop back to defend the pass. He would play the Marshall Faulk role in St. Louis's Greatest Show on Turf offense from a decade ago. Meanwhile, Travis -why-have-one-kid-when-you-can-have-nine- Henry can come in as the bruiser who keeps defenses honest and open up the passing game when necessary. Back in the proverbial day, Kurt Warner and the Rams never had a punishing back of Henry's caliber, which ultimately cost them their Super Bowl against the Patriots. . . .that and the fact that the Patriots cheated. But you get my point.

Wait, there's more. Mike Shanahan may not be the best man to run the organization, but he's one helluva coach. If he gets the chance to call plays this season with the offense I described above, there's no reason the Broncos won't have a great year. That assumes the defense isn't a complete bust. I guess we'll see.

Draft Day Cynic

2008-04-10T22:21:00.003-06:00

I'll be blunt: The Broncos' upcoming draft contains no excitement for me whatsoever. Here's why: it takes the majority of players, including high profile QB's, RB's, and WR's, several seasons to make any significant impact for their club. I love Jay Cutler's enthusiasm, leadership, and the fact that he can damn well throw the ball a mile at high speeds. But his stats since he's been a starter aren't all that significant. Really, he's very average. His QB rating [which, as a measuring tool, still contains elements of mystery] is 12th in the league. I'm glad he's in the top half, but that's not saying very much.

Now, I know what you're thinking. What about Brandon Marshall? And to be fair, he put up pretty stellar numbers in only his second season. But his team went a dismal 7-9, and it's not like Cutler had anyone else on his radar. Adrian Peterson went ballistic for Minnesota in his rookie year, but the Vikings went 8-8 and also missed the playoffs. And for every Brandon Marshall and Adrian Peterson, there's ten guys like Reggie Bush who had mediocre years but will likely become full-fledged stars down the road once they get some seasoning. More importantly, as great as Brandon Marshall was this last season, his success didn't help the team. When he gets 1,000 yards and the Broncos win 10+, then I'll admit that he's had an impact.

I'm all about potential, but as a sportsfan I have a hard time getting excited about someone who may or may not help my team get into the playoffs in 2011. So you'll have to excuse me if the upcoming draft and my lack of excitement make me the Debbie Downer of Broncos blogwriters.

Which is not to say that the draft isn't important. We've seen what happens when management successfully blow several drafts - their teams suck and get referred to as cesspools by fans and critics alike. . . .among other things. But Shanahan did well for himself in 2007, and hopefully he'll have another successful draft. Just don't expect me to salivate.

End of an Era

2008-03-25T20:47:00.004-06:00

I bet you don't have a Jason Elam jersey hanging in your closet. I know I don't. I have an Elway jersey, a really old Steve Atwater jersey, and designs on a Rod Smith jersey now that he's retired. But I don't have an Elam jersey, neither do you, and here's ten reasons why we should go out and get one:

1) In 1998, Elam kicked a 63-yard field goal against Jacksonville, tying Tom Dempsey's record for the longest field goal in NFL history. (I was working that day, and my "benevolent" boss, otherwise known as the Candle Nazi, let me slip out to watch the end of the half. I saw the kick, started screaming, and then my boss ran over to see, which meant I had to go watch the store. But I still saw it live. So there.)

2) Elam has reached 100 points in each of his 15 seasons. (I always like consistency, and Elam's the poster boy for consistency on the Broncos.)

3) He's played in more games than any other Broncos player ever, including Elway. (Take that you darn Republican and steak-house owner.)

4) He's been the one bright spot recently on a team known for special teams gaffes.

5) He wrote a book (though it is some weird form of proselytizing; but hey not many people are as literate in this day and age).

6) He's in the top five scoring leaders in the NFL, all time. (Consistency, baby, consistency.)

7) The Broncos would have been 3-13 last season if he hadn't won 4 games for them. (Damn, he won more than half our games for us. 2008 is not looking very good.)

8) He looks good with facial hair:

and without:

9) He won every Super Bowl he played in.

10) And the Broncos will sorely miss his scoring punch this season.

So go buy that Elam jersey as a form of tribute. Also hope that Neil Rackers suddenly demands a trade. I'd even take Jeff Wilkins, despite his dome-kicker reputation. But Olindo Mare is not acceptable.

calling it like it is

2008-03-10T16:21:00.004-06:00

So, the 2007 season was a bust. A tremendous Hindenberg style bust. Let's be honest folks and call it like it was. The Mastermind tends to confuse style for substance and 2007 was no different. He brought in big reputation players to make a serious push for the Super Bowl. But with a 7-9 record things were pretty much a disaster from the get-go.

However, the wonderful thing about sports, the thing that separates sports from life, is that there is a chance for redemption every year. So what if the Broncos' season forced sober fans to the bottle? So what if Simeon Rice and Sam Adams couldn't tackle a dummy or come within 10 yards of the QB? Who cares if Travis Henry's character issues make Dale Carter and Daryl Gardner look like relative saints? Not to mention Henry's inability to actually run the football? It just doesn't matter this season. Rice and Adams are gone. And while Henry is getting another shot at redemption, or at least a steady source of child-support payments, backups Andre Hall and Selvin Young are ready and eager in the wings. And Todd Sauerbrun? Hardly knew you were here, pal.

And thus a new season begins.

So, let's call it like it is. 2008 is a building year. The common term in sports venacular is "rebuilding," but that implies you had something in the first place. And the Broncos definitely did not have anything last season. So, 2008 is a building year.

The Broncos are building their secondary by signing young, solid, character guys in Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel. One of them will be starting next season for sure, and the other will back up John Lynch which means plenty of game-time when the old duffer gets injured. Boss Bailey comes in to replace Ian Gold, though I'm not sure this is a talent upgrade. Bailey's a solid player, but he's basically Ian Gold from about 4 years ago. The Broncos picked up the Nate Webster deluxe model sans detachable helmet in Niko Koutouvides, and hopefully they'll resign FB Cecil Sapp or pick up someone even better to fill that position in the free-agent market. Keary Colbert is a decent number three receiver, though he'll be entering camp as the number two guy opposite Brandon Marshall who was simply phenomenal last season. The move however allows Brandon Stokely to move back to the slot where he's had tremendous success. The Broncos are solid at TE with Daniel Graham, Tony Sheffler, and recently resigned Nate Jackson. The offensive line will have to deal with the retirement of Matt Lepsis, but they'll get center Tom Nalen back, who is arguably the best center in the league when healthy. Also, Ben Hamilton will likely return from concussion problems to shore up the left side. He's all-pro caliber when healthy as well. And Cutler (so far) stands out as a diamond-in-the-rough compared with many of Shanahan's horrific drafting decisions - where are you now Maurice Clarett?

Which leaves the defensive line. Unfortunately, there's not much news to report on this front other than Marcus Thomas's "cocaine incident" a week ago. Now I'm not passing judgment, but I think our grandiloquent president said it best when he said, "fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." A la Hemingway, I'll let you piece together that little gem.

The Broncos made, and perhaps will continue to make, solid moves during the free agency period so far. The Broncos have hopefully given up on the flashy big rep. guys in favor of solidity and potential quality. This M.O. worked in San Antonio, it worked in the Rockies clubhouse (though I'm not sure what to make of the strange Christian factor at Coors Field), and hopefully it will help the Broncos have a solid 2008. . . . so we can finally start talking about the Super Bowl again. . . .in 2009.

Next up. . . .the draft! (Though there are still free agents available, I can't name any.)

Hiatus Review

2007-11-02T23:13:00.000-06:00

Observations from the past two weeks:
-The Broncos looked like an expertly coached team two weeks ago against the Steelers. The Steelers were clearly the more talented team, yet the Broncos went to an efficient passing game and stole one against the best second-tier team in the league.
-I was at the game and there was a ridiculous number of Steelers fans in the stadium. I had a running commentary with the guy next to me who drove in from Kansas City to root for his childhood hometown team. He left with about 5 minutes left in the game. Perhaps he was prescient. I told him if the Steelers scored too early, the Broncos might be able to pull out a win because the Steelers couldn't stop Cutler.
-Cutler looked inspired against the Steelers. I don't know what the gameplan was, but Cutler looked like he was making quick decisions on the field, becoming a true field general in the mold of Manning and Brady.
-But against the Packers, Mike Shanahan looked like a scared little sissy boy. It was like The Waterboy when Henry Winkler lost all his confidence. Shanahan called the game like he was afraid to win. You can't go 1/4 in the redzone and win. And why in the world, when you have a great young QB with a great arm and the smarts to match, would you call a QB draw in the waning seconds of sure victory? It looked like fear. And more importantly, it looked mistrust. You can't win or build your quarterback's confidence if you won't let players make plays. The Broncos should have won, and they lost because Mike Shanahan made a series of untrusting calls. He's got to rethink his philosophy.
-Brett Favre - I love that guy. I don't know what the call was on that last play. I don't know who the play was designed to go to. I don't know if Jennings was the first option or just one of the checkdowns. But it was a helluva throw. A great player made a great play, and he wasn't hindered by sissyboy coaches.

Coming Up:
The Broncos are going up against the 5-2 Lions. While the Lions' record puts them near the top of the NFC, they are a team that is imminently beatable. Despite the return of Kevin Jones, the Lions tend to rely too heavily on the pass. The Broncos defense can exploit this. If the Broncos can keep the Lions around 21 points, they have a great shot of winning this one. If he wants to win, Mike Shanahan has got to abandon his mastermind philosophy in which he is the master chess player manipulating his pieces. Shanahan has got to step back and let the guys on the field be the chess players. Let Cutler make decisions! Brady and Manning are easily the two best quarterbacks of this decade, maybe the two best ever. Their greatness rests in their ability to call plays and make decisions on the field. And guess what? It works. If Shanahan lets Cutler be the leader of this team, then they have the pieces to fight for a playoff spot this season. If not, they will go home in January again and have to start from scratch in 2008. But if the Broncos can get a playoff spot this year, then next year might really be a chance for Shanahan to get his second playoff win in the post Elway era.

Let's face it, the Super Bowl is going to the Pats or the Colts this year. Whoever wins on Sunday just might go undefeated in the regular season. So check out the Pats vs Colts if Shanahan puckers up his ass and tries to win this one from the sideline.

GO ROCKIES

2007-10-16T00:45:00.000-06:00

The Colorado Rockies are World Series bound!!! In age of excessive spending and hired bats, the Rockies did it the old-fashioned way. Their payroll is nearly 60% less than possible WS foe Boston. And the roster is home grown. Congratulations to Todd Helton and the rest!!!

In case you don't know, this Rockies team is epic. Best defensive team in baseball...EVER. Plus, they're on a nearly unprecedented win streak. Epic, baby, epic!!!

Falling Down the Mountain

2007-10-05T00:18:00.001-06:00

So I haven't written anything in a while because, well, the Broncos suck right now. And it won't get better anytime soon.

First, I fully expect LT to completely romp all over the Broncos. He might get 200 yards in the game. Hell, he might get four touchdowns, too. There's no reason to expect one of the best backs in the league to do anything less against the worst rushing defense. Plus, San Diego's pissed. They blew a gimme game against the Chiefs at home, and they're gonna bounce back in a big way.

Second, Javon Walker's knee problem looks serious. He sat out last week against Indy and it looks like he'll sit out this week too. This doesn't bode well for anyone. With Walker out, teams can put extra guys on Brandon Marshall, and no other receiver has stepped up so far this season.

Third (and this one's not exactly a shocker), Travis Henry is in trouble for potentially violating the league's substance abuse policy. He is a repeat offender. If found guilty, he's out for the season. He is the only bright spot on a woefully inadequate offense. Coming into the season, everyone was high on Henry's potential in Denver's offense. Apparently Henry was a little high too. Ass.

So, yeah, there's not a lot to really get excited about right now. But Mike-I-signed-Daryl-Gardner-and-Dale-Carter-and-now-Travis-Henry-Shanahan has a way to get a win when you least expect it. Well, Mastermind, I don't expect crap this Sunday. Amaze me.

Better news: Jump on the bandwagon - there's room for everyone!!!
Inspiring news: Coolbaugh's family get a playoff share.
Wasted Space on News: Corpas and H2O.
Ode to Travis Henry (and if you're shocked by this, I'm not talking to you for a week)

Tricky Statistics and Killer Instinct

2007-09-17T20:12:00.000-06:00

Warning: I am a nerd. I actually analyze statistics. You will see some analysis below. If you find this boring, skip to paragraph six (though paragraph three is quite witty and has a link to a Rick Reilly article).

Good teams win close games. By such a rational, the Broncos must be good, right? Then how come they look so darn average?

If I were a Theo Epstein clone (I have the sports acumen and the glasses but unfortunately not the wardrobe), I would notice something amazing about the 2007 Broncos. Their offense leads the league in total yards per game (455.5). Their defense gives up the third fewest yards of any team in the league(218.5). Statistically, Denver's offense and defense are on par with New England. By moneyball standards the Broncos should be just like the Patriots - dominant - and the Patriots just might go 16-0 despite "videotapegate," or "Belichick-the-cheater-gate", or whatever you want to call it. Yet despite the statistical similarities, the Patriots are crushing opponents, while the Broncos are barely winning and will assuredly not go 16-0. Why?

Is it because we don't have Rany Moss? Possibly, but we have Javon Walker and the un-tackleable Brandon Marshall. Both have been incredibly effective so far this season. We have the Slot Machine, Brandon Stokely, who's as good as Wes Welker any day, and we have Jay "RPG" Cutler. He's probably not as smart as Tom Brady, and he's definitely not as good looking, but he has a better arm and great instincts late in the game. And if that isn't enough, we have Daniel Graham who blocks like a fiend and catches like a gigantic, super-slow Steve Largent. I take that back. Daniel Graham is probably faster than Steve Largent ever was. But you get my drift.

Is it because of our defense? Maybe, but the secondary is giving up an absurdly low 62.5 yards per game (nearly 60 yards less than the next closest team). And while opponents can rush against us (we're 27th in the league), they aren't scoring in droves (a respectable 17 points per game). Then what, oh riddle-master sphinx, is our problem?

Well, good teams don't give up double-digit leads in the second half. But the Broncos have. . . . twice. Teams with great rushers, a la Travis Henry who leads the league in rushing, usually get a lot of rushing touchdowns. Example: Marion Barber has three rushing touchdowns this year. Travis Henry has a big fat goose egg; Denver, as a team, has just one rushing touchdown. Good teams adjust in the second half, both offensively and defensively. Shanahan's gameplans seem to stay the same. And therein lies the dilemma. We don't adapt. Or as John Lynch put it - we don't have the killer instinct.

Good teams have killer instinct. Players have it, coaches have it, even the fans and the owner have it. Take New England for example. Tom Brady - killer instinct. Randy Moss - killer instinct. Bill Belichick - cheater's instinct...okay, he has the killer instinct too. In fact, Belichick probably has a little more killer instinct than necessary. The fans have it and so does owner Robert Kraft.

Mike Shanahan has the killer instinct. It's obvious. It's why he's so damn red. That's not tanning lotion, people - it's the blood rush. Shanahan got it with Dan Reeves, got the anger to back it up under Al Davis, and honed it to perfection with the 49ers. When he got to the Broncos, Shanahan's killer instinct got two Super Bowls within his first four years. But for some reason, the last few Broncos teams don't have the killer instinct. Instead, we've got the catch-and-release instinct. It's cool if you're John Denver meandering through the Rockies and eating granola, but it's no good in professional sports.

Killer instinct wins Super Bowls. Catch-and-release gets you ten wins and a first-round elimination. Killer instinct gets you a blowout against the Chargers. Catch-and-release gets you a last second 3-point win over the Raiders. The Broncos need to put teams away. They can start against the Jaguars next Sunday.

Your Questions Answered

2007-09-15T00:38:00.000-06:00

Dear MP,
Why is Bill Belichick such an ass?
Jim R. Baton Rouge

-Well Jim I think you're asking the wrong question. The real question is why is Bill Belichick so secretive? Or maybe: Is Bill Belichick really Bill Belichick's real name? Or perhaps: Is there a mechanical robot trapped somewhere in that expressionless, emotionless, hoodied body? I don't know why Bill Belichick is, as you say, an ass. Some things are a mystery. As you might guess, I think Bill Belichick has been secretly replaced by a robot controlled by Bill Parcells, and the Tuna would never admit to cheating, even if he was cheating with a robot. The Tuna got a little lazy with the robot controls at the cheating press conference, which just might expose his unprecedented record as the first coach to win multiple Super Bowls and piss people off both in person and while controlling a radio-controlled robot.

Dear MP,
Jay Cutler put up some nice numbers in Buffalo, but he didn't look all that great. All the commentators seem to think he was awesome. Did I miss something?
Hunter T. Troposphere

-Hunter, you make a mighty good point. Not only did Jay Cutler expose his best receiver, Javon Walker, to some vicious body hits by throwing high over the middle, he also fumbled the ball around way worse than good ol' Jake the Snake Plummer. His interception was classic Plummer - just toss that sucker up there and hope for the best. And I still can't fathom the reverse shovel-pass that should have cost Denver the game if it hadn't been for Selwin Young. Cutler looked green out there. If he makes the same types of bone-headed moves against Oakland the Raiders are gonna pounce on him big time.

Dear MP,
Randy Moss...WTF?
Cliff C. Boston

-Cliff, I couldn't have said it any more succinctly. He all but retired on the field in Oakland and gimps through the Pats training camp only to look absolutely stellar in his first game with Tom-my-life-is-tabloid-fodder-but-not-as-bad-Brittany-Spears-Brady. The guy is more fragile than a newborn and slower than Arvydas Sabonis. But he put up eye-catching numbers in week one. Hey, he took a massive pay cut and a measly one year contract to prove himself in Beantown, which is kind of cool given his prima donna rep, but I still think he'll miss five games this year to some sort of weird leg injury that a 50 year old white guy would get from jogging in the park. But hell, in those other eleven games, he'll probably grab 12 touchdowns. I'll cheer for him until the Broncos meet the Pats in the playoffs. If that happens, I hope Champ dominates him for the first quarter and John Lynch knocks him out in the second.

Dear MP,
I drafted L.J. Smith on my fantasy team and I was let down...again.
Jason T. Denver

-Jason, first that's not really a question. Second, the whole L.J. Smith thing remains a mystery of epic proportions. Given his size, his speed, his quarterback, and the fact that Philly doesn't have anyone capable of catching passes on a regular basis, you would think that he'd be a 12-touchdown-per-season type of player. Opposing coaches don't even cover him anymore. They just double-team Westbrook who still gets over 100 yards per game. We should be mentioning L.J. Smith along with Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates as the best to play their position. But frankly he sucks. He sucks in fantasy leagues just as much as in reality. I suggest you hit the waiver-wire for a suitable replacement if you haven't already. (I've made a similar blunder the last two years in drafting Jamal Lewis, but don't tell anyone.)

Dear MP,
Why is LaDainian Tomlinson so good?
Rhoda, the apartment next door

-Rhoda, the answer is simple. He too is a robot.

---See you after the game folks.

Wings over Buffalo

2007-09-10T12:12:00.000-06:00

The Greeks called the Fates Moerae while the Romans called them Parcae. Even the Scandanavians had a word for the personifications of destiny - Norns. In all three versions of the myth, the goddesses determined the fate of a child a few days after he was born. The gods themselves, including Zeus, were afraid of the Fates.

We don't talk much about fate these days, but we do talk about luck. Luck can reward one person just as easily as it can treat another with bitter cruelty. The problem is the apparent capriciousness with which these kinds of things occur. Just ask Domenik Hixon and Kevin Everett. At first glance, Hixon appeared to have gotten the worst of the hit. Everett squared up and knocked Hixon off his feet. But the reality is that something far worse happened to Kevin Everett. He suffered a terrible spine injury, and he may never walk again.

The disturbing injury to Kevin Everett overshadowed a rather lackluster performance by the Broncos. Denver didn't play horribly. They just played flat and uninspired. And they should have lost. Buffalo played with a little more passion, a little more fire. And they should have won. But fate, cruel temptress that she is, allowed Denver to sneak out a win and left Buffalo with far more cruelty than a simple loss.

He Ain't From Cleveland

2007-09-08T14:17:00.000-06:00

Simeon Rice, come on down. You're the only contestant on the let's-not-fuck-up-the-defense-so-badly-that-we-have-to-score-40-every-week-just-to-win Bates program. Personally, I like Simeon Rice. The guy was a force in Tampa Bay and probably has enough left for one more Pro-Bowl caliber year. I suspect that the Bucs cut him more for financial reasons than physical ones. The Bucs are rebuilding despite what Chucky or Jeff Garcia might have to say, and Rice seems to be a numbers casualty.

Rice's signing has the potential to be straight-up gargantuan for Denver. Assuming he's healthy, Rice more than makes up for the loss of Gerard Warren. If he can get into the line-up on a regular basis by the second or third game, the Broncos defense should get to the quarterback and thrive. I fully expect DJ Williams to pick up his game and become the dominant force necessary for Bates' schemes to work. Rice has the potential for 10 sacks even on a defense like Denver's. If the defense becomes marginally consistent, Rice might get 20 this year.

But it's hard not to imagine what might have been. Rice, Warren, Adams, and Ekuban would have made an imposing front-four. Backed by our speedy linebackers and shut-down secondary, we might have given Baltimore a run for their money. But this is football; it's a an ever-changing sport and the Broncose did what they had to in light of the injuries. And thankfully, Cleveland wasn't involved.

I'm Worried and You Should Be Too

2007-08-20T15:42:00.000-06:00

Jim Bates' defensive strategy goes something like this: Get two huge guys in the middle to clog things up; speedy defensive ends rush the quarterback and tackle the halfbacks on running plays; linebackers get the majority of tackles by running down receivers and halfbacks; corners and safeties shut down the passing game and back up the running game.

It's a relatively simple scheme, and you can tell if it's working by a quick peek at the box score. Here's a quick peek at the defensive tackles portion of the box score from the game against Dallas:

Tackles:
Champ Bailey, 6
Nick Ferguson, 5
Nate Webster, 4
Kenny Peterson, 4
Domonique Foxworth, 4
John Lynch, 4
Dre Bly, 4

I see that cornerbacks and safeties are 5 of the top 7 leading tacklers. I think to myself, "That's not a good thing." Then I think to myself, "In fact, that's a very bad thing. It means the whole defensive unit is doing something terribly wrong." And then I slouch down, let out a long sigh, followed by some creative profanities in Spanish, and let a wave of quiet football depression sweep over me.

People, things just aren't right in D-Town. The D-line is a shambles precisely when it's supposed to be the cornerstone. Things don't look good. Hide your babies. Lock your doors. Run for cover because it just might be a horrendously long and obnoxious season when teams run willy-nilly all over the Broncos.

But wait! There's hope. The Broncos have traded Gerard Warren to....
the Raiders (hey wait a second, that doesn't sound good) for....
a fifth-round draft pick - wait, let me be precise: a conditional fith-round draft pick.

Wow! I'm glad we got rid of Trevor Pryce a few years back (he had 13 sacks last year) for what amounts to a conditional fifth-round draft pick. Like the Guinness guys say: Brilliant!!!

Clever Observations from an Otherwise Useless Preseason Game

2007-08-13T23:18:00.000-06:00

[Setting: MP at his desk, dutifully typing away as the sounds of the postgame report play in the background.]

1. Jay Cutler can, if the situation calls for it, be brilliant for one series in a non-competitive game.
2. So can Alex Smith.
3. Patrick Ramsey, however, wasn't looking all that sharp.
4. And he's the veteran insurance policy....makes you nervous doesn't it?
5. Aside from Javon Walker, the Broncos have about zip when it comes to receivers, which disturbs me about 46% at this point in the preseason.
6. That Mike Nolan is quite dashing and will probably look good in suit.
7. Unless of course it's made by Reebok. (You'd think someone in the otherwise savvy NFL front-office could have figured out a way to bring Armani in on this one.)
8. Gerard Warren's services apparently aren't all that valuable after all.
9. This after several years of culling the absolute best of the best from Cleveland's defensive line.
10. The Broncos starting defense, plus the reserves, look vulnerable against the run.
11. What else is new?
12. Something to ponder: Why throw at Champ Bailey or Dre' Bly when you can run up the middle for 4-8 yards every time...?
13. ...with your third-string rookie nonetheless.
14. Quincy Morgan and Todd Sauerbrun may single-handedly (or double-handedly on account of there's two of them) reverse the nightmare that is the special teams unit.
15. Ditto for Travis Henry and the running game.
16. Mike Shanahan doesn't seem to have the usual reddish-orange sheen so typical of his face this time of year.
17. What with global warming and all, I was expecting Mike's visage to be predominantly orange well into February.
18. Perhaps he's discovered banana boat.
19. Mike Nolan declared that he now has all the pieces for success (this according to the horrific announcing team of Doesn't Know Shit, Is Completely Boring, and Really Hustling To Parley An Average Career Into An Announcing Gig With A Phony Sounding Nickname Like "King Of Tape Breakdown").
20. You know who it would be nice to hear the all-the-pieces refrain from? A Broncos defensive coordinator.
21. Chances of that happening this year: 1 in about 25,000,000...which is what we'd have to pay to field a competitive defense this season.
22. Unless, of course, there's a 25 year old clone of Dick Butkus running around secretly in Dove Valley.

[Cut to MP waking up at his computer, realizing it's just the first preseason game, and giving a big sigh of relief.]

Prognostications and a Receiver Dilemma

2007-08-04T22:14:00.001-06:00

All the reports out of Dove Valley proclaim that this is one of the best, most exciting training camps in the last few years. The fans are cautiously optimistic as am I that this will be a great season. If the Broncos can stay healthy, they should easily win 10 games and possibly more. They should win 5 division games: they should take both from rebuilding Raiders, they should beat KC in Denver and sneak out a win in KC, and they should split with the Chargers who will struggle with a new coaching staff but can rely on LT to win one in San Diego. If they can take 5 division games, it should be easy to do better than .500 against the rest of the schedule. The Broncos should beat Buffalo in their opener. They should beat Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, and Green Bay all at home. Detroit, Houston, Tennessee, and Minnesota are also easily winnable. That's 13 potential wins (giving them losses against SD, Indy, and the Bears). Let's say 11-12 if they happen to lose to the Chiefs in KC and/or lose some other road game. 11-12 wins is a helluva season and will guarantee the Broncos a playoff spot and probably home-field advantage until the AFC championship game.

11-12 wins would be great. Jay Cutler, until he proves otherwise, gets to strut into the season with all the confidence in the world. The only problem is that he might be strutting with Javon Walker and Travis Henry, but no one else. The Broncos have some gaping holes at receiver. Rod Smith is a question-mark right now and probably can't be counted on until at least midway through the season. Brandon Stokely will probably start the season at the #2 spot, though he is an ideal slot guy. A lot hinges on Brandon Marshall who, like Smith, is a question mark. He could be the second coming of Rod Smith, or he could be the second coming of Marcus Nash. Until he actually plays, we can't be sure. Tony Sheffler would be a tremendous asset if he gets healthy in time for the season, but his injury will take some time to heal and then he'll be a month or two behind in training and conditioning. It's too early to get really worried, but unless something happens soon the Broncos will have to over-rely on their running game which will only hurt them as the season progresses.

Their first preseason game is on August 13 against the 49ers, the team that kept them out of the playoffs and, to be honest, made them look like JV amateurs in last season's finale. Sure it's the preseason, but the Broncos should dominate while the starters play, and maybe a few receiver issues will be resolved.

Brewer, patriot, massive individual, but still from Ohio

2007-06-04T21:20:00.000-06:00

The Broncos signed DT Sam Adams today. The guy has talent and bulk, maybe not in that order. Perhaps I should say he had talent. He was a great lineman for Baltimore's Super Bowl team and has since bounced around the league a bit. He brings several positive qualities to the Broncos. He is a talented veteran known for stuffing the run, due mostly to his humongous-ness. He might have lost a step or two, but he will probably be a great mentor for the young guys Shanahan drafted earlier this summer. Also, he will fill the hole left by the never-quite-made-it-to-Denver Dan Wilkinson. Their skills are about equal, but Adams still has some tackles left in his speedy bulk. If he stays healthy, Adams will be a great partner for Gerard Warren on the line.

But I'm still perplexed about our microscopic attention to the defensemen from Ohio.

Drafting Smart

2007-04-30T00:05:00.000-06:00

It wasn't flashy. It wasn't trading up to get Jay Cutler. But the Broncos did what they had to in the draft. Shanahan picked up not one, not two, but three defensive linemen. And they weren't from Cleveland. Can't get any better than that.

In theory, this has the makings of a great draft. With new defensive coach Jim Bates in the mix, this group could turn out be stellar. Bates' expertise is sacks. He's the mastermind of getting to the quarterback. A few years down the road, the Broncos just might have the league sack leader sitting pretty in Dove Valley. And there's a good chance it'll be one of these guys: Moss, Crowder, or Thomas.

Thomas is the guy to worry about. He has a past history of "conduct detrimental to the team, " but we all know that Shanahan is a gambler and this is his preseason crap shoot. On the flip side, Thomas might be the best of the bunch. A lot of teams passed on Thomas because of his character, which begs the question: what 20 year old hasn't made a kaboodle of mistakes? Thomas may very well be the defensive steal of the entire draft.

Despite what people think, Shanahan consistently puts his team in a position to a) get better and b) win as many games as possible to get the Super Bowl. Kudos on a solid draft.

2007-03-22T22:44:00.000-06:00

It has been reported that the Broncos are shopping Al Wilson. It would be absolutely foolish to get rid of him. He is the backbone of the entire team. He is one of the top three players at his position, and he is one of those truly great guys that a quality organization should keep around as long as possible. Plus, he's still in his prime. Yeah, I'm a bit sentimental, but Wilson is too good to get rid of because of salary problems. Fix that shizzle Mike and Pat.

I know that Wilson is on the block because of so-called problems with his neck. But the guy did get clearance to play the very next week after his injury. There's something fishy about this thing. If Wilson legitimately needs to get out of the game, then the Broncos should tell him that. Lives are what counts. But if the Broncos are being crafty to cut salary, then someone should give management a swift kick to the collective groin.

And in other not-so-newsy-news, the Broncos have picked up another Cleveland Browns defensive lineman. We're getting to the point where the Broncos are giving money to completely unknown guys simply because they played in Cleveland. And it's not like any of 'em played well. Nope, they just played there. At least Courtney Brown was quasi-well known. He was a former #1 pick. This new guy is just some random fellow. He might be good, he might be bad, but either way he played in Cleveland and that's good enough for us.

Only in Dreams

2007-03-05T16:49:00.000-07:00

The other night I watched a brilliant sports movie. It was about a guy giving up loads of money because of his love for the game. He didn’t whine or complain. The story was told through the eyes of the reporter who could only write fabulous things about the athlete because he was such an upstanding fellow.

Then the harsh light of the sun woke me into the disgusting reality of sports entertainment in America:

“Citing unnamed players, The Washington Post reported that [Dre] Bly is miffed at being in Denver because the Broncos are unwilling to extend his contract, which has one year and $4.2 million remaining.” *

Silly me, I thought the prospect of playing alongside the only guy in the league better than you are, and for a team that is a perennial playoff contender, would be intriguing. I thought maybe a guy making more than 99.9% of the rest of the world might just say, “I’m excited to help Denver get back into the playoffs and play alongside Champ. I don’t know what my future holds, but I’ll play out the last year of my contract to the best of my ability.” That would have been an awesome way to start a career as a Bronco, and it might have helped convince Shanahan to give you the big bucks next season. We know he gives out cash to stars. Just take a look at Champ Bailey's contract.

But that type of thing only happens in movies starring Kevin Costner.

"Show me the Money!"

2007-01-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

I haven't really wanted to write much about the end of this season. It seemed with about 4 games to go that the Broncos were out. They got lucky and found a way to almost make it the playoffs. Then they lost to San Fran in a depressing game they should have won. And then Darrent Williams was killed and blogging about the Broncos didn't seem so important. And it still doesn't.

Remember when Bledsoe got hurt in New England...

2006-11-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

So, according to various newspapers, some drunk guys at my bar, and my wife who does not like football, Jake Plummer is out and Jay Cutler is in. Barring some sort of Roethlisberger-like miracle, the Broncos will ride out the season with Cutler in learning-mode and just maybe grab the wild-card spot. Or so they say.

I bet that Cutler revitalizes this team. I bet that the cocky young kid has the arm and the smarts to back himself up. I bet he figures out a way to keep the defense off the field and rested and utilize the stagnating talent on the offensive side of the ball. I'm also betting that the Broncos put it together and make a run for the top spot in the AFC West, which includes beating the Chargers in San Diego two Sundays from now. In fact, despite what everyone says about changing QB's and low team morale, I bet the wunderkind puts it all together and goes undefeated the rest of the way.

Cutler has two things that make a QB great - smarts and great passing ability. Plummer, unfortunately, has neither. And it makes all the difference in the world. The great ones had those same qualities, guys like Elway, Marino, Favre, Moon. There are a handful of QB's playing right now with those same qualities - Brees, Brady, McNabb, and Manning. And their respective teams have a shot to win every single game they play.

Jake Plummer never gave the Broncos the ability to win on his talent alone. Other things had to go the right way for the Broncos to win. The running game had to dominate. The team had to play with a lead. The defense needed to make key turnovers. But with Cutler, it's a whole different picture. He has the ability to win games when rushing yards are at a premium. He has the ability to play smart even if the team is down. If Champ can't make a brilliant interception, Cutler has the skills to win the game on his own.

There are a lot of folks down on Plummer right now, and there are a lot of folks excited about Cutler. But they're only excited because he's not Plummer. Fools. I'm excited for Cutler because of who he is and what he can do. Cutler is the man to lead the Broncos on a late-season resurgence. You just watch. The Mile-Hi Messiah is coming!

Shut Her Down - We Failed

2006-11-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

It doesn't matter if your defense is #1 when they repeatedly fail late in the game. Denver's defense looked great against San Diego for two quarters. It looked miserable for one quarter. And then the fourth quarter started and Denver become 100% average. When Jake Plummer is your starter, your defense cannot be average in the fourth quarter. You don't win games that way. You don't win the division that way. And you certainly don't win the Super Bowl that way.

John Madden says a lot of ridiculous things, but he said one thing during the game that was dead-on. Late in the fourth when the Broncos were trailing and had a choice to punt or go for it on fourth down, John Madden said that you only go for it if you don't trust your defense. The Broncos went for it. Mistake Jake threw an interception that essentially ended the game. The Broncos lost the game on that call, and, what's worse, the Broncos basically ended the season on that call. Their QB is obviously incapable of being an accurate passer with good decision-making skills. But the defense, supposedly the pride of the orange and blue, appears to be incapable of stopping teams late in the game. And if you're trying to ride your D to the Super Bowl, you might as well call it quits right now and go back to the drawing board.

The season is more than half-way finished and Denver is vulnerable. After tonight's game, everyone will know how to beat Denver's vaunted D - mix the pass and the run late in the game and the Broncos will fall apart. Some might say that Peyton Manning was responsible for the last Broncos loss, but Indy won because the Broncos couldn't stop the run on 2nd or 3rd and 4. San Diego just copied Indy. Sure LT had a great game, but Phillip Rivers was the guy who won it. He just made a few passes when the defense slowed down LT. The Chargers moved the ball effortlessly, both on the ground and in the air. Denver was helpless to stop them. The defense didn't do it.

Jake sucks - it's a given. The running game is effective, but certainly not dominant as in years past. Elam's on his last legs and Ernster is mediocre. So this was supposed to be the year of defense. Shanahan has been preaching scoring defense for the last three seasons. Tonight was the proving ground. Test failed. When you can't trust your defense, you might as well go home.

Why do the Broncos suck so much?

2006-11-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

It's a question that has a lot of bearing on the rest of the season. The Broncos suckage has reached epic proportions. The Raiders are barely capable of beating the West High School football team, yet somehow the Broncos barely eaked out a win yesterday. And when I say eaked, I mean it. The Broncos won because the refs made a bad call on what should have been Plummer's 4th interception. I'm not one to complain. The Raiders are the Broncos' arch-enemies. A win in Oakland is always welcome. But the Broncos consider themselves Super Bowl material, and right now that's a big load of crap.

You are not a Super Bowl contender if you win on a blown call. You are not a Super Bowl contender if your quarterback is named Jake Plummer. You are not a Super Bowl contender if you play like the Broncos did on Sunday.

But there is some good news. You just might be a Super Bowl contender if you have Javon Walker on your team. You just might be a Super Bowl contender if Champ Bailey anchors your secondary. You are a Super Bowl contender if your defense keeps teams from scoring. You are a Super Bowl contender if Mike Shanahan is your head coach.

The Broncos are running out of time to make things right. They've put on a great facade for 9 games, but now it's time to take off the mask and fix the problems. Problem #1 - An innacurate quarterback. Jake needs to figure things out now. Shanahan should have pulled him from the Raiders game. His decision-making was horrific. It doesn't matter if the run-game isn't working - you can't throw behind a receiver into double-coverage. I've been to some West High games this year, and at least those kids have figured it out. They aren't as athletic as Plummer, but their IQ's are higher. I hate to say it, but Cutler should have been put in the game. Shanahan missed his chance to teach Plummer a lesson, and now the Broncos are stuck with a shaky QB and three division games out of the next four on the schedule. The next four games will decide the Broncos fate. They need to win 3 of them (preferably against opponents in the division). If they go .500 or worse, the season is done.

2006-10-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

First, that was a great game, probably the best game of the week. Second, the Broncos defense is absolutely worthless if it can’t keep Peyton Manning from scoring every time he gets the ball. How is it that Tennessee holds the Colts to 14 points in Week 5, but the Broncos, with a vastly better defense, get zapped for 34? Explain it to me, God. ‘Cause this seems like one of the paradoxes that could tear the universe apart, yet I watched it happen yesterday and I’m still here.

Aren’t defensive coordinators supposed to make adjustments? If Reggie Wayne catches 5+ balls on one scoring drive, shouldn’t the defensive coaches do something different next time? I’ve seen lab rats with more intelligence. They get shocked two or three times and they learn from their mistakes. Poor Darrent Williams got abused by Reggie Wayne…over and over. And nobody did anything about it. Come to think of it – isn’t that exactly what happens when the Broncos face the Colts? Manning picks out the weak link and goes to town. Well, he did the exact same thing yesterday and NOBODY DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I’m the biggest Larry Coyer fan out there, but somebody shoulda slapped that guy around a little bit.

If there’s one consolation, at least the Broncos managed to run all over the Colts defense. Mike Bell looked like the second-coming of Earl Campbell. He was blasting helmets all over the place. But wait a second. Just one damn second. Yogi Berra was right – it’s déjà vu all over again. Don’t the Broncos always run rough-shod over the Colts in the regular season, only to get stuffed in the playoffs? I’m sensing a pattern here, people. It’s like watching the boot head straight for your groin and being completely frozen.

I hope we don’t face these guys in the playoffs.

OFFENSIVE OFFENSE

2006-10-15T21:34:00.000-06:00

"Golly, I hope Denver fans didn't pick us to cover the spread. What a nightmare."

This one was ridiculous. The Broncos went into Sunday’s game against the Raiders with the biggest spread of the week. They were 15 point favorites despite the fact that Denver is averaging less than 12 points a game. And what happened? The Broncos couldn’t even score 15 points. They couldn’t cover the spread which is, aside from an annoyance to gamblers everywhere, problematic for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

Tatum Bell is becoming an excellent back. Javon Walker is proving his value by stretching defenses. Yet somehow Denver cannot score on a consistent basis. I love the fact that the Denver defense is the best in the league, but somehow, some way an NFL team is going to put up 17 points or more against Denver. When that happens the offense will have to step up and win a game. Unfortunately, they haven’t shown they’re capable of such a thing.

A brief summary should show how pitiful this game actually was. In the first quarter, Janikowski missed what for him is normally a gimme. In the second quarter, Champ Bailey made a great interception when the Raiders were in scoring position. And in the fourth, Lamont Jordan fumbled when the Raiders were moving in for another score. That’s a possible 9-17 points that Denver won’t always be able to stop. And when a legitimate franchise (obviously not the Raiders) has a chance for an extra 9-17 points, I guarantee that they’ll find a way to put some of those points on the board. This doesn’t bode well for the so-called offensive Mastermind.

On the plus side, at least we can be sure that the Broncos aren’t peaking too soon. The Cleveland Browns will face the Broncos next week, and I’m sure that Denver can win that one too, even with the minimal effort they put forward against the Raiders. The casual fan should be happy with a 4-1 record, but Broncos fans should be worried about the woeful offense.

fantasy dreams

2006-10-10T01:33:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I'll post on the Broncos later this week. I'm still digesting tonight's ugly-but-lovely win over the talented but overrated Ravens. More importantly, I wanted to take a minute and let you all know that I kicked @ss in the fantasy leagues this week: 2 crushing victories in two fantasy leagues, and a perfect week in the pick-em league (which ties me for first on the year and gives daddy a little foldin' money). Yeah, I really am that awesome!

Just What the Dr. Ordered

2006-09-25T19:54:00.000-06:00

It's a wonderful life for any NFL franchise with quality players at the receiving position. The Broncos and the Patriots are perfect illustrations of what a difference two receivers make. Javon Walker made the big plays; Rod Smith kept the chains moving in another workmanlike effort; and the Broncos pulled off what I, for one, consider a huge upset. On the other side of the ball, Tom Brady, who is arguably the best quarterback of the last 5 years, put up impressive numbers but lacked big-play capability without Deion Branch and David Givens. With a quality receiver playing in the slot, and another quality deep man to stretch defenses, Brady and the Patriots might have won. Fortunately for Denver, Brady had no one to pass to and Javon Walker signed with the Broncos in the off-season. It made all the difference.

Sunday night's game was exactly what the Broncos needed. The offense made plays, the defense turned in another dominating performance, and the Broncos boarded the plane in Boston with a dominant victory under their belts. It was great! The Broncos needed something to boost their confidence, and yesterday's victory contained all the elements: hundred-yard rusher, check; consistent passing attack, check; big-play ability, check; minimal mistakes by the Jake the Fake, check; offensive production, check; shut-down defense, check; victory over a quality opponent on the road, check. It was all there. The Broncos have two long weeks to simmer over their success before jumping back on the Super Bowl highway. Viva Javon!

One final observation: this was the first game where the Broncos started the game with one primary ball-carrier, and this was the first game where the Broncos had a consistent rushing attack. Tatum Bell has earned his spot in the backfield and should be the starter for the rest of the year. His breakaway ability opened up the field for the entire offense. Tatum's success was the main reason that Jake Plummer had such a good day. With a solid ground game, Plummer is able to play the way he knows best - without a clue in the world and happy feet. If it ain't broke...

2006-09-21T18:58:00.000-06:00

Mediocrity comes in bunches. (Unless you're Jake Plummer who has it delivered by the truck-load.) The Broncos have had two mediocre games. They lost the first and won the second, but both were characterized by mediocre play-calling, complascent coaching, and an inability to make big plays. There's no excitment in the Mile-Hi City, and the natives are getting restless.

Not only do the Broncos need to win on Sunday, they need to win convincingly. A victory against New England at New England would in itself be convincing. But, it would be better if Plummer threw a touchdown; it would be better if some guy named Bell could contol the game by running hard; it would be better if the defense got some backup from the offense. And by the by, the Denver D just might be the best in the league. Right now they're suffering from the Jr. Seau dilemma - great defense hampered by a woeful offense. And all those San Diego teams on which Seau featured so prominently were absolutely, unquestionably mediocre. Oh, and they didn't win any Super Bowls either.

If there's someone to blame (and there's always someone to blame), it's got to be offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger. He can redeam himself on Sunday, but the odds are against him. Broncos 17, Pats 20.

Finally...

2006-09-04T18:00:00.000-06:00

Finally the preseason is done and we can get down to business. The Broncos made their final cuts late last week, and the make-up of the team is more clear. The receiving corps looks to be deep. My fellow football aficionados have been calling David Kirkus the reincarnation of EddyMac, and he certainly seems to be living up to the comparison. He makes the tough catches over the middle and seems to have more speed that McCaffrey could coax out of his battered legs. Todd Devoe looked great in the preseason, and I suspect that he'll come into his own this year. And of course there are the pro-bowl wideouts Javon Walker and Rod Smith. I hope the Plum doesn't drool too much over his passing potential this year.

The defense looks solid. Let me rephrase that: the first-string defense looks solid. The second team got mauled by Kurt Warner and the Arizona offense. It was like flashing back to those disastrous playoff games against Indy when P. Manning shredded the Broncos secondary. If they can stay healthy, the secondary may be the best in Broncos history. Plus the linebackers are always a top-five group and the line seems to be solid pending the return of Gerard Warren. I hope none of the starters miss significant time; otherwise, the Broncos could be doomed.

The running back situation is as obscure as ever. I assume that one of the Bells will start the season as the main back with Cedric Cobbs as a fill-in power back. Until Tatum can learn to fall forward and churn his legs, I'm putting my money on Mike Bell. Yes, I did state that he shouldn't be a starter for any team in the NFL, but it was the preseason and I must have been groggy. We're talking about the Broncos, after all, who can turn any reasonably athletic back into an all-star. Even though I'll pick Mike Bell as the opening-day starter, I can't imagine that he'll be the premier back. Shanahan doesn't roll like that. The Bells will alternate, much like Tatum and Mike Anderson last year (and much to the dismay of fantasy owners everywhere), and Cobbs will play the Ron Dayne roll. It doesn't matter though - the Broncos will be near the top in rushing, much as they are every season.

Opening week prediction: The revamped secondary will subdue the pinpoint accuracy of Marc Bulger; Champ will put a clamp on Torry Holt; and the linebackers will keep Steven Jackson under 100 yards (though he'll get a touchdown). Meanwhile, Plummer and the offense will play a smooth game, alternating the pass and run equally for a workmanlike 27-17 victory over the Rams.

Reevaluation

2006-08-24T19:19:00.000-06:00

Okay, so maybe Mike Bell isn't as mediocre as I previously forecasted. His stats against Tennessee were impressive, gaudy even, but all the backs looked good against the Titans. I'm not going to embrace the rookie yet, but I will admit to changing from downright cynicism to a healthy skepticism.

The Houston game should be a nice proving ground for Bell. Kubiak will make things difficult for the Broncos' offense. If Bell shines for 2-3 quarters then I'll give him the MP seal of approval. Until then I'm waiting for the other Bell to claim his spot as the #1 back.

2006-08-14T08:41:00.000-06:00

Friday’s preseason game was primarily a waste of time. Out of all that nonsense there were three things that mattered: Jay Cutler, Mike Bell, and the defense. And here’s what we know:

Jay Cutler looked amazing. He made throws that neither Plummer nor Van Pelt can make or will ever make. His touchdown pass was glorious. If Plummer had that kind of touch then the Broncos would have beaten Pittsburgh. Cutler is clearly the future of the franchise. Jake Plummer may not even get all of this year. If he falters, and if Cutler learns enough of the offense, I wouldn’t be surprised to have a QB controversy in the Mile High city. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Bradlee Van Pelt will soon be selling real-estate in the Ft. Collins area. Good luck to you Bradlee.

Apparently the Mike Bell thing was a Mastermind ploy to get Tatum Bell and/or Ron Dayne interested in football again. Sure, he made some good plays and was able to fall forward, but he’s no starter. Not for the Broncos. Not even for the Texans. Bell won’t be starting on opening day.

I’ve discovered a new word for the defense: craplentiful. As in, the defense looked craplentiful. Granted it was the preseason, but they still sucked. This is bothersome. They shouldn’t have sucked. At least not that bad. Maybe there should be hitting in training camp, you know, at least once a week. Let’s hope the defense doesn’t suck that bad on opening day or craplentitude will be the least of our problems.

Training Camp Blues

2006-07-29T15:25:00.000-06:00

Guess what? Training camp is an elaborate hoax. It has its uses, but it's essentially a basketball warm-up. You go out and break a sweat, try not to injure yourself, and dunk a couple of times for the fans. You sure as hell don't run any key plays and you keep the superstars on a tight leash, bringing them back to the safety of the locker room after a couple of minutes. Sure training camp helps the players get in shape, and it helps young guys like Cutler get a taste of the pro-game. But honestly, does a guy like Rod Smith really need to run around in the heat in July and August to be ready for the season? No way. Not a chance. He knows the playbook. He knows what to expect. And both he and everyone else know that he'll be the #1 receiver on opening day. In fact, how many positions are really in question. QB? Plummer. Kicker? Elam. LB? Al Wilson. The Broncos threw so much money at Gerard Warren that his job is secure no matter what. So, this whole idea of training camp as a proving ground, as a place where eager young players can make their dreams come true, it's all a hoax.

I guarantee that the Mastermind knows exactly who 50 of the 53 players will be on the opening day roster. So who are the question marks, you might ask. Well, punter/kick-off specialist Todd Sauerbrun is out - damn addict - so his slot will be open for the first four games. If Paul Ernster is healthy, the job is his to lose. Javon Walker and Rod Smith are obviously the starters at WR, but the third, fourth, and fifth spots are probably up for grabs. Darius Watts has one last chance to prove his worth. My guess is that he makes the team as at least the fourth receiver. Charlie Adams should definitely get a spot, even if it's #5. Basically, everyone is wondering if Lelie will quit being a dumb-ass and make it into camp. (Lelie probably has the worst agent in the history of the game.) If he does, then he'll be the clear #3. The way things are going he'll probably end up playing in Canada like Ricky Williams. Maybe the Broncos can pawn him off on Philadelphia, but they should at least get a third-round draft pick in return.

The only interesting battle is at running back. And let's face it, it doesn't really matter who wins. It might be Ron Dayne or someone whose last name is Bell, and it might be someone else entirely. Doesn't matter. RB is a plug-and-play position for the Broncos. The fans will get a better idea once the preseason starts and the backs run against a hitting defense. Until then it's a moot point that's ultimately meaningless. The sooner camp is over the better.

Draft Chicanery

2006-05-01T19:58:00.000-06:00

When I was a younger man my ideal weekend included finding free money and seeing boobies. In terms of the draft, the Broncos discovered a briefcase full of cash in the hands of a topless model. Draft weekend was, I think, ideal.

The two big moves were drafting Jay Cutler, QB wunderkind from Vanderbilt, and trading for Javon Walker, a pro bowl receiver for the Packers in 2004. If you believe the hype, Cutler is Elway's heir apparent, the young messianic QB the Broncos have been lacking. If you believe the hype and you're Jake Plummer, then Cutler is your eventual ticket out of town. If you believe the hype and you're Bradlee Van Pelt, then Cutler is. . . .well you get the picture. No matter how you see it, Cutler is the future at QB. He'll understudy the Plum in 2006, but in 2007 the job is his to lose. Plummer has one season to prove his worth by winning the Super Bowl and forcing the Broncos to keep him, or having a stellar mistake-free year in hopes another team will trade for his services.

The draft sucks for Plummer but it's awesome for the franchise. Plummer has a ton of athletic ability but can't hit the proverbial barn-door. Meanwhile Cutler looks like he could piss into a thimble from 10 feet away, on a sprained ankle, while being mauled by bears. Plus, he played at Vanderbilt where players are more likely to join MENSA than the NFL. Don't get me wrong, Plummer is a great guy. But don't you get the feeling that his IQ is in the high double digits rather than triple? And you need at least a three-digit IQ to run Shanahan's offense, even if you hand-off half the time. At least the Broncos are giving Plummer a fighting chance - they drafted two more receivers and a promising tight-end (I'm surprised Lelie didn't burn down Dove Valley over the weekend) . If just one of the offensive draftees can put up reliable numbers, Plummer and the Broncos have a great shot at the Super Bowl.

A healthy Javon Walker is the kind of receiver the Broncos have been looking for the last three years to compliment Rod Smith. In fact, if he comes close to his 2004 stats - 89 receptions, 1,382 yards, and 12 touchdowns - then he just might take be the kind of star receiver that adds a few extra years to Smith's hall-of-fame career. He's 27, just one year older than Ashley Lelie, and has already made one Pro Bowl. Lelie, of course, was supposed to be have been the speedy deep threat to compliment Rod Smith's possession ability. Lelie has failed to produce big numbers, and this draft shows that the Broncos are wary of his future potential. He's on his way out for sure, but I would love to see Smith, Walker, and Lelie line up together during 2006. Talk about the 3 Amigos.

Just when you think the Mastermind has gone Master-blind, he sneaks up behind you and bitch-slaps you upside the head.

Javon Walker - on the move?

2006-04-19T13:44:00.000-06:00

Here's the info: Denver traded the #22 pick in the draft to San Fran for two middle round picks.

Not very exciting right? Wrong. This is all just a precursor to Javon Walker coming to Denver. Javon Walker in Denver = mindblowing.

Here's the prediction: Denver will trade Ashley Lelie and one of the newly acquired picks to Green Bay for Walker. Walker will join the Broncos to create a fearsome 1-2 punch with Rod Smith. Denver might even pick up a tall, speedy receiver with their other first-round pick.

WR Sightings?

2006-03-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of big-name WR's still on the market - Eric Moulds from the Bills and Javon Walker from the Packers. The Broncos showed interest in Moulds early on but it looks like he'll be traded somewhere else. Javon Walker is still potentially available.

Walker injured his ACL early last season and didn't play at all. But he had a pro-bowl year in 2004 as one of the top receivers in the league. He would be a great veteran wideout for Denver if the Broncos manage to swing a deal. He's as hardworking as Rod Smith and has none of the baggage of guys like T.O. or Keyshawn who were available earlier in the off-season.

There's little chance Walker will come to the Broncos unless the Broncos give up one of their first-round picks, but even then it might be a steal. I see him as a younger, taller Rod Smith, which is exactly what the Broncos are looking for.

Slashin' the Nose, Spitin' the Face

2006-03-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

Recent activity:
-Broncos sign Lepsis (on the cheap) - skullduggery of the best kind
-Broncos cut Trevor Pryce (who probably WON'T resign) - neither here nor there
-Broncos cut Mike Anderson (might resign at lower price) - replaceable cog
-Broncos cut Jeb Putzier (will definitly be picked up by another team) - sheer tomfoolery, aside from Rod Smith he was the only guy Plummer threw to consistently, plus the guy made great catches and was a legit scoring threat in the red-zone. Wesley Duke is the heir apparent, but he's untested. We'll have to wait and see.

The Broncos save a bundle by cutting the three players above. They'll try to use that money to resign Gerard Warren, who may suffer without Pryce taking all those double teams. They're also going hard after Ron Dayne. They'll get Dayne who will fight it out with Bell in training camp, which could be a very, very good thing. According to the Post, the Broncos are also going after John Abraham of the Jets. He's the type of pass-rusher the Broncos have been lacking and very well could make up for the absence of Trevor Pryce...But the deal isn't done yet.

Closing Time

2006-01-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

It was a good run. The Broncos did what no one expected. In the process, they flipped the bird at some analysts and commentators and knocked off the defending champs. The Mastermind showed he still has some brilliance pulsing through his throbbing head-veins, and superstars like Champ Bailey came though in the clutch. Despite the critics, Plummer played his ass off in that last game against a superior opponent with a superior gameplan. Sure, they licked some dirt in the penultimate game but no one thought they'd get that far. A successful season all told.

Now the illustrious offseason begins where brilliance and idiocy walk hand in hand. When it comes to the Broncos it's hard to distinguish the tomfoolery from the skullduggery. So in the interest of successful continuity, here's a little tomfoolery the Broncos should be wary of, and some skullduggery they should pursue.

Tomfoolery first: Drawing out the contract negotiations with Matt Lepsis could be fatal. The Broncos were wise to act quickly and secure Tom Nalen for the remainder of his career - They need to do the same with Lepsis. The Broncos would be foolish to let him go. The silent five who make up the offensive line ARE the Denver Broncos offense. Without them, Jake Plummer is mediocre at best, the running game is less than average, and the offense never breaks the top 15. Nalen and Lepsis are the anchors of arguably the best line in the NFL. With them Denver is top-five in running every year, Plummer gets to the Pro-Bowl, and Denver is a perennial playoff contender. Sign Lepsis fast.

Tomfoolery number two: Denver cannot let Gerard Warren slip away. The "Browncos" experiment was a success, none more so than Warren. The Broncos need to keep this run-stopper on the team. The other "Browncos" played hard, but Warren is the one worth keeping. He needs a new contract and the Broncos should reward him.

Skullduggery: The Broncos need to find someone, anyone who can pass-rush. Maybe they pursue a linebacker or maybe a lineman, but either way the Broncos need a 10-sack guy quick. The Broncos are great at stopping the run, but their pass rush is dismal which makes the secondary vulnerable. Say all you want about "pressuring" the QB, but a a sack or two in big games, which the team rarely got, would be even better. Securing a prominant passrusher would be the highlight of the offseason.

Skullduggery the second: The Broncos have some good draft-picks this year, which could turn into a boon for Shanahan and the coaches. Right now they have a lot of options. They could draft where they're at, trade up, or swap the picks for a bonafide starter (see the skullduggery above). Last season was probably Shanahan's best in the draft (despite the Clarrett debacle), and if this offseason is similar the Broncos could be a consistent threat for years to come.

Somewhere in between: The Broncos are openly pursuing T.O. and quietly trying to add Ricky Williams. Pursuing these guys is like going to Vegas and betting everything you've got on one turn at the roulette table. You might get lucky and walk away the big winner, but most of the time you lose and then wallow in your room while raiding the mini-bar and watching bad porn. The Broncos don't want to be that guy, but they're at the roulette table with chips in hand. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground with Owens and Williams. Either they're brilliant or they self-destruct. A brilliant year by either one might equal a Super Bowl victory, but a bad year might sink the whole organization. We'll just have to wait and see on this one. . . .

Playoff Musings

2006-01-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a good team. Their defense is good. Their offense is good. They have a bunch of great individual players who understand how to play as a team. They have Jerome Bettis, the cinderella story of this year's playoffs. They have Bill Cowher, the square-jawed screacher who is one of the best, most consistent coaches in the NFL. Cowher has been to the AFC championship several times during his tenure in Pittsburgh. He reached the Super Bowl once too. Just as it seemed the Broncos were ready to get the respect they deserve this season, the glorious Steelers jump in and steal the limelight.

That's okay. The Broncos showed that they know how to steal a little thunder. Just ask the Patriots - they were being touted as the best franchise in sports history only a few weeks ago. But the Broncos found a way to silence the national media and knock off Brady and Co. The Broncos face a similar task this week. Hines Ward gets more respect than Rod Smith. Bettis is a better story than the Broncos' plug-and-play running machine. Roethlisburger, in only his second season, has advanced to the AFC championship game twice and has a sandwich named after him. Jake Plummer looks like Grizzly Adams and has no endorsement deals. Despite being the oddsmakers favorites, the Broncos are again the underdog in the nation's eye.

And once again, the Broncos will find a way to silence their critics and advance to the Super Bowl.

You see, the Broncos have a secret weapon. In all the offseason shenanigans, no move was more ridiculed than relocation of the Cleveland Browns front four to Denver. Even I was wary of the ability of the new 'Browncos' defense. The 'Browncos' paid off however. Denver had one of the best run-defenses in the league this season. They didn't get a lot of sacks, but the pressured opposing quarterbacks and shut down opposing running backs. They created turnovers by forcing bad throws - just look at Champ Bailey's interception last week to see what I mean. Brady had to throw a split second before he wanted to, and that split second was all Bailey needed to change the course of the game.

The defensive front-four is the Broncos secret weapon, and they've been sitting exposed in plain site all week. No other starting front-four in all the league (aside from teams playing in the AFC North) has more experience facing the Steelers dependable offense. Ekuban, Brown, Warren, and Myers have seen their fair share of the Steelers and their experience will be invaluable. If the 'Browncos' and rejuvenated Trevor Pryce can slow Cinderella-Bettis's pumpkin ride to Detroit, then the linebackers and secondary will expose Roethlisburger as the inexperienced sophomore he really is. Champ Bailey will contain Hines Ward. Ian Gold is more than a match for TE Heath Miller. And the rookie CB's should easily be able to contain Antwaan Randle El and Cedric Wilson which will leave Al Wilson free to create the kind of havoc that the perennial Pro-bowler is so good at. It'll be a good day if Pittsburgh can put 17 points on the board and that won't be enough to beat Denver.

Sunday won't be a walk in the park though either. The Broncos offense has a hard day ahead. The Steelers' defense is just as good as the Broncos and matches up well against Denver. The Steelers are good at stopping the run, and their linebackers do an excellent job of rushing the quarterback and dropping into coverage. You'll hear safety Troy Polamalu's name a lot on Sunday because he's equally capable of getting a sack, dropping the RB for a loss, or making an acrobatic interception. Polamalu and linebacker Jerry Porter are going to make life rough for Jake Plummer. They're going to blitz half the time and double cover the receivers the other half. They'll get the majority of tackles on Broncos' running backs as well. That's how good they are. Plummer's newfound ability to make good-decisions and avoid costly throws will be tested throughout the game. If the Snake throws more than one interception on Sunday the Broncos may very well lose a close game. But if he continues to avoid errors and gets a couple big plays plus a touchdown or two, the Broncos will make it to Super Bowl 40 in Detroit.

I picked the Broncos to upset the Patriots last week and got lucky on the score. I'm taking the Broncos again this week in a close one. Final score - 24-17. (Plus, Carolina will beat the Seahawks and square off against Denver in Super Bowl 40.)

This Just In...

2006-01-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Broncos are now 3-2 favorites to win the Super Bowl. The elimination of the Colts and Patriots, homefield against the Steelers, and the sheer suckiness of the NFC make the Broncos the team to beat. Of course, I 've been saying as much all year, but I'm just a tiny voice in the screachy cacophony of sports-fans and writers. Be wary, though. . . .don't count your chickens, people.

Even though it was a wild game, the Steelers gave the Colts a thorough beating they won't soon forget. I don't think the Broncos could have gone into Indy and completely controlled the game. I also think Pittsburgh has tamed the ever-elusive momentum pony and is heading toward the sunset on the horizon. Right now, facing Pittsburgh at Mile-Hi will be almost as tough as playing the Colts in Indy. Despite being Super Bowl favorites, the Broncos absolutely must head off the confident charge of a Steelers team that is playing top-notch on both offense and defense. It's gonna be a great game next week. More to come. . . .

The Biggest Game of the Century

2006-01-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the haughty New England Patriots will march into Mile-Hi looking to put another notch on their playoff belt. They are winners of 10 straight playoff games - a feat unrivaled in the history of the NFL. Tom Brady has never lost a playoff game. Bill Belichick is, as I have said many times, the smartest coach in the league. He may be the smartest coach ever. The Patriots are a healthy team, they ended the season strong, and they demolished the Jaguars in last week's game. Conventional wisdom says they are the best team in the NFL until someone beats them, and everyone's looking for the ultimate showdown between the Patriots and the Colts. The Broncos may put up a good fight, so the story goes, but they're just a minor stumbling block between the Patriots and Colts and a potential threepeat for the boys from cold, snowy Boston.

Plus, there's the unfortunate Broncos legacy of not having won a playoff game this century. Not only have the boys in the "predominantly orange" uniforms failed to win this century, they haven't even been close in their three previous playoff games. Critics are also keen to point out the Elway-factor: the Broncos have been mostly mediocre since the retirement of demigod John Elway. It gets worse. The Broncos are playing at home, but it's their first home-playoff game at the wine-and-cheese monstrosity that is Invesco Field. No more steel girders means no more Rocky Mountain Thunder. The rowdy fans who once made the South stands a hostile no-man's land for opponents have become tame in the cozy confines of Invesco. If the national media are right, the prospect of a Denver victory on Saturday is dim indeed.

But there's an orange glow on the Mile-Hi horizon. The Broncos DO have homefield advantage. This is the first year since moving to Invesco that the Broncos have gone 8-0 at home. They won the blowouts. They won the close ones. They won them all. That kind of confidence can't be measured when it comes to the playoffs. Second, the Broncos are healthy. Despite minor injuries to Mike Anderson and Al Wilson, the majority of the team weathered the regular season without any major injuries. Everyone keeps talking about how dangerous New England is now that their players are healthy, but the same holds true for the Broncos. The same guys have been lining up on both sides of the ball for most of the season, and regularity of that sort leads to confidence in the players around you and victory. Third, the Broncos' offense is designed to win in the playoffs. The running game is one of the best in the league, and the Broncos have two excellent RB's in the backfield. The Broncos will rely heavily on the run game on Saturday in an attempt to control the clock and keep Tom Brady off the field. Plus, Rod Smith is easily the best wide-reciever on either team, and his veteran savvy will help Jake Plummer continue to make good decisions and come up with the big plays that lead to playoff success. Finally, the Broncos defense matches up well against New England. The Broncos D is designed to stop the run and make big plays in the passing game. New England's offense is designed around giving the ball to Corey Dillon 20-25 times and game and making a few big pass plays. As good as Tom Brady is, he is not the type of quarterback who beats teams by passing 40-50 times a game. If the Broncos can force New England into a pass-first offense, then Champ Bailey and the rest of the DB's will force several turnovers which may decide the outcome of the game.

The Broncos don't want to get caught in a close game. If the final score is 27-24, you can be sure that the Patriots will win. But if the final score is 31-21, it's probably the Broncos who will advance to the AFC Championship game. This is the first time in the last three years that the Broncos match-up well against their playoff opponent. This is the first year where fans and local commentators have a kind-of low-key confidence that often leads to good things. I think the Broncos will pull off a 10+ point upset. Final score 27-13.

meaningless...hardly

2006-01-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here I went and skipped writing about the game against the Chargers because I thought it was meaningless. I thought the Broncos were going to play their second-stringers for the majority of the game. The only intrigue was whether Tatum Bell was going to get a thousand yards (which unfortunately he didn't). I thought the Broncos were going to lose. I picked against them in the football pool, fool that I am. And in the midst of my mind-boggling numb-skulledness, I missed something important.

Momentum.

The Broncos played a strong game against a faltering opponent. They could have phoned this one in but they came to play and play hard. Momentum is an amazing thing. The Broncos haven't really had any going into the playoffs the last two years. That has been part of their downfall. But this year, even with a first-round bye, the Broncos have a tremendous amount of momentum going into their home-field game against Cincinatti, Jacksonville, or New England depending on a number of scenarios. And the Broncos are going to need all the momentum they can get. Cincinatti lost any modicum of momentum in their blowout to the Chiefs, while New England may be in trouble after losing to Miami as well as giving up four offensive touchdowns. Jacksonville blew out the Titans; they'll be rolling into the playoffs but with which QB? Based on the importance of momentum, here's the prediction: Pittsburgh will go into Cincinatti and beat up the Bengals. That leaves Denver with the winner of the New England / Jacksonville game. We beat both of them this season which is encouraging. I would prefer to play Jacksonville, only because QB dilemmas are a big deal in the playoffs. (Plus, Pats coach Bill Belichick is the smartest man in the world.) Man, I love the playoffs.

The playoffs start next Saturday, and there's a slew of great games. Definitely check out the two AFC wild-card match-ups. Both games have implications for Broncos fans, so be sure to see who we might face on the road to the Super Bowl.

Gnome Material saved for posterity

2006-01-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting the Bronco Update today. I have just been alerted that the Broncos Gnomes are uber-pumped about the upcoming AFC Championship game. In their excitement, the Gnomes tend to be quite raucus and haphazard. You can spot their mini-celebrations
by the small orange flags they wave as they carouse late at night in parks and empty street intersections. CDOT will attempt to cordone off any celebrations they encounter but they can't be relied upon to notice them all. After all, Gnomes are small. So be on the lookout for
small gnome-parties. Join at your leisure. . . .and peril.
(Once again, your support is appreciated by Marc-Paul and the Broncos Gnomes, a usually finicky bunch who are nonetheless enjoying the success of the Broncos this season. Broncos Gnomes are notoriously secretive and hard to spot, so if you see any please let Marc-Paul now.
Reunion amongst long-separated Broncos Gnomes is a joy to see, and Marc-Paul is committed to GRUMP - the Gnome Re-Unification Millenial Project. You too can join GRUMP. Just email Marc-Paul to find out how. Peace out, Broncos fans.)

An Overdue Analysis

2005-12-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

So I'm going to the Broncos game tomorrow and I'm pumped (but not like Romo). It's against the Raiders - the team Denver fans love to hate. At the same time, the Raiders are a team that many Denverites have embraced. The Denver Post did a cover story on faithful Raider fans living and working amongst us tried and true Broncos fans. It's a peculiar phenomenon really, but not so inexplicable. Many folks choose to standout by embracing the Other, and when it comes to football the Raiders are definitely 'the Other.' This season the Raiders are a struggling Other. They come in to Mile-Hi as one of the most inept teams in the AFC. Their record is bad. Their coach is bad. Their QB is bad. Their owner is. . . .well you know. Their star wide-receiver was supposed to be Michael-Jackson-Bad but turned out to be just plain-old-mediocre-bad. It's been a frustrating year for Raiders fans in the Bay area as well as in Denver. Just as well, I say. Let the Raiders-traitors watch in futility as the Broncos dominate every aspect of the game en route to the playoffs and glory.

Slow down, you might say. Watch out for that hitch in your giddy-up pard'ner, you might suggest. Don't the Broncos tend to revert to infantile mediocrity whenever Oakland comes to town? Truth-be-told, the answer is yes...occasionally. To be sure, the Mastermind has more or less owned the Raiders for most of his tenure as Broncos head-coach. But every now and then the Raiders sneak up and bitch-slap Denver. It's like matching up against the Ravens but in more mythic terms. The Raiders seem to bring it hard against the Broncos when Denver is the odds-on favorite. I've never understood it myself. Several years ago, a surging Broncos team gave up the proverbial goat against the Rich-Gannon-led Raiders. Gannon completed something like 4,092 straight passes and the Raiders stunned the Broncos in prime-time. Last year, the Raiders came in late and pulled out a victory in a snowy game that Denver should have been put away early and easily. The quality of the team doesn't seem to matter in most cases - it's just the situation. There's no logical reason for the Raiders to win tomorrow, but logic has little to do with deciding games in the NFL. Broncos fans should be wary.

Of course, my significant other has always said that I'm a pessimist and perhaps it's true. But as Joseph Campbell would remind us, mythology has a way of cutting across the boundaries of reality and shaping our world in beautiful and scary ways. Let's hope that tomorrow's game is more beautiful than scary. In a perfect world tomorrow's game would be a tune-up, a time to work out the kinks for our last game against the Chargers as well as our playoff matchups. But the world is not perfect, and neither are the Broncos. They need to win to keep ahead of the Bengals for the first-round bye. The Beloved Men in Orange should play with a sense of urgency tomorrow. They should win 41-13. . . .but I'll take a victory with any score.

Happy Returns After an Ugly Game

2005-12-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a big day in the AFC West. The Broncos sure did suck it up against the Ravens, but they managed to pull out a win which is all that counts. More importantly, both the Chiefs and Chargers lost. Those losses coupled with Sunday's ugly win gives the Broncos a two-game lead in the division. The Chargers and the Chiefs both have difficult games coming up, while the Broncos have a more manageable schedule. Barring a major meltdown the Broncos should easily win the division. That, at least, is the good news.

The bad news is that the Cincinnati Bengals also won on Sunday bringing their record to 10-3 just like the Broncos. Denver and Cincinnati are now fighting for homefield advantage and the first-round playoff bye. Losing homefield advantage and the first-round bye would be problematic for the Broncos. Denver has not won a playoff game away from Mile-Hi since the 1997 season. They’ve been crushed the last two years in Indianapolis and lost to the Ravens in Baltimore in 2001. If they plan on advancing in the playoffs the Broncos need homefield advantage. Losing the first-round bye could be even more devastating. Potential first-round opponents include New England, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, and San Diego or the Chiefs. New England is starting to get healthy and will be a huge threat to any team they face in the playoffs. Jacksonville has one of the best all-around defenses in the league and an offense that is comparable to Denver. Pittsburgh is also a tough all-around team, the Chiefs have shown they can beat Denver, and San Diego is too schizophrenic to be considered benign. Any of these teams could come into Mile-Hi and steal one during the playoffs. The Broncos must win every game the rest of the season.

More bad news: the Broncos are not dominating their opponents as they did earlier in the season. Sunday’s victory over the Ravens showed the rest of the NFL that Denver is struggling. The running-game looked anemic. Plummer avoided mistakes but was unable to take over the game like a truly dominant QB. Special teams were horrible, including the big return on the opening kickoff and Elam’s missed extra point. The defense played well, but that shouldn’t count for much against an offense featuring Kyle Boller. It could have been a case of playing down to the opponent, but that's not what quality teams do. Indianapolis did not play down to Jacksonville, nor did Seattle play down to San Francisco.

Indy and Seattle are setting the bar right now in the NFL, and the Broncos are failing to measure up. The have Saturday games the rest of the season at Buffalo, home against the Raiders, and at San Diego. To show they are ready to play with the big boys (and secure homefield advantage and a first-round bye), the Broncos should dominate each of their last three opponents. New England trounced Buffalo yesterday – The Broncos should do no less next Saturday night.

Bummer

2005-12-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

The debacle against the Chiefs was most undoubtedly a bummer. In many ways it was a Plummer bummer, but the defense must shoulder some blame as well for dramatically self-destructing early, often, and late. While the Plum reverted to his old ways in throwing two costly interceptions, the defense played against type in their inability to stop the run or the pass. Larry Johnson is a quality RB (I have him in two fantasy leagues and haven't lost since he became a starter), but the Broncos had the best run defense in the league going into the game. As I've been saying all year, the Broncos secondary is suspect. The early failure by Champ and Co. to stop the big play opened up the running game for the Chiefs. If the Broncos had made a few early plays against Trent Green and the KC receivers then Larry Johnson would not have been able to run for 140 yards much less the two TD's. The loss was bad enough, but now teams know how to beat the Broncos: spread the field and work the passing game until the wholes open on the line. It's too simple.

Fortunately the Broncos play the underachieving Ravens this weekend. Kyle Boller is much like Joey Harrington - both should be bankers or construction workers or high school coaches; neither have the talent to be quality NFL quarterbacks. This is just the game to rebuild the confidence of the Broncos secondary. The defensive line should be able to get pressure on Boller, which should result in hasty passes leading to at least two interceptions. The Broncos speedy linebackers ought to keep Todd Heap in check, and aside from Heap the Ravens have no other offensive threats. Chester Taylor is out and Jamal Lewis has had a horrendous year at RB. Lewis will start on Sunday, and he might even get 100 yards, but he should be non-factor against a Broncos defense looking to reassert themselves.

The Broncos will be back at Mile-Hi which should also help. Arrowhead Stadium has long been the hardest place to play in the NFL, and it was obvious the offense was struggling with noise. The cosy confines of Mile-Hi ought to put the players at ease; plus, the Broncos haven't lost at home this year. The Ravens are having a bad year to put it mildly. The Broncos are having a great year. This should be an easy win. It should keep the Broncos on track to gain the second seed in the AFC playoffs, home-field advantage, and a first round bye. That's what the Broncos are playing for right now, and the Ravens should be just another notch on their belt.

Excellence of Execution

2005-12-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

I talk about most games like they're 'The Big One.' And it's true to some extent - In a 16-game schedule, every game IS important. But's let face it, some games really are more important than others. Tomorrow's game against the Chiefs really IS 'The Big One.' The Broncos' lead in the AFC West is slim. The Chiefs and the Chargers are both two games back. Plus, both are playing great end-of-season football. The Chiefs offense is clicking with Larry Johnson at running back. Trent Green and Tony Gonzales are showing signs of former greatness. The Chiefs run defense is one of the best in the league. Tomorrow's game is big because the AFC West is still up for grabs, and the Chiefs are right there fighting it out just like the Broncos and the Chargers. A win tomorrow and the Broncos are one step closer to clinching the division and homefield advantage.

Tomorrow's game hinges on Jake Plummer. Both teams have solid run defenses, but exploitable pass defenses. It might not be a shoot-out, but passing success is going to determine the winner. If Plummer can come up big, then he'll be deserving of all the MVP talk around the league.

My favorite wrestler used to be Bret 'The Hitman' Hart. His other nickname was the Excellence of Execution. If Plummer comes up big tomorrow, I will abandon all 'Plum' references and refer to him as Jake "Excellence of Execution" Plummer for the rest of the season. Rock on "Excellence," rock on.

I Like the Close Ones

2005-11-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I recently claimed that a good ole' fashioned shutout is like icing on the cake.. And such a post might imply that Turkeyday's nailbiting overtime win over the Cowboys was less than icing. But I was wrong - the Broncos close-call victory was even better than the shutout. An OT win against a quality team on the road is more than just the icing. It's the icing and the moist insides and the quadruple layering of chocolate and whipped cream. Man, it's the best.

Looking at the second-half schedule, Thursday's game against the Cowboys and next week's game against the Chiefs are the two big tests. Both games are on the road against quality teams of playoff caliber. And the Broncos got past the Cowboys, and they pounded the Chiefs earlier in the season, so things are looking good. Next week's game should be just as exciting. The Chiefs dominated Tom Brady and the Patriots yesterday, and the AFC West has to be (once again) the most competitive division in football. The more the Broncos win, the bigger their reputation becomes. And if we have to face Indy at any time in the playoffs, we need as big a reputation as we can get. So here's hoping that the Steelers are on top of their game tonight against Indy.

It was disappointing to see Plummer's streak end. It was disappointing insofar as the streak silenced his critics whose biggest complaint was always the interceptions. But the guy has only thrown 4 all year, so his critics should keep their mouths shut for a bit longer (including me - notice I haven't called him The Plum in about five weeks or so). The run-game continues to come up big for the Broncos. I have no idea what Shanahan will do with Dayne next week, but he's been the hero twice now for the Broncos and that should mean more playing time. The defensive backfield has played against all expectations (well, mostly my expectations), and are helping win games that the Broncos normally lost last year. Props to Shanahan for having one good draft year in the last eleven. I'm worried about the receiving corps though. If Rod Smith ever gets hurt, we'll have to resign the Three Amigos 'cause nobody else on the roster merits even a mention in the passing game.

Other notable NFL items:
-I've said that LT is the best player in the game, and he proved it again yesterday when he single-handedly beat the Redskins with three rushing TD's - one for the win in OT.
-But Shaun Alexander has to be a close second. He turned in a gritty OT performance of his own in Seattle's OT victory against the Giants.
-This is the second consecutive week I've picked against the Bears, and the second consecutive week I've had my a$$ handed to me in the betting pool. Da' Bears are for real this season. Right now they're Super Bowl contenders.
-You gotta feel for Giants kicker Jay Feely who missed three consecutive field-goals that would have won it for the Giants. (But I don't really like the Giants so I don't feel too bad.)
-You also gotta feel for the Houston Texans. They dominated St. Louis in the first half, only to give up 14 points in the last three minutes and then the winning TD in overtime. The Lions just fired Steve Mariucci, but someone should have fired Dom Capers and the entire management-team in Houston long ago.
-Why do people keep hounding Michael Vick on his throwing ability? I watched Thursday's game against the Lions, and the guy seems to fire pinpoint lasers everytime. I'm high on Plummer right now, but there's no way he could have thrown that TD pass to Alge Crumpler in the endzone - no way.
-What's up with Packers? They've been close in almost every game this season. I thought for sure they'd beat the lowly Eagles, but they came up empty again. The Packers suck right now, but no one can figure out why.
-Finally, I'd like to say that the Raiders suck too - period.

Victory in Many Guises

2005-11-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Though I missed yesterday's game while in Georgia (see info below), I read in the Post that the Broncos were so thoroughly dominating and the Jets so thoroughly miserable that the game was rather drab. To that I can only respond by saying that shutouts are only drab to disinterested journalists and desparate gamblers trying to make the spread. True fans savor a good shutout, and the Broncos needed one. First of all they haven't shut-out anyone since their Super Bowl glory days, and it's part of the human condition to make comparisons with history. In sports, in a twist of irony, we try to retain the past precisely so we can repeat it. The logic goes like this: shutout in 1997 = Super Bowl victory ; shutout in 2005 = Super Bowl victory. It's the beautiful, simple math of being a sports fan. Second, even beating a downtrodden team like the Jets shows that the Broncos are on the cusp of greatness. It's no easy feat holding a team to zero points in this age of franchise parity. Yesterday's victory raises the Broncos one level higher on the ever-shortening list of dominant NFL teams.

Go Broncos!!!!

Since this is my only forum, I thought I would write a little something on my recent trip.

I just returned from the School of the Americas protest at Fort Benning, GA. The school itself has since been renamed the Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation - WHINSEC - but their mission remains the same: Training for Latin American military and police agencies to fight counterinsurgencies and threats to "democracy" using whatever means necessary, though torture and human rights violations are the standard modus operandi. It was an amazing, life-changing event. On the flight down, my co-traveler and I and had two very interesting yet different discussions. I sat next to a trauma specialist from Boulder who was going to work with soldiers just returning from Iraq. He explained that the soldiers in Iraq are on a constant state of alert. There are no frontlines, where you are on duty, and no behind-the-lines, where you are off. Soldiers are "on" all the time, which can be pretty devastating for both the mind and the body. This is also the first extended conflict where women have participated as infantry, and specialists are just now beginning to understand PTSD and how it relates to women who are "on-duty" at all times in addition to dealing with being female in what has historically been an exclusively male community. Because of all this, soldiers are experiencing different forms of post-traumatic stress disorder than in previous conflicts. The trauma specialist told me that morale is much lower than reported in the media and defections are on the rise.

My co-traveler sat next to an 18 year old recruit who was on his way to Fort Benning for basic training. He had no idea of what to expect and told my friend that he needed both the signing bonus and the promised money for college. He had no idea that 16,000 people were planning to protest at the base where he was headed, and he had never heard of the Army School of the Americas either. I'm afraid it was a rather rude awakening for the young man, but he remained optimistic about the life ahead of him. I'm reminded of the continued need to both oppose war and support the young men and women joining the military or returning from active duty. It's a difficult task to negotiate, but it's ultimately one of the most important things we can do as folks interested in the issue.

The protest/vigil yesterday at the gates of the fort contained so much emotion and passion. 16,000+ people marching in solidarity and memory for those effected by war in its broadest sense was both sombre and uplifting.

My experiences this weekend affected me in much the same way. There's so much to do that it can seem overwhelming, but there's so many people out there trying to peacefully and respectfully change the world that I am tremendously engouraged.

For more information on the continued push to close the SOA/WHINSEC please visit the SOA Watch website www.soaw.org

For information on yesterday's rally/protest/vigil, please check out the following report from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/21/national/21benning.html?pagewanted=all

Looking Around

2005-11-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

After Sunday's licking of the Raiders, Bronco fans can breathe easy. They seem to have broken the curse of the mid-season slump. They're playing their best football right now, and they've avoided major injuries to key players. Breathing easy gives Broncos fans a chance look around. No, I'm not talking about taking a look at the existential beauty of fallen leaves or the sale prices encouraging you to "shop early" for Christmas. I'm talking about taking a look around at the football landscape. Now's the time to check out the situation in the AFC, and a quick peak at the NFC can't hurt.

A glance at the AFC standings tells us that the AFC is ridiculously competitive. The Colts are undefeated and there are three teams with a 7-2 record (including the Broncos). Two of those teams - Cincinatti and Pittsburgh - are in the same division, and it's likely that the team that doesn't win the division is going to get one of the wildcard spots. Indianapolis is going to win the AFC South barring a major meltdown (which could happen five of their next seven games are against elite teams). But Jacksonville (6-3), also in the AFC South, is playing great football. They probably won't catch the Colts but they'll be in the wildcard chase all the way. Then of course there's the AFC East. New England will probably win that division again, but Buffalo is only one game back. The Broncos have a solid lock on the AFC West for the moment, but KC and San Diego are both two games back and the Broncos have to play both of them before the end of the season. While the Chiefs look broken, the Chargers are about to hit their stride. The Chargers might push the Broncos to the brink. The AFC is full of great teams this season. The AFC will win definitely win the Super Bowl this year, but it's hard to say which team since so many are in the hunt. Right now it's hard to go against the Colts.

The NFC looks just as competitive, but none of the teams, except Carolina, look as dominating as in the AFC. Carolina and Seattle have the best records at 7-2. Carolina is playing great on both sides of the ball and are looking to get back to the Super Bowl. Seattle has the same record, but their division is the weakest in the NFL with both San Francisco and Arizona - embarrasments yet again. Aside from Carolina and Seattle, there's a handful of 6-3 teams - Dallas, NYG, Chicago, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay - but none really stand out. At least one of those teams will falter down the stretch, and there's a good chance that one or two of the lesser teams will make a run for the playoffs. The Redskins and the Rams have the best chances. Watching NFC games to see who makes the playoffs will be exciting this winter, but Carolina will come out on top.

In all this mess, there's two important things for the Broncos and their fans. Number one - Clinch the AFC West. Number two - Have the best or second-best record in the AFC. If the Broncos can accomplish goal number one, then they'll be guaranteed a play-off spot. Plus, there's little chance they'll have to face the Colts in the first round. If they can accomplish number two, even better, they're all but guaranteed a spot in the AFC Championship game. A top two finish gets the Broncos a first-round bye and home-field advantage. Plus, a first-round playoff bye means that Pittsburgh and Cincinatti will have to slug it out with another top team, maybe even each other, before facing the Broncos at Mile-Hi. Either way, the Colts are still guarding the door to Bronco success.

Basically I'm calling it like this: Carolina and Indy are the two best teams in their respective conferences. More simply, they're the two best teams in the NFL. In a perfect world, they'd meet up in the Super Bowl. But the NFL is full of bizarre events and cruel twists of fate. The Broncos are playing awesome right now and might be able to slip in and shake things up. In other words, they definitely have a shot. Hopes are high this year. Anything less than an AFC Championship showdown with the Colts will be counted a disappointment. And if they can get past the Colts the Broncos will go all the way.

An Upset on the Horizon

2005-11-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday's game against the Raiders has "upset" written all over it. The Broncos _should_ win. They're coming off a bye week and a dominant performance against the Eagles. The team seems to have come together at the right time and should play well in the second half of the season. But......

The Raiders are coming off a heartbreaking loss on the last play of the game against the Chiefs. They played an excellent game and will be looking to bounce back. Plus, the Raiders have a superb passing offense, including LaMont Jordan out of the backfield. The Broncos pass defense is clearly the most suspect part of an otherwise over-achieving team. The Raiders are going to test the Broncos secondary early, often, and late. If the Broncos' rookie CB's can't keep up with Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, Doug Gabriel, and Jordan, the Raiders will put up points in bunches.

The Broncos have 5 away games in the second half of the season. It all starts on Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum. If the Broncos can scamper out of Oakland with a win, they'll set the stage for home-field advantage in the playoffs. If they lose, be wary of another late-season collapse.

Just Say "Hell No!" to TO

2005-11-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

Mike Celizic of NBCSports.com had this to say about the possibility of the Broncos signing T.O.:

The good citizens of the Mile High City like to think that they’re just a tad more sensitive than those of us who have to live at elevations where there’s actual oxygen to breathe. Their idea of a hero is John Elway, an all-around great guy with a piano-key smile and an aw-shucks response to his own greatness.

But Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has the air of a man who needs just the slightest of nudges to go over to the Dark Side, if he isn’t there already. Remember, his teams have always been known as eager practitioners of the chop-block — a legal move, but one that defensive linemen hate because it tends to destroy their knees.

Shanahan once coached T.O., and Shanahan also is feeling some pressure now that Broncos fans are starting to notice that their team hasn’t won a playoff game since Elway left. And coaches who once had something approaching success with a player always think they can do it again.

The Broncos are playing well, but sooner or later they’re going to have to face the Colts in the playoffs. If Shanahan thinks T.O. can turn defeat into victory, he might go for him.

Now, Shanahan has proven that he isn't the greatest judge of character in the NFL. After all, he is the guy who signed Dale Carter, Daryl Gardner, and Bill "there's nothing I wouldn't put in my body if it didn't help me compete" Romanowski - a regular who's who list of NFL degenerates. But T.O. isn't nearly as bad as any of the guys mentioned above. He's a jerk, but a fairly straight-forward and relatively honest jerk. Plus, he's a thousand times more talented than the guys mentioned above. So what's keeping the Broncos from considering making an offer to T.O.?

Hopefully the answer to that question is a sense of team pride. I can't think of a bigger insult to someone as cool as Rod Smith as having him team-up with someone as ridiculously uncool as T.O. None of the degenerates listed above proved valuable to the Broncos (except maybe Romanowski who, let's not forget, was teamed with upstanding and under-appreciated fellow linebacker John Mobley and the incredibly talented duo of Terrel Davis and John Elway) and I can't imagine someone like T.O. bringing more to the team than he would take away. Someone's going to get T.O. It'll probably be the Raiders, and hopefully it won't be us.

And what's with this Celizic guy? In my book it's okay to rip strangely opportunistic coaches like Shanahan - I've done it myself many times. But it's not cool to imply that ignorance comes at altitude. If that was the case, you'd think the Vikings were playing in the Himalayas - and speaking of the Vikes I can definitely see T.O. headed there. Later...

Bye-week blues

2005-11-03T23:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the Broncos pounded the Eagles. They didn't just pound them, they humiliated them. The game looked iffy for about ten minutes in the third quarter and then the Broncos went on a tear. It was ridiculous. Apparently no one on th Eagles was capable of tackling Tatum Bell. Jake Plummer never looked so good. The defense did exactly what it was supposed to do, and the formerly mediocre offense finally found themselves and won a game. It was delightful just to sit on the sofa and watch the Broncos coalesce.

So I'm going to get bold here for a minute and make a few predictions. The Broncos are going to win the AFC West. They're going to secure homefield advantage in the playoffs and get that coveted first-round bye. They're going to play either Cincinatti or the Steelers, whichever makes it out of the AFC North, in their first game & they're going to win because they'll be playing at home and most of the key players will be healthy. In the end, the Broncos will meet up with the Colts for the AFC championship. As a Broncos fan I'd like to take that extra step and say the Broncos will make it to Super Bowl (where they'd face either Carolina or the Giants). As a realist, I can't say that the Broncos will beat the Colts until at least one other team in the league manages to do it first. The Colts remain the Broncos biggest roadblock on the way to greatness.

Which reminds me - to beat those bye-week blues, be sure to check out the Monday night match-up between the Colts and the Patriots. There are a few other interesting games, but because of all the injuries to big name players none of the games has the lure of MNF. The Colts are the clear favorites, but Patriot's coach Bill Belichich is probably the only guy in the league who can figure out a way to beat the Colts.

This is the time of year when football gets exciting people. There's a bunch of teams that have no shot of making the playoffs - In the NFC, Green Bay and Minnesota are out and so are Arizona, San Fran and New Orleans. The AFC has some clear losers too - Cleveland, Baltimore, Houston and the Jets. But there's another handful that are on the bubble. Those are the teams to watch because they're dangerous. Right now any of the lesser three teams in the AFC West hav a chance at the wildcard. So do Jacksonville and Miami, especially Miami with the way their running game is starting to improve. The NFC East and the NFC South are both up for grabs, so all those teams are dangerous too. These teams are hungry and they're dangerous.

The Broncos are in a rough spot in the second half of the season. They have five games against bubble teams and three against the losers. They should clean up against the bubble teams, but if they're not careful they'll drop one or even two to the never-had-a-chance teams. But I'll stick to my guns. The Broncos should dominate in the second-half on their way to playoff glory if not Super Bowl success.

-If anyone wants to write a "guest column" for the Broncos Update during the bye week, let me know.

"Hurray! Hurray!" yelled the happy little Bronco Gnomes

2005-10-31T23:37:00.000-07:00

The Bronco gnomes have informed me that they can't remember such a rollicking good victory. They were a little peeved about the third quarter and considered causing a little mayhem, but in light of the overwhelming victory they voted for a moratorium on gnome-rampages through the bye week. "Hurray for the Broncos!" they shouted repeatedly during our meeting. Bronco gnomes, I salute you.

In other news, the Bronco gnomes wanted me to tell all the faithful readers to get out and vote tomorrow. Specifically they wanted me to tell you all to vote yes on C and D. Who knew Bronco gnomes were so civic minded? So, and please remember that this advice comes from the Bronco gnomes and not me, please get out and vote yes on C and D tomorrow. The Bronco gnomes will thank you (and so will your children should you decide to raise them in Colorado).

Never Fear

2005-10-25T10:32:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it’s hard to talk about a Broncos loss so soon after the fact. It can take a while to deal with the hurt feelings, the frustration, the sadness. You see, it would have been simple if the Giants had dominated from the start. If Eli Manning had come out looking like a superstar, if Tiki had run wild on the Broncos D, if Shockey had caught 10 passes for 130 yards and two TD’s, if any of this had happened it would have been easy to say why the Broncos lost. But none of this happened. Manning looked mortal. Tiki looked tawdry. And Shockey looked shaky. The Broncos defense was dominant for most of the game. The offense was efficient but not spectacular. And for about 55 minutes the Broncos were easily the best team on the field. How quickly it can all turn around.

But should we be surprised? Not exactly. Going into the game, the Giants offense was the best in the league. They are explosive. They score in bunches, racking up an average of 34 points a contest. The Broncos defense is pretty good too. They’re not the best in the league, but they’re close. The Broncos defense plays hard, blitzes hard, and avoids the big play. In a battle of titanic forces, one usually falls and falls hard. This time it was the Broncos defense that fell to a desperation pass by Manning. The fall had to come sometime. The Broncos have been tempting fate too often in the last few games. Beating the Redskins was luck, and the Patriots just ran out of time. Sooner or later the Broncos defense was going to stumble under the tremendous load of carrying a team with a mediocre offense. And they fell to the Giants – rather fitting in a mythological sort of way.

Before a dark cloud descends on the hearts of Bronco fans, let’s find that silver lining, shall we? Between October 9 and October 30, the Broncos face four formidable NFC foes. They managed to beat the Redskins and New England at Mile-Hi. Sure, they lost to the Giants but it was in the Meadowlands against the NFL’s best offense. Up next is a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles. If the Broncos can take three out of four before going into the bye week, then Bronco fans should rejoice. Winning three out of four against tough, playoff caliber teams would be an impressive feat. So there’s the silver lining. A record of 6-2 halfway through is excellent. It shows that the Broncos are committed to winning in the postseason by getting homefield advantage. 6-2 would be awesome.

But we’ve also heard all the historical analysis – how the Broncos started 5-1 for most of the millennia and managed to blow it all in the last 10 games. Sure they made the playoffs in some of those years but only to get obliterated. So next Sunday’s game against Philly is officially a big deal. A win and the Broncos have broken their mini-curse. But a second consecutive loss would be devastating. A loss gives the Chiefs a chance to tie for the AFC West lead. A loss and the door stays open for the San Diego Chargers. A loss makes the five road games in the second half of the season a bit more daunting than normal. A loss gives life to all those demons and bitter memories of failed past seasons. It’s safe to say that Bronco-nation has a lot riding on next week’s game.

Next week’s game is winnable. The Eagles struggled against the Chargers, barely pulling out a win on a last-second blocked field goal. Eagles’ kicker David Akers is out. The team hasn’t called a run play since the 80’s. And Donovan McNabb is playing with a major sports hernia. If the linebackers can keep Brian Westbrook in check, the Broncos will win. If someone from the secondary can keep up with TO, the Broncos will win. If the defensive front-four continue to get to the quarterback, the Broncos will win. If the offense can start playing less like Bob Ross and more like Santana Moss, the Broncos will win. Basically the Broncos should win, and if they don’t they deserve all the grief they get.

Other Exciting Sports Stuff

2005-10-17T23:23:00.000-06:00

Yes, I will be posting the Bronco article soon. But I wanted to draw everyone's attention to an amazing MLB home-run. Check out replays of Cardinals first-baseman Albert Pujols monster home-run in the 9th inning of tonight's (Monday) game. It was a three-run blast that put St. Louis up 5-4 and basically won the game. It's right up there with the most amazing clutch home-runs I've ever seen. (I watched Joe Carter win the World Series on a homer, which remains number 1) I've never seen a guy hit a ball that far that fast..."It was too high." "Who gives a shit? It's gone!"

Chalk one up for non-juice athletes (we hope)!

Thought of the Day

2005-10-13T19:46:00.000-06:00

It has come to my attention that the announcers were absolutely horrible in the last game. I cannot attest to this fact since I listened to the majority of the game on the radio, while attending the glorious nuptials of other folks, and watching highlights and replays after-the-fact. However, it does seem to follow the general trend of mediocre announcing throughout the league. I like John Madden. He does a good job explaining the game, and his diagrams are great. Al Michaels is also good. After that I can't think of anyone else who really thrills me. Can you?

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

2005-10-10T12:54:00.000-06:00

The Broncos were all three yesterday. Good, because they managed to get a win despite overwhelming odds, most of them statistical. Bad, because they played to lose, deserved to lose, and would have lost any other week in the NFL. And ugly, because other than the three beautiful plays on which they scored, there was not one redeeming feature about the offense, the defense, or the weather. (Todd Saeurbrun’s punts probably saved the game, but unless you’re an Australian you can’t call a punt a beautiful thing now can you?) But it’s like Plummer said after the game – at the end of the year all you remember is the W.

It was a bizarre victory yesterday for Denver, which fit perfectly with bizarre games across the league. The theme: geriatric quarterbacks turning back time to do the unthinkable. Example #1 - Vinny Testaverde came out of retirement, anointed his 41-year-old body with Icy-Hot, and led the hapless Jets to a victory over the supposedly indomitable Tampa Bay Bucs. Example #2 – Drew Bledsoe, who couldn’t find his way out of the pocket if you spotted him a compass, a map, and a team of sherpas, played like Joe Montana, Dan Marino, and Warren Moon all rolled into one. He flipped the moribund ball-control offense of the Cowboys on its head and turned the formerly steadfast Eagles team into jelly. Example #3 – Brett Favre and the Packers scored 52 unanswered points, completely baffling the New Orleans Saints, most of the football-watching world, and probably even themselves. Half of the Packers were injured before the game, and the other half dropped like flies as the team piled on the points. Green Bay might not win another game this season, they might have to start recruiting players from local high schools, but this game was one for the ages.

But back to the Broncos. Tatum Bell ushered in the latest running back controversy by going crazy and rushing for about a million yards, scoring about a thousand touchdowns, all the while kissing babies and performing miraculous healings. Mike Anderson who? At the rate his career is progressing, Anderson just might be rested up enough to play into his early 60’s. There’s no way to tell which RB is going to get yards. If Barbara Bush could sneak into the backfield and break a 20+ yard run, I suspect that Mike Shanahan would give her the ball 20 more times just to ride the hot streak. On a day when the Clinton Portis/Champ Bailey trade was in full relief, the Broncos showed why they were able to get rid of someone as potentially great as Portis. Virtually any back with even marginal talent can thrive in the Denver running game (except Maurice Clarett who is probably hiding out right now in Saddam Hussein’s old bunker). I just don’t get it. The Broncos offensive line are a bunch of over-aged, under-sized, soft-spoken fellows who work miracles week after week, season after season. Alex Gibbs is no longer with the team, and the Broncos are still one of the best running teams in the league. How can this be? What crazy government-testing is going on the Broncos locker room? It’s better not to ask too many questions. It’s better just to let it be.

I for one am worried about the defense. After three weeks of destroying opponents, they nearly turned Mark Brunell into aged-quarterback-works-wonders-Example #4. Portis had over 100 yards, Brunell more than tripled Plummer’s passing numbers, and the defense looked soft during Washington’s last drive. The Broncos stole one they should have lost, and there is absolutely no way they can play the same way and win against New England next week. The Patriots are too good. They are too smart. And they don’t lose when other teams play lousy. If the Broncos suck it up next week, the Patriots will send them to the locker room drenched in vomit, with battered bodies and shattered egos. I never think the Broncos are going to lose, but after yesterday’s debacle it’s not looking too good right now.

But like any good Broncos optimist, I’ll take the Donkeys over the Pats 34-27.

Another One Bites the Dust

2005-10-03T13:17:00.000-06:00

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t stand a chance yesterday. They were completely dominated in every aspect of the game, except perhaps special teams where Elam missed two consecutive field goals for the first time in memory. The Broncos running game flourished. The passing game, while not exactly reminiscent of the glorious Manning brothers, worked its West Coast magic. The defense looked as dominant as ever, even without starting cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Darrent Williams. And for the first time this season, the Mastermind finally lived up to his nickname.

It was such a dominating win that I had to take several Tetris game breaks just to ease the monotony of Jacksonville’s inability to move the ball. I wonder if this was how Baltimore Ravens fans felt during their defensively-inspired Super Bowl run a few years back. A sack here, no big deal. An interception there, old news. Total defensive domination, saw it last week. For the first time in a long time I didn’t have to hold my breath at any point in the Broncos win. The season’s 25% over, and I’m feeling a lot like I did so long ago when the Broncos won those Super Bowls. I no longer have to check my blood pressure at half time. Except for the debacle in Miami, I haven’t been inspired to throw things at the TV. I can confidently pick the Broncos to win every week which makes me a happy gambler.

But the skeptic in me still finds a way to make it presence known. After all, the season is only 25% over. There are still 12 more games against a bevy of impressive opponents. Up next week are the Washington Redskins. Despite playing horrifically for the first 7 quarters of the season, the Redskins are amazingly undefeated. Their offense is starting to click with Mark Brunell at quarterback, and Joe Gibbs’ teams have always had strong defenses. Fortunately the Broncos will be retiring Steve Atwater’s number during halftime, and perhaps the ghost of his big hits will further inspire the Denver defense to play tough against the Redskins. Since it’s a home game, and since the Broncos have been crushing opponents the last two weeks, I predict another victory. Broncos over the Redskins – 27-17.

The defense seems to have come together as a unit. Next week, the offense needs to work on perfecting itself. The Broncos are capable of putting up 30+ points against the Redskins but it’ll be up to Shanahan to put together another dominant game plan and Plum and Posse to minimize mistakes and capitalize on big plays. I’m high on Plummer right now. Right now, he’s playing as well as he ever has. Here’s hoping he can kick it up a notch.

Hooray for the Drubbing

2005-09-28T13:54:00.000-06:00

Nothing brings me greater pleasure than to write about a Broncos victory over the Chiefs. You see, I dislike the Chiefs. I dislike their quarterback. I dislike their two-headed backfield. And I dislike their weepy-eyed coach. It wasn't always this way. For a long time I felt rather neutrally about the Chiefs. Sure they were division rivals, but back then so was Seattle and I didn't care about them either. Steve DeBerg was their quarterback and he wasn't as good as Elway so I didn't care. Christian Okoye was their running back but Steve Atwater knocked him down so I didn't care. But then they went and got Joe Montana. And in what may go down as one of the greatest games ever, an aging Joe Montana and the Chiefs drove the field with less than two minues left and beat the Broncos. Montana's heroics came after Elway had already driven the Broncos down the field for a late-game score of his own and a seeming come from behind victory. Plus, all this was after the Super Bowl demolition of the Broncos at the hands of Montana and Rice. After that night I vowed to dislike the Chiefs from then on. And I still do.

So it was with a triumphant feeling in my heart that I stood in the South stands as the clock ticked down on the Broncos drubbing of the Chiefs on Monday night. I let out a might roar with what was left of my voice and slapped hands with the season-ticket holders around me. The Broncos had completely beaten the Chiefs. They allowed one of the top-ranked offenses in the NFL only three points (that last touchdown was a gimme). They shut down one of the league's greatest rushers. And they fed-exed a box of kleenex to the opposite sideline for Coach Dick Vermeil. It was amazing. Going into the game I thought it was going to be close. I thought it would go down to the wire. But by halftime the Broncos had asserted their dominance. The Chiefs didn't stand a chance.

It was nice to see Jake Plummer play a solid game. Though his stats weren't great, he didn't make any mistakes. He controlled the offense more smoothly than Alan Greenspan conducts the Federal Reserve. And that's exactly what the Broncos needed. He hit the open guy when he needed to. He avoided the rush without making a rash throw. And he scampered into the endzone to punctuate a convincing victory. It was awesome.

The defense was even better. They picked up where they left off in San Diego. The Chiefs couldn't rush. Trent Green's passes were routinely rushed and often fell far short of their intended distinations. Even though we're only three games into this season, the Broncos defense looks like one of the best in the league if not the best altogether. Of course, someone should put a tab by this statement and remind me of it again in December when it matters. But right now, Broncos fans should celebrate the fact that their defense is winning games. I guarantee that offensive coordinators around the league are paying attention to the Denver D. Everyone should be paying attention. Of course this might change if the results of Champ Bailey's MRI come up positive. But even if that happens, the rookie CB's are playing incredibly well. This might be the start of something amazing.

The Broncos face another quality team next week when they play the Jaguars in Jacksonville. The Jags defense is playing almost as well as the Broncos, and Byron Leftwich is slowly becoming one of the better QB's in the league. After Monday, some might see the Chiefs defense as posers. They were just pretending to be good. The Jags D aren't posers at all. They're the real thing. It'll be up to Shanahan and Plummer to find a few chinks in Jacksonville's armor. But I'm betting they will. I'll take the Broncos 17-13 over Jacksonville.

Many Thanks

2005-09-27T11:50:00.000-06:00

Thank you to the wonderful person who gave me a ticket to the Monday Night Drubbing of the Chiefs. It was awesome!

Bastardly Fans

2005-09-25T17:17:00.000-06:00

I belong to a football pool. Every week members pick the winner of each game. We do it for fun. We do it for laughs. We also do it for cash. This week I noticed that several of the folks have picked KC over Denver in the Monday night game. I know that many of the folks in this pool, if not all of them, live in Denver, which means ipso facto that they should be Broncos fans. Yet these insensitive bastards don't even have enough faith in their home-town team to pick them in the pool. Well guess what? I picked the Broncos. I picked them as a fan, and I picked them 'cause they're the better team. And if they win, then I might just get all the cash. And no, oh faithful readers, I won't be buying them drinks with my money. So there!

Are You Ready...?

2005-09-23T21:09:00.000-06:00

Well, are you? 'Cause it's gonna be awesome. Monday Night Football. Broncos vs. Chiefs. Be there or be square.

Daily Update - The Mysterious Q

2005-09-22T10:08:00.000-06:00

The Broncos recently dropped kicker Paul Ernster in order to re-sign Quentin Griffin. The Broncos should have dropped Ernster a long time ago and given his roster spot to someone more deserving, but I'm wary of the move to resign Q. I don't know how much playing time he'll get Monday night against the Chiefs (I suspect it won't be much), but his effectiveness against even adequate defensive lines has always been questionable. And the Chiefs defense is a vast improvement over last year's failed squad. If Anderson and Tatum Bell are hurt, I suspect the Broncos will run Ron Dayne a lot and maybe through Q in to mix it up once in a while. However, despite the recent newscasts which insist on mentioning Q's big game against the Chiefs last year, I don't think there's a chance Q or anyone else will repeat those types of numbers against the Chiefs this time. The Broncos face another physical team. If the offense sputters there's little chance the defense will dominate Trent Green, Tony Gonzales, Priest Holmes, and Larry Johnson the way they did the Chargers. My fingers are crossed once again...this time on both hands.

Raise Your Fist in Triumph

2005-09-20T11:29:00.000-06:00

The Broncos won! Break out the booze and start dancin'. Yes, it was just the second game of the season. And yes it was against a team who lost their opener in the final minutes and look on the brink doom. But to all you sayers-of-nay, I remind you that it was against a division rival, the division rival who happened to win the division last year and looked poised to repeat. Let us not be jaded by disturbing facts that might interrupt our reverie.

The truth is this: In the second half, the Broncos' defense put on as impressive a display of defensive prowess and brilliance as you're likely to see this football season. They dominated, they demolished, and they just plain owned San Diego. Pedro Martinez would quickly have declared that the Denver Defense was San Diego's Daddy. Big Daddy, indeed. Despite the offensive ineptness of The Plum and his Posse, the defense was poised to not only take the lead but to win the game for the Broncos. At a time when the offense could hardly be called such, the defense was the defense, the offense, and the heart of soul of the Broncos team. If this is a preview of things to come, I'm totally pumped about learning defensive terminology and explaining to all my devoted readers the intricacies of the two-deep zone (which is really self-explanatory). Repeat after me, "Defense Wins Championships."

But the sayers-of-nay can't just sit quietly in the corner, drink their punch, and keep to themselves can they? No, they feel obligated to remind us of all the errors and stupidity - The special teams TD called back by excessive celebration - The touchdown nullified by a penalty - The field goals missed by one of the greatest kickers ever. Hush! Hush, I say again, to all you sayers-of-nay and prognosticators of doom. The Broncos are here to stay. The defense will pick up where it left off and squish Priest Holmes, scrunch Larry Johnson, and masticate Trent Green - all on Monday Night Football. I'm ready...

Charging Home

2005-09-17T14:11:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow's game may set the tone for the rest of the season. Another loss and the Broncos spend the rest of the year fighting for both respectability and the playoffs, neither of which they'll get. But if they win against the Chargers, they show the rest of the league that the opening game was a fluke and that they're legit. It won't be easy though. Under Marty Schottenheimer, the Chargers have become a higher quality team. Like the Patriots, the Chargers work hard on minimizing mistakes, playing hard on both sides of the ball, and never backing down. Drew Brees isn't the kind of quarterback that's going to kill you - at least not yet. LT is another story. He's the best RB in football and probably the best offensive player in the game right now. If the Broncos can shut him down, then they have a chance. The Broncos can't blow out the Chargers, but they can muck out a win. But if the Broncos don't assert themselves early the Chargers just might demolish them. Brees and Co. are coming off a tough loss in Dallas and have as much to prove as the Broncos. Plus they'll get Antonio Gates back for the first time this season. Gates isn't dominating but he can change the game in a flash. I'm crossing my fingers on this one.

HOMAGE TO GONZO

2005-09-14T10:29:00.000-06:00

In lieu of a Broncos Update, which seems highly unnecessary and downright depressing at this point, and in light of the improbable victory Sunday by the San Francisco 49ers, which happened to be Hunter S. Thompson’s favorite team, I would like to offer a tribute to the founder of Gonzo journalism in the mold of his old ESPN.com columns which were so entertaining even if, and especially when, they weren’t entirely about sports.

Had the gun decided to jam on the fateful day, we would all no doubt be reading about the glorious return of the San Francisco 49ers to respectability. And after their victory over the revamped Rams, it is hard to deny that such respectability is close at hand, though a single victory in the first week of the season hardly means that the 49ers are respectable. It just means that they can’t be called lousy, which unfortunately is a fairly apt adjective for the Broncos at the moment. But it should come as no surprise that a team coming out the glorious Bay Area should prompt adjectives such as respectable, decent, even hard-working. Having been to San Francisco, I can easily say that it was one of the most delightful cities in the country, and it made me proud to be an American. Yes it’s true. In a day and age when red states outnumber the blue ones, when Republicans are doggedly fighting to legislate love and all but deport homosexuals while failing to provide adequate relief to the mostly lower-income residents of hurricane-damaged areas in the South, I can honestly say that San Francisco stands as a beacon of hope not only for struggling NFL franchises like Detroit and Miami but for the whole wretched state of affairs in our country.

I have close friends and relatives who don’t read the Broncos Update because they are not interested in sports. I’m always trying to convince them that sports itself is rarely about sports at all, something Thompson seemed to know intuitively. Instead sports is about everything else. Witness the outpouring of support by Carolina fans when the New Orleans Saints took the field. And when New Orleans beat the heavily-favored Panthers in their own stadium there was even applause from the hometown fans. In a time when many professional athletes play for themselves, the members of the Saints found a much more powerful motivation in playing for the displaced citizens of their ravaged city. For this weekend at least, in whatever Carolina the Panthers come from, sports was not about sports or even about winning. It was about something more important, more special than either of those things.

But for 49er fans, football this weekend was about sports and it was about winning. Normally, despite being at odds with Dr. Thompson, I would spit out some venom over the quick turnaround of the 49er organization. After all, I had to wait nearly a decade for a Nuggets turnaround, and the 49ers humiliated the Broncos on more than one occasion, though the Super Bowl debacle was enough humiliation for a lifetime. No, on this occasion I feel obligated to raise my fist in quiet celebration of the 49er victory and all it could or even might mean for a country in turmoil. Mahalo!

Beaten Like A Dog

2005-09-11T18:26:00.000-06:00

Though further analysis of the complete drubbing is forthcoming, let me just say that the Broncos looked absolutely inept. On offense, the passing game was virtually non-existent, the run-game broke down as soon as Anderson left, and the play-calling was completely bumbled. Mastermind my ass. Despite the result, the defense didn't play that bad. Unfortunately they were on the field way too long, which led to injuries, dehydration, and eventual breakdowns. Mike Anderson's early departure may have cost the Broncos more than anyone suspected. A final thought - Why didn't Shanahan bring in Ron Dayne? At least he could have banged for a couple of first downs and given the defense some rest. Pitiful, pitiful, pitiful.

In The Cut

2005-09-04T15:30:00.000-06:00

The Broncos made final cuts yesterday. Quentin Griffin and Matt Mauck are out. Jerry Rice made the team but won't be the #3 receiver, which may signal retirement for the greatest ever. I hope he decides to stay. His work ethic alone is enough to keep him on as a player-coach. Griffin may catch on somewhere else, but former Broncos runners tend to struggle in other systems. He might just disappear into the silent mist from which he appeared. Matt Mauck, however, may soon be a starter in Florida or #1 backup to the mercurial Joey Harrington. The Broncos want him for the practice squad, but the guy played too well not to be claimed off waivers. I think he's a better passer than Van Pelt and has the potential to be a starter on any number of teams. It's too bad the Broncos couldn't find a way to keep him. However, the Broncos were able to keep inconsistent rookie kicker Paul Ernster, prompting many, including myself, to wonder what the heck they were thinking. Alas, the fool and the wise man often walk side-by-side

The Broncos also found a way to keep six receivers and five tight-ends, but only two back-up offensive linemen. This fits perfectly with the twisted logic of making Jake Plummer a great QB. Plummer has always done better under pressure, outside the pocket, and generally running around like a decapitated chicken. Perhaps the Broncos have found a way to capitalize on this by starting four offensive linemen and six receivers/tight-ends. In such a line-up (tentatively dubbed the "What the @$#%" by confused defensive players), opposing team will find it easy to put pressure on Plummer, and Plummer, in improvised mad dashes designed to avoid getting squished by large, angry, ill-tempered fellows, will inevitably complete 70% of his passes to an array of receivers and have a TD/turnover ratio of 10/1, far surpassing his own mediocre career numbers as well as the numbers of any other quarterback in the league, en route to his first MVP award and Super Bowl victory.

Or, he'll just be mediocre again this year. You can never tell in the NFL.

(Here's hoping that Mike Anderson dominates and Plummer doesn't have to do much of anything other than hand-off and not fumble.)

The Broncos face Miami next Sunday in their season opener. Miami has so many offensive problems that their potential starting QB was just cut by the Broncos. But Miami's defense has always been good. Unless Plummer evokes memories of Joe Montana (Bronco fans would probably be okay with memories of Jim McMahon), expect a defensive-oriented, grind-it-out kind of game. Mike Anderson might need 30 touches to go over 100 yards, but he'll get a touchdown or two. My prediction - Broncos 24, Miami 10.

Daily Thought

2005-08-26T17:52:00.000-06:00

The Broncos play the Colts this Saturday night in what might be the only meaningful preseason game. Here's a few interesting things to look for:
1) Mike Anderson will play the first quarter, Tatum Bell the second, Ron Dayne the third, and Quentin Griffin will probably play most of the fourth unless Maurice Clarett's ego...uhh, er I mean groin, is healed enough to take a few snaps. The Broncos will probably keep the first three backs on the roster in the order I listed them. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Griffin. Right now he is potential trade bait. As for Clarett, right now he is the fifth-string HB, which basically means he's a big fat nothing as far as football is concerned.
2) Jake Plummer is ready to prove critics wrong and take the Broncos deep into the playoffs. But who will back him up? Van Pelt is green around the ears and Matt Mauck is about the most ordinary player on the roster. The Broncos will probably keep three quarterbacks, and Saturday might very well determine who backs up Plummer and who runs the scout team in practice. And let's not forget that other guy...you know the one, he backed up Plummer last year. Whatever happened to him? Danny Kanell = trade bait.
3) The Browncos defensive line and the secondary are the main reason that most analysts ripped Denver's off-season makeover. Champ Bailey won't play much if at all, so Saturday will determine whether any of the cornerback draftpicks will impact the regular season. There are still some open spots and backup positions on the D-line and look for some players to try and secure roster spots on the D-line.
4) Finally, after Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie, the status of the Broncos receiving corps is constantly in flux. Will Darius Watts take the third spot from Rice, as was originally planned, or will he drop even further, say to the practice squad? Will the ever-exciting Todd Devoe make the team? How about Charlie Adams? And whatever happened to Triandos Luke? One of these guys will be cut by next week, and it won't be Jerry Rice.

So, tune in next week to the Broncos Update where all these questions and more will be answered with a flare and panache unmatched by most sports bloggers.

Bronco Update - Cliff's Notes Version

2005-08-23T14:00:00.000-06:00

-The Broncos won another preseason game against a crappy team.
-Whoop-te-do!
-Bradlee Van Pelt can't throw worth crap.
-Which is okay since Darius Watts can't catch worth crap.
-Perhaps they can spend the entire season working on fundamentals.
-On the practice squad.
-If I'm Mike Shanahan, I raise both Charlie Adams and Todd Devoe above Watts on the depth chart.
-They had some incredible plays on Saturday.
-Plus, they appear to have mastered football fundamentals.
-Unfortunately it probably won't help.
-Maybe the Broncos can convince Tim Brown to come out of retirement...
-It will be interesting to see who wins the starting running back job.
-And it would be a huge mistake to take the running-back-by-committee approach.
-Huge mistake.
-Besides, one of the backs will probably get hurt anyway.
-I, for one, like Mike Anderson.
-He's faster than he gets credit for and doesn't fumble the ball.
-Plus, if he's the starting back then I get to make a bunch of marijuana jokes every week.
-Tatum Bell just doesn't look that exciting.
-But Ron Dayne does.
-We should keep him.
-Let him put in some time at halfback, fullback, and team enforcer.
-The defensive line put a lot of pressure on San Fran's QB.
-Unfortunately it was rookie Alex Smith.
-He's a happy little deer frozen in the headlights of a fleet of Mack trucks.
-He's going to have a long year
-It may jack him up permanently.
-And no wonder - I saw an interview and the kid looks like he just got out of middle school.
-The offense looked good.
-But not good enough to score 30 or more points.
-The defense looked average.
-Average enough to give up 20+ points.
-Which against the Colts in the playoffs would equal 45+ points.
-But like I said - Preseason games don't mean crap.

-Article links on the death of Thomas Herrion:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9040036/

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_2964530

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_2964531

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/sports/sports-nfl-obesity.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2140743

Daily Thought - how special for you who visited today!

2005-08-18T15:35:00.000-06:00

Jerry Rice is now the third-string receiver for the Broncos. While I love Jerry Rice, and while he is unarguably the greatest receiver in the history of the game, not to mention an intelligent athlete worthy of being a role-model, I think it might just be a harbinger of ill-tidings when your third best receiver is over 40 years old and had to be talked out of retirement. Could someone please lend a bottle of stickum to Darius Watts? Watts is tall, fast, and gets open. He just can't catch the ball - a minor prerequisite for being an NFL receiver. Please, Darius Watts, catch the ball!!!

Absurdity Grips Broncoland!

2005-08-15T13:55:00.000-06:00

If the Existentialists were right and the world really is characterized by its absurdities, then the preseason football schedule might just be the epitome of the absurd. I recently perused both local and national coverage of the Broncos preseason victory over the Texans, and behind the myriad of stories and speculations there is a solid base of nothingness. Saturday’s game, which was exiting and fun, did not really show Bronco fans any hint of what might come this season. This is true, and feel free to repeat after me, because the first three preseason games mean nothing. The last preseason game has some value, but the first three are utterly useless. They are primarily a source of revenue for greedy stadium owners. They also let marginal players and draft picks get some face time before being shipped to the bench or practice squad for a year or two to learn the system. Honestly, other than the running back position which is a revolving door, when has Mike Shanahan ever started a draft pick over a veteran or free agent? He tried it once with Brian Griese and we all know what a debacle that was. Nope, preseason games are about revenue, hype and little else.

However, fans must root for something, sports writers must write about something, and Stephen A. Smith needs a foundation upon which to make ridiculous claims, however intriguing they might be. So let’s jump in head first and examine the absurd!

First, Bradlee Van Pelt, local college hero, played well enough to justify Shanahan’s crazy decision to bump him up to second on the depth chart. He’s an exciting player who showed both athleticism and intelligence while playing against other second-stringers in a meaningless game. I’m not trying to be hard on the guy – I think he’s great and I hope he sticks around for a while – but let’s not start a quarterback controversy just yet. Matt Mauck also played well and despite Danny Kanell’s apparent banishment to obscurity, or worse Phoenix, Kanell is a solid back-up who knows the Bronco offense better than the other two. Besides, if memory serves me Plummer didn’t miss a game last year. And barring a horrible injury, he probably won’t miss a game this year either since this season is equivalent to a contract year. Plummer will be gone unless the Broncos advance in the playoffs. Until then, Van Pelt’s success in the first preseason game against second-stringers and rookies doesn’t mean squat.

Second, and probably the biggest wad of nothing so far, is the running back situation. Mike Anderson didn’t do much, but like Ricky Williams he had an entire year off to recuperate and listen to the Doobie brothers. Not much of a story there. Tatum Bell wasn’t a shining star either, and unless someone spreads some stick-um to his gloves he won’t be challenging for starter anytime soon. Ron Dayne, a guy you’d hate to meet in an alley, pulled a Van Pelt and looked awesome against rookies and second-stringers. But, he’s definitely a guy to keep an eye on. He’s got a good year coming sometime, and Shanahan might just be the coach to get him to the ProBowl. As for Quentin Griffin – who knows? He’s short, quiet, and a man of mystery. Like Barry Sanders, the back whose running style he draws comparisons to, he doesn’t say much and might disappear to France at any given time. Playing running back for the Broncos is a tricky proposition – the better you run the more expendable you become.

Finally, there’s the great defensive transplant experiment. Can one man uproot a defensive line that was last in rushing, take them to a new city, and turn them into an elite unit? I don’t think anyone knows the answer to that question. But the point is that it’s a stupid question in the first place. The Broncos played well against the run last year, and with Trevor Pryce returning from injury they’ll probably rank in the top five again this year. Unless they’re either completely inept or completely brilliant, the Browns transplant won’t really help or hurt the Denver frontline. The real problem is the secondary. Despite the additions of Champ Bailey and John Lynch who both went to the ProBowl last year, the Broncos secondary continues to be the weak link. If he’s healthy, Lenny Walls might help a lot, but his health has always been the problem. The rookies might be good a year or two from now, but rookie cornerbacks always get burned their first year. It’s part of the adjustment from college to the NFL.

And so the question remains: can the Broncos secondary take them past a first round blowout in the playoffs? We’ll find out soon enough. With two games each against the Chiefs high-powered offense, the Raiders revamped offense featuring Randy Moss in a pass-happy system, and the Chargers offense featuring tight-end extraordinaire Antonio Gates, the Broncos secondary has their work cut out for them.

But you already knew this. Saturday’s game didn’t change a thing. It was a just a brief foray into the vast absurdity that is professional sports in America. Here’s to the regular season – may it arrive quickly and full of promise.

-email any questions or comments to Marc-Paul at marcpauljohnsen@gmail.com

2005-08-09T16:56:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Bronco Update Blog!

I'll be adding the first Bronco Update in a matter of days. Thanks for checking it out.