As in, the Flying V's. As in, five Dubbyas in a row. Victorious? Yep, lined up five of em', knocked em' all down.

In this edition, we're going to gag on some Goodman, dig on some Dawkins, and get all Aquarius with Demaryius (I realize that makes no sense, but what the hell else am I supposed to rhyme with Demaryius?).

Rumble with me to Luff Land, once again...

Continue reading this post »

As in, I am extremely sick and feel like Phyllis Rivers did after the game. Awful.

So there's my built-in excuse; if I sound even more discombobulated and random than usual, it's because I feel like crud and barely remember my own name. But since I can't force myself to sleep any longer, I figured I'd put fingies to keyboard and throw down some thoughts.

Let's roll!

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Hey folks!  It's been way too long.... I miss you guys.  I know my return coincides with our best win in years, apparently that's what it takes for a Luff to find the strength to write a fan-post.  :)

Here, you'll find some random mind wanderings.  Rumble with me to Luff-Land once again!

Continue reading this post »

First off, condolences to the McKinley family.  Regardless of the circumstances, it is a sad and tragic thing that happened, and one we all wish never did.  RIP Kenny. 

This time around, it's gonna be the usual.  Meandering thoughts that start of small, quickly change in scope and direction, and result in a fairly long and discombobulated publication.  I hope you have the time to hang with me...

Rumble with me to Luffabo Land...

Continue reading this post »

In Part 3 of Luff Rumblings, I want to start by saying:  I miss you guys.  Between working way more than my lazy behind is accustomed to, buying a house, buying a car (a more tedious process than I ever thought possible), seeing a new gal (read: victim), and other such miscellaneous jackassery, I just haven't had the time to hang here and contribute as much as I used to...  Sad times. 

So, it feels good to be typing away once again, hanging on the precipice of completion, whereupon I will disperse my rumblings into the intrawebz, to be read by my favorite strangers who share a common bond: a love for the good guys, THE Denver Broncos. 

So follow along while I get my rumble on!

Poll

Is "Team Baby Carlos" a winner?

31%

Yes

42 votes

14%

No

20 votes

54%

Stay away from fantasy football, it's evil.

73 votes

135 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

In the first edition of Luff Rumblings, I harped on some Haggan, blogged on some Branson, threw down a snippet on Samoans, and dabbled in some other random stuff too.  In this edition, you're going to get exactly the same thing. 

Rumble with me to Luffabo Land, once again...

Poll

What do you think? Is trading Quinn the best option at QB?

46%

Yes, trading Quinn makes sense.

93 votes

12%

No, Quinn is the starter this year and maybe for the future.

24 votes

40%

No, Keep all 3, cut Brandy, let Orton or Quinn play this year, and go with the Quinn/Tebow tandem for the future

81 votes

198 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

At this point, I think most of you around here might have seen me around and are at least reasonably familiar with me.  You also might have asked yourselves at one point or another, what the heck is a Luffabo? 

Allow me to inform you.  A Luffabo is a friendly mix between a buffalo, a handsome human being, and a fun-loving chinchilla.  That might sound weird to you, but trust me, we're pretty cool.  I want to warn you, if you happen to run into one of my ex-girlfriends and ask her what a Luffabo really is, she might tell you it's just a delusional idiot who spends too much time on a website learning and talking about a football team.  I would advise you to disregard this person, as she clearly has no idea what she's talking about. If you ask one of my friends, they might tell you that I just like to say the word "Luffabo" in a weird voice, which is infinitely entertaining (to me).  They may or may not be correct, those friends of mine.  You'll just have to decide for yourself which version to go with..

Without further delay, jump into the land of random Luffabo Rumblings with me....

Poll

Make "Luff Rumblings" a semi-regular occurrence?

62%

TAKE ITTTTTTTTTTT!

143 votes

29%

Get help quick, I mean clinical help. Psychiatrist, pharmaceauticals, any and all of it. But write the column as well.

67 votes

8%

Spend more time at the beach kicking jellyfish, WE ARE NOT ENTERTAINED!

19 votes

229 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

This post was made in the interest of conversation, debate, and for the purpose of learning something.  It wasn't made to point fingers at anyone's opinions, and I don't expect it to devolve into that.  I will keep this short, as I hope the meat of the conversation and flow of information happens in the comments, as I am primarily asking a question above all else. 

Let's get to it.  In light of the great news that Elvis Dumervil wants to be a Bronco and that our front office are of the same mind, it got me thinking on a subject that has been brewing in my cockamamie mind for entirely too long. 

The question? 

How bad is our pass-rushing maestro at stopping the run?

Continue reading this post »

I, your local, tame, bronco-loving Luffabo, recently lucked into the (seemingly) trip of a lifetime.  You see, I happened to run into Coach Josh McDaniels in the mountains whilst going on a "Luffabo jog".  Apparently, our fearless leader is into the same type of things I am, who knew? Anyways, thanks to MHR and the wealth of knowledge I have gleaned during my stay here, I was able to greatly impress McD with my take on the team, the schemes, and ultimately what needs to be done to push our team to the next level.  I couldn't believe it.  I mumbled, stuttered, and drooled my way through my little monologue on the state of the Broncos to the head coach himself, and he lapped it up like a drunken man who had just spilled over the last whiskey in the county.

Miraculously, I was hired as the official "Consultant of General Improvement".  They made that title up just for me, how cool is that? Apparently, my job was to improve the team in any way possible, a "license to thrill", if you will.

At this point, you may be asking yourself, "What in the world does this have to do with being lost?"  Please, let me explain.  Shortly after my misguided hire (shhh, don't tell anyone in the organization I actually have no clue what I'm talking about), I happened upon an "Excellence in Athletics" seminar being put on in Brisbane, Australia by a man named Nigel Westphal.  This seminar is primarily geared towards athletes of Aussie-Rules Football, but that's neither here nor there.  I didn't know much about the man or the program, but the organization must really hold my suggestions in high regard, as they promptly sent over members of the coaching staff, a number of players, and myself to see what we could learn at this seminar.

Follow below the fold to see how we got lost...

Continue reading this post »

Our own Emmett "Doc" Smith puts amazing time, effort, and skill into his work here for us, bringing an insight and levity rarely seen elsewhere, even within the ranks of professional sports writers.  So, as his prose brings an impressive and ever expansive viewpoint to our Broncos, I have recently posted some articles that lean towards the "comical" side of things.  My "Picture-Book" to his "Novella", if you will.  As I know I can't bring the same level of analysis as Doc and some others on the site, I have resorted to humor and pictures riffed from the internet to get my point across.  

Follow below the fold for a rather child-like look at our recently drafted Denver Broncos.

Poll

Since he's definitely over the edge this time... Tell it to him straight, what kind of help does Luff need?

18%

A sympathetic pat on the back and a lollipop

23 votes

28%

The best psychiatrist money can buy and lots of behavior-altering drugs

35 votes

53%

No help. Luffabo's are just crazy by nature, you're good.

66 votes

124 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

That's right, I'm calling it now, this mock draft is the official "Holy crap, that guy called every move and pick we made!" mock draft.   Every pick and thought I have in here is going to come to fruition, you can quote me on it.

 I'll even go so far as to make a wager with you all:  If even one pick I make in this mock is wrong, as penance I will set up a PayPal account where you can all donate $1 to the fund I have set up to be given to one hopeless MHR addict per year. You see? It's for a good cause, I will handle everything.  It will be a ton of hard work, but I'm willing to step up and do it, it's the least I can do.  

Without further delay, make the jump to see what players will be chosen to shape the future for the Broncos.

Poll

Since this mock draft is definitely coming true, I'm worried about Broncos Country. Are we going to have a collective heart attack when we get all these guys in one draft?

55%

Definite massive, community heart attack. MHR forced to close for lack of fans existence

58 votes

44%

Naw, I'd rather have Tim Tebow

46 votes

104 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Thanks to the very surprising juggernaut that is the Phoenix Suns, we don't have to play those same Suns in the first round, and get home court against the men with flutes.  

While I had a rough night in our regular-season's final game (didn't we all), I can chalk that up to "tee-many-martooni's".  While I still worry about our ability to regain our focus, form, and confidence going into the playoffs, I still have faith in the guys to get it done.

Follow below the fold for my take on our upcoming "Miners against Musicians" playoff contest.   

Poll

Tell him straight, is Luff crazy? Do his keys to bending the flutes make any sense?

9%

He's crazy and incorrect

4 votes

26%

He's sane and correct

11 votes

61%

He's both crazy and correct

26 votes

2%

He's sane and incorrect

1 votes

42 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

We all know what just happened, love it or hate it, there will be some consequences and repercussions because of the trade.  Follow below the fold to see a few...

Continue reading this post »

And "S" is for "Steam".  As in, this post is how I'm going to blow off some steam.  

Follow below the fold for my take on tonight's game and the state of our beloved maddening Nuggets, "Sesame Street Alphabet" style.

Continue reading this post »

I have made it no secret around here that I happen to love any player that:

1. Rocks wicked, primal tattoos.

2. Sports flowing, curly hair flying out the back of his helmet.

3. Has more likely than not climbed a coconut tree or two in his day.

4. Happens to hail from the South Pacific. 

That's right, this is my "All-Samoan" mock draft.  I have to say, I would be extremely pumped if our front office read this post, came to the conclusion that I am very smart, that Samoans obviously kick ass, and that they will draft according to my chart.  Also, because of the dearth of mock drafts around here, I have refrained from posting one of my own, until now.  So, if you're sick of mocks, read on anyways, because mine happens to include Islanders who crush bones for fun, but are nice enough to peel you off the turf afterward...

Continue reading this post »

http://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2010/2/23/1323212/2010/2/23/1323212/philadelphia-eagles-release-brian

Apparently, it was a money move.  If we could get this guy on the cheap, I would LOVE this pickup.  A lot of people around here are saying we should go after Kevin Faulk.  Westbrook is like Faulk, but good.  He seems like the perfect back to fit in our system, can catch out of the backfield and work in space, is a good leader, and an overall terrific running back.  I also don't think he would mind joining old mates Dawkins and Buck again... although Buck might not be happy about sharing carries with him again. 

Downside?  Westbrook is getting older, is injury prone, and clearly isn't the player he used to be.  But, in a 3 back rotation in our system, I think he could make a solid impact for us.

McXanders, go do work!

Don't worry, despite the title,  there's no funny business in here...

I was going to post this in the comments section of Bfree2Broncs' excellent post about our outside linebacker situation.  His post started a discussion about Robert Ayers, and it got me thinking about our draft class in general.  However, I thought I might just do a fanpost about how a couple of Cowboys can make us more comfortable about our rookie draft class from last year.

Continue reading this post »

From an unabashed Bill Simmons fan, I figured I would post what he said about the Broncos in his Week 9 NFL picks and post the link as well.  

"BRONCOS (+3) over Steelers

I am not buying the whole "Baltimore proved how to stop Denver's offense" thing. At all. Guarantee Josh McDaniels studied what the Ravens did for 75 hours this week and made all the necessary adjustments. Beware of the altitude; beware of Elvis and Knowshon; and most of all, beware of the Neck Beard."

For those who don't know, Simmons is a huge Boston sports fan, so rest assured that he is very familiar with McD.  I love Simmons for a lot of reasons, but the fact that he threw down the Neck Beard moniker is another.  Also, another show of disrespect from Vegas.  They basically are saying they think Pitt is 6 points better than we are, as we have 3 points and you can add another 3 for home field.  I guess I can see where they went with the line as we are coming off a tough loss and Pitt is on a roll, but I digress.  

And here is the link... the Picks are towards the bottom of the page after the book tour column...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmonsnflpicks/091106

I am an avid MHR reader, and just found out about this blog a few days ago and joined up.  I'm glad to be here!  It's nice to have a place to talk Nuggets with fellow fans being as I'm stuck in south Texas all by my lonesome in Spurs country (yick!).  Anyways, I was writing these thoughts down in a comment but decided to just make it a fanpost (because I done wrote too much!), I apologize if the content is repetitive as I haven't seen all the threads leading up to the season....

 

Does anyone else get the feeling that this team is more focused and complete than ever before? I feel like Melo is setting the tone right now, and this team is not one that will take many nights off or lose to teams that it shouldn't. I really like they way they look right now. I agree with you Nate, what's the deal with Balkman?!?!?!? Along with Lee, he was the only player I liked on the Knicks roster when he was there... and was pumped when we picked him up. I expected him to get in the rotation and get regular minutes, I just can't figure out why he rarely gets any playing time. He seems like the type of player GK values given his versatility, toughness, and hustle... what gives? I am loving the Afflalo pickup. I liked him in college and am excited we got him to replace Jones, I think he will end up being an upgrade over Dahntay, as much as I liked him.  Between adding Lawson and the other acquisitions in the offseason, I think we are definitely a more complete roster this year. Couple that with Melo's insanely high level of play so far, Chauncey's familiarity with the team in his second year, and what I think will be another slight breakout season based on his performance in the playoffs for JR Smith, and I really think we sit firmly in the "legit contender" category.

As I have seen and participated in discussions on the subject here, our biggest weakness is interior defense of good big men, and to a lesser extent on offense, a low post scoring presence.  Even with these issues, I believe our club is good enough to beat the elite and win the championship.

Back to the lineup, here's a fun thought:  We could possibly trot out a lineup of Ty Lawson, Chauncey Billups, JR Smith, Carmelo Anthony, and Nene at some point this season... Is that not the Howitzer of offensive basketball?  If that lineup got extended playing time, how do they not score 140 points a game?  And yes, I am going to completely ignore the fact that the other team might score the same on us... that would be pure basketball fun! 

Thanks for listening.  Go Nuggets!

 

 

 

 

I am, admittedly, not an expert at "reading between the lines" when looking at what a person says.  But, we may have just seen the first twang of regret from old friend Jay. 

I don't mean to rehash the past, I know we have had too much of this subject over these last few months... so this isn't a "Jay Bash" post, I just thought the quote was interesting and that I would link to it and include the quote in the fanpost.  I would like to hear all of your opinions on what you think Jay actually meant when he said these things...

Here is the link: 

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/news/story?id=4580292

And here is the quote:

"A lot of people think I'm wishing the worst for the Broncos and Josh McDaniels. I don't," Cutler said. "I watched the game last night. I have friends on that team. I talked to some of them afterwards and congratulated them. They're playing really good football. I'm happy for those guys offensively, defensively.

"This league is funny. It's all about timing," he said. "You could be one of the best players in the league but if you're not in the right system, you don't have the right people around you, there're a lot of different aspects that go into making a player or breaking a player. It's working for Kyle. It's working for Josh, and it's working for the Broncos. They've got a good thing going."

It was cool of him to say what he did about the Broncos, and how he doesn't wish bad things on us... but that last paragraph, to me, seems like a slight dig at the Bears organization, and an admittance of possible regret on not being with this team any longer.  Thoughts?

It looks like Jerome Bettis is the first MSM knucklehead to give a full and sincere apology to McDaniels for the treatment he has received since his hiring.  He actually admitted he, and lumped in the rest of them too, were wrong for jumping to conclusions and were clueless about what was really going on with the team.

Here is the link, I will also quote what he said after the link....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jerome_bettis/10/06/bus.stops/index.html?eref=sircrc

Errr, I was going to copy-paste the excerpt from the article, but it will not allow me to make that happen.  Also, my letters have gotten bigger and my font has changed for no apparent reason. 

Also, Peter King is (finally) showing us some love as well, here is the link to thatone....http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/10/06/mail/index.html?eref=sihp

And once again the formatting is getting ridiculous here... I give up.  King thinks we will go 2-2 over the upcoming 4 games, and end with a 6-2 record.  Pretty good vote of confidence from the "king knucklehead", maybe that's not such a good thing though... And, oh yes, he has McD as coach of the year through the first quarter, and Dumervil second in Defensive player of the year to Darrele Revis.  And Mike Nolan 1st in the Assistant Coach of the Year.  

Allright folks, I'm posting this because this has been a question that has been lingering in my own mind for a while and I wanted to see what you guys had to say about it.   The question:

What do we really think of Larsen and Woodyard?

I know we all love them.  They became, I'll hesitantly use the term "cult heroes", for us last year.  We know they are ace special teamers that we are lucky to have on the squad.  We also saw in their extended playing time at the end of last season that they are also very capable linebackers.  I will also venture to label them "playmakers" given their penchant for sniffing out the ball-carrier and making solid tackles.  We know that Woodyard is solid in pass coverage, I am not so sure about Larsen in that role, maybe someone who has a better idea can pass along their thoughts. 

What I am getting at here is, aside from our positive feelings for these great young guys, do we think of them as future starters for our squad?  How about stars? Do we see them making pro-bowls? 

Frankly, I am surprised that one of them hasn't overtaken Andra Davis by this point at LILB.  I fully expected McDaniels to take the reigns and put one of them in that spot by now.  What does McDaniels and the coaching staff think of them? Are they grooming them both as future starters at ILB, or looking at them as just terrific backups at the position?  I see there being two ways as to what McD has planned for them: 1. The role we have seen in the preseason and nothing more:  Special teams, Larsen as a punishing blocker on offense, Woodyard as a nickel linebacker.  He doesn't see them as starter quality.  2. Future starters at LILB and RILB who need another year or two to learn the new system and continue to develop.

Do we see Woodyard as a guy who can earn a starting spot, possibly not over DJ but maybe beside him... Do we just like Larsen for his bruising style of play (nothing wrong with that sentiment), or do we think he can be an above average starter in the league?  Are they both just solid linebackers that we love for their effort and ferocity but lacking in the necessary athletisicm and power to really man the position?  Or are they the future of the middle of our defense?

I ask because I am uncertain, I have myself confused.  Right now, my feelings are that Woodyard is a better player than Davis, and should be starting at LILB next to DJ.  However, I don't know if that is the right position for him, he seems to be tabbed as DJ's backup, is he not big enough for the left side?  I think I feel that Woodyard has a better shot at starting at LB for a long time in the NFL.  What do we think here?

Poll

What do we really think of Larsen and Woodyard?

35%

Both future starters (Larsen LILB, Woodyard RILB)

61 votes

28%

Neither starters, just great back-ups

50 votes

25%

Woodyard is a future starter

44 votes

10%

Larsen is a future starter

18 votes

173 votes | Poll has closed

I watched the game live earlier, but Tivo'd it and decided to take a look back at our 1st half defensive snaps.  After looking closer, there was one particular play that made me giddier than a schoolgirl on the first day of class.  

I am going to break down this play as I see it.  Please keep in mind that this comes from a guy with limited knowledge and background in the sport, but has watched a good amount of sports in general and likes to see the inner workings of what makes a team/sport tick. I hope that some of you (HT, BB, SWG possibly) have the game Tivo'd as well and can go back and watch the play and add/revise my findings. I will try not to get too convoluted here, but if I do, bear with me.  OK, let's dive in like Dawkins!

 

The Play:

The camera cuts to the play with 1:03 left in the first quarter.  The Bears are looking at 3rd & 9 from our 24.  

The Offense:

Da Bears line up with 5 offensive linemen, 1 tight end to the right (strong) side, 2 wide receivers to the left and in tight to the left tackle, 1 wide receiver to the right out wide, Cutler in shotgun with Forte (the RB) to his right.  

Our Defensive alignment:

We come out with our nickel package (5 defensive backs), common practice for this down and distance to match up with the 3 WRs.  We have 3 down linemen on the field - Reid at left defensive end, Peterson at nose tackle, and Doom at right defensive end.  3 linebackers - Ayers, DJ Williams, and Wesley Woodyard.  Our 5 defensive backs consist of Champ on the left, Goodman on the right, and Alphonso Smith as the nickel on the right, matched up with the 3rd wide receiver lined up on that side.  Dawkins and Hill are the safeties.  

Pre-Snap:

This is where things get complicated (in the goodest of good ways).  At around the 1:03 mark, the offensive line is getting set and the Bears are ready to snap the ball with the ball eventually being snapped at the :54 second mark.  Now, starting at the 1:03 mark, I can see 8 of our guys milling around in the box, either at the line or at the second level, close enough to the line to be a pass rush/blitz threat.  About 3 seconds before the snap, the linebackers move from one gap to another, noone but the down linemen are standing still.  Looking closer, Woodyard is standing to the left of Reid at right defensive end at the line, starts moving to his right at about the :57 mark, and ends up between Peterson (the NT) and Reid (LDE) when the snap comes at :54.  DJ starts more towards the middle and ends up between to the right of Doom at LDE when the snap comes.  And Ayers starts between Peterson at the nose and Doom at RDE.  Dawkins and Hill approach the line and switch places leading up to the snap.  

The Snap:

Let's start by looking at what the Bears play was.  One of the wide receivers on the left takes off straight and goes deep, one rubs Doom and releases to the left flat.  The right WR (Hester) is covered by Champ and runs a straight ahead route I can't see all of.  The tight end releases off the line and runs a short route to the right flat, while the RB (Forte) hesitates in the pocket waiting to pick up a blitzer, when that blitzer doesn't come he runs between the right guard and right tackle on a short button route.  

Now we can see what the Broncos did on the play... they had 8 men in the box as potential blitzing threats before and at the snap.  We ended up rushing 3, the 3 being the down linemen.  The other 5 that were close to the line (the 3 backers and the two safeties, Ayers, WW, DJ, Hill, Dawkins) dropped into coverage.  

The Result: 

Peterson faces a triple team by the offensive line and is stood up, Reid gets slight pressure with his one-on-one rush.  Doom takes on Orlando Pace and beats him to the outside, pressuring Cutler into his throw and knocking him down afterwards.  Cutler completes a short pass to Forte (RB) while Ayers steps up from his zone in the coverage and makes a good tackle.  The Bears get a 1 yard gain and face 4th & 8, and kick the field goal.  

Why I love it:

Confusion.  The system Nolan has put in place creates anywhere from 3 to 84 times more confusion for opposing offenses than anything we were capable of last year.  Having 8 guys in the box milling around aimlessly (seemingly) prior to the snap causes mass confusion for the O-line, they have no idea who is blitzing, who is dropping into coverage, what angles the rushers will take, etc...  Seeing the play reminds me of things the Ravens and Steelers do on defense, and I am absolutely, positivelely pumped about it.  

So there it is, I hope the breakdown isn't a complete quagmire.  I realize the play is hard to envision without having a picture of it.  So, if anyone (I've seen HT add them to their posts) wants to put together a little sketch of it I would love to put it on the post so it might clear it up a bit.  Or, if someone can tell me which program and format I would need to add a picture to the post, I would do it myself. The only program I have that might work is Paint, any suggestions?  And again, I look forward to everyone jumping in and adding things I missed or correcting me on things I messed up.

Hope y'all enjoyed it! 

My favorite sports personality, Bill Simmons with ESPN, came out with a podcast (The B.S. Report) today.  In the second half of the podcast, he chats with Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post.   They go on to show the Broncos and McDaniels a little bit of love.  

Link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?id=4423924

If you don't feel like listening to the whole thing, let it load and skip to around the 63rd minute.  

 

Short recap if you'd rather not listen at all:

Simmons states that Lombardi has taken it upon himself to watch almost every preseason game so far this year, and asks which team may be a surprise this season.  Lombardi's first, and quick, response is Denver... while Simmons declares excitedly, "Me too!!".  Lombardi also says that our offensive line is very good and that he thinks Orton will be OK for us, especially considering the talent around him.  Simmons also says that he thinks Royal is going to have a monster year (this being the first time anyone even closely related to the MSM has shown enough love to Royal, IMO).  Lombardi goes on to say that he thinks McDaniels has already won the respect of the team and staff.  Earlier in the podcast, Lombardi also picks Knowshon Moreno as his most likely candidate to have a big impact as a rookie.  

Overall, it's worth a listen, and is good to hear really positive feedback from a man who actually knows what he is talking about (Lombardi).  I also respect Simmons, despite his reputation as a funny guy, and his ability to see what it really takes to win in sports, and evaluate talent as it relates to building a team and what that takes.  

This was my first fanpost, and if it is a repost somehow, I apologize  ;)