SB Nation - LaMont Jordan

Oakland Raiders Postgame Recap: Raiders 20, Broncos 19

Rated-R Superstar — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:43:37 -0000

Yes, Charlie Frye was the guy going into this one. No, he wasn't the last one standing. [via cdn1.sbnation.com]

It thankfully wasn't JaMarcus Russell getting the start under center. Instead, it was Charlie Frye getting the start at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders today as they hoped to put a minor dent into the the Denver Broncos' playoff hopes. Little did we know that both Russell and Frye would play a role in deciding the outcome of today's game. The Raiders (4-9) and the Broncos (8-5) met earlier this year in Oakland in which Denver prevailed convincingly. Last year in Denver, however, it was Oakland who came away with a shocking 31-10 victory. This time around, let's see how the two bitter rivals went at each other. Anything can happen in a rivalry game between two original AFL franchises.

Michael Bush made his only carry in the first quarter worth an important six points. [via a.espncdn.com]

First Quarter: The Broncos began the game kicking it off to the Raiders. Not surprisingly, the ineffective Gary Russell was returning kicks. He took a knee, though, and the kick into the end zone actually benefited us. Charlie Frye, a 6-14 record as a starter, took the field and threw an incomplete pass on the first play. Out of the power-I, Justin Fargas gained a few yards on the next play. Needing seven yards, a six-yard pass to Chaz Schilens brought out the punt team. Shane Lechler only managed a weak 45-yard punt right to Eddie Royal which was returned for not too many yards. On first down, the rookie out of Georgia by the name of Knowshon Moreno carried it to the right side and was tackled by Nnamdi Asomugha. On second down, Greg Ellis almost got to Kyle Orton and forced an incomplete pass off the deflection. A false start penalty on tight Daniel Graham set Denver back some more, and they needed 12 yards on third down. It didn't matter as Royal picked up more than enough to convert it. Utilizing the running backs effectively -- particularly Knowshon Moreno with just a little dash of Correll Buckhalter -- allowed the Broncos to move down the field nicely. A third down stop inside the 10 by the Raiders defense forced a chip shot field goal by Matt Prater. The Broncos had taken the early 3-0 lead. The second possession started with a four-yard pass from Frye to Schilens. A three-yard run by Darren McFadden made it a very, very manageable third down. The Broncos out of the blitz and despite being in a shot gun, Frye hurried the throw. It wasn't much a throw. The ball just sort of floated out there and Champ Bailey grabbed it easily out of the air. On Denver's first play on their next possession, Brandon Marshall made a 24-yard catch after running his route after being put in motion. Two plays later, the Broncos ran a screen to Ryan Clady which cost them yards thanks to a very nice tackle by Asomugha. A confusing penalty pushed the Broncos back to the 17 yard line. Kyle Orton was sacked by rookie Matt Shaughnessy on the next play, and then a screen play to Eddie Royal was stopped by Stanford Routt and company on the right side. Another Matt Prater field goal -- this one extra "boomy" -- gave Denver a 6-0 lead with just over four minutes to play in the first quarter. A dumb intentional grounding penalty cost the Raiders 15 yards and a down. Kenny Peterson squashed Fargas behind the line of scrimmage and it become third down and impossible. Another blah run and it was punt time once again. A 64-yard punt by Lechler, all of which came by of the leg, was returned for a mediocre gain by Kenny McKinley. Moreno continued to own us on the ground with a couple of more nice carries. A third down blitz forced an incomplete pass on coverage by, yes, Chris Johnson! Mitch Berger, who seem as if has been punting forever, booted a smashing 12-yard punt out of bounds. Oakland started at their own 34 yard line and Charlie Frye shocked the crowd with a 26-yard scamper on the left side after a play fake. That exciting play capped the first quarter at Invesco Field at Mile High.

Sebastian Janikowski dropped in a 54-yard field goal as he routinely does. [via a.espncdn.com]

Second Quarter: The second quarter began with Frye looking deep for Louis Murphy; however, it was incomplete although an illegal contact penalty gave the Raiders five free yards. Shortly, third down and long followed. A nice crossing pattern to Johnnie Lee Higgins picked up 12 yards and the first down as well. Then boom, I don't even know what just happened! Michael Bush, on his first carry of the game, goes 23 yards and in for the score. It's his first touchdown in nine games and a Sebastian Janikowski extra point gave Oakland a 7-6 lead early in the second quarter. Denver's next possession ended up with a punt after a first down. Mike Mitchell knocked down Orton after bringing the blitz on third down. Higgins returned the punt for a decent gain and the Raiders had good field position. After some plays, Elvis Dumervil grabbed Charlie Frye's facemask and was called for a roughing the passer penalty. A 15-yard penalty gave Oakland the ball at their own 48. A couple of run plays later made it third and manageable for Frye and company. Chased out of the pocket, Frye threw off of his back foot and hit Murphy on the right side. It was a great effort by both parties. Josh McDaniels threw out the challenge flag, but it only cost him a timeout in the end. The ruling on the field stood as originally called and Oakland had a first down at Denver's 41 yard line. McFadden picked up three yards on a carry to the left side as we Raider fans collectively as a bunch were wondering where Michael Bush was. Anyway, the game must go on. A one-yard pass from Frye to Luke Lawton on a play-action made it third down and six yards to go. Ah, now Bush is in the backfield. Out of the shot gun, Frye fired down the field to Schilens. It appeared as if Schilens had come down with it, but Denver's Tony Carter wouldn't give up on the play and made a nice play on the ball. Janikowski squeaked in a field goal to give the Raiders had a 10-6 lead over the Broncos. Denver opened up their next drive with what's been working well and that's been Knowshon Moreno's legs. A six-yard carry was all very well, but then Tyvon Branch blew the next one up in the backfield. An incomplete pass intended for LaMont Jordan set up a punt and a bunch of booing from the home crowd. A punt gave it back to Oakland, but it backed them up 15 yards after the Higgins return because of an illegal block in the back penalty on Sam Williams. According to commentator Steve Tasker, a former special teams specialist, claims there was no illegal block in the back. It didn't matter what he thought, however. A timeout was burned by Frye before the first play was run. Brandon Myers, filling in for the injured Zach Miller, made his first catch of the game for a decent gain. Michael Bush finally got a carry after his 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter and it was good enough for a first down. Frye was having communication problems with his helmet, so he ran over to the sidelines to get the play yelled at him. Andra Davis almost picked off Frye on the next play. Whew, that was close. Another near-turnover happened on the next play as Bush lost it; however, left tackle Mario Henderson was able to pick it up. A third down draw to Bush goes for 13 yards and Denver's defense had no idea. A solid run by McFadden took us to the two-minute warning. In good position for points, the Raiders looked to forge ahead some more. A nice throw from Frye to Murphy picked up a good chunk of yards and yet another 13-yard run by Bush took it to Denver's 16 yard line. Tony Stewart got into the act a few plays later with his first catch of the game. The Broncos got their stop on third down and the Raiders were confined to just three points. Janikowski booted through his second field goal of the day and Oakland had a 13-6 lead over Denver. Using up 22 seconds, the Broncos had three incomplete passes and then a short little pass over the middle to Jabar Gaffney. Tom Cable used his final timeout and forced the Broncos to at least bring out the punting unit. A 45-yard punt ended the half with Oakland on top over Denver by a 13-6 score. Oh, but wait as there was a penalty and so the Raiders got the chance to run one more play. A nice run for McFadden took us to halftime.

Honoring Chris Henry before the game, Brandon Marshall scored a touchdown during it. [via a.espncdn.com]

Third Quarter: The Broncos started the second half with the ball. A touchback by Janikowski plated Denver at their own 20. After picking up a first down, Kirk Morrison made a nice tackle in the open field to bring up a third down for the Broncos. Orton fired and completed it to Brandon Stokley as he, along with Tony Scheffler, made his first catch of the game on the opening drive of the second half. A 13-yard run by LaMont Jordan followed that as Hiram Eugene knocked him out of bounds. The Denver offense appeared to be firing on all cylinders as Orton hooked up with Eddie Royal in the middle of the field. A sense of urgency indeed from the Broncos offense, Gus Johnson. A big third down and long Denver could not convert thanks to a heavy blitz and great coverage by Chris Johnson. Matt Prater banged through his field third goal of the game and Oakland maintained their lead, with it now standing at 13-9. Oakland had the ball back and Frye hit Bush in the flat for a nice gain on the left side to pick up a first down. A toss to McFadden on the right side -- hey, McFadden in space -- picked up good yardage and even a first down in the process. Shaken up on the play was Champ Bailey, and he had to leave the game. A promising drive turned sour, however, with McFadden getting the ball stripped. Denver had it at midfield. A struggling offense has gained momentum just like that. On the first play, though, Asomugha blew it up in the backfield as he dropped Moreno for a four-yard loss. A stupid penalty on the other side of the field went against Stanford Routt and a third down and 11 turned into an automatic first down. A one-handed grab by Brandon Marshall gave the Broncos a first down and then he made another play all the way down to the Raiders' 19 yard line. Denver really took advantage of Marshall in this quarter when Asomugha wasn't on him. On a scamper by Kyle Orton, Tommy Kelly was down on the field with an injury. Some plays later, Orton hooked up with Marshall as Brandon was a yard deep in the end zone against a zone defense. Following that play, a fight occurred. I didn't see who exactly was involved, but it looked like Richard Seymour against some offensive linemen from Denver. Anyway, Denver cashed in on the McFadden fumble and the Broncos had scored 10 straight points to take a 16-13 lead late in the third quarter. Gary Russell finally got a chance to return a kick and it was actually a good one; however, penalty flag totally negated that one. It seems like the game is totally spiraling out now. A couple of sweet runs by Michael Bush -- including one of the 40-yard variety -- took the ball down to the 31 yard line of Denver's. Then, Darren McFadden had a huge run of his own that went for 28 yards on the left side. After a pair of one-yard Bush runs, the Raiders were still on the outside looking in with 28 seconds to go in the third quarter. On third down and needing a yard, another carry for Bush went nowhere but instead backwards. That ended the third quarter.

Yes, this is the correct reaction after JaMarcus Russell's performance. [via a.espncdn.com]

Fourth Quarter: To start the quarter, the Raiders were looking for the end zone. On fourth down, Cable elected to go for it. A fake dive and pitch to McFadden went for two yards, but was ultimately a yard short. Denver took over at their own one yard line. The defense stood firm, however, and Berger booted it to Higgins. A nice punt, Higgins backpedaled and was able to return it for some yards to his own 40 yard line. Carries by McFadden, Bush and then Bush again picked up a first down for the Raiders as they moved into Broncos territory. Frye dropped back to pass and was totally rocked by Andra Davis. Trying to get up to his feet under his own power, Frye just could not due to the impact of the hit. The trainers came onto the field and so, yes, JaMarcus Russell marched onto the field as we hung our heads. Where was J.P. Losman? An illegal shift penalty pinned the Raiders back even further. A run by Bush was followed up by a timeout. Let's have a recap within the recap for a second. Russell comes in and we have two men in motion at the same time, a weak run to the left side and then a timeout. Alright, so the run play wasn't on him. Still, you see what it's like with Russell in the game at quarterback instead of right tackle. Well, the next pass was totally short intended for Murphy and a five-yard spiking penalty on Louis brought out Lechler for a punt. The Broncos came out running it with Moreno and Jordan, and the Raiders are going to need a stop somehow to get the offense back out there. On the next play, a slant to Stokley went all the down inside he five as he beat Routt on that play. A horse collar penalty on Routt was tacked on. There was a bit of a delay afterward with some laser trouble in the crowd, but the game was continued. A stop on third down on the ground and a fourth down stop through the air held Denver to a field goal. After lasers and guys losing their pants, we had a bit of a scrummage after the field goal. It's all going down today. Just under six minutes remained with the Broncos on top, 19-13. A run by Bush and a four-yard reception by Schilens made it a very manageable third down for Russell. A low ball to Bush, that should have been caught, was dropped by Bush. The defense did their part, largely due to the sack, and Oakland was getting the ball back after the Denver punt. After a Higgins return, the Raiders had it at their own 38 yard line with still 3:29 to play. Russell was still the quarterback. On the first play, Cooper Carlisle had to scoop up a Russell fumble. God, we're doomed. Oh, but a flag on the next play on Andre Goodman gave the Raiders the ball in Broncos territory. A pass interference was rightfully called and new life had been granted. On second down, Russell was knocked out of the game. It's up to quarterback number three -- J.P. "Does He Even Know a Play?" Losman -- to save us now. After one incomplete pass by Losman, Russell was back in there. On fourth down, he fired it over the middle and it was caught by Tony Stewart who had enough for a first down. That took us to the two-minute warning. The first play out of it, Russell hit Stewart for nine yards. Following that, he found Schilens at the 10 yard line. Following an incomplete pass, an illegal contact penalty gave the Raiders an automatic first down at the five. There were 45 seconds to go in the game. Out of the shot gun, right tackle Cornell Green had a false start. That's pretty inexcusable. Still, it was a first down. Out of the shot gun, Russell dropped back to pass and has his arm hit as he he threw. The ball went out of bounds to the right. Then, on the next play, the impossible happened. Russell fires and it's caught by Chaz Schilens, his favorite target. With 35 seconds to go, the Broncos had just one timeout remaining. McKinley brought out the kick to the 21 yard line. Greg Ellis breaks through on the first play and sacks Kyle Orton while forcing a fumble in the meantime. After a second down incomplete pass, a deep ball to Brandon Marshall was broken up thanks to a huge hit from Michael Huff. A fourth down pass was completed to Brandon Stokley with about eight seconds to go; however, with no timeouts, Denver couldn't stop the clock. The game was over the Raiders had prevailed, 20-19, on the road over the Broncos.

The caption goes right here. [via cdn1.sbnation.com]

The Report Card: I'll give grades to the pass offense, rush offense, pass defense, rush defense and special teams. Of course, you're welcome to give your own grades in the comments.

Pass Offense: D+ -- When you only complete less than 50 percent of your passes and you throw for 115 yards with an interception, you don't even deserve a "D+" grade; however, when you lead your team down the field like that to win the game, there's a curve involved. I think this is even a little generous.
Rush Offense: A -- Michael Bush had a tremendous day on the ground and Darren McFadden was certainly very good himself despite just 12 carries. Overall, a touchdown to go along with a 7.1 yards per carry average is very nice. Getting that touchdown in the third quarter maybe would've bumped it up to an "A+" grade, but we'll take this one every single time out.
Pass Defense: B -- Brandon Marshall was contained to a degree and that's all you can really ask for against a great wide receiver. Nnamdi Asomugha covered him well, but Stanford Routt and Chris Johnson didn't. Overall, the heat was on Kyle Orton enough to make him uncomfortable back there at times.
Rush Defense: A- -- A bad start, yes, but the rush defense really put the clamps down. LaMont Jordan had a nice average, but Knowshon Moreno did absolutely nothing in the second half. This was probably our best game as a unit as far as the opposition's ground game goes.
Special Teams: B -- Maybe not a great return pursuit a few times and Lechler didn't have his best day, but overall, it was a really good effort. Gary Russell didn't get a chance to return too many, but Johnnie Lee Higgins was decent and Sebastian Janikowski didn't miss.

My Thoughts and Tidbits: Wow, that was a terrific ending. Who thought that Frye would get knocked out, Russell would get knocked out and then Losman would have to come in? Then, who thought Russell would come back in the game and then lead the team to a game-winning touchdown drive? Man, that was an incredible game. The defense really played hard. The defensive line brought the heat, the linebackers tackled and the defensive backs made plays all over the field. That's how you respond after a bad game, guys. Let's finally get two consecutive wins with us taking on the Cleveland Browns (3-11) next Sunday. Thank you, Oakland Raiders, for our early Christmas present.

Poll

Weekly Recap Poll: Who was the Oakland Raiders player of the game?

Oakland at Denver - Broncos Inactives

John Bena — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:49:28 -0000

Here are the Broncos Inactives for today's game against the Raiders - Kenny McKinley, LaMont Jordan and Peyton Hillis all active - is today the day Hillis gets some carries??

S Renaldo Hill
RB Correll Buckhalter
CB Ty Law
OL Seth Olsen
DT Chris Baker
WR Brandon Lloyd
DE/LB Jarvis Moss
QB Tom Brandstater (3rd QB)

Sunday Morning Scout--Oakland at Denver Edition

Jeremy Bolander — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:23:44 -0000

I take an inordinate amount of notes on the upcoming games throughout the week, culled from all of Doug's great links in Tracks, emails with local and not-so-local sportswriters and analysts, and a few rare gems that I manage to find the time to dig up myself.

I finally decided it was time to settle on a format and share the info with MHR, so bear with me if this seems clumsy or ham-handed in its first incarnation; as in any analysis, whether it is draft prospects or short yardage running games, the choice isn't "what do I include?" but, "what do I leave out?" Let's see how it goes. Welcome to Sunday Morning Scout, the best way to begin a Broncos Sunday: MHR style!

A clear playoff picture. Home division games.

With three weeks to go, this is pretty easy: beat Oakland and beat Kansas City, two sub-.500 teams whom Denver has beaten by double digits already this year.

Worst-case scenario if they do this is 10 wins, which can only be challenged by both Miami (7-6) and Baltimore (7-6) going 3-0 and having Miami's Strength of Victory clock in higher than Denver's. Denver currently owns the higher (adjusted for assumed wins and losses by the above scenario) strength of victory, and a little projective number crunching puts the remaining variables in Denver's favor by a slight 2-1 edge (out of 27 variable games Denver only requires 9 favorable outcomes compared to Miami's 18).

The NFL is a game of percentages over time, and those percentages say that in the above tiebreak scenario, Denver's slight advantage is all they need, so Denver's job is as clear as it has ever been: win division games at home. That was true on day one of the season, and it will still be true on day 119.

STRATEGY

Run/pass balance.

Denver pummeled the Raiders with an unbalanced 67% - 33% run/pass split earlier in the year. For that game, it worked out to 4.8 yards per play (45 total) on rushes and 6.8 yards per play (23 total) on passes. A 2-yard "passing premium" (a concept which represents the risk inherent in passing plays and shows up as the difference in avg yds/play for pass vs. rush) is rather high, and the indication is that a few more game-planned passes would have been highly effective in deepening the domination and blowing out the score completely. Thinking back, the reasoning behind NOT passing more was likely the slow start that our passing offense was experiencing with Kyle Orton's injured finger and the general learning curve of Josh McDaniel's offense.

Going into this game the expectation of the pundits is that Denver will attempt to re-enact their 200+ yard rushing game of Week 3, but in true amoeba fashion, McDaniel's first game-planning priority will be maximizing his yards per play from that matchup, and that means calling more passes, especially run-based passes like the playaction. With Oakland's strength languishing in the running game, and a "journeyman" QB under center, the expectation is for Oakland to attempt to run a risk-averse running scheme early, using short, high-percentage passes to backs Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden and a high percentage of running calls, probably designed to use clock and shorten the game. I would expect Denver to start the game with a slightly more risky package than we have become accustomed to seeing, in an attempt to setup some fantastic matchups in our running game and against their passing attack.

A huge key to what we will be seeing in this game will be to identify early just how risk-averse McDaniels is in the playcalling. With key injuries on offense and defense, he may not be willing to take any chances against Oakland. On the other hand, he may be comfortable with Knowshon Moreno and David Bruton, among others, and be willing to ride those guys. Confidence in the team right now will go a long ways if they make the playoffs, in terms of adding a dynamic that other teams must prepare for. The good news is that if they pass on that opportunity this week, they may well have another opportunity in the final week of the season to accomplish many of the same goals.

PERSONNEL

Moreno and the rock.

The good news about the likely addition of passes to the Broncos' gameplan is that their running corps could use a break. With Correll Buckhalter likely out, Moreno, LaMont Jordan and Spencer Larsen all playing at significantly less than 100%, and Peyton Hillis struggling to get on the field, this is very good news. Denver may be able to focus on keeping Moreno in the 20- to 23-carry range, where he was most effective in college. The calls for Knowshon to shoulder "a heavy workload" are a bit misplaced. If you can't use him effectively at 18 carries, you start to see diminishing returns afterwards. In college he averaged around 107 yards rushing per game (130 all purpose). He may reach and surpass that in the NFL, but it isn't a viable target to aim for. Focus on keeping him in a good range with his carries and let the rest take care of itself.

Clady vs Seymour, Seymour vs. Clady.

Ryan Clady ain't talking, and Richard Seymour is deflecting criticism of his hair-pulling stunt in Week Three, but for all intents and purposes this is probably a developing grudge match in Broncos-Raiders history. Clady and Seymour first met in 2008 when Seymour disrupted Clady's perfect rookie season with a half-sack in NE's blowout of Denver. When they met again, in Week Three in Oakland, after Seymour got, frankly, dumped by NE, a bit of frustration boiled over into a personal foul and fine when Clady dominated the matchup and caused Seymour to yank his Samson-like locks.

Now, with Clady fighting not only a generally slumping season for the O-Line in general, but his own personal slump within a slump where his expected level of consistent excellence seems just out of reach, and with Seymour needing to prove his professionalism in the face of what is looking like career murder in Oakland, this matchup may very well be one of the best in the game. With Daniel Graham staying in to help Tyler Polumbus, it would not be surprising for Denver to attempt to single Clady up against Seymour in the passing game, a high-risk, very high-reward scenario. Tied 1-1, let Round 3 of the Clady vs. Seymour grudge match begin.

Brandon Marshall vs Nnamdi Asomugha?

21 catches vs. $28.5 million. Pundits are already salivating over the matchup, and they should; it would be a matchup that would pit an immovable object against an irresistible force. Except it probably won't go down that way. To date, 90% of Oakland's coverage in the past two matchups has consisted of Chris Johnson on Marshall, and the results have been a workmanlike, if not effective total of 151 yards and 1 TD. A sizzling-hot Marshall against a slumping Johnson plays right into the game-planning hands of the Broncos, and for what it is worth, Johnson has basically noted that he can't stop Marshall from getting his receptions. "The key is stopping those plays after five or six yards and not letting him get further downfield," Johnson said. "The big ones -- the ones he makes 20 or 30 yards -- those are the ones that hurt you." If the Raiders are smart, they will assign Asomugha to shadow Marshall, and not leave that decision in the hands of the Broncos...

Another starter for Oakland at QB: out of the fire and into the Frye-ing pan?

First thing to note about Charlie Frye: he took a devastating situation and turned it into something positive once before. After being the first player in NFL history to be an Opening Day starter one week and traded the next (from Cleveland to Seattle), he immediately recognized a golden opportunity: the chance to study under Mike Holmgren, a Bill Walsh-descended QBing guru. "I wouldn't take that away for anything. If something happens to you, it makes you hungrier and keeps your eye on the prize as far as getting back on the field." The result is that he took a part of his game to a level he never even knew existed. He learned how to prepare himself, and as a result he has earned a reputation as one of the hardest working players in the Raider's locker room.

That has to be something Frye can build on as he prepares to be the second QB this year to leapfrog JaMarcus Russell for the starting job in Oakland. Bruce Gradkowski had salvaged a shred of respect for his team, and in the process had earned the respect of his teammates. When he went down, it was exactly that last shred of confidence which was threatened with extinction as well. Tom Cable's choice to bypass Russell was an attempt to maintain that thread of team unity, and it might just work.

Frye, who hasn't started a game since Oct. 12th of last year (12-of-23 for 83 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT), which was his only game in the past two years, has been found in the film room, in the gym and in the meetings, and rarely anywhere else. He had taken it upon himself to submit ideas for the offensive gameplan once Gradkowski was promoted to starter, and in the process had forcibly wedged himself into the game-planning session's give-and-take. When Russell's second demotion came down, and Cable announced that Frye would be the starter, within moments Frye had his position coach on the phone to go over the week's gameplan. He came in early the next day with a complete understanding of what it was that Oakland was going to try to do, as well as Denver's perceived strengths and weaknesses.

And while nobody is saying exactly what that plan is going to be, Denver should be playing close attention to how the offense ran under Gradkoswski, because they are going to attempt to do most of the same things. With the team expected to be firmly behind Frye, his biggest challenge may be getting enough of the rust off to be effective. Denver would be wise to bring pressure early and often.

Elvis Dumervil vs. Mario Henderson

Henderson is coming off of a disheartening performance where he allowed three sacks alone, and where his linemates surrendered JaMarcus to the wolves six times, overall. In an overall disappointing season, Henderson has been particularly poor, and his confidence seems decimated. With poor depth on the line, he is at serious risk of being DOOM's plaything in this matchup, and with DOOM in the neighborhood of a couple of fantastic individual achievements, he may be able to generate some momentum that gets out of hand. DOOM got 2 sacks in his first matchup with Oakland, and the Raiders give up a sack on average every 9 passing attempts, to rank near the very bottom rung of the NFL.

On the other side, DOOM has to be excited to see Frye again. The last time they faced off, when Frye was still a Brown, Elvis notched his first three-sack game. DOOM has never recorded more than two sacks a year against Oakland, so he will be shooting to break that trend in this game.

By The Numbers

#20

Look for this number on every Raiders offensive snap. For the Broncos it will be Brian Dawkins, and for the Raiders it will be Darren McFadden. Last week, Redskins safety LaRon Landry made the mistake of not consistently accounting for where #20 was on the field, and McFadden took advantage twice in the first half. Twice McFadden was split out wide and sent in motion, where he beat Landry on slants across the middle, the first time for a whopping 48-yard gain, and the second time for 26 yards. On the afternoon, McFadden caught three for 84, and should be expected to be moved around again to create matchups in space in the middle of the field.

It will be Dawkin's responsibility to close fast and break things up. If McFadden gets the ball in his hands out there, it is absolutely critical to make the tackle, easier said than done.

19-3

Kyle Orton's home record, best in the NFL since the 1970 merger. Kyle Orton needs to just be himself, and the Broncos can start working on the nice playoff bow to put on this present season.

4.5, 3.8, 3.1

That is the average rushing yards per carry for Oaklands top three runners. Lucky for Denver, Cable is too ignorant to use the 4.8, and Al Davis is too senile not to use the 3.1.

Michael Bush is the great secret of the Oakland offense - so great in fact, that even the Raiders don't seem to know about him. He is their only rusher to break 100 yards in the last 13 games. Despite seeing a significantly-reduced workload since the beginning of November, he maintained his average at 4.8, only to find himself without a single offensive touch in the blowout loss to the Redskins. Even the underwhelming fullback Gary Russell got two carries and two receptions. And even though Fargas averages almost 85 yards a game against the Broncos, you can count on McFadden being Al's choice. The insistence of drumming McFadden's low yards per carry into the gameplan, all in the name of "flow," is the antithesis to the Broncos' game-planning mentioned at the beginning of this article. The Raiders are essentially forcing their "passing premium" into the stratosphere, which forces them to take only the highest-risk passing options available, at the worst times. Well done, guys.

142

Number of rushing TDs allowed by the Raiders over the past 109 games, a stretch of futility unmatched in the history of the NFL, and leading to the worst record in the NFL over that same span: 28-81, an epically awful .257 winning percentage.

90 for 902

Number of penalties and penalty yards logged by the Raiders in 2009, with 3 games still to play. After spending the first half of the year playing uncharacteristically sound football, Oakland has imploded as of late, dropping from top ten to 25th in the league. In Washington alone they notched 14 penalties for 118 yards, including a backbreaking personal foul that essentially ended the 10-10 lock they were in. Oakland may be the only place I know of where a completely-collapsed structure can implode.

94-22

The score in Denver's wins against sub-.500 teams this year. My grandma called this "Making hay while the sun shines."

6 for 1000

Moreno is on pace for a 1,000-yd rookie season, and I for one couldn't be happier for him or the Broncos. He is the epitome of what I want the Broncos to look for in a football player - the kind of person who was described thusly by his coach at Georgia, and he meant every word of it: "Knowshon Moreno, I know when you get to watch the kid practice every day and see what he does, it gets you excited. He is a very vibrant guy. He could be a gymnast. You can't hide his enthusiasm for life. He will light up his team with his energy level. He will jump over a guy standing on his feet and score. He has got speed, power and agility. People have to respect his power. If (the defense) sends a guy full-speed to try and get him, Knowshon will make them miss."

If Moreno does acheive 1,000 yds, he will join some good company: 2002 Clinton Portis (1,508), 2000 Mike Anderson (1,487), 1999 Olandis Gary (1,159), 1989 Bobby Humphrey (1,151), 1995 Terrell Davis (1,117).

8,871

Number of consecutive snaps played by Casey Weigmann. An incredible strength and perseverance is required, and he may need that trait in spades as this line attempts to go from having a so-so season, to a terrific postseason.

Horse Tracks 12/16/09 - Broncos thin at running back and safety heading into game versus Raiders

Douglas A. Lee — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:29:55 -0000

DB - Shopping with the Broncos - Broncos TV

DB - Holiday Spirit Hits Store Shelves - Zach Eisendrath & Chris Gentilviso

DB - Wide Receiver Draws Wide Smiles - Zach Eisendrath & Chris Gentilviso

DPP - Broncos not yet willing to talk about playoffs - Lindsay Jones

DPP - Hurting Broncos wait to see which RBs can play - Jeff Legwold
"Correll Buckhalter left last weekend's loss at Indianapolis with an ankle injury and is not expected to play against the Raiders. LaMont Jordan has missed practice time in recent weeks with a back injury, and a battered Knowshon Moreno was moving rather gingerly after the Colts game."

DPP - Broncos' defense started too slowly vs. Colts, Peyton Manning - Jeff Legwold
"Russell, who was benched four weeks ago, was sacked six times, fumbled and threw an interception in a half of work against the Redskins on Sunday."

LTC - Happy Holliday - Brian Howell

LTC - Denver’s short-yardage woes against Colts bring RB Hillis back to mind - Brian Howell
"In the past three games, the Broncos have outscored their opponents 49-20 after halftime."

DPP - Analysis: Broncos on right path to succeed - Jeff Legwold
"It's a lot to ask for the Broncos to go from living life in the league's mediocre club, as they had done in 2006, 2007 and 2008, to cleaning house, to suddenly arriving as championship contender months later."

NYT - Doctor Who Treated Top Athletes Is Subject of Doping Inquiry
By now, you've probably heard about this guy due to his ties to Tiger. It's only mentioned briefly here, but Chris Simms (and Javon Walker) have both been treated by Dr. Galea. Folks, take a look at this guy's pictures and try to guess how old he is; the guy takes HGH. Once you find out his true age, you'll probably be a bit creeped out (as I was).

DPP - Broncos QB Simms among athletes treated by doctor who is under investigation - Mike Klis

NFP - Tavern talk: Smart decision by McDaniels - Mike Lombardi
"Most of the comments were, "Has he lost his mind? Why would he give the Colts a lead in the game?" My thought: It was brilliant and very perceptive, which is why McDaniels will win a Super Bowl in Denver."

DB - Record-Setting Day Brings AFC Award - Gray Caldwell

DB - Marshall Named AFC Player of the Week - Broncos TV

DPP - Q&A: Playoff tiebreakers ready for use - Jeff Legwold

CSG - Broncos in good shape for wild-card berth - Frank Schwab

CBS4 - Royal Compares Marshall's Dominance To Basketball - Matthew Buettner

AFC West News

ESPN - How I See It: AFC West Stock Watch - Bill Williamson

SDUT - Bolts’ soft ground defense put to the test - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Fans not voting many Chargers to Pro Bowl - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Scouting Report: Sputtering Bengals look to regroup on Sunday - Jay Posner

SDUT - Teams choosing to take a pass on running the ball are doing just fine - Tim Sullivan

KCS - Chiefs need to sell 5,500 tickets to avoid blackout - Randy Covitz

KCS - Haley doesn’t consider Cassel among Chiefs’ shortcomings - Kent Babb

OT - Raiders sign former Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman - Steve Corkran

NFL News

Y! - Doctor makes proposal for concussion prevention - Jason Cole

NYT - The N.F.L.’s Playoff Scenarios - Judy Battista

NFL - Holmgren meets with Browns over 'czar' of football job

NFL - Cowboys' Ware feels better, optimistic about playing vs. Saints

NFL - MRI shows no significant damage to Fitzgerald's knee

NFL - Panthers’ Delhomme expected to sit Sunday

NFL - Struggling Steelers will be without Kemoeatu, Polamalu vs. Packers

NFL Opinion

NFL - Colts, Saints, Vikings look to put poor home playoff history in past - Pat Kirwan

SN - To beat Colts, Saints, foes need to follow bold formula - Vinnie Iyer

NFL - Can Manning and Brees rest on their laurels and still be MVP? - Vic Carucci

CBS - Owner Irsay is block that Colts' winning engine is built on - Clark Judge

ESPN - Saints, Colts passing depth test - Len Pasquarelli

NFP - Diner morning news: Cards still inconsistent - Mike Lombardi

SN - Fearless (and Baseless) Playoff Prognostications - Michael Tunison

NFP - One more Pro Bowl vote for Redskins’ Fletcher - Matt Bowen

SI - Alex Smith's future with Niners depends on final three games - Peter King
"Well, I'll tell you this -- if Mike Shanahan gets the (Washington) job, he's bringing Bob Slowik in as defensive coordinator, and I'm pretty sure he'll use a draft choice to pick and then develop his long-term quarterback."

SI - Michael Oher to Lions, Percy Harvin to Chiefs - Don Banks
Banks works his 2009 Draft do-over, in which he's got Denver still taking Knowshon; at 18 he's got them selecting Louis Delmas over Robert Ayers. Judging by what he's written lately about the Broncos, I'm guessing Banks thinks Ayers is a bust because he lacks statistics...

CBS - Scared straight? McNair case has negligible impact on NFL infidelity - Mike Freeman

CBS - Defensive transition taking toll, challenges ahead for Patriots - Charley Casserly

FH - Palmer Says Arm's OK, So What's the Bengals' Problem? - Dan Graziano

FH - Between the Lines: Steelers O-Line Confused by Browns - JJ Cooper

FH - Lovie Smith Is Right: Bears' Final 3 Games Are Important - Michael David Smith

FOX - How mighty Giants defense has fallen - Adam Schein
As if FOX wasn't already an obnoxious enough product, they've now enlarged their fonts and their web presentations in general. How "In your face" can they get?!?!

ESPN - Emboldened critics target Moss - Howard Bryant

NYT - The Most Unlikely Playoff Participants in N.F.L. History - Chase Stuart
Interesting, although it brings up a pair of the worst Broncos memories of all time...

NFP - The high cost of preparing prospects - Jack Bechta

NFP - What Locker’s decision means for the draft - Wes Bunting

NFP - Coaching Carousel: How colleges should do it - Robert Boland

Power Rankings, Etc.

NYT - Passer Ratings: Bad and Worse - Luis DeLoureiro

Y! - Well-rested Winfield ready for stretch run - Mike Silver

CBS - Power Rankings: Unbeatens fattening up on cupcakes - Pete Prisco

ESPN - NFL Power Rankings Week 15

FH - NFL Power Rankings, Week 15: Vacating the Throne - Chris Burke

Broncos Inactives for Today's Game

John Bena — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:43:06 -0000

Here are the Inactives for today's Broncos/Chiefs game. No surprises here - the Broncos are healthy and ready to go!

QB Tom Brandstater
NT Chris Baker
OL Brandon Gorin
OL Seth Olsen
WR Brandon Lloyd
OLB Jarvis Moss
WR Kenny McKinley
RB LaMont Jordan

Chiefs Inactives include -

WR Mark Bradley
CB Donald Washington
LB Justin Rogers
G Andy Alleman
LB Pierre Walters
TE Jake O'Connell
RB Dantrell Savage
QB Matt Gutierrez (3rd QB)

Horse Tracks 12/3/09 - Harris, Jordan, Orton, Royal, Woodyard all practice; Dawkins sits another Wednesday out

Douglas A. Lee — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:42:45 -0000

DB - Week 13 - Wed: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Expect a Battle - Gray Caldwell
"For the Broncos, Brian Dawkins (ankle) was the only player who did not participate in Wednesday's practice. The five other players listed on the injury report -- Ryan Harris (toe), LaMont Jordan (back), Kyle Orton (ankle), Eddie Royal (thigh) and Wesley Woodyard (neck) -- all had full participation in the session."

DB - Finding His Footing - Chris Gentilviso
"I think one thing that has really helped is we have been kicking with a little skinnier than arena uprights in practice," Prater said. "So then when I go out there for the games, I look at the uprights and they look a lot wider. Just a mental (edge) too."

DPP - Matchmaking puts Bailey on defensive - Jeff Legwold
"So, instead of waiting for the action to come to the eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Nolan tries to put Bailey where the Broncos want the action to go. That is a departure from past years, when Bailey could spend entire games without two passes directed toward him."

DPP - Q&A: It's best for Champ to stay at corner - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Chiefs no long December darlings - Mike Klis
"The Chiefs have lost both of their home December games each of the past two years, and five of their past six."

DPP - Analysis: Moreno prepared himself for NFL grind - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Briefs: Orton-Marshall connection proves a big hit - Lindsay Jones

DB - Week 13 - Wed: Orton - Broncos TV

DB - Week 13 - Wed: Dawkins - Broncos TV

Inside the NFL - Broncos are back? - Video

DB - Pro Bowl Voting Update No. 2 - Gray Caldwell

DB - Much More Than Football - Mike Rice

CSG - Harris ready to return - Frank Schwab

CSG - Cassel was unwilling participant in Broncos drama - Frank Schwab

DPP - Chiefs' investment in Cassel falling short - Dave Krieger

DPP - Woody's Mailbag: Tiger and the truth

KDVR - Broncos trying to break December curse in KC - Chris Tanaka

AFC West News

KCS - Chiefs find using Charles a lot harder to avoid - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs notes: Team works with Niswanger on snaps - Kent Babb

KCS - Porter is a fascinating pickup by Chiefs - Randy Covitz

SDUT - Oliver making most of his time - Chris Jenkins

SDUT - Questions for Quinn, always - Chris Jenkins

SFC - If Raiders lose, it's time for Russell's Last Chance - Scott Ostler

SFC - Defense just as predictable as all the big plays it allows - David White

OT - Oakland Raiders remain headed for fall - Steve Corkran

Concussion News

NFL - Goodell issues memo changing return-to-play rules for concussions
This is a good start...

NYT - The N.F.L. Issues New Guidelines on Concussions - Alan Schwarz

NFL - Lewis' career likely over after he suffers post-concussion symptoms

NFL - Warner: 'I'm progressing' after missing one game with concussion

NFL - Eagles WR Jackson uncertain to play Sunday after concussion

SI - Playing through injuries part of NFL players' culture - Ross Tucker

USAT - 'Tough' NFL culture counter to league's fight vs. concussions - Jarrett Bell

SFC - NFL needs cultural shift on concussions - Gwen Knapp

NFL News

FH - Report: Seattle GM Tim Ruskell to Resign - Chris Burke

NFL Opinion

NYT - Why Brees and the Passer Rating Aren’t Perfect - Luis DeLoureiro

NFP - Tavern talk: Big plays are key to winning - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Diner morning news: Weis won't go jobless - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Wednesday whys: Eagles reward Brent Celek - Andrew Brandt

NFP - Urlacher should take Sapp's advice - Matt Bowen

NFP - Chalk Talk: man-to-man coverage - Matt Bowen

NFP - The agent presentation - Jack Bechta

NFP - Coaching carousel: Plenty of vacancies - Robert Boland

SI - Bengals return top five - Don Banks

FOX - NFL Third Quarter Report: How things have changed - Alex Marvez

Y! - Schedule favorable for Johnson's run at 2,000 - Charles Robinson

NFL - Ground game, defense no longer keys to championship run - Pat Kirwan

NFL - Nothing but a number: At 40, Favre is at his best - Bucky Brooks

ESPN - Once a long shot, WR Marques Colston is vital to New Orleans Saints' success - Anna Clemmons

ESPN - Will the Saints go unbeaten? - Pat Yasinskas

ESPN - Will the Colts go unbeaten? - Paul Kuharsky

FH - Dirty Dozen: Wait Until End of Season to Pick an MVP - Dave Goldberg

FH - Pocket Presence: Time For a Change - Bruce Ciskie

ESPN - Elite QBs more vital than ever - John Clayton

SN - Road from coordinator to NFL head coach full of tribulations - Clifton Brown

CST - Jay's all-of-blame speech - Brad Biggs

NYT - Buffalo-Area Businesses Pay the Price for Bills’ Trip - Ken Belson

NFL - All this Bills fan wants for Christmas is ... Ron Wolf! - Nick Bakay

Y! - The 10 best NFL games of the last decade - MJD

NFP - News, notes on junior prospects - Wes Bunting

Predictions

NYT - Week 13 N.F.L. Game Probabilities, and Playoff Projections - Brian Burke

SI - NFL playoff projections, scenarios for Week 13 - Dom Bonvissuto

FH - NFL Picks, Week 13: Weather Won't Be Frightful for Saints - Dave Goldberg

FOX - Week 13 Cheat Sheet: NFL picks and predictions - Peter Schrager
"The Pick: Chiefs 33, Broncos 20"

Horse Tracks 11/27/09 - Broncos dominate Giants; Royal, Woodyard, Thomas, Law all leave with injuries

Douglas A. Lee — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:43:49 -0000

Good Morning, MHR Friends! Now doesn't that feel better? It wasn't perfect (issues in the red zone, lots of offensive penalties), but the Broncos put in quite a performance last night. Their play along both lines of scrimmage was absolutely dominant, as the Giants' offense faced third-and-long situations all night long, while the Broncos' O-Line kept Kyle Orton mostly clean and paved the way for a solid game from Knowshon Moreno. The Broncos' D made several big plays, including three sacks and three takeaways. Denver's special teams were better than they've been all year, highlighted by a perfect night from Matt Prater (4-for-4 on field goal tries and 7-for-7 on getting kickoffs into the end zone). Brandon Marshall made two one-handed catches (I'm not sure I've seen better from him), Knowshon made some highlight-reel moves, and Denver's secondary was stellar. The Broncos now sit at 7-4 and just ahead of Pittsburgh and Jacksonville (both 6-4) for the fifth seed in the AFC. Next up? The fourth Sunday in seven without Broncos football. Strange, right? Then, it's off to Kansas City...

NFL - Broncos 26, Giants 6 - Highlights with NFLN calls

DB - Giants Postgame: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Giants Postgame: Report - Broncos TV

NFL - New York Giants 6 at Denver Broncos 26 - Box Score

DPP - Broncos stuff Giants, snap losing skid - Mike Klis

DPP - Briefs: Elvis nothing but "money" when it counts
"Wesley Woodyard (neck), Marcus Thomas (shoulder), Eddie Royal (thigh) and Ty Law (hamstring) all suffered game-ending injuries and were slow to leave the locker room. Running back Knowshon Moreno left the game in the second half with what appeared to be a hand or arm injury, but later returned to have one carry just before the two-minute warning...The Broncos players will be off for three days before returning to the practice field Monday. . . . Two Broncos were inactive with injuries, right tackle Ryan Harris (toe) and running back LaMont Jordan (back)."

CSG - What a difference a day (or four) makes - David Ramsey

DB - Giants Postgame: Orton - Broncos TV

NFLN - Dawkins on-field interview- Video

NFLN - Giants vs. Broncos highlights - Video
Eisen, Deion, Mooch and Faulk

DB - Giving Thanks on Gameday - Chris Gentilviso

DB - A Giant Release - Gray Caldwell

DB - Turkey Day Turnaround - Chris Gentilviso

DPP - Broncos' defense paves way for offense - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Marshall happier, more productive in Broncos' win over Giants - Lindsay Jones

DPP - McD swears Broncos are back - Mark Kiszla

DPP - Everything depends on defense - Dave Krieger

DPP - Broncos save their season - Jim Armstrong

DPP - Manning, Giants struggle to create offense - Irv Moss

DPP - TV eavesdrops as coach drops the #?@$*! bomb - Mike Klis

CSG - Broncos pummel Giants - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos notes: No issues for Orton - Frank Schwab

CSG - Week 12: Broncos breakdown - Frank Schwab

SX - Emotions help power Broncos past Giants - Frank Schwab

AP - Broncos Snap 4-Game Skid With Big Win Over Giants - Arnie Stapleton

AP - Josh McDaniels' 'Trash Talk' The Talk Of The NFL - Arnie Stapleton

CBS - Players-only meeting serves its purpose as Broncos go back to basics - Pete Prisco

SN - For Broncos, season is 'far from over' - Clifton Brown

FH - Hungry Broncos Shove Giants Aside - Thomas George

ESPN - Broncos kiss and makeup with their season - Bill WIlliamson

USAT - Broncos end four-game skid with dominant win over Giants - Vicki Michaelis

Giants News

NYT - Broncos Deal Giants Their Fifth Loss in Six Games - Joe LaPointe

NYT - Giants Open Thread: The Denver Debacle - Ernie Palladino

NYDN - After flat Thanksgiving Day performance against Broncos, Giants becoming a big disgrace - Tim Smith

NYDN - Danny Ware costs Giants big time after Denver capitalizes on critical fumble - Matt Gagne

NYDN - Giants tumble in 26-6 Broncos basting, season is officially in danger - Ralph Vacchiano

NYDN - Emotions get the best of Giants' Osi Umenyiora as he screams at teammates in loss to Broncos - Ralph Vacchiano

NYP - Big Blue's playoff hopes tumble in return to losing ways - Paul Schwartz

NYP - Broncos show Big Blue ‘D’ no respect - Marc Berman

NYP - Disgusted Brandon: We didn't want it - Marc Berman

NYP - No spark from Jints' backup RB - Steve Serby

NYP - These guys just Giant softies - Steve Serby

NFL Results

NFL - Oakland Raiders 7 at Dallas Cowboys 24

NFL - Green Bay Packers 34 at Detroit Lions 12

AFC West News

SFC - No country for these men - David White

SFC - Bigger in Texas? Not the Raiders - Gwen Knapp

SFC - Heyward-Bey gets first TD catch - David White

CCT - Raiders'shortcoming on full display - Jerry McDonald

SDUT - Why don't Chargers ward off blackout? - Jay Posner

SDUT - Penalties flagging, wins rising for Bolts - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Versatility aids Hester, Tolbert - Kevin Acee

KCS - Chiefs progressing in Haley’s quarter system - Kent Babb

KCS - Come overtime, here’s a tip for the Chiefs - Pete Grathoff
This is interesting...

NFL News

NFL - Packers CB Woodson donates $2 million to Michigan hospital

PFW - Seahawks GM Ruskell under the gun - Dan Arkush

NFL - Long live rock: The Who set to play Super Bowl XLIV halftime

NFL Opinion

NFL - Elite QB duel between Brady-Brees leads Week 12 matchups - Gil Brandt

Y! - Jobs on the line for members of losing teams - Mike Silver

Y! - Threat of perfect season becoming more common - Jason Cole

Giants at Broncos - Broncos Inactives

John Bena — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:54:04 -0000

QB Tom Brandstater
WR Kenny McKinley
RB LaMont Jordan
OL Seth Olsen
DL Chris Baker
OL Ryan Harris
WR Brandon Lloyd
DE/LB Jarvis Moss

Robert Ayers is back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch last week.

Horse Tracks 11/25/09 - Brian Dawkins and Ryan Harris limited participants in Tuesday's practice

Douglas A. Lee — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:53:06 -0000

DPP - After four straight losses, Broncos players meet without coaches - Mike Klis
BDawk called the meeting. Leaders lead...

NFL Films - Week 12: Giants vs. Broncos Preview - Video

DB - Week 12 - Tue: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - Stopping the One-Two Punch - Chris Gentilviso
"Brandon Jacobs ranks 13th in the league with 656 rushing yards, while Ahmad Bradshaw sits in 20th place with 549 yards on the ground."

DB - Making Consistency a Constant - Zach Eisendrath
"After being listed as "did not practice" on Monday, Dawkins (neck) and Ryan Harris (Toe) were limited participants during the team's jog-through on Tuesday."

DPP - Intimidation is a scary thought for the Broncos - Anthony Cotton

DPP - Q&A: Were Broncos' rookies Smith, Quinn overrated? - Jeff Legwold

LTC - Struggling Broncos draw inspiration from season’s early wins - Brian Howell

INDT - Time for another win streak - Hunter Ansley

NYT - N.F.L. Head Injury Study Leaders Quit - Alan Schwarz
THIS IS STELLAR NEWS. WAY TO GO, NFL!

DB - Week 12 - Tue: Orton - Broncos TV

DB - Week 12 - Tue: Dawkins - Broncos TV

NFLN - Broncos report - Video

DPP - Orton: rebound will require a team effort
"Running back LaMont Jordan (back), who missed Sunday's game against San Diego, was held out of practice and is not expected to play Thursday"

DPP - Goal is a fiery team that can keep its cool - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Analysis: Broncos' defense must find mental edge - Jeff Legwold

CSG - Broncos fans appreciate Orton - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos face some injury uncertainty - Frank Schwab

DPP - Numbers: Pass the football and stuffing, please

DB - Mile High Thanksgiving History - Jim Saccomano

AP - Plummeting Broncos Out To Regain Their Composure - Arnie Stapleton

SN - Giants-Broncos Preview - Santosh Venkataraman

AP - Ex-Broncos in the news: Shanahan, Elam

Giants News

DPP - Giants quarterback Manning name is measure - Mike Klis

NYT - This Season, the Giants Are Missing Something Elemental - Joe LaPointe

NYT - Injury to Bradshaw’s Other Foot May Limit Him More - Joe LaPointe

NYDN - Giants' return to Denver to play Broncos on Thanksgiving evokes fan's fateful 9/11 journey - Mike Lupica

NYDN - Entering Thanksgiving game vs. Broncos, Giants need some swagger - Filip Bondy\

NYDN - RB Ahmad Bradshaw skips practice with sprained ankle, could miss Broncos game - Ohm Youngmisuk

NYP - Giants' defense must stand tall in crunch time - Paul Schwartz

NYP - Bradshaw likely out with new injury - Paul Schwartz

NYP - Jacobs eyes big stretch run - George Willis

NSL - NY Giants: Looking back, looking ahead with Denver as Thanksgiving opponent - Mike Garafolo

NSL - NY Giants putting trust in strength and conditioning coach Jerry Palmieri for quick turnaround against Denver Broncos - Jenny Vrentas

NSL - NY Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw injures other ankle - Mike Garafolo

AFC West News

Y! - Calm approach has Chargers back on top - Mike Silver

ESPN - How I See It: AFC West Stock Watch - Bill Williamson

SDUT - Bolts sign Runyan as Clary is put on IR

KCS - Underdogs get a reward - Kent Babb

SFC - Video board puts punter in tough spot - David White

SFC - Marshall Plan of the week - David White

SFC - Short week means long hours for Raiders - David White

NFL News

PFW - Week 12 matchup tidbits

USAT - Could Bills' price tag for Mike Shanahan reach as much as $50 million? - Sean Leahy

FH - Jason Elam's Job in Jeopardy as Falcons Bring in Kickers for Tryout - Knox Bardeen
Ugh. I hate to see this...

NFL - Steelers expect Roethlisberger to go vs. Ravens despite concussion

NFL - Ailing stars Stafford, Johnson watch as Lions prepare for Packers

NFL - Cowboys TE Witten could sit out vs. Raiders with sprained foot

NFL - Buccaneers place once-starting QB Leftwich on injured reserve

NFL - Eagles give RT Justice four-year extension after he becomes starter

NFL - Schottenheimer denies he’s a Bills coaching candidate

NFL - Panthers LB Johnson placed on injured reserve; Senn signed

NFL - Bills try to bolster ailing O-line by signing ex-Steeler Simmons

NFL Opinion

SI - NFL, football hasn't figured out how to deal with concussions - Ann Killion

SN - Scouts' views: Schaub has complete game; Cole's engine never idles - Dennis Dillon

SN - The ABCs of QBs: NFL's best in five key categories

NFL - Six from Sunday: Vikings not undefeated but maybe unrivaled - Pat Kirwan

SI - NFL should be happy with 16-game schedule; Titans thoughts - Peter King

SI - Atlanta Falcons still have hope, more NFL playoff projections - Don Banks

FOX - Schein's Nine: Dolphins are poised for playoff run

NFL - Bills owner Wilson willing to write the check, but who'll cash it? - Vic Carucci

Y! - Connecting with RBs would benefit Roethlisberger - Jason Cole

NFP - Is it time to believe in V.Y. again? - Matt Bowen

NFP - Diner morning news: Bucs still making mistakes - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Tavern talk: Browns miss their chance - Mike Lombardi

NYT - Sleeper Team of 2009: The Ravens? - Toni Monkovic

NYT - Adding Third-Down Proficiency to a Passer Rating - Luis DeLoureiro

NFP - Scout’s notebook: offense - Wes Bunting

NFP - Scout’s notebook: defense - Wes Bunting

Power Rankings, Etc.

ESPN - NFL Power Rankings Week 12

CBS - Power Rankings: Stumbling Broncos find their level - Pete Prisco

FH - NFL Power Rankings, Week 12: Reasons To Give Thanks - Josh Alper

New York Giants @ Denver Broncos; Monday Injury Report

Tim Lynch — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:57:54 -0000

DENVER BRONCOS
Player	Injury	Mon. Participation*	Tue. Participation	Wed. Participation	Wednesday Status
Brian Dawkins (S)	Neck	Did Not Participate
Ryan Harris (RT)	Toe	Did Not Participate
LaMont Jordan (RB)	Back	Did Not Participate
Kyle Orton (QB)	Ankle	Full Participation
NEW YORK GIANTS
Player	Injury	Mon. Participation*	Tue. Participation	Wed. Participation	Wednesday Status
Antonio Pierce (LB)	Neck	Out
Ahmad Bradshaw (RB)	Ankle/Foot	Did Not Participate
Eli Manning (QB)	Foot	Full Participation

* Please note the Denver Broncos did not practice on Monday. The Level of participation is an estimation if practice were held. Meanwhile, the New York Giants held a jog through for their Monday practice.