It is time that Pat Bowlen and the Denver Broncos wake up and smell the coffee.  After the humiliating defeat on Sunday to the lowly Arizona Cardinals, it is time that Eric Studesville stops trying to win football games and starts looking to the future.  It amazes me that a football coach who is given the opportunity of a lifetime to lead an NFL football franchise would do what he thinks is the best thing to win football games on Sunday, rather than following the winds of public opinion.  Doesn’t he realize that all of those days and hours spent in practices, meetings and film study doesn’t give him the kind of insight that my three hours of half-drunk football viewing and hours of perusing Mile High Report does on what is best for this team?     I need a coach who will take time to read my Facebook posts on how depressed this pitiful season is making me, not someone who “prepares” to play football.

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With the resurgence of the 2009 Denver Broncos, there has been lots of press on the great job done by head coach Josh McDaniels.  There are accolades given for the great work done by our DC, Mike Nolan, in rebuilding the Denver D into a tenacious force.  It has been talked about how the entire coaching staff is doing a bang up job with some of the best teachers in the business like Wayne Nunnely, Bobby Turner, and the eternal Bronco Rick Dennison.  We are all aware of the stalwart holdovers like Ryan Clady, B Marsh, Champ, Elvis, and DJ.  We also know of the wily veterans added to the roster like Brian Dawkins, Renaldo, Goodman, Andre Davis and Buck.  As well as the guys who got their shot and are making good like Ronnie Fields and Mario Haggans, the rookies like Alphonso and Knowshon, and last but not least our offensive leader, Kyle Orton.  But one name I haven’t heard in the last four weeks as credit was handed out is the name of our beloved owner, Pat Bowlen.

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With the kind of Divine providence not seen since David lined up against the phillistines, the Broncos eked out a win against the Cowboys.

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I was searching Google News for any Broncos news and saw this shocker:

Broncos cut TE Richard Quinn day after arrest


Clicked through and found they had modified the story though.  Apparently he was released from Jail rather than released by the Broncos.  The misunderstanding based on the following comment:

"He  was released this morning," Peter Schaffer, Quinn's agent, told FOX 31's Josina Anderson Tuesday afternoon. 

They did add this statement to the end of the updated story:  "Earlier reports that he had been cut from the team were inaccurate."

http://www.kdvr.com/sports/kdvr-richard-quinn-cut-090809,0,6677780.story

 I hadn't seen this before.  Someone may have posted this previously, but I see that Brandon Marshall has worked his way onto the first team with his hard work and knowledge of the playbook. (at least in 4WR sets)  Way to go Beast!

http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=134

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Just listened to McDaniels' presser after practice.  He refused to confirm the Smith trade saying it wasn't consummated.  But he did say Rulon Davis was released.  Bummer. 

Davis was as an undrafted free agent from Cal, spent six months as a Marine in Iraq, and was an MHR fan favorite being named after former Bronco, Rulon Jones. Gotta love a guy who served in the military like Rulon as well as anyone named after a Bronco great from days past. .   

It was on Sportscenter this morning.  He said he met with Mr. B a few weeks ago and they came to an understanding, and that he will be at camp.  He went on to say,

"Right now I'm obligated, I'm under contract.   It's $14,000 a day if i miss.  I'm not stupid.  I will be there."

John Clayton's take was that Marshall realized the Broncos couldn't get the value they would want in a trade due to his past issues.  Marshall wants to get paid as one of the best receivers in the league, and said, "He is one of the best receivers in the league."  He thinks Marshall will show up and play well.

You can definitely see that Marshall is trying to say the right things.  You can't blame the guy for wanting to get paid commensurate with his play.

I read Blindside this past weekend, which if you don't know is the story of how Michael Oher went from a very large, quiet homeless kid toa prototypical left tackle, and the 1st round selection of the Baltimore Ravens.  It is a great, heartwarming story, but also the author, Michael Lewis, goes into depth on how the NFL game has changed to make great left tackles (like Ryan Clady) so highly valued.

A lot of those changes revolve around the passing game, the west coast offense, and of course Bill Walsh.  The author points out that Walsh turned weak-armed Bengals QB Virgil Carter from someone who never completed half his passes into the league leader in completion %.  He the turned Ken Anderson from Augustana college into an all pro QB before leaving for San Diego where he did the same for struggling Dan Fouts. 

Walsh then left for Stanford where he had two quarterbacks that led the nation in passing in Guy Benjamin and Steve Dils. 

He came back to the NFL with the 49ers and Steve DeBerg went from 45.4 percent passing to 60 percent in one season.  And we all know what happened when Montana was drafted, although when Montana was injured, 5'11" Jeff Kemp stepped in for 10 games and completed 60% of his passes, and when he was injured, Mike Moroski having been on the team for two weeks completed 57.5% of his passes.

The point is that great quarterbacks were great in Walsh's system, but average QBs were really, really good.  So what does this have to do with the Broncos?  Other than confirm that John Elway is indeed the greatest QB ever, since Joe Montana would have seemed pedestrian on some of those Broncos offenses.  But it also bears similarities to last years New England Patriots when all world Tom Brady was injured and they didn't miss a beat with Matt Cassell.

Finally this may bode well for our current Denver Broncos if the system is indeed more important than the Quarterback and we make the leap that:

a - New England's Offensive success the last four years is due to the Belicheck system

- and

b- Josh McDaniels is able to bring that to Denver

If it is the system, having a good QB that wants to be here, wants to work, and be part of a team would be better than a very talented QB who doesn't. 

just a thought.  Time will tell.

As the philosopher Flava Flav once said, “Don’t believe the hype!”  I don’t believe for a second that the Broncos are interested in Mark Sanchez.  Last week the DP reports that the broncos are bringing in Sanchez for a visit this week.  Then it turns out that you can’t bring in draft prospects the week before the draft. 

So then the story is that Denver will be flying out to work him out.  However on the NFLN last night Mark Sanchez was a guest and that they heard about this in the media first, and as of last night, while he was ready and willing, nothing was final. 

Finally, when it came to fly out, McD is conveniently sick, and the OC has to go in his place.  Call me a skeptic, but I am just not buying it.  And despite my hatred for all things USC, I actually kind of like Mark Sanchez.  (albeit not for the Broncos at the price of trading up.)

Recently found in a cave in southern france on vellum.

As dawn arises on a new era,    

The army of the mountain city finds a new hero;              

To anchor the end against the run,         

And foretell of the coming of the new dynasty.

1 - 12     Tyson Jackson   DE           LSU       

Weep San Diego, weep Kansas City and Oakland,            

The warrior king on his chariot; 

Rides in to collapse the pocket,

And sack the quarterback.

1 - 18     Aaron Maybin   OLB        Penn State         

The false prophets from the desert city by the sea,        

Will boo their fool quarterback;

As Phillip Rivers throws another interception,    

To the duck turned Bronco.

2 - 48     Patrick Chung    SS           Oregon

The depths of the city's defense shall be improved,       

On passing downs;         

As even the Champ       

Needs a blow once in a while.

3 - 79     Mike Mickens    CB           Cincinnati           

By night the old Prince ran in shame,     

Leaving the mountain city in despair,     

But a new Prince shall arise to make them say,  

"Jay Cutler who?"

3 - 84     Pat White            QB          WVU    

When the Barbarian running backs ride,               

Through the open middle plain so familiar;          

They shall find a mountain has arisen to block their path,             

And hold them to a short gain.

4 - 114   Terrence Taylor                DT           Michigan             

A tall cougar from the west,       

Explodes from its break;              

Leaving the hapless cornerback,              

In its dust.

5 - 149   Brandon Gibson               WR         Washington State           

Lightning in a bottle with 4.36 speed,     

Drives down the 287 to the Valley of the Dove; 

Pick up your jock on the way to the bench,         

Shawn Merriman.

6 - 185   Devin Moore     RB           Wyoming            

If the mountain falter, or the mountain tires,     

You need to bring in another mountain off the bench;  

So as the sun sets on the second day,   

Denver drafts another mountain.

7 - 225   Darryl Richard    DT           Georgia Tech    

In the second pick of the seventh round,             

Beggars can't be choosers;         

Hope the best player available,

Can make the team.

7 - 235   Antoine Caldwell              OC          Alabama             

I have been following this site for over a year but haven't posted until now.  The whole Jay Cutler saga has been an enigma to me since it began.  The statements from both camps changed often, were contradictory to each other, and frankly never made sense.  I always figured the truth would come out sometime after this was all water under the bridge.  Well I just saw an article from Stefan Fatsis , erstwhile writer/kicker for the broncos, in the NY Times that has the first explanation that makes sense.  I suggest you check it out.

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/stefan-fatsis-on-jay-cutler/