SB Nation - Wesley Woodyard

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

6 days ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, left, avoids the tackle of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Gary Brackett in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. Marshall had 21 receptions for 200 yards in the game. The Colts defeated the Broncos 28-16. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Christmas is coming - and I, for one, am hoping for a much more joyous holiday season than I experienced last December. All I got for Christmas last year was the Broncos' historic collapse, and all I had to give was the one scenario that could possibly be worse than the season-ending Chargers game (it involved hypothetically cutting an apple, slipping, and stabbing myself in the groin WHILE watching that game).

I'm not much for moral victories, but today in Donny Deutschland, I will talk about why I feel better about Sunday's loss than I have about any Broncos loss in years. There's no time to waste, so let's not waste any time. Out of the echo chamber, and into the fire, y'all. Ready..... BEGIN!!!

1. I learned on Sunday that what I suspected was the case, was in fact, the case. That is, the Broncos can play with Indianapolis, at Indianapolis. It happened a little differently than I thought it would, but the Broncos competed, and got back in the game after getting down in really ugly fashion. Consider these statistics, as I pretend that I care about statistics for a moment. The Broncos outgained Indianapolis 357-312. They held the ball for 31:27, versus the Colts' 28:33. They won the turnover battle 3-1. The Broncos advanced into Colts territory on 8 of 12 posessions. These measures would tend to indicate victory, but in this case, the Broncos fell a little short.

For next time, we can internalize a few thoughts:

a. The Broncos have the players and schemes to cover the Colts receivers, pressure Peyton Manning, and generally disrupt their offense.

b. The Broncos have the players and schemes to move the ball at will against the Colts defense.

c. As a fan base, we all mistakenly thought to ourselves "Here we go again" when the Colts got up 21-0 after four possessions. We can take this game as a lesson that the past doesn't indicate the future. Those Broncos teams which got their doors blown off by the Colts passing game are definitely not these Broncos.

One general concern is that the Broncos could have run the ball better, and will need to next time. I felt the run scheme was too zone-heavy and horizontal, and it played into the Colts' plan to run-blitz the gaps. A smaller, faster team needs to be man-blocked with a vertical scheme. Those are guys you don't necessarily want moving laterally, because they're comfortable doing so.

The other concern is that at money time, Dallas Clark needed more and better attention. Josh Barrett needed to be on the field manning him up, because he's the best guy in the NFL at covering TEs man-to-man.

All in all, I am proud of the way the Broncos stayed in the game, despite some reasons that lesser men would take to quit. This was really a game which turned on a few plays, and I am pleased to know that the Broncos can compete with Indianapolis, unlike in past years. This week, it's the Raiders, and luckily, JaMarcus Russell will be under center again. Expect Elvis Dumervil to get some shots at him. The Broncos can take care of business at home, and position themselves well to make the postseason. Happy Raiders Week, friends.

2. Information From My Eyes, Broncos at Colts:

a. Andre' Goodman got beat on a crossing route by Pierre Garcon on the first offensive play of the game, and in the moment, I wondered if there was a major speed mismatch. Goodman settled down to play Garcon spectacularly the rest of the game, breaking up four well-thrown balls. Goodman has been terrific all year, but I'd call this his best game as a Bronco.

b. When the Broncos drafted Darcel McBath, I'd never heard of him. I'm very impressed with his play as a rookie, though, and he had a fantastic game Sunday. He separated Dallas Clark from the ball on a 3rd down, and also baited Peyton Manning into his third interception. It's a real bummer that he broke his forearm and is gone for the season, but he showed well when he got the opportunities. I look for him to make a serious run at Renaldo Hill's starting job next season.

c. I really "misunderestimated" the Colts' DTs, Daniel Muir and Antonio Johnson. They both played fantastic, and drove the Broncos' interior players backward consistently.

d. Ryan Clady didn't play very well in the running game, which was a departure from what we've been seeing lately. He got pushed backward several times when he lost leverage, and he misread a few run blitzes, and didn't hit the right guy. He's young and growing, and we can only hope he learns from this game.

e. Brandon Marshall was spectacular, of course. It's obvious that Kyle Orton really trusts him to make plays at this point. I wish he trusted Eddie Royal a little more, though. The truth is, though, Royal hasn't come up with some plays when he's had chances to do so.

f. I was happy to see Jabar Gaffney back in the mix this week. He's a pro's pro, and the Broncos offense is better when he is involved.

g. I was pleased with what I saw from Robert Ayers and Elvis Dumervil, despite the Broncos' lack of sacks. Both played well against the run, and generated pressure against Manning.

h. Peyton Hillis isn't a very good lead blocker, and I think a key part of the trouble the running game had was with the loss of Spencer Larsen. Larsen has been knocking heads the last two weeks, and he wasn't there this time, obviously.

Hillis is a good RB, but he's a true HB, not a FB. The truth is, he is where he should be on the depth chart; the third RB for the Broncos. Zappa said that some DP posters were calling for Knowshon Moreno to be benched, and Hillis to get the starting job. That's not going to happen, and frankly, it's asinine. Hillis could get more opportunity to make plays, but he deserves to be behind Moreno and Correll Buckhalter. There's no question in my mind of that.

i. The Colts' last drive was enabled by missed tackles by Vonnie Holliday (first play of the series) and Mario Haggan (3rd down inside the Broncos 10).

j. Oh, Dallas Clark. Ty Law did a good job on him, but he often was assigned to cover Austin Collie. Wesley Woodyard is a good zone player, but he can't cover a Clark in man-to-man. That 4th-and-4 was badly schemed, because Brian Dawkins shouldn't be manned up on Clark, either.

Finally, at the end of the game, the approach should have been to look at the formation. The power was left, and the only receiving threat was Clark, playing with his hand down on the right side. You need somebody to drive him straight into the ground, so he can't get out in the pattern. That's how I would coach that situation, anyway. Tackle him when he pretends to block, without getting called for holding.

k. D.J. Williams had a very good game, except for the one stupid penalty. Darrell Reid got (another) one of those too, while we're at it.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games

a. I thought Thursday's Browns-Steelers game was pretty riveting, and I almost wish I went (but not quite). Several of my friends tried to get me to go, because everybody in the world was trying to dump their tickets. It was 12 degrees, with 50 mph winds, and felt negative-7 in Cleveland that night. That's a recipe for freezing your hind-parts off, as Omar would say.

The Browns are changing for the better, and I wonder if it saves Eric Mangini's job. They're doing some very interesting things, like using Mike Furrey at FS. He's played both ways in his career, but has been more of a WR in the NFL, and caught 98 passes for the Lions in 2006, which was second in the NFL.

He did some nice things at Safety in the game, and it reminded me of Troy Brown playing defense for the Patriots, though, as I mentioned, Furrey has played defense at the professional level. You have to be impressed with a player doing what it takes to help his team win.

b. A guy who I have always liked, who the Browns found for free is Matt Roth. He got on the wrong side of Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano in Miami, and they put him on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list, and then waived him in November. The Browns smartly claimed him, and he's played very well for the Browns thus far. The Sam position in a 3-4 is pretty hard to fill, because it's a unique skill set. Lamarr Woodley and Mario Haggan are both very good at it, and Adalius Thomas used to be, but like RT on offense, there are a lot more average 3-4 Sams than there are good ones. Roth is a good one, because he sets the edge well, and generates a good pass rush when he's called upon to do so. Finding a guy like him in-season is what a bad team has to do.

c. Two unheralded guys who the Browns have discovered on offense are RB Chris Jennings and TE Evan Moore. Jennings won a Grey Cup recently with the Montreal Alouettes, and looked like the best back on the Browns roster last Thursday. He ran with power and explosion against an excellent run defense.

I meant to mention Moore last week and forgot; but I know a football player when I see one, and he's a player. He was a big WR at Stanford for 4 years, and also played basketball for his first 2 years. His fluidity, body control, and overall athleticism jump off the screen, and really remind me of Antonio Gates. I don't know if he's as fast as Gates, but he looks to me like he could definitely be a Brent Celek-caliber receiving TE. He's been key to Brady Quinn's recent improvement, because Quinn does his best throwing work inside the numbers.

Jennings and Moore are two players who the Browns can be very excited about, as they figure out what their program is during the offseason. Like Roth, they came with no significant cost. Now the Browns just need to nail their offseason.

d. I had a friend who is a Steelers fan ask me what was wrong with his team, and I think I may have disappointed him by not having a real definitive answer ready. It's kind of a tough question to answer, really, because Mike Tomlin had it exactly right when he said it was a function of struggles in all three phases of the game.

The defense really misses Troy Polamalu, who I think might be the most irreplaceable defensive player in the NFL. No safety plays with the speed of Polamalu, and the Steelers are much more conservative in their blitz packages without him. Their CBs are also playing pretty poorly over the last five games. On offense, I think the Steelers play-calling has been suspect. Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as a good RB, and the Steelers seem reluctant to commit to letting him run. I'm not surprised at the rumblings Sunday that some offensive coaches are likely going to get whacked after the season.

e. Now, on to why the Browns won Thursday. There were two reasons. One reason is that Joshua Cribbs is a great football player, and he carried his team on offense and special teams. The other is that the Browns covered the Steelers' receivers at a shockingly high level. ST&NO Favorite Brandon McDonald was fantastic. He might have had the best coverage game I have seen from a CB this year (although Andre' Goodman was awesome on Sunday, too). Eric Wright was strong on the other side too, though he gave up a few completions to Santonio Holmes. As has often been the case with the Broncos this season, the coverage allowed the pressure to get to Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 8 times.

f. It was another annoying weekend when almost every game was early, including the Broncos. I had the Chicago-Green Bay game on at the same time as the Broncos game,. and as I watched some of it, I was struck by the fact that neither team showed me anything that I didn't already know about them. Aaron Rodgers continued his recent run of getting sacked less, and the Packers defense was strong again. The Bears had some flashes, but self-destructed at key times.

The only real takeaway from this, to me, is another reminder why I don't really like fantasy football. The number one player in the Official MHR League this year has been my QB, Rodgers. In real football terms, he played fine on Sunday. He completed 16 of 24 throws for 180 yards, and lost a fumble on a blind-side sack. His team won the game, so no worries, right? Well, in fantasy terms, he tanked. Not only that, I am playing Zappa in the playoffs this week, and he has Ryan Grant, who had a monster game with 137 yards and 2 TDs, because the Bears were playing coverage to prevent big plays in the passing game.

g. Speaking of guys who tanked on my fantasy team, Randy Moss, this skunky, warm Miller High Life is for you. One catch for 16 yards, and a lost fumble? Really? He really looked like he wasn't trying hard, too; it was a total flashback to the Oakland days. Good thing I had Brandon Marshall and the Eagles (TD scoring) defense.

h. I think the Patriots are in trouble, and that their culture needs an adjustment. I read Bill Belichick's sending tardy players home as a clear indication of that. Adalius Thomas lipped off in the media, and got benched for it, and Randy Moss did it with his play somewhat on Sunday. I wouldn't be shocked if both are gone after this season. Thomas is gone for sure, and Moss is a possibility. The Patriots have a lot of draft assets with which to restock the WR position, and they're pretty solid at LB anyway, with guys like Tully Banta-Cain and Rob Ninkovich making positive contributions.

It was pretty interesting how Tom Brady and Bill Belichick came to Moss's aid on Monday, after he clearly was dogging some pass routes. Michael Lombardi had a good point on NFL Network that Moss has done that his whole career, and that the Patriots probably weren't too alarmed by it. I think it's pretty bad, personally.

i. Scary moment in Arlington, Texas, when DeMarcus Ware was carted off the field with a neck injury. The Chargers had a false start, and then went right down the field in two plays to score the deciding TD afterward. Reports on Monday were that Ware would miss the next two weeks, which would really handicap the Dallas defense. Most casual fans think of Ware as just a pass rusher, but he is a rare player who stars against the run, and in zone coverage too.

j. I alluded to this thought last week, but it was well-articulated by Michael Lombardi last night; Dallas's struggles have nothing to do with what month it is. The same can be said of the Chargers and their success in the month of December. If you're playing in a lot of places where there's bad weather, then maybe the month is a semi-meaningful data point, but neither Dallas nor San Diego particularly qualifies. I know somebody is going to say that a game in December is a pressure game, but even that's not true a lot of times. San Diego has tended to be healthy in December, and Dallas has tended to be banged up. San Diego has tended to play weak late-season schedules, and Dallas has tended to play difficult ones. Don't get caught up in things which Peter King would incorrectly call a factoid.

k. That Radio Shack commercial with the sleeping scruffy dude saying "Dance, Sugar Plum Fairies" is bizarre. It makes no sense at all to me, and I can't imagine how it would make anybody want to shop at Radio Shack, or buy that craptastic phone from Sprint.

l. NBC lucked out with a great game on Sunday night between the Eagles and Giants. Neither defense looked particularly good, but both offenses lit it up. The difference in the game was a defensive TD from Sheldon Brown, and a punt-return TD from DeSean Jackson. Those plays also provided the difference in the Shallow Thoughts team beating Zappa's Sactown Beavers in the playoffs.

m. I would never let Jackson get off the line of scrimmage without getting hit. Teams just insist on letting this guy run free through their secondary, and he kills them. Little, fast guys like him must be re-routed off the line, and then you want over/under coverage on him after that. He's not the typical big, physical number-1 WR like Brandon Marshall, but he does need double-team attention, or at least Cover-3 behind him, so he can be hit at the line with confidence.

n. Brandon Jacobs, to me, is like a 98-mph fastball that's a little too straight, and rarely misses bats. Jacobs has been running harder lately than he was early in the season, but he doesn't make anybody miss. He takes so many hits, and this year, he's going down more easily than he used to. I think the Giants offense is better when Ahmad Bradshaw is getting more carries than Jacobs at this point, even as Jacobs has been better lately.

o. Speaking of the Giants, I want to share some ST&NO light with a Giants fan, because I've coincidentally been listening to his music as I wrote this part of the column. If you like hip hop, you ought to check out Nickel at his website www.SpotMeANickel.com. He's got a couple albums worth of MP3s available for free download there. I went to high school with the guy at Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT, and it's cool to see him doing well, and making good music.

p. As always, I watched 5 games on Monday night, and the one I learned the most from was the New Orleans-Atlanta game. Very simply, New Orleans deserved to lose the game, and I haven't seen or heard anybody acknowledge that. I take that as a reaffirmation that my effort is worth the time.

Brent Grimes got called for two horrible pass-interference penalties, on plays where he reached around his man to play the ball. Those two plays directly led to 14 points being scored, and the Saints won by 3. The officials bogusly penalized ST&NO Favorite Thomas DeCoud on an even better play in the fourth quarter too, but Garrett Hartley subsequently missed a Field Goal, so it didn't affect the scoreboard. The Saints are a very good team, and they don't need any bonus help, but apparently you can't breathe on their receivers. It reminded me of the 2006 NBA Finals, when Dwyane Wade got "fouled" practically every time he touched the ball, and it disgusted me just as much to watch.

q. Jonathan Vilma deserves credit for sealing the win for New Orleans. He intercepted Chris Redman with 3 minutes to go in the game. Then, after the Saints arrogantly tried a fake field goal, rather than taking the points and going up 6, Vilma tackled the formidable Jason Snelling cold in the open field, a yard short of the first down on 4th and 2. He made the plays that were there to be made.

r. While I'm on the topic of the Saints, here's an E! True Hollywood Story for you. Or maybe it's a Letterman-style Top 2 list. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Top 2 Things Ted Bartlett Currently Doesn't Give A Damn About (And Al Roker's Forecast Calls For No Change:)

1. Whether or not the Colts or Saints go 16-0, and on a related note, whether or not they rest their starters.

2. Who wins the NFL MVP Award.

Going 16-0 doesn't matter to anything. All it would do is create something which Peter King would someday mistakenly call a factoid (even though it's actually a fact). The only thing that matters is going 3-0 (or 4-0) in the Playoffs. Plus, the whole thing puts Mercury Morris back in the spotlight, and he's a jerk who doesn't deserve it.

As for the MVP Award, really, who cares? I may start caring if somebody other than a QB or RB can win, other than the rare Lawrence Taylor in 1986. (Since the AP award began in 1957, only DT Alan Page, K Mark Moseley, and Taylor have won the award from positions other than QB or RB. Taylor is the only winner for the Pro Football Writers Association award, which began in 1975. This is an absolute farce.)

Remember ST&NO Rule #1: If reporters vote for it, and decide it, it's usually not particularly worth paying attention to. That includes any and all power rankings, the NFL All-Pro team, all season-ending awards in all sports, and membership in all Halls of Fame. Reporters often mean well, and they add some value to the overall football discourse, but the value they add ends when they're not asking questions, finding things out, and reporting those things. When you ask them to judge something, most can't get past the very obvious, or what other people tell them, and nearly all are biased by what they consider to be the most interesting story. While that's understandable, given the fact that they're in the interesting story business, it's also self-serving, and represents noise rather than a reflection of truth.

s. The more I watch Chad Henne, the more I like his mechanics, all the way through the process of playing QB. I most especially like the way he carries out his fakes after he hands off the ball. You can tell that he's very well coached, both at the collegiate level and the professional level.

t. Speaking of good coaching, if Head Coaching jobs were being handed out based only upon excellence as a coordinator, Mike Mularkey would be looking pretty good for a shot at another job. People who know things about offense, and pay attention, know that Mularkey has been getting a lot of production out of some pretty marginal talent the last two seasons. It's equal parts scheme, knowing the capabilities of his players, and getting his guys to execute, but Atlanta's offense overachieves. Remember - Mularkey didn't get fired in Buffalo; he resigned in 2006 because he didn't see eye-to-eye with the recently hired Marv Levy. He's up there with Houston's Kyle Shanahan on offense, and the Broncos' Mike Nolan, Cincinnati's Mike Zimmer, and Arizona's Bill Davis on defense as guys who I think are adding a great deal of value to their sides of the ball.

u. I tend to dislike University of Texas players, because they have a well-known reputation for being coddled in Austin, and often coming into the NFL as soft players. A limitation of making evaluations from a distance is that you sometimes have to rely on information which may or may not be meaningful, such as the fact that coaches are prohibited from cursing at players at UT. That's pretty absurd in my opinion, like the urban legend about stress cards in basic training.

I didn't take to Brian Orakpo much coming out of college, partially due to the UT factor. Turns out, he's very good, and he's brought a lot to the table for Oakland. He has had a very good rookie season, but he was dominant on Sunday against the Raiders' bad offensive line and indecisive JaMarcus Russell. I still prefer Knowshon Moreno to Orakpo for the long haul, and I still think the Redskins should have taken Michael Oher (after the Packers should have taken Michael Oher). Orakpo was a good choice though, and is a good player, so I missed on that one.

v. I said a couple weeks ago that I was pretty sure that the Chiefs didn't regret acquiring Matt Cassel, and he's proceeded to have the two worst games of his career the last two weeks. His ability is very clear, so I still don't think they regret it, but he needs to step it up, and buy Todd Haley and Scott Pioli some cover. Kansas City has an aggressive local sports media, led by Adam Teicher and Jason Whitlock. Whitlock has already renamed Pioli as Scott Egoli, so it would be mighty helpful to this regime if they and Cassel could finish the season stronger than they've been showing, and feel like there's something to build on.

w. A vital part of a 3-step drop passing play is that the outside blocker on the throw side (usually the Tackle) needs to cut the Defensive End and get him on the ground. The 49ers RT, Adam Snyder, failed to cut Darnell Dockett twice in the first half Monday night, resulting in an Interception by Dockett, and another deflection by Dockett, which Alex Smith caught himself, and promptly was tackled for a 6-yard loss. Neither play was Smith's fault; his job is to get to the top of his drop, and let the ball go. Snyder's job is to clear the throwing lane.

x. Speaking of guys clearly not doing their jobs (and jumping back to the Dallas game because of the topic), Tony Dungy was right on when he was asked if coaching was the problem in Dallas. He said that he knows Terence Newman has been coached to jam a WR and re-route him in Cover-2, and that coaching definitely wasn't the problem on the big Vincent Jackson 39-yard catch on 3rd and 12 (right after the aforementioned Ware injury).

That was the key play of the game, and Newman didn't make it. As the play happened live, I yelled out "Where's the f$%^&* jam, 41?" I was glad Dungy called him out, although I bet he wasn't moved to profanity like I was. I've always thought Newman was highly overrated, by virtue of being a Cowboy. It comes with wearing the blue star, I am afraid.

y. Usually, when a defensive lineman is drafted highly, you expect him to be a big sack guy. The Bengals once drafted Justin Smith fourth overall, in 2001. His career high in sacks, mostly as a Right DE in a 40-front, was 8.5 in his rookie season. He had 6.5, 5, 8, 6, 7.5, and 2 in his next five seasons, which are respectable numbers, but not for an open-side DE drafted that highly.

Smith signed a 6-year $45 million deal with San Francisco in 2008, and moved to 5-technique in a 30-front. It's the role he should have been playing all along, because he's always been a physical, block-defeating player more than a speed-rushing player. It's not too different than the highly drafted Derrick Harvey from the Jaguars, or Jamaal Anderson for the Falcons (who moved to DT eventually). Their skill sets are just better suited to playing with physicality than with speed. (Harvey got only his second sack of the year Sunday, and Anderson has 0.5).

Anyway, Smith was dominant on Monday night, and consistently held the point of attack, while often penetrating and disrupting the Cardinals offense. It sure seemed like he is earning his money. I was also very impressed with the pass-rushing skills of Ahmad Brooks, who used to be just a MLB.

z. Another rookie I criticized for seeming to be soft was Beanie Wells, and he continues to play like he isn't. His TD run early in the 4th quarter Monday night was a man's TD run, all second effort. He did fumble later in the 4th quarter, but it was on a kill-shot by Dashon Goldson, who had a couple of those in Monday night's game.

aa. Genetics are a funny thing. In my family, we have something called the Bartlett Calves. My dad and all his siblings have them, and all my siblings and I have them, even my 8-year old half-sister Abby. The Bartlett Calves are notable for being disproportionately muscular and large, compared to the rest of our bodies. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 235 pounds, and when flexed, my calves are 18 inches around, which is 3-4 inches bigger than the average man's calf, and an inch bigger than the average man's neck.

I bring up this genetic oddity, because it makes me feel a certain kinship with Frank Gore, who has thunder thighs like whoa. He's found out a way to make good professional use of his thighs, because they're what give him such impressive power in traffic. Mine don't really come in too useful as an accounting manager and blogger.

ab. The jury is in as far as I am concerned for San Francisco. The 49ers are on the right track, and ST&NO Favorite Alex Smith has definitely emerged as their long-term QB. They have 2 first-round picks this season, which are both going to be in the 10-15 area. They need a CB and an offensive lineman with those picks, or maybe even two offensive linemen. This team is not far at all from the playoffs, and they're not even going to miss by much this season.

ac. The Cardinals are still legitimate championship contenders, but they got their hind parts kicked Monday night. The result of the game was more a reflection of good play by the Niners than it was of bad play by the Cardinals. The bright spot for Arizona was the excellent Adrian Wilson, who baited Smith into a dumb INT, and was around the ball constantly, the whole game.

4. I couldn't agree more with TJ Johnson's piece about deferring the option yesterday, and a smart analyst got out ahead of me before I wrote about it, which happens once in awhile with a Tuesday slot. I'm always glad to see an in-house MHR guy do it. Big up TJ! If you haven't read his article, you should. So should Don Banks (and Dan Fouts.)

From Banks:

• Did I hear that right, the Broncos won the coin toss to start their game at Indy and deferred to the Colts? And Peyton Manning? Why exactly would you give Manning the chance to get the ball in his hands any more than you absolutely have to? What were you thinking, Josh McDaniels? That's a dubious, rookie-like call for the Broncos new head coach. I do believe McDaniels was guilty of overconfidence in his defense.

My two cents was going to be that each team gets the ball kicked to them to start one half, and there's no way around that fact, so if you consider just this fact, it's utterly meaningless which half a particular team gets their opportunity to receive. TJ goes much further, and finds that there is actually evidence that teams who get the ball to start the second half tend to experience more success. Very interesting stuff.

5. That first-rounder from the Bears is looking really good right now. Chicago fell to 5-8 Sunday, and I like them to finish 6-10. They play at Baltimore and home against Minnesota before finishing at Detroit. For the Broncos' playoff chances, I'd like to see the Bears beat the Ravens, but I doubt it happens. A 6-10 record is probably good for a pick in the neighborhood of 9th or 10th overall. I gave a cursory look at the remaining schedules of every team with a losing record, and this is what I came up with for season-ending records, and way-too-early possible picks.

1. St. Louis 1-15 Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

2. Tampa Bay 1-15 Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska

3. Detroit 2-14 Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

4. Kansas City 3-13 Eric Berry S Tennessee

5. Cleveland 4-12 Russell Okung T Oklahoma State

6. Oakland 4-12 Carlos Dunlap DE Florida

7. Buffalo 5-11 Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

8. Washington 5-11 Trent Williams T Oklahoma

9. San Francisco ~~Carolina~~ 5-11 Joe Haden CB Florida

10. Seattle 6-10 Anthony Davis T Rutgers

11. Denver ~~Chicago~~ 6-10

12. San Francisco 7-9

13. Pittsburgh 7-9

14. Houston 8-8

15. Tennessee 8-8

With a 10th or 11th pick, you can get yourself a difference-making defensive player like a Terrence Cody, Rolando McClain, or Brandon Spikes. You could also go outside the box, and draft a guy like C.J. Spiller from Clemson, who projects as a major home-run threat, a la Chris Johnson, at the NFL level. You have to admit, he'd make a nice tandem with Knowshon Moreno. My move, though, might be to try to trade down, and enjoy some of the depth of this Draft. (I say try, because you can't always do it.) I am treading kind of lightly with this line of thinking, because I am a well-known believer that players are better than draft picks. (A player is a real asset, and a draft pick is a derivative asset; when you're needing to operate now, it's better to have a barrel of oil than a contract guaranteeing the delivery of a barrel of oil at a future date and price.)

To me, the Broncos could get back once or twice to #20 or so, and take someone like either Mike or Maurkice Pouncey from Florida, if they elect to enter the draft. (Incidentally, I think Florida is going to lose a bunch of underclassmen.) Both are 6-5 320-pound interior offensive linemen, and would fill what I think is the Broncos' biggest roster need. The overall point, though, is that it's good to be in the position the Broncos are in right now, with this pick coming in higher than their record would earn. For those who were sure the Broncos erred in trading their own pick rather than Chicago's, I'd hope they remember that you don't know how things are going to play out until they play out.

6. Bad news emerged for QB-needy teams yesterday that Washington junior Jake Locker will return for his senior season. It was not altogether unexpected, but I believe that Locker would have been the first QB selected, and maybe the number-1 overall pick. His talent as a thrower and runner is way ahead of the other guys in this class. The guy who benefits is Sam Bradford, because if he checks out healthy, his size and arm are both a bit better than Jimmy Clausen's. I, personally, am not in love with either guy. Bradford looks like a young Matt Hasselbeck to me, while a comparison for Clausen doesn't come to me so easily. Clausen is short, average athletically, looks like he needs to get a lot stronger, and has an average arm. He looks a bit like a young Drew Brees, before Drew worked so hard to become what he became. I am reluctant to make that comparison, but it's the best one I can come up with.

7. Retired for John Elway.

That's all I have for this week. We'll be back next Tuesday with more Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. Until then, have a fantastic Raiders Week, and Go Broncos!

No Huddle not exactly No Problem for the Broncos against the Colts

John Bena — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:56:52 -0000

The Broncos have had their struggles against the no-huddle offense this season, specifically starting with the game in Baltimore against the Ravens. Several teams during the 4-game losing streak did much of the same, keeping the Broncos from doing what they like to do on defense - rotate several players in and out, especially along the defensive line, depending on down and distance. Of course, no quarterback may be better at running a no huddle than Peyton Manning, who seemingly spends much of the game calling plays from the line of scrimmage.

The topic seemed like a good one to pass along to Frank Schwab, who covers the Broncos for the Colorado Springs Gazette. Schwab, who often asks fans via his Twitter Page(@fs3142) for their suggestions, was nice enough to report on what Josh McDaniels said when asked about the no huddle.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels had a pretty blunt response when asked about defending Indianapolis' no-huddle offense, basically conceding that Denver won't be able to freely substitute because of the threat.

"We're not going to try to run a bunch of guys in and out the game," McDaniels said. "Nobody does against this team and we're not going to try to do it either."

One of the reasons teams have hurried up against the Broncos is to stop their substitutions. The Broncos rotate defensive linemen, and on passing situations bring in linebackers Wesley Woodyard and Robert Ayers and cornerback Ty Law. When McDaniels was asked how it would affect the defense if it can't substitute often, he again said it wasn't a viable option.

"We will not try to do something that's impossible to do, and that's impossible to do," McDaniels said. "If you don't have the right time - if the ball hasn't been thrown downfield 40 yards, if there's not a timeout on the field - you don't try to do that and disrupt the entire flow of your game by allowing (Manning) to create situations where you have to call timeouts or get 5-yard penalties that keep drives going. We're going to play with the guys that are out there and when we feel like we can substitute without issue, then we'll substitute if we need to."

In a lot of ways that answer was to be expected and much of it is coach-speak. Common sense tells us the Broncos will likely try and find ways, especially early in the game, to keep the Colts from getting into a rhythm in the no huddle - using timeouts perhaps - especially in the first half.

Whatever the case, the Broncos need to have an answer if they are going to have a shot at the upset on Sunday. Thanks, Frank!

Horse Tracks - 12/9/09 - Broncos Lose Harris For the Season

John Bena — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:04:49 -0000

Yes, the loss of Ryan Harris is unfortunate, but certainly not unexpected. Perhaps the most important asset an offensive tackle has are his feet and footwork. That is what makes Ryan Clady so effective. An injury, such as a dislocated big-toe, can be a huge problem. Credit to Harris for trying to gut it out. Now the burden falls to Tyler Polumbus. He's played the majority of games the past 5 weeks and has improved as time has gone on. The time is now for Polumbus, who grew up in Denver and went to Colorado, to lay-claim to a future spot on the Broncos offensive line.

DB.com - Warriors of a Winter Food Drive(Zach Eisendrath and Chris Gentisalvo)
That tradition received a reward on Tuesday morning when Darrell Reid, Wesley Woodyard, Broncos cheerleaders Romi Bean and Jessica Flores and Broncos mascot Miles attended the students' lunch hour to congratulate them for their efforts.

DB.com - Holidays Come Early(Gary Caldwell)
There were plenty of smiles and full carts as the holidays came a little early Monday night.

DP - Broncos OT Harris out for season
The Broncos will play the rest of the season, including any playoff games, without starting right tackle Ryan Harris.

DP - How about Broncos' McDaniels for NFL coach of the year?(Mark Kiszla)
For everybody who cursed this young football coach for trading Jay Cutler, condemned his draft picks as madness or demanded he be fired before his first game on the Broncos' sideline, it's time to consider calling Josh McDaniels a new name:

DP - Broncos use Champ to be champ of special teams(Lindsay Jones)
No, that wasn't an error on the play-by-play report from the Broncos' 44-13 victory at Kansas City on Sunday. That really was Champ Bailey — yes, the likely future Hall of Fame cornerback — running downfield on a kickoff and making a solo tackle on a third-quarter kick return.

DP - Broncos' Prater has a big leg up on 2008(Jeff Legwold)
It's a simple, proven formula. To play the kind of field-position football the Broncos want to play down the stretch, it will start with their kicker, Matt Prater.

DP - Moreno looking good for the long run(Jim Armstrong)
This just in. Knowshon Moreno, after a preseason that included the obligatory contract holdout and a knee injury, is on pace to run for 1,000 yards.

DP - Harris out: What it means for the line(Lindsay Jones)
There is no doubt the Broncos will miss right tackle Ryan Harris, who is not going to be able to play the rest of the season because of the serious injury to his big right toe.

Broncos Thoughts and Musings - Kansas City Week

Emmett Smith — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:30:13 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

22 days ago: Denver Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil (92) reacts after sacking New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009. Denver won 26-6. (AP Photo/ David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

Following the burden of four losses, and continuing through the lighter job of a Thanksgiving turkey-down being visited on the NY Giants, I've been busy in the film room. The Broncos had gone through a hard stretch of the season and I wanted to know why: What changed? What made them goats after weeks of success? The game film was the only place to find out.

Of course, film room is a slight exaggeration. It's also the TV room, the reading room, the computer room and the filing room. In my case, it holds a large table that holds a lot of equipment, including my phones, router, speakers, tower (yes, I was raised PC) and a 26-inch monitor that lets me work in comfort. I worked in a padded brown leather office chair and a small table for the keyboard. I'd go wireless, but the keyboard is a special ergonomic model that I got used to and can't stop using. Maybe Microsoft will awaken and make a wireless version of this one, but so far, no joy. You can step outside the french doors that lead from the room onto my deck and watch the molten brass of the autumn sun sliding down into the ocean almost every night and that's a big plus. I miss the mountains, but that view doesn't seem to get old.

It's the only room that I have privacy in, other than a bedroom, but when I'm watching this much film, it's definitely a film room, so I'll use that term. The TV will have a DVD or a Tivo going that's relevant and the computer can be running two more games at once if I need to make some comparisons. I indulged in a quad core, 64-bit with a suitably large HD and an even larger external backup drive that saves everything, everyday. If I'm not on the computer, I also put in a leather recliner for the TV. Life is not hard...anyway you slice it, I've had a lot of time to watch the Broncos recently. The first few days of that were sheer torture, but it suddenly got much easier on Thursday last. It's funny how you enjoy breaking down film more when your team is winning.

I spent a lot of time watching each of the losses and trying to comprehend exactly why, in terms of their on-field play, they were losing. It was a helpful exercise. The losses showed exactly why we were struggling and the victory last week showed equally well what happens when you rectify those same errors. Losing is usually about errors -- sometimes you just are beaten by a better team, but most of the time you open the door and usher them into the victory circle. Jimmy Johnson is a complicated man but he nailed it when he pointed out that you only have to beat about 10 teams in the NFL. The others will create the victory for you if you just stay around. That's exactly what Denver was doing.

The entire breakdown is fiendishly long and I won't bore you with all of it. I'll pull bits and pieces off of it as the next few weeks move along. I can say this -- everyone agrees that there are certain basic principles that are essential to winning. Discipline is essential. Gap control is essential. Success in the trenches is essential. Mental errors are the bane of the football existence. If you just apply those to the losses, you'll find that nearly every failure was created not by the opponent, but by the Broncos.

For those who have asked me, yes, I was badly disappointed in the work of the referees during some of the games. They missed calls, called phantom infractions and generally weren't as good as they have to be, but the real culprit was gazing implacably out of the mirrors in the locker room when the Broncos came back in from the games. Here are a few observations to get us started, in no particular order.

Tight Spots

It didn't take a lot of film work to notice exactly why the Broncos drafted Richard Quinn earlier this year. Josh McDaniels requires a talented blocking tight end and long-time TE Daniel Graham showed up on film as having difficulty at holding the edge on passing downs. While Quinn is still struggling to master the speed of the NFL and the intricacies of the complex Broncos offense, he was the highest-rated blocking TE at this year's Combine. He'll have to step up greatly to fulfill the Broncos' faith in him, taking him as the last pick in the 2nd round of the 2009 Draft, but it's still fair to say that Graham was struggling during the losses. He'd look like an All-Pro on one, then disappear on the next.

About Quinn - the Broncos drafted off of a 'short board' this year, listing only those players that they felt would fit their system effectively. That has led to complaints by the Mile High community regarding where, exactly, they made their choices, but it explains a lot. Drafting a player that they didn't see in their system makes far less sense than using a 2nd-round pick on a player who was rated in the late-2nd to the 4th round. Why Quinn? Because during the losses, Daniel Graham made me wonder if he was getting older. Of course, after last Thursday, I'm not as concerned with that problem. He just hadn't played his best for a few games.

When Graham is on, he's one of the best. Blocking, chipping, running routes and catching, Graham is a tremendous advantage for Denver. When he fails, though, especially since Tyler Polumbus was struggling, it can make for a long game for both the run and the pass.

Graham has an issue with his hand placement. I've mentioned this previously on a thread, but he has a tendency to grab at the outermost aspect of the shoulders of the jersey. Technically, it IS holding, the way he uses it. Keep in mind, by the way, that his placement is legal as long as he works inside from it. Unfortunately, Graham has been finishing plays with a hip-twist to the side that takes down his player with a judo-like throw. He seems to do this a great deal - some refs call it, some don't, but he has to learn a better hand placement or we will have that issue regularly. It's a lot of fun to watch, but is still illegal. We need his play, though - he's still one of the best, all-around, and that's a huge plus.

Lots of fans including myself have awaited two things - a more balanced attack and better usage of Tony Scheffler. A big reason the latter didn't happen was that the blocking wasn't good enough for him to be used as a receiver more often. As the blocking improved, magically, Scheffler got free and started to create matchup troubles for NY.

It all starts with blocking. The trenches are where the games are won.

Being Offensive

Speaking of blocking, watching film over the past week has opened my eyes to the exact nature of the Broncos' decline on offense. I'd like to state, for the record, that I more or less expected to see problems that could be traced to many players and situations, but particularly to issues with the blocking and to the offensive line. I was still stunned to see how far those problems on the O-Line extended, though. Here are a couple of examples from the 1st quarter of the Pittsburgh game that might serve to clarify the issue. They were good illustrations of what we are dealing with.

The right side of the offensive line, except for the continuing excellence of Chris Kuper, has been a huge problem during the losses. Ryan Harris has been injured and Tyler Polumbus hasn't been able to step up fully in his absence until the Giants game. Daniel Graham seemed to be struggling to finish his blocks. In addition, I grew convinced that Russ Hochstein isn't the answer at guard before he played well on Thanksgiving and confounded me. The following two plays were a good indication of the problems as they stood. The plays ran back-to-back.

In the first one, Denver is lined up on offense with 5 down lineman and 4 receivers; Brandon Marshall is in the right slot. His safety, the man covering Marshall, releases to penetrate, going after Orton. Orton sees him and chooses his receiver quickly, accurately gunning it to Brandon. Marshall goes over the middle and makes the reception. However -- the safety ran square into Polumbus who missed the speed rush, letting the safety move easily past before he hurried Orton. The pass is still complete, but Polumbus got taken.

An illustration of just how bad the blocking had become came next, on a power running play Denver used toward to the end of the 1st quarter. The Broncos lined up the usual 5 OL, with Hochstein outside of Polumbus on the right side of the line and Graham on the outside of him to the right. Hochstein was essentially playing as an extra blocking lineman, as was Graham. This wasn't the kind of play that is designed to fool anyone: it was a simple, power run formation. It looked good, right up until the ball was snapped.

At the snap, Hochstein fired out of his stance and toward an OLB on the right as Orton took the snap and handed the ball to Knowshon Moreno. Unfortunately for Russ, his man simply stepped back and to the side. Hochstein went after him, and the end of the play saw him still literally chasing around behind the player who was not, happily, much in the play. Polumbus was keyed on James Farrior, ILB, who brushed him aside as you might a small child, knifing into the backfield. Polumbus fell flat on his face, Farrior reached Moreno in the backfield, almost untouched, and the play went for a loss of three.

There are a couple of obvious things to mention. I've rarely, if ever, seen a power run to the right that left two of our right-side lineman grasping at air, having failed to engage anyone at all that they were supposed to block. Polumbus knelt there on the ground and pounded it with his fist, but that's no substitute for doing your job. This wasn't the only play that left me leery of Hochstein, by the way - it seemed unfortunately obvious why he's been a backup for most of his career. In my own view, I'm sad to say that Tyler hadn't played well enough to even keep him as a backup in the offseason unless he improved rapidly. Of course, this changed greatly against the Giants and he had a very good game. That's been a pattern -- good O-Line play will win you games. Lacking it is an invitation to a loss. What's new?

A third example involved Ben Hamilton. Ben looked like a different player on the recent film. It's almost as if someone stole him in the night and left a changeling in his place, one who fooled everyone into believing that he's Ben. How bad was it? In the same quarter listed above, earlier on, the Broncos ran off-guard to the right. Hamilton was tasked with taking up a linebacker on the play. He easily got to the second level, made contact - and quit. He just stopped and let the player disengage. His man promptly ran over, following the run, and tackled Correll Buckhalter. Hamilton was immediately pulled for one play, with Hochstein taking his place. Unfortunately, Russ wasn't an improvement and Hamilton returned for the next play after, having received some loving personal instruction and attention from Rick Dennison. I've never known Hamilton to quit on plays before this season - something is obviously going on with him.

Think about it. Orton is hit on the first play. He made the completion anyway (Orton looked very good in that half) but it was touch and go whether he could get the pass off accurately within that narrow window. On the next play, Moreno never had a chance - Farrior had a perfect shot at him. On the third play, Buckhalter would have had a first down if Hamilton just finishes the play. Instead, the Steelers killed that drive. That was a pattern during the losses. Individuals didn't play well and the team couldn't get anything going.

I'm not claiming for a moment that we don't have other issues, and I'm going to talk about others over the next few weeks. The defense was also a problem, communication between Orton and the receivers left some points on the field, and there were plenty of other things to work on. It's just that the degree of problems with the offensive line were killing drive after drive, even when you had to look carefully to see why that's true. I had to run the plays over and over to spot every player, but once I did, the crux of the matter was too obvious to miss.

I also saw that plenty of people - far too many - made mental errors at critical times. To be honest, it's the NFL - any time is a critical time. A single mistake wipes out a 40-yard gain - is that critical? It is to me. The difference in the Giants game? For what it's worth, I think that it's not that they didn't make those errors - they still did. It was that once they had, they got it back on track and didn't keep on making them, while the Giants did. If they can keep that kind of aggressive spirit and increase their effective discipline, the Broncos can still compete in the playoffs.

Not-so Special Teams

In watching film, a pattern emerged that had hovered just at the edge of my consciousness. I've been listening to and reading about how the special teams play has been a problem and I fully agree. If you look at the overall results it's hard not to be concerned about this area of the Broncos. Many of the members had problems with bringing ST coach Mike Priefer on board, and I tend to agree. But the problem here, even so, can easily be deceiving. A pattern came to light that has no simple solution.

It's this: Our opponent gets the ball. We stop their drive, but they make it to about mid-field. They punt, and their punter is good at finding that 'coffin corner', pinning us back in our end of the field. Sure, you hope that Eddie Royal can break a few, but let's be real - Eddie is getting the ball with two players or more in his face. He's in a tight area, with defenders reaching him under the punt. We get pinned in the 10-20 if he catches the ball, maybe the 23 or so. It's on the 20 if it rolls into the end zone. We're looking at another long, tiring drive - if we're successful. If not, we're punting and the opposing team gets it at about the 30-to-40 yard line. then we do it all over again until the D is tired and/or we get scored on. I used to notice this with Shanahan's last few teams as well. It's a terrible habit to get into, since it assures that you will have the maximum problems scoring and will give the easiest time to the opponent.

And then came the Giants game and it all changed back, as mysteriously as it arrived. The Broncos suddenly woke up from an autumn nap, smelled the air and strapped on their helmets. They stopped them at their end of the field, created a little more room to run back punts and boomed punts that stuck the Giants back in their end of the field. Everything was different. In the end, the starting field position was Den: 30.20, NYG: 21.30 according to StatMaster TJ (Thanks for the aid, Your Dudeness). Seeing that showed why the difference was so stark.

If we look more at the starting field position, we really did get clobbered by BAL and PIT. After that, it was more about errors. Consider our starting field position over the past 5 weeks:

Week 8, Baltimore: 20.55

Week 9, Pittsburgh: 21.64

Week 10, Washington: 27.91

Week 11, San Diego: 29.60

Week 12, New York: 30.20

The Washington game, to me, was a matter of mistakes and the issue of Chris Simms - if we had Orton, I still think that we would have won, even with a poor performance by the D. Our field position was not that bad and we did score well. the lack of defensive discipline may have tipped the game in their favor. SD was a meltdown. Error compounding error, awful work by Simms, who will not return, Orton trying to play lame. We had decent position and lost it anyway.

Yet, with about the same position, we pounded on NYG. The difference was that we put together a comprehensive, complementary football game, with all sections doing "A" work. That's hard to beat. It sounds awfully simplistic, but this time, the solution was simple. Stop making egregious errors that kill drives or sustain the opponents' drives. If a mistake happens, overcome it with better play. Many times, how we responded to errors determined whether or not we won any given battle.

Throwdown, Elvis Style

Daniel Graham wasn't the only Broncos who's been engaged in throwdowns recently: What to make of Elvis Dumervil? With 5 games to go in the season, he's accumulated a career high and NFL-leading 14 sacks. Will the Broncos pay to keep him around? Count on it. I don't know any more than you about how they will deal with the uncapped year and the new CBA beyond that, but Doom will be a Bronco in 2010. Dumervil is already sixth all-time in the NFL in third-down sacks in a season. The record is held by San Francisco's Tim Harris, who had 11 third-down sacks in 1992 and Doom has 5 more games to pad that stat. When he finds the QB on third down, it does more than just give us back the ball. It changes the way the game flows. How will they pay him? Again - that's what Brian Xanders does. I've got a lot of faith in him. Gosh, why do you want a GM with a lot of cap experience? I couldn't believe it when I heard that in the offseason. The cap is a defender who will always be waiting to trip you up, year 'round.

When Doom is getting his sacks on any down the Broncos are almost impossible to beat. That's because when he's bringing the QB down, It also means that everyone else has tied up their guys or is bringing their own pressure. Good as he is, only when the team plays well does he do as well. His numbers are a tribute to Mike Nolan's job and the play of the front 7 in general. It was one of the huge differences in the losses and the wins. The play of the front 7 will always be essential to success.

Very few teams get a weapon like him, someone who can shut down the passing game in the 4th quarter and protect your win. Doom gets his sacks more often than not when the Broncos play aggressive defense, stay in their gaps and collapse the play. Usually, Doom places a move on a lineman while his cohorts are filling the lanes and gaps, giving the QB no place to run. Even though the number of sacks is a tribute to his talent and performance, he's getting there because the players next to him are doing a great job.

It comes up a lot when I talk to other football geeks: Disciplined gap defense wins games. I can't explain why the Broncos started trying to run around their blockers instead of taking them on and defeating them, but that was exactly what happened as they lost and it didn't change until Thursday. By moving back to gap control and discipline, they took on and overpowered blockers and showed the kind of performance that they can be proud of. Brandon Jacobs is a big load at running back but he was held to 27 yards on 11 carries. There were no gaps for him to exploit, leading to gang tackles and short yardage. That's the kind of defense that wins game.

If the Broncos maintain that gap discipline against the weaker KC line and Jamaal Charles they can shut down the run game and force Matt Cassel to beat them. If the secondary plays the kind of vicious, lockdown coverage that they showed last Thursday KC won't be able to keep up.

What else does gap discipline result in? Stopping the run on first and second down leaves a lot of third-and-long plays which plays into the Broncos' aggressive style and leads to chances for Doom and Co.

Rookies

There is a lot of talk about the Broncos' rookies in the game. Some fans are leaping to conclude that X player is or isn't a bust based on the 1st half of the season. That's something of a bizarre idea. Despite fan 'rules' about how anyone taken in the the top 10 or 15, or the 1st round, should be ready to come in and contribute immediately, that's a rare thing in the NFL. What you really hope for is that they find some ways to contribute the first season and that they play well over the course of the rest of their career. Anything else is 'gravy' so to speak.

Josh McDaniels isn't opposed to playing rookies who can contribute immediately, such as Moreno and Alphonso Smith. Even Knowshon has struggled as he has to learn a completely different style of running, reading and executing. From the early results, I suspect that he'll be fine but it's also fair to say that playing running back is less stressful mentally than playing cornerback, as an example. Then you get to the defensive line, where you really hope for a breakout in the player's 3rd or 4th year. Demanding too much from the rookies is a path to problems. Why? Rookies = mistakes.

It's not just in the NFL, either. Regardless of the sport, very few rookies contribute much. There's just too much to learn. Even those who play brilliantly in their first season, rare as they are, often suffer a diminishment in the second season, just as Eddie Royal and Ryan Clady have done. Why? It's a tough, fast, difficult game. Once other teams know what you do and what you struggle with, you're going to see a lot of hard situations that will challenge you in new ways.

This means exactly nothing over the course of the player's career; most players improve during their first few seasons. Much is made of the stat that the average player has about a 4-year career, but that stat takes into account the number of payers who don't stay after a single year. They are the undrafted or the badly drafted, those who just can't make the leap from college to the pros. I've never seen a breakdown of how the average is determined, and I'd like to. Because in general, those who do fairly well during their first year tend to be out there for a long time.

That's what we're going to see from some of our rookies. Knowshon Moreno, Alphonso Smith, Darcel McBath, Robert Ayers and David Bruton have all done some good things during their rookie season. I'm not going to get bent out of shape if they can't suddenly be brilliant - that's a rare thing in the NFL. But I do want to see flashes of why we wanted those men, and I have. The rookies are doing well. Give them time.

I have to note that we saw some fine performances from a lot of our 2009 rookies against New York. The draft class stepped up front and center last Thursday night and the list of contributors is long. Alphonso Smith had a big game - he made a couple of mistakes, but his overall performance was excellent and lends support to his draft status. David Bruton and Knowshon Moreno we've discussed; Bruton was brilliant and Knowshon gets better every game. I went back and saw more of Quinn on ST than I expected to. Robert Ayers also returned to the active roster after a week in which the Broncos believed that Jarvis Moss could contribute more for them; they were playing the odds because SD had troubles with speed rushers, and that fit Moss better than Ayers. Ayers had another good game against NY, though. McBath played well. The team has some great young players and they will contribute for seasons to come.

Knowing Knowshon Moreno

Speaking of great young players, I loved Knowshon Moreno's comments after the Giants game:

"Every week it's gonna be tough. The offensive line opened up those big holes for us and we just ran through them. We all looked out for each other."

Typical Knowshon. No arrogance, no personal preening, just a willingness to share the credit and to accept the blame. Given that he's also reputed to be a delight to coach and a pleasure to have around in the locker room, I'm thrilled that he's going to be a Bronco for a long time. Watching his TD run over and over, each time I'm sure that he'll be stopped short and each time he keeps the legs churning in classic form. He's up for Rookie of the Week again, too. Talented, gutsy player. Great draft choice.

Knowshon has been growing into this role on the team steadily and not that slowly, either. The only thing that has stood between him and a few 100-yard games is the fact that he's being rotated with Buckhalter, a runner whose contribution to the team is just as essential. 'Buck' is teaching Moreno during the week and making him more effective on weekends. Both runners block well and receive well and Buck even had a 41-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. That's exactly what a good team requires. I'd love to see a third back in the rotation, but that hasn't been important so far (knock on wood).

Knowshon's comments also bring out the same thing I mentioned above: The Broncos go as the lines go. When the O-Line is making three errors in the red zone, back-to-back-to-back, we are in serious trouble. When they get it together and blast open those holes, they're tough to stop.

By the way, check this from the denverbroncos.com:

During the last three weeks, rookie RB Knowshon Moreno has totaled the sixth-most rushing yards (265 / 88.3 ypg.) and the third-best yards per rush average (5.6) in the NFL. He leads all league rookies in rushing yards (688) and yards from scrimmage (784) this year.

To that end, I loved seeing Polumbus and Hochstein step up against NY. That's exactly what we need to see from them. Daniel Graham made a few bad errors, but he also blasted linemen and linebackers alike and he deserves a round of applause as well. The Giant's were holding him and trying to apply what looked like takedowns against him by the end of the game - he confounded them in high style. The running game will always be dependent on what happens in the trenches, including the TEs. Always has been, always will. Last week, they were the team that's very hard to beat. They need to take that anger that they seemed to tap into to KC. Decembers there are tough.

By the way, a big thank-you to Spencer Larsen and Tony Scheffler as well for their work against NYG. They each played a role in making this a complete-team win and blocked like demons in the running game. I can't think of a single area where the Broncos didn't dominate. The final stats seemed more respectable due to the vagaries of garbage time, but the fact was that NY was shut down and hammered flat.

Another player that deserves recognition is Wesley Woodyard. Woodyard has struggled recently, as did most of the defense, but he brought back his "A" game for the Giants. He was in the right place at the right time over and again, and even though he's very light as LBs go, he's doing a heck of a job on the nickel defense, hitting and making tackles. Nice going, WW. I hope that his neck injury is short-lived.

Orton and Learning

There's no way to deny it: I've been a Kyle Orton fan ever since I watched a lot of film on the man during the offseason. The more I saw of it, the more I liked him. Now that he's thrown with a brace on a right index finger that was mangled and played hobbled without excuse, he's impressed me. This is the second season in a row that he's played on a bad ankle and never complained; I'm starting to really like the man. He never, ever, blames anyone. He puts it on his own shoulders. If they're successful he talks about wishing that he had a couple back and about how well the team played. If they lose, he states baldly that everyone needs to step up more. There's no finger pointing, no nonsense. No fuss, no tantrums, no excuses. Expect to see a lot of Kyle over the next few years. I'm great with watching Tom Brandstater, by the way. If he can outplay Kyle, more power to him. I expect Brandstater to be 2nd string next season. But Orton? You have to go a long way to find a tougher QB. I love that in any player.

It's also worth noticing that we're starting to see more of the longer passes. Whether that's the playbook opening, players getting to know each other better, or taking what the defense gives us can be debated, but Brandon Marshall on a go route will scare a lot of defensive coordinators. He's not blazing fast but his ability to get to the ball is rare when he's playing like he did on Thursday. Orton said this, yesterday:

"He's the first guy that I've had like this. It's been a change for me in my way of thinking, being able to trust him and give him those chances. He's a phenomenal player, and I don't see too many people when the ball is in the air going out and out-jumping him or being more physical than he is going for the ball. You certainly want to put it in a good spot to give him the best chance go up and make a play."

What that tells me is that the early comments that Orton and the other players needed to get used to each other and the offense were right on, and kudos to the guys that caught it. I'm starting to see the defenses collapsing on the short and mid routes and Marshall taking the go route to counter and I love it. Those fans who called for more longer passes are getting their wishes fulfilled. The NY game showed us that this is still the team that started 6-0. They can win a wild card slot if they continue to play like that as the season winds down.

You can talk 'til Hades is endothermic, but Orton will be our starting QB next year. He will agree to a nice contract that will keep us cap-friendly and will give him a lot of financial security. That's exactly why we brought him in and why we brought Brian Xanders on board.

Orton has also improved every year that he's been in the pros. I'd say that you can look for that to continue, and that he's going to bring the rest of the offense with him. .

For Kicks

Here's a toast to Mitch Berger, the much-maligned punter who took over for the struggling Brett Kern a few weeks past. He managed 3 punts for 145 yards, an average of 48.3 yards per punt. I can't tell you why he seems to be improving, but that kind of performance can't be overstated. The punting game in the previous losses tended to the pattern I talked about earlier. By kicking longer and permitting good hang time, he let the coverage move down the field and do their jobs. They did - and a special thanks to MHR favorite David Bruton, who was tearing up ST on Thursday night. When we talk about young drafted players who are stepping up, I don't hear his name quite often enough. Give him a few years and he's going to be a heck of a safety, too, bringing that same intensity and talent for the big hit. I know that we talk about this safety and that one, and that's understandable. I'd love to have Eric Berry playing for the Broncos. But it's more likely that we won't, and we won't have a big dropoff if Bruton continues to develop the way that he has.

Berger wasn't the only one who knocked the laces off the rock, by the way. Matt Prater had a stellar night, bisecting the uprights on kick after kick and driving his kickoffs far back into the end zone. If they can't run it out, they won't have much of a runback. Domenik Hixon managed just two returns for 20 yards each for NY, while Prater was faultless on 4 field goals, with a long of 47 yards. Contrary to many concerns, he's shown no signs of fading as the season wears on. He won the AFC ST Player of the Week award, and he earned it.

"I think that's the best game I've ever had," said Prater. "It was perfect weather for kicking." Perfect weather for a dominating win, too.

Kansas City Here I Come

Want an unusual stat? Kyle Orton is still one of the best QBs in terms of home record in the past 3 decades. That's a heck of a stat, really, but it's not even the one I'm interested in. What interests me is that he plays even better on the road, whether his team might or not. Orton's home QB rating? 80.3, less than his overall average of 84.1. On the road, Orton is managing an 89.6 QB rating. That's one of the things that gives me a lot of confidence gong into the KC game this week: Orton has actually been better on the road.

KC can be a meat grinder at home - that's worse in December and I'll never discount that. The Steelers took them too lightly and were handed their hats with a defeat that could end up influencing their post-season standing. The Chiefs gave a heck of a tussle to Baltimore and beat the Redskins (who are coming on themselves, you might notice) and the Raiders. They are still a weaker team, but they have some pieces that are starting to fall together and their 3-4 is starting to play well. Jamaal Charles is a great addition to their team and Larry Johnson a great subtraction.

The Broncos will be well rested going into the game and they will have some extra time to gameplan. My sole concern is whether this squad is ready to keep on being angry and aggressive. If that happens, I believe that we'll have an eighth victory to celebrate, moving into the game against Indianapolis, but I expect this one to be hard-fought.

One thing I like about KC: Matt Cassel. I like the fact that he's working hard, making improvements, and that he's able to score some points if you give him some time. KC still doesn't have that great an offensive line and frankly, I'm shocked that the Steelers gave them so much time to throw -- it's not a mistake that Denver can afford to emulate. I'm glad that PIT did, though. It gives us a clear picture of what happens when you don't bring the intensity that the NFL requires to a game. My question is whether the Broncos can bring the kind of pressure that has won us some games. If so, we'll probably take this one.

There's a certain glow to a long week off after an excellent home win. Now, let's take it on the road...

Go Broncos!

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 12/2/09 - Harris returns to practice; Prater named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Douglas A. Lee — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:36:17 -0000

DB - Week 13 - Tue: McDaniels - Broncos TV

DB - December Dominance - Broncos TV

DB - Preparing for the Chiefs’ Playmakers - Chris Gentilviso
"I am going to just make sure that I apologize to anybody that was offended by the language that I used the other night on the sidelines during the (New York Giants) game," McDaniels said. "I certainly didn’t intend for that to come across in that fashion and would hope that that never happens again. I’ll try my best to make sure that it doesn’t from my end, but anybody who was offended by that, young or old, I know that’s not the kind of example that I want to set or that we want to set here with the Broncos organization. I would ask people to accept that apology for that incident."

DP - RT Harris returns to practice - Lindsay Jones
"In addition to Harris, several other players who have missed either practice or game time recently were back at practice, including WR Eddie Royal (thigh), RB LaMont Jordan (neck), DT Marcus Thomas (shoulder), CB Ty Law (hamstring). The only player absent from Tuesday’s practice was linebacker Wesley Woodyard, who suffered a neck injury against the Giants."

DPP - Broncos hope Moreno's learning curve leads to postseason - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Broncos kicker Prater vindicated by Elam's release - Mike Klis
Sad (about Elam), but true.

LTC - Ripe for holidays - Brian Howell

DB - Moreno in Running for Weekly Award - Zach Eisendrath

DB - Prater Kicks His Way to Weekly Award - Zach Eisendrath

DB - Prater Named SP/T Player of the Week - Broncos TV

INDT - Something’s missing in New England - Hunter Ansley

DPP - Analysis: QB's total turnovers the best way to rank efficiency - Jeff Legwold
I can't say I agree with this...I'm happy Orton is our QB this year, he's doing a very good job; but I would never, ever put him in the same class as the guys listed. QB rating may not be perfect, but it's one of the better measures out there.

DPP - Q&A: NFL teams use doctors to determine availability of injured players - Jeff Legwold

DP - It’s OK, Josh, I swear - Jim Armstrong

CSG - McDaniels aware of Broncos' Arrowhead history - Frank Schwab

CSG - McDaniels apologizes for profanity - Frank Schwab

AP - Former Broncos Jason Elam Released By Falcons

DP - Broncos' McDaniels praises ousted Weis - Lindsay Jones

DP - Denver prosecutors won't seek death penalty in witness killing - Felisa Cardona

AFC West News

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

NFL - Chiefs will retire Thomas' No. 58 during Sunday's game

KCS - Chiefs secondary has been exposed with big plays - Kent Babb

SDUT - Numbers game - Bill Center

SDUT - Chargers acquire LB insurance - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Say this for Browns, they’re not worthy - Jay Posner

SDUT - Cromartie assault case goes to City Attorney - Debbi Baker

SDUT - Stadium vise grips NFL cities - Tim Sullivan

OT - Al Davis has Oakland Raiders in downward spiral - Monte Poole

SFC - Sign of the times - Photo
HA! Spectacular.

OT - How billboard drive got started - Jerry McDonald

NFL News

NFL - Steelers expect Roethlisberger to play at Raiders

NFL - Cooley: Redskins’ system is ‘carousel of calls’

NFL - Eagles sign Celek to six-year extension

NFL - Bears sign veteran linebacker June

NFL Opinion

Y! - Macho attitude undermines concussion policies - Jason Cole

NFP - Coaches can help identify concussions - Jack Bechta

Y! - Redman's 'insurance' policy a wake-up call - Mike Silver

NFP - Diner morning news: Can anyone beat the Saints? - Mike Lombardi

NFP - Tavern talk: Bucs’ Morris had options - Mike Lombardi

SI - Mike McKenzie bolsters Saints defense; NFL MVP debate - Peter King

CBS - Three-headed MVP race will be photo finish - Clark Judge

NFL - Colts win by any means necessary (and, of course, Manning) - Vic Carucci

NFL - Patriots' porous defense doesn't bode well for playoffs - Steve Wyche

FOX - Saints, Pats play a bit of role reversal - Alex Marvez

FOX - Schein 9: Colts built to be NFL's best story

NFP - Adams needs to leave coaching to Fisher - Matt Bowen

ESPN - Filling the holes in Chicago - Kevin Seifert

NYT - Steven Jackson: So Many Carries, So Few Victories - Chase Stuart

Y! - The 10 best plays of the decade - Chris Chase

Power Rankings, Etc.

ESPN - NFL Power Rankings Week 13

CBS - Power Rankings: Titans rise from depths to push for playoffs - Pete Prisco

FH - NFL Power Rankings, Week 13: Can Saints and Colts Go 32-0? - Josh Alper

Broncos are Preparing For Chiefs' Charles, Chambers

Joel Thorman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:02:58 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

19 days ago: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Chris Chambers, left, reaches over the goal line with a seven-yard touchdown while being tackled by San Diego Chargers' Antonio Cromartie during the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday Nov. 29, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Browse more photos »

The Denver Broncos are in the midst of preparation for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead stadium. Usually, that preparation includes A) how to stop Larry Johnson and B) how to stop Larry Johnson.

These Chiefs, though, present different problems and they come in the form of relatively new contributors Jamaal Charles and Chris Chambers.

Charles is the guy behind Cassel now and his play over the last month has put the Broncos on notice.

"He’s a tough runner," Broncos' Wesley Woodyard said. "We’ve seen plays where guys take shots at him but he refuses to go down. And not only that, his play spreads over to special teams — he gets out there and makes tackles and he’s a good returner. So we have to make sure we can’t let him get in the game this week."

That refusal to go down has been evident over the last few weeks. Even Chiefs head coach Todd Haley has mentioned that recently.

The Broncos are also keeping an eye on new Chief Chris Chambers, who has hauled in 17 receptions for 319 yards since being claimed by the Chiefs a month ago.

"He has added a playmaker to their offense, without question," Broncos defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said. "He has been a guy that the quarterback feels confident in on a short notice."

Chambers is especially potent for opposing defenses because he usually gets first downs (13/17 catches were first downs) and has big play ability (5/17 catches over 20 yards).

Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels recognizes the skills each of these players possesses to break open a game. That's why he's not taking the Chiefs lightly and expects them to come with a well-prepared game plan.

"It’s like most teams in the league," McDaniels said, "You change a few plays here or there, you could be talking about a 6-5, 7-4 team instead of a team that doesn’t have that many wins."

Horse Tracks 11/30/09 - Broncos return to practice today; Chargers pummel Chiefs to remain 1 game ahead of Denver

Douglas A. Lee — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:30:10 -0000

DPP - Broncos need Orton to stay healthy - Mike Klis
"The Broncos resume practice today in preparation for their game Sunday at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. Injuries to watch are Marcus Thomas (shoulder), Wesley Woodyard (neck), Ty Law (hamstring), Eddie Royal (thigh) and Knowshon Moreno (wrist)."

DPP - Analysis: Broncos have rotten record in December games played in Kansas City - Jeff Legwold
"The Broncos are 1-16 in December games in Kansas City."

DPP - Q&A: Does Brandon Marshall still want out? - Jeff Legwold
"My contract is over in a month and a half, so I'll be able to accomplish the things I want to accomplish. There will be a team out there willing to trade for anybody, I mean anybody, who has accomplished the things that I've accomplished." Wow. Missed that one....

ESPN - Phillips apologizes to McDaniels - Bill WIlliamson

DB - The "D’s" back in Defense - Mark Cooper

AP - Broncos coach McDaniels airs his grievances

NFL Results

NFL - Kansas City Chiefs 14 at San Diego Chargers 43

NFL - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 at Atlanta Falcons 20

NFL - Miami Dolphins 14 at Buffalo Bills 31

NFL - Washington Redskins 24 at Philadelphia Eagles 27

NFL - Seattle Seahawks 27 at St. Louis Rams 17

NFL - Carolina Panthers 6 at New York Jets 17

NFL - Cleveland Browns 7 at Cincinnati Bengals 16

NFL - Indianapolis Colts 35 at Houston Texans 27

NFL - Jacksonville Jaguars 3 at San Francisco 49ers 20

NFL - Chicago Bears 10 at Minnesota Vikings 36

NFL - Arizona Cardinals 17 at Tennessee Titans 20

NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers 17 at Baltimore Ravens 20

AFC West News

SDUT - Prelude to 'month of perfection' - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Rivers considers heave his highlight

SDUT - Tomlinson keeps movin' up, passing Allen and James

SDUT - Despite injuries, defense thrives - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Chargers Top 50 honored in various ways - Tod Leonard

SDUT - Facing losers, it's time to prey - Nick Canepa

SDUT - Gates learned through pain - Tim Sullivan

KCS - Chiefs get zapped by Chargers 43-14 - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs show their immaturity in loss - Jason Whitlock

KCS - Chargers burn Chiefs secondary with big plays - Kent Babb

KCS - Chiefs receiver Chambers proves something to his former team - Kent Babb

KCS - Charles makes good plays — and a bad one - Adam Teicher

KCS - Chiefs blitz | Niswanger has bad day snapping the ball - Adam Teicher & Kent Babb

KCS - Chiefs notes | Haley may rethink future holiday breaks - Kent Babb

KCS - Grading the Chiefs - Adam Teicher

NFL News

NFL - Report: Browns' Rogers out for season with left leg injury

NFL - Source: Giants' Manning developed stress reaction in injured foot

NFL - Eagles WR Jackson suffers concussion in win over Redskins

NFL - Falcons QB Ryan, RB Turner exit game vs. Bucs with injuries

Concussions

NFL - Report: Goodell will expand restrictions concerning head trauma

NYT - As Signs of Concern Spread, N.F.L. Revisits Concussions - Greg Bishop

FH - Merril Hoge: Concussion Nearly Killed Me In Locker Room - Will Brinson

FH - Steelers at Odds Following OT Loss - Thomas George

NFL Opinion

PFW - Speculation increases about 'rock star' coaches

NFL - Forget Brady, Brees, and Manning; Favre is the league's MVP - Vic Carucci

CBS - Week 12 Judgements: Titans feeling Young at heart - Clark Judge

SI - Ray Rice, Kenny Britt, Dennis Dixon in spotlight of Week 12 in the NFL - Peter King

Y! - Rally shows QB Young in a different light - Charles Robinson

ESPN - Last Call: Wrapping up Week 12 - John Clayton

FOX - NFC East coming down to Eagles and Cowboys - Jimmy Johnson

NFL - Separating the contenders (Titans) from the pretenders (Cowboys) - Jason La Canfora
"Winning at Arrowhead will be tough, and even though they stopped their skid by beating the Giants, they might not win again until they host the Chiefs in the season finale, matching last year's collapse." Here's La Canfora doing his best John Clayton impression. Isn't La Canfora a reporter of news, not a football analyst?!?! When did he get into the predicting business?

NYT - For Saints’ Drew Brees, Stature Doesn’t Dictate Success - Judy Battista

PFW - Saints got steal in free agent Sharper - Mike Wilkening

NFP - Are Kubiak’s days in Houston numbered? - Dave Miller

SI - Kubiak must go, the amazing Colts, coaching blunders - Don Banks
"You can add another notch to Darrelle Revis's belt. The Jets' shutdown cornerback -- and we don't toss that label around lightly -- not only limited Carolina receiver Steve Smith to one catch for 5 yards, he picked off Delhomme twice, returning the first one 67 yards for a touchdown. Why does anyone throw in Revis's direction these days?

I don't quite get the intricacies of the Jets' new color-coded offensive system that is designed to help rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez better protect the football, but something worked against Carolina. Sanchez threw just one interception in completing 13 of 17 for 154 yards and no touchdowns. Given that he's been a turnover machine in recent weeks, that's progress."

I don't mean to pick on Banks (really, I like him), but as I went to the Jets game yesterday, it's quite obvious to me that Banks didn't see any of the game and is writing his observations off the box score. Revis' first INT came when a Delhomme pass bounced literally five yards in the air off Steve Smith's back foot. Totally bizarre, and Revis was not covering Smith, nor anywhere remotely close to the guy. Revis' second INT came when he was beaten down the sideline by Smith, but Delhomme severely underthrew him. Yes, Revis made a nice play and was in the right place to make it, but he was chasing Smith down the sideline at that point. Terrible throw by Delhomme, but by no means a bad decision.

As for Sanchez, the guy looked absolutely terrible yesterday. I'm shocked that he only had 4 incompletions, as many of his throws were at the feet of receivers. Meanwhile, Sanchez looked frantic in the pocket and displayed happy feet even when given adequate protection. His INT was a terrible one, coming as the Jets were trying to simply protect the lead and waste some 4th-quarter clock. Again, I don't mean to pick on Banks...but this is some shoddy writing....

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

Horse Tracks 11/21/09 - Orton called game-time decision; Jordan and Harris ruled out

Douglas A. Lee — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:41:56 -0000

DB - Week 11 - Fri: McDaniels - Broncos TV

NFLN - Video: AFC West showdown - Vic Carucci

NFLN - Video: Chargers-Broncos discussion - Kevin Acee

DPP - Bet on Simms as starter on Sunday - Mike Klis

DPP - QB a great story, but bad timing - Dave Krieger
"Only one thing keeps this from being a Disney movie: It's about the worst week of the year for the Broncos to have an unsettled situation at quarterback."

DPP - Passes of San Diego's Rivers flow freely against Denver Broncos - Jeff Legwold

DPP - Broncos hurting at running back
"Rookie Knowshon Moreno figures to get the bulk of the tailback work, with Peyton Hillis possibly getting an occasional carry...Rookie outside linebacker Robert Ayers was fined $5,000 for the major face-mask penalty he committed against Washington's Santana Moss on a punt return."

DB - Examining Our Expectations - Mike Rice

DB - An Equal Protection Clause - Chris Gentilviso

INDT - Going in opposite directions? - Hunter Ansley

SI - San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos - Adam Duerson

DB - A Few Minutes With Wesley Woodyard - Broncos
Does anyone have the slightest clue as to why so many TV announcers pronounce his name as "wood yard"? I just don't get it - I look at his name and there's only one way to pronounce it...

DB - Making Up For Lost Time - Zach Eisendrath
Hmm. Maybe Spencer Larsen is bad luck and Brett Kern is good luck for the Broncos...they're 6-0 without Larsen and with Kern, 0-3 vice versa. I kid, I kid....

DB - This Week in Gameday: Expanding His Legacy - Zach Eisendrath

CSG - Broncos confident if Simms starts - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos: Three things to watch - Frank Schwab

CSG - Broncos top 10: Best draft picks - Frank Schwab

PFW - Buckhalter says McDaniels is same, win or lose - Dan Parr

CBS - Peek at the Week: Reeling Broncos must find way to derail hot Chargers - Clark Judge

AP - Kyle Orton Misses Practice Again, May Play Sunday

Chargers News

SDUT - Kick cover units aim to make big impact - Kevin Acee

SDUT - Broncos pose a different challenge - Kevin Acee
"Right tackle Jeromey Clary did individual drills but did not work the team period of yesterday's practice and is listed as questionable for tomorrow...Should Clary not be able to go, Brandyn Dombrowski would make his first career start at right tackle."

NCT - Rivers looks to improve on completion percentage - Scott Bair

Giants News

NYDN - New York Giants could be without Antonio Pierce after MRI reveals bulging disk in linebacker's neck - Ralph Vacchiano

NYDN - New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross is hungry enough to switch positions to get on field - Ralph Vacchiano

NYDN - Dry-eyed Tom Coughlin must find way to turn around New York Giants - Gary Myers

AFC West News

ESPN - Final Word: AFC West - Bill Williamson

KCS - Chiefs LB Studebaker has plenty of drive - Adam Teicher

SFC - Asomugha lets lockdown coverage do the talking - David White

SFC - Gradkowski's teammates laud QB's approach - David White

OT - The Darrius Heyward-Bey drops: Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco weighs in on the Raiders rookie - Steve Corkran

NFL Opinion

USAT - The Bell Tolls: Caution needed as the NFL tackles head injuries - Jarrett Bell

SN - NFL Week 11: Ten bold predictions - RealScouts
"The Chargers have won two of their last three games in Denver, and we think they're going to make it three out of four...Look for an aggressive game plan from the Bolts, including some no-huddle series to keep those aging Broncos defenders on the field."

SI - NFL Week 11 Viewer's Guide, including Colts-Ravens - Ross Tucker

NFL - First coaching casualty could start landslide around the league - Jason La Canfora

SI - Chris Johnson aims to beat out Adrian Peterson for rushing title - Peter King

ESPN - Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns truly offensive - Adam Schefter

NFP - QB class of ’07 endures tough times - Wes Bunting

NFP - There’s still life in Ricky Williams’ legs - Andrew Brandt

SI - Tennessee Titans' Vince Young making most of second chance - Michael Rosenberg

FH - Spielmans' Special Story of Love and Life - Lisa Olson

NYT - Quiet Subdivision Is Home to a Booming N.F.L. Blog - Richard Sandomir

FOX - Mailbag: VY, the Bears and Jared Allen's mullet - Jay Glazer

NFL - Many happy returns: Special teams speedsters have a leg up - Bucky Brooks