One of, if not the biggest, difference between the fans' perspective on the QB situation and Dove Valley's perspective is that. to Dove Valley (EFX, players, and coaching staff) this year is a new season with a completely fresh start. That includes Kyle Orton as an improved QB, who will now have an improved defense and an improved running game. But, to many long time Broncos fans, this is an experiment, at the most important position on the field ,that we feel has been going for its third year.

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As most of you know I am a second generation Broncos fan. My father got our family's first set of season tickets in 1963, when I was 3 years old. He was the most optimistic Bronco ever and that was when we were terrible. Even when other teams were driving it down our throat he would always truly believe that we would force a fumble or interception. He had a positive outlook on every play. That was a fun way to watch football sitting next to the eternal optimist who bled orange and blue. Perhaps the only fan I know now that resembles my father is Bronco Billie, who I hear on the radio from time to time, and of course the talk-show hosts patronize him, but Bronco Billie, like my father, could care less. He just wanted a full mug of orange kool-aid.  I want to get back that feeling of just loving my Broncos, but I just can't seem to find that excitement. Perhaps I was spoiled by Elway, I watched every snap he took from center as a Bronco. To me he was the best QB ever to play, but that can be debated. But he was the most exciting. There is a guy named VIck in Philly, who is also excitement in a bottle, but still no Elway. I think that is why I am having trouble wrapping my arms around this team. I know I will not see Kyle Orton spinning away from an on-coming pass rusher sprinting across the field then throwing 60 yards down field as the DB;s look up in amazement thinking no man could make that throw. But he wasn't just any man he was John Elway.

Funny my father only got to see Elway play two seasons before he died of a rare blood disorder. Follow me after the jump as I try to find the sources of excitement on this 2011-2012 Broncos Team.

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MHR Readers: I copied and pasted this from a comment made by Super7 to a Fan shot I had posted. I think it is a good read.

The quarterbacks under consideration broke down as follows:

•Top tier: Brady, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, Michael Vick, Rodgers and Drew Brees.

•Well above average: Josh Freeman, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers.

•Above average: Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo, Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub, David Garrard and Kerry Collins.

•Around average: Matt Cassel, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Colt McCoy, Kyle Orton and Jon Kitna.

•Below average: Shaun Hill, Jason Campbell, Jay Cutler, Matt Hasselbeck, Chad Henne, Donovan McNabb, Sam Bradford and Alex Smith.

•Poor: Derek Anderson, Brett Favre and Jimmy Clausen.

This sounds great – excited to see this special! Also, this metric may prove why Miami SHOULD NOT pay much more than a 3 or 4 for Orton.

There’s no measure for upside, but maybe you can turn the QBR into in a value index with an ‘age’ or ‘games started’ multiplier. Meaning that although Bradford & McCoy are below average & average, being so young gives them more value, whereas McNabb and Favre have less value than just ‘below average’ or ‘poor’ because they’re older. This’d probably make Rodgers, Ryan, and Freeman very valuable (just like reality).

Very exciting stuff. Information about the rating  process is after the jump

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I really think the Broncos will be over 500 this season Here are 10 reasons why.

1.)  The players will like and respect Fox at the end they had lost that for McD (worth 2 wins)

2.)  We will have 2 more pass rushers than last year that can actually get to the QB. ( worth 1 win)

3.)  We are due to  have a year that is not decimated by injuries last year starting the season without your best OL and DE was a huge set back.( worth 1 win )

4) We will run the ball was at last years TC and this year There is a huge difference. Franklin is a huge tackle and from what I see Knoshon is the 4th best RB and Lance Ball 5th. will be fun to see how that plays out but watch the young backs in preason. ( worth 1 win)

5.) Better Defensive scheem and coaching last year we lost to SF and one other game Oakland due partly to totally blown coverages basically TE left uncovered for long range TD's. ( worth 1 Win)

6.) Less pressure on Orton because we can run the ball which leads to less 3rd and long. ( no change)

7.) Much better LB play DJ at his most natural position. Two natural mike backers competing for the job and a future pro-bowler oposite Doom. If you remember my concern was never as much DL as it was LB's obviously EFX feel the same way. ( worth 1 win)

8.) Better safety play Hill already gone the rooks must luck good ( worth .5 a win)

9) OL will be much better biggest improvement comes in a lines 2nd year together plus Clady is healthy. They will protect Franklin with a TE to his side for pass blocking but he wiil pancake some people run blocking. ( worth 1 win)

10.) my predictions are always correct. (worth 1 win)

That's 8 more wins than last year giving the 2011 Broncos a 12- 4 record (that;s what they are until their not)

I have take a great deal of this post from a fan shot posted by, topnation, but from day one I mentioned that we in Denver had over estimated KO's trade value. Add to that a huge contract under a new CBA and we may be unable to trade Orton.

He should be a 1.5 to 2.0 million a year guy. Gee that means he is overpaid by 6.8 million

What product do you want to buy that is 6.8 million overpriced and then sell that to your fan base especially when his excitement factor or sex appeal is exactly what you have in Henne a Big 10 QB with a solid arm poor feet.

According to thephinsider.com, Kendal Langford has been added to the Orton to the Dolphins deal. I wonder what the draft pick will be? 4th I suspect.

See: "The asking price has also changed. Originally, it was thought that the Broncos were looking for a third round draft choice, possibly with the ability for that pick to become a second rounder depending on Orton's play. However, during the day, it was rumored that the Broncos were coveting Dolphins' defensive linemen Kendall Langford or Randy Starks. It's believed that Langford is the preferred option, as the Broncos look to shed salary.

Meanwhile, Miami was also worrying about salary. Specifically, Orton's. Kyle's scheduled to earn $8.8 million in 2011. If the Dolphins take on that salary, they hamper themselves in the free agent market, eating a large chunk of their available space under the $120 million salary cap. But, if the Dolphins rework the quarterback's contract to lower his salary, they will be adding multiple years to the deal. The question becomes, do they want to do that, and for how many years."

Two reasons the trade is not done one Broncos asking too much when another team is really doing them a huge favor taking KO's 8.8 million and second to take him they want Ko to say gee I'll be happy with say half of what's owed me. those are big obstacles.

It is so much fun to watch basketball in Denver.  The NBA is an interesting league and I am not sure that a team will get enough calls in the 4th Qtr. of playoff games to advance in the playoffs because it is such a reputation league.  But to watch 20 plus assists every night  is good entertainment. While seeing the ball held in one(nameless) player's hand for half the shot clock just bored me. I have always believed that basketball games are won with defensive effort and shot selection. This type of basketball may not make the ESPN highlights but for this old coach it is way more fun to watch. I was really glad to hear that the Pepsi Center was sold out for the Pistons. Now comes the big test a really tough road trip against good teams. I can only hope that team play comes out victorious. 

Orton-Backup

Tebow- play more too early to tell

Quinn- Backup

Larsen-no

Moreno-backup

Ball-backup

Buck-backup

Marhroney-no

Clady -yes

Beadles-yes

Walton-yes

Kuper- backup

Harris-yes

Hochstein-Backup

All other ol -no

Lloyd-yes

Gaffney-backup

Royal- speciality/backup

Decker-yes

Thomas-yes

Willis-yes

Graham-no

Quinn -no

Gronk-backup

Vickerson- backup

Bannan- bavkup

Williams-yes(Jamal)

all other DL no

Doom -yes

Ayers- backup

DJ-no

Haggen-no

Mays-backup

Woodyard-no

Hunter -backup

Champ-yes

Goody- backup

Squid-yes

Cox-backup

Hill-no

Dawk-no

Burton- backup

McBath-no

Prater-yes

Collquitt-yes

Tell me where you agree and disagree 

The question is will any coach in Denver have the stones to pull the trigger and play Tim Tebow at quaterback for extended minutes this season? Why? Because someone wjth almost no experience will have to make that call. and it is a distinct possibility no on will.  To date the two most influential people to even hint at it are two of The Broncos captains.  After the jump I'll examine those with the power to push for Tebow time, and why the may very well not.

Let's start at the top with Pat Bowlen- He has always said, and been true to his word, that he would never tell a coach who to play. He is not a Jerry Jones, or Mark Cuban type.  He doesn't want to be in the spotlight ,and also wants the new head coach to know that he will be free to make his own coaching decisions. It is important for him to maintain that separation.  Not doing it is probably going to cause the Titians' owner a very solid coach in Fischer.  This has never been Bowlen's style and with his vastly reduced role don't expect it to happen now.

Next in line is obviously Joe Ellis- he despises the spotlight and only fronts for Bowlen to protect a great friend. besides he is not qualified to make this decision; he is a business and marketing expert and needs to confine himself to that arena.  If he did it it would be directly contradicting a recent promise he and Bowlen just made. They don't need the likes of Rick Riley jumping on that.

That leads us to Brian Xanders who is slightly on the hot seat., but will likely stay with the organization because of his ability to draft workable contracts and clean -up  all the dead money left by the Shannon regime. But he is also on the hot seat as Josh's partner in crime for things like the Quinn for Hillis trade. He would love to remain invisible.  I also don't think he currently has the power.

The man who should do is interim head coach Eric Studesville.  Why hs he never been a coordinator. because his strength is taking a small group and becoming a mentor and position advocate for them.  He as never done more than make a recommendation. His strength is player relations. He was chosen to mend a fractured locker room.  you don't do that by benching a starter.  He is like the old John Ralston Doll it doesn't do anything but is sure has a positive attitude, and he has Zero shot at this or any other head coaching  job; although he will get an interview to satisfy league minority hiring policies.

Mike MaCoy the offensive coordinator has two major reason not to make the switich; it is basically that he is under qualified.  In order to start Tebow he would have to install some sprint out routes and make several changes to the game plan.   MCDaniels was the coach who did all of that.  He lacks the experience to design and install a game plan that would allow Tebow to be successful  one that includes roll outs, sprint draws ect.

Next Ben McDaniels, he just as I wold be, is very very loyal to his brother.  Josh believs in slowing developing QB;s. It is the NE way Brady never played until Bledsoe got hurt, Casselsat for almosst 3 full seasons until Brady went down with out ever playing a single snap.  He too lacks the stones

My take is that Tebow will not get a start because  no one has the stones or athority do make it happen. Orton knows he is playing for his future in Denver if he can even raise his arm after being injected with good stuff he will say he is good to go.  Unfortunately, the messiah may not get to start this season unless Orton gets injured worse.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK 

I have heard it being stated all over that if the coaches thought Tebow could play he would have played by now. I am going to provide an exact detailed explanation why he has not..  What will amaze you is all the coaches have been telling you the truth, yet everyone speculates "what did that really mean?"

When Josh McDaniels drafted Tim Tebow he planned on being a head coach in Denver for at least 4 years.  He thought he had a solid starter in Orton who would at worst keep them in games for the 2010 season and the true QB competition  would be for the 2011 season.  He wanted a year to develop his athletic QB who would absorb his every word. The entire preseason was designed to build confidence in Orton with the team, media, and fans. Guess what it worked.  When Tebow played in preseason he played quite well and did nothing to make anyone think he was a bust, but Josh knew he was team guy and would never complain and he would be patient.  so the season starts and Orton is preforming at an elite level at least in the stat arena. For at least the first 8 games Orton was in many views the teams best player, and the QB and receivers were our one bright spot.  at this time Orton's up-coming free agency at the end of the year became an issue but many other football problems on the team were rearing their ugly head.  The popular and almost unanimous decision was to give Kyle an extension. Did they give him 5 or 6 years? no, because Tebow was still the future but now perhaps not until 2012 it appeared to be a win win for the Broncos.

What happened then,the team kept loosing, but until the last two weeks Orton was never considered to be the major problem and his stats were still solid there were worse problems-lack of pass rush, no running game, poor tackling, so the entire focus went away from the passing game and the QB.  During all this time Tebow is doing his drills winning wind sprints, working hard being patient understanding the plan but getting ZERO opportunity to show his skills or run the Broncos offense. Remember there is ONE semi live practice a week.  During that practice the #2 QB gets to run 4 or 5 plays out of about 60 total and those plays are not even closely scrutinized because the coaches spend that time talking to the starters about the starter's reps.  Orton's first truly poor performance  was at KC now McDaniels is fired.  There are now way bigger problems than Orton and the interium coach just wants to get the players' support.  so his entire focus in on getting the guys positive. He wanted to change the emotional atmosphere in the locker-room. I promise you he was telling the truth when he said he never considered changing QB's or evaluating if Tebow was ready to play.  He thought he had been hired to put out fires not start them. Why pull a starter when you had not ever considered it.  Yes he and MaCoy were telling the truth.

Well we all know how Orton played in AZ, like @#$%!!  Stude's next mistake was not meeting with the coaches before his press-conference today. I believe that now it will at least be discussed, but trust me it will be a controversy.  Players like Chris Kuper are behind Orton Champ Bailey hopes he gets a chance. All I am telling you is that this is the way the process has played out and people who do not think that this is the case have never been part of a coaching staff trying to follow a long range plan.  People say McDaniels had no plan he is an organizational freak and if anything plans too much and lacks flexibility. I am not defending or condemning the plan I am simply stating that it was in place and the coaches were following it.  But Tebow's ability, play in practice, or the coaches confidence in him had absolutely nothing to do with it.

I hope that now it is time to destroy the time line on the plan and find out if Tebow can play.  I think he will surprise people and would almost guarantee his QB rating would be higher than 27.  But if he plays terrible and other experts are correct in saying that his skill set won't transfer to the NFL we need to know it this season with as large a sample as possible. All the trade value speculation about both he and Orton is absolutely conspiracy theory bull.

Ok I have put my arrogance out theer so rip my argument apart I can take it

I keep hearing on the radio how devoid of talent we are so I have decided to evaluate every starter and a few back-ups as to where I rate their talent and ability to be productive players in the NFL. I just got done watching the announcement of the college All- American team which is what prompted the position by position approach.

So let's start with the Defensive line:

NT - Jamal Williams has starter talent but simply can't play enough snaps to be considered a full time starter so do we need a nose tackle Yes!  Also Ronald Fields in not an NFL player

DE/DT- Justin Bannan one of my favorite Broncos because he is an over achiever, and he plays very hard all that being said he is not a play maker I don't expect sacks in a 3-4 but I do expect push he is exactly what he was in Baltimore  an excellent back up.

DE/DT- Kevin Vickerson- The most talented of the three starters but not the type of player that demands a double team or pushes O-lineman into the backfield could be the weakest starter or a good back up Ryan McBean is also a quality back-up

My assessment of our D-Line is that it should be our 1st or 2nd priority in this draft and that we have no legitiment starters. It was also McDaniels    error not to address this in the draft trying instead doing it through free agency.  However the 2011 draft is described as having the most defensive line talent of any  draft in the last 10 years (ESPN this morning Todd McShea I think)

OLB- Elvis Doomerville quality starter if he returns healthy excellent pass rusher could be a bit better against the run. 

OLB- Robert Ayers a below average OLB very solid against the run has excellent strength at the point of attack very much below average against the pass.  He is not quick off the ball and has a bull rush only  Ayres would be ok as your weakest starter.

OLB/ILB- Mario Haggen is a quality back up that can play both positions this makes him a keeper as a back up due to his versatility there is a reason he was and always has been a back up he is what he is.

ILB/Mike- D.J. Williams absolutely the most over rated player in Denver Broncos History he could at best be the 4th starter if surrounded by studs but he can not shed blocks he is a terrible blitzer, he is average at  pass coverage and tacles well 5 yds down field.

ILB- Joe Mays is a big hitter and possible future it is too bad he is injured. In Philly they said he got lost too frequently and blew too many calls and coverages

I have said all year since training camp  that the defensive front 7 is the biggest weakness of our team and the one stud that we had missed the entire season  This should be the primary focus of our draft we need dominate athletes at all the positions and currently do not have them.

CB- Champ Baily one of the all time best who can still play I hope we resign him

CB- Perish Cox if he is guilty cut him and throw away the key if he is not guilty he will be a quality starter for the future.

CB- Andre Goodman too old too injury prone say bye-bye

CB-Syd Quan Thompson we will get a good look this Sunday I think he is a ball hawk and has starter talent.

I do not think corner back is a immediate need for the Broncos Cassius Vaughn also has great speed and plays intense.

SS- Brian Dawkins I LOVE YOU MAN but is time to go just the body can no longer follow the will of the mind

FS- Renaldo Hill a back up at best I believe we have two young safeties that are better

Burton and McBath could both be starters in this league but only if they are playing behind a strong front 7 playing behind our current front 7 all of our secondary looks much worse than it is.  What we don't have at safety is a play maker I would rate this as a moderate need in the off-season.

However the defensive front 7 are this teams biggest needs and we have repeatedly tried to address their defensive needs through free agency and it has not worked so please Broncos draft some bad ass beasts on defense.

As depressing as the defense was I believe that the Broncos are very close to having the talent they need to be a playoff team and they are also loaded with quality young players. So here we go.

C-J.D.Walton he has done an adequate job as a rookie starter at the most complicated position on the OL. He will do nothing but get better and we should be set for a long time.

LG- Zane Beadles what a bright spot since inserted at his intended position i project pro-bowls for him in the furture

RG- Chris Kuper a solid NFL starter may be a bit injury prone so we may need a better back up at guard

RT- Ryan Harris is an excellent run blocker and when healthy an solid pass blocker he too can be injury prone and we do not have a quality back-up at tackle he is still not completely healthy..

LT-Ryan Clady pro bowl left tackle do NOT trade him to get the Stanford QB as certain radio personalities whould have us do.

Our current OL is a solid NFL unit now that it is healthy more depth could be added later in the draft or post draft signings

TE- Daniel Graham a local school boy hero and stand up guy but he and Dawkins are done sorry. I think Gronk had some talent Quinn is a complete bust. TE is is our biggest need on offense.

WR- Brandon Lloyd is a stud, Royal a great slot option but somewhat injury prone, Jabar Gaffney should be a quality back up. Erik Decker should start getting Gaffney's snaps, D Thomas has great up side we have no needs a receiver.

FB- Spencer Larsen does all that a full back should do great guy perhaps draft a TE/FB combo in late rounds or get one as and undrafted FA there are lots of this type guy out there unless you are going to use an offense that uses a FB on every down which almost no team in the NFL does.

RB- Knowshon Moreno- I love him when he is healthy he is a quality starter but you need at least 3 RB's who can play in this league they just take too much abuse. None of the back ups are worth mentioning this is our 2nd area of need on offense.  P.S. I think Lance Ball  shows some promise.

QB- Kyle Orton is exactly what he is a fine thrower of the football and good all-a-round guy he is a quality starter on a team with an outstanding defense and good running game.  What he is not is a play maker. He will never create a big play the top QB's in this league create plays.THIS DOES NOT JUST MEAN RUNNING  it can be looking people off side stepping in the pocket making a great audible and yes scrambling  There is a reason he has been an on again off again starter in this league he is dependable not exciting.

Quinn is a Terry Collins type good back up that can start a few games if needed

Tim Tebow I have been screaming to see him play now that we are out of the playoffs I have no idea if he will be great or terrible, but my point is we need to know. depending on what Tebow shows we may need to go after a QB. And yes I think KO is boring however he would not be if we were winning. 

I think Prater is great I hope he is not hurt too badly. Bring in a punter to challenge Colquitt.

So that's who can play and who can't now you mock draft guys fix ths Broncos squad That's my story and I am sticking to it.  GO Broncos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111

I wrote an earlier post that posed the question that Tim Tebow perhaps the greatest college player will never get a shot in Denver.  I think it would be tragic if that happens; however, it looks more and more like that will be the case.  I posted this just after the Mc Daniels firing and it got very little play.  Several posters even implied that I was stupid. So today I hear Joel Klatt say that now that McDaniels is gone we will never have to watch the Tebow fiasco.  Everyone said just watch the press conference  they will announce that Tebow will start but alas I was correct Orten to play.

Why do I think this is so important while I was watching NFL high lites this morning  there were about 23 Touch Down plays shown that involved passing and I couldn't help but notice that the pass was the easy part. Why?  Because all of the plays were made by the QB's escaping trouble once he did the receiver was wide open and the pass was the easy part. If you think McDaniels was a mistake just watch one of the greatest play makers ever walk out of Dove valley never afforded the opportunity to fire live  bullets and fill an entire state with passion not seen since the deity #7.

I am attacking this again since the fans had the power to get McDaniels fired perhaps they can get Tim Tebow a chance.  I have also included an article from Jason Cole of Yahoo sports supporting my take. Please Broncos do not let this happen.  Tebow may be a bust, if so let's find out now. The time argument is  BS all I need to say is Flacco, Ryan, Bradford, McCoy Stafford, Freeman ect.

Josh McDaniels’ stay in Denver was short. Tim Tebow’s(notes) might be shorter.

The rookie quarterback could get caught up in the ripple effect of the Broncos’ firing of McDaniels, who was let go Monday after less than two full seasons. The Broncos are likely going to try to get off the hook for the remainder of McDaniels’ contract, using the Spygate II incident as justification that McDaniels could be fired for cause.Sadly, this was all predictable, and the move calls into question whether team owner Pat Bowlen has a good feel for what should be done next to restore the 3-9 Broncos to competency after their run of 5-17 over the past 22 games. It was only last week that Bowlen first said he wasn’t looking to fire McDaniels, then issued a statement hours later retracting that.

[Rewind: Broncos fire McDaniels]

Rookie quarterback Tim Tebow has 12 rushes for 28 yards and three touchdowns.
(Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

What may be just as predictable is that Tebow’s career may be over before he gets a real chance. Or as one NFC general manager put it recently: “The thing that’s tricky [about firing McDaniels] is what happens with Tebow. This is a league where at least 75 percent of the coaches and personnel people are not Tebow-ites.”

Whomever Bowlen turns to next as coach is likely to look at Tebow and say, “Thanks, but no thanks.” McDaniels’ unwillingness to turn to Tebow as this season unraveled will probably be viewed as an indictment on the first-round draft pick.

The bottom line is that Tebow is an acquired taste who needs a coach who believes in him and is willing to work on his throwing motion until it has completely changed. Even then, there are significant questions about Tebow’s accuracy.

Outside of University of Florida coach Urban Meyer, who looks lost these days without Tebow (and Percy Harvin(notes), for that matter), few coaches are invested in Tebow. Of course, some of Tebow’s devout followers will take this as a personal and spiritual affront. Save it, please. This is not about religion, this is about football.

As an athlete, few come close to Tebow’s dedication. He’s the kind of player anyone should appreciate. His work ethic is off the charts. His size and speed are certainly good enough to give him a fighting chance. But Tebow also needed a coach who was willing to work through the flaws, to design an offense around him, not just with any quarterback.

Studdesville is a players guy, and he will not play Tebow for risk of angering veterans.  And the number of new coaches who would embrace a guy who I think is just a big time winner doesn't appear to be a large  number..  It is a sad day in Denver because I really want to see this young man play.  I hope the fan base who screamed so loudly to get rid of McD screams just as loudly to see Tebow play.  This move was all about saving the integrity of a proud organization and ending the waves of negativity. My only hope is that they play Tebow to increase his trade value this was not just a give up on a promising young coach who made lots of poor PR decisions more than the bad personnel moves. I believe his 2010 draft will turn out to be one of the best in history.  But circumstances are going to dictate that one of the greatest competitors in football history will never get his shot with this organization.  Those who say he needs to show what he can do in practice they have no idea what an NFL practice looks like.  He gets perhaps 5 plays per day at walk through speed. As far as running scout team it is looking at another teams play card and running a play you have only seen once or twice, and these are again not at football speed.  Also QB's are never allow to improvise or go off script. these are where Tebows strengths basically what I am saying is he gets no chance in practice.  He did look good and accurate when he got to play in pre-season. Look for Orton to be the guy for a long time 2-3 years at least.  this team will put all its focus on defense and rightfully so.  So to all those who wanted McD out I hope you realize you just signed off on Tebow's ticket out of town as well.

I have never seen a MSM so intent on getting a coach fired! This has been the case since Josh first arrived in Denver and he did not want to buddy up and laugh and joke and give local sports writers every inside story. It was less than a week ago, with nothing significant occurring, that Pat Bowlen told a national media source( he went to because he cannot trust the local sports writers) and said Josh would be coaching the Broncos in 2011, yet look at the two lead articles in the DP today. For those of you who don't want McD fired until at least the end of his 3rd year please read on.  The rest of you I am sure have already voted in the DP poll that says 79% of the fan base could never have any confidence in Coach McD.

This is not a defense of moves that Josh has or has not made those have, and will continue to be, debated well on this site.  But it is a call to action to let the city know that there is a large fan base outside the DP that don't approve of being bunched together with the media manipulated masses.  Immediately after Bowlen gave his interview to a national media person the calls began not so much from fans but from local media and the questions began....nothing could get Josh fired?.... What if the loose all the rest of their games?... What if spygateII grows..... What if the players quit?... What I am really saying is that again the local media basically forced Bowlen's hand and made him back off his statement and boy have they run with it.

I believe the offense has been built to be good for a long time and that Josh like Shanny tried to fix the Defense with vets and free agents. Why because he like all of us saw it as the most immediate need.  This has not worked out primarily due to injuries to the teams only two pass rushers. If he is given another draft I think McDaniels and his staff will address all defense with perhaps a late round TE  but I hate to see nothing but negativity forced down readers throats just because a young coach won't suck up to ego hungry local sports writers,  Remember negativity is easy loyality and solutions and positivity are hard.  The post tell sfans to stay away from the stadium that is an almost evil suggestion.  Let's hope that Bowlen and Ellis don't submitt to the little Napoleons and let the press win.

We may have to start participating in their polls and write to the Broncos and the DP.

I posted this yesterday and it is my biggest fear of all I think TT will be great and win super bowls but if Mcdaniels is fired and the new coach not a TT fan he may never get a chance here. I am not some FL fan I was born and raised in CO I still live here and have been a season ticket holder since 1963. Tebow may not turn out to be great but if McD gets fired we may never know and that frustrates me. The guy did not want to turn in a friend for a stupid mistake and is paying dearly for it. Also this is the first time I have heard the MSM tell the truth about Cutler and Marshall. what McD's main error was that he believed he could get free agent vets to man a worthless front 7 on defense that problem was magnified by injuries to the only 2 pass rushers on the team this is a pressure the QB league and we are terrible at that. That is on McD but sending him packing now would be a huge mistake. The Defens is old and Orton is good but not a team carrying type of QB It is said you earn a living in the NFL on 3rd downs and that is Kyle's biggest weakness.  If McD stays loyal to KO even though he is not the main problem he will lose his job for sure and then TT goes bye-bye and his extraordinary talents wit him. Once again this young coach is between a rock and a hard place.

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Wow! Guess what young coach Mcdaniels is faced with another very tough decision.  However while many will find a way to blame it on the coach he is in no way responsible for the Broncos latest obstacle to winning.  As much a it will make beating the Chiefs more difficult, the Broncos need to suspend DJ immediately and indefinitely. I will explain why this is the only correct choice after the jump.

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After 20 years of coaching I have learned not to complain about officials, but what the hell, I am a fan now. The flee-flicker run to perfection was a great call by a coach that I believe would have given us all the momentum, and ended in a Bronco victory was the worst call ever and I will explain why.after the jump.  But here is the definition of an illegal chop block.... An offense player tries to cut block a defensive player that is already being blocked by another offensive player. The second block may need to be below the thigh or knee, depending on the code.

First of all Knoshone was the first player to make contact the Defensive player was running free and Knoshone turned his back. the defender tried to hurdle him and there was contact below the waist but the second offensive player then comes over and blocks the defensive player from the side but there still was not simultanious contact.  But the biggest reason it was avery bad call is the rule clearly states the the defensive player must already be being blocked or engaged It was reaally obvious that knoshone made contact first. tell me what you think.

I am embarrassed to be a Bronco fan tonight....

However, having been a fan since the early 60’s this is not my first bout with bronco induced depression. Today was a frustrated unprofessional response by all aspects of the team, beginning first and foremost with the coaches. Football is a game of violent aggression combined with detailed execution. The raider’s beat the $#@^ out of us and we did nothing but back down. Ultimately all involved need to check their guts and heart at the door. When players quit like that they either don’t believe in the coaches plan of the doubt each others ability to do their job. this can become cancerous quickly if player don’t each soul search for individual accountability. The difference in talent between the two teams is minimal the the aggression however was very one sided what was even more frustrating was the only leadership I saw was one attempt by KO to rally the troupes. When a game begins like that you need to do something drastic. As a coach you only have so many bullets in your gun if you go off too frequently your message will fall on deaf ears, but today was a time to unload the full magazine. I used to tell my players that the worst four letter word is Soft. today the Broncos were Soft. Every player and coach needs to reflect on their own individual performance or many will and should be looking for work today we had zero heart, intensity, aggression, guts toughness. There is no time in pro sports to feel sorry for yourselves.If we were in prison we would be the guys who could not protect themselves we were held down and formally sodomized. The question is can we respond.

oldcoachB

First of all, those of you who have read my posts and comments know that I am a believer in all that is going on at Dove Valley, and almost all of what I post is positive and supportive of our Broncos; however, this week's game will be a defining moment for this year's team and the current regime  I have always told my players that he who is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else. This week the Broncos MUST WIN BABY!!!!  Anything short of victory will force me to admit that all I have said on this blog before have been nothing but excuses. I will explain why after the jump..

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First let me begin by saying that this is strictly my opinion, and based solely on observation not stats or other sources.  I am sure that it is also shaded significantly by my deep desire for the Broncos to be successful.  Now that I have been around MHR for a while, I honestly believe that is true of all the loyal fans despite the venomous criticism they spew. So to all those who love the Broncos here is my perspective on: the League, the AFC west, and the Broncos on offense, defense and special teams.

First, the NFL has never been so mediocre, and had so much parity Guess what, that‘s what makes… “Any given Sunday”… fun and unpredictable.  This is supported by the fact that it is only 5 weeks in  and there is not a single undefeated team; last year that took 13 weeks and there were still 2(If I am wrong so what I am not a stat guy this is all from an old and addled mind) Many teams in fact almost all have looked both  great and terrible this season, ie… the Texans, and the Giants and to some extent our Broncos.  The NFC does not have a single team that looks like a championship team to me.  I liked green Bay but look what happened to them against Shanny, and now their QB is hurt.  The AFC has three teams who are all flawed, but have a chance to be consistently dominant: they are the Ravens, Jets, and Steelers.  However all of them have a loss already.  I have also noted that many teams are having trouble covering kickoffs already 9 returned for TD’s this year I don’t think that happened until week 11 last year(mostly a guess but I vaguely remember hearing it on a pregame show) So the Broncos are not the only ones struggling with this.  All of this leads me to say that all across the league fans are screaming… for trades, coaches to be fired, players to be benched, fans to quit being negative, fans to quit drinking the cool-aid etc.   The real answer is that in the current NFL all teams have very obvious weaknesses and strengths.  Early this year I said I had never been as excited for a season to start, but also never remembered a Bronco’s team with so man question marks.  At the time I thought Broncomanics might be alone now I think the entire NFL is in the same boat. Ain’t mediocrity grand!!!!!!!!!!

Now to the AFC West-

Last years champions the Chargers are the most talented team but they have front office issues worse ST’s than the Broncos and Norv (with that name who could respect him)  They have great offensive skill players and  an average defense and do not play consistently up to their ability. They have numerous ST’s problems (2 kick-offs  returned for TD’s vs  Seahawks and 2 punts blocked yesterday) THEY ARE MEDIOCRE!!!!!

This year’s current division leaders the Chiefs are the best running team in the conference, and are currently on an emotional high just like last years Broncos.  The problem with a high is that it is followed by a low.  When it starts to go bad, I believe it will snowball.  Thier defense is strong but will get worn down and its youth will begin to show up.  The teams biggest weakness is at the QB position Cassel is not able to produce to date; they have hidden this well with strong running game. They have the best special teams in the AFC west and a great home field advantage they will be around to the end.  This is the team the broncos must focus on because our young players will be competing against theirs for years. THEY ARE MEDICORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday’s hero the Raiders- It is almost ironic I call them a team with no identity.  This for a team that lived by “   just win baby” now has no identity.  I say this because they are average at just about everything.  They can run it some, pass it some, good on some ST’s poor on others, but nothing to hang their hat on.  I do feel that they are sub par at the receiver and QB positions but their biggest problem is no great strengths.  They will win more games than past years but will finish last in a very tight division. THEY ARE AVERAGE!!!!!!!!!( which is one tiny notch below mediocre)

Now let’s examine OUR DENVER BRONCOS- I will begin with our head coach.  I will say it ILOVE Josh McD.  Why because I think he has a vision and is steadfastly working towards it.  His predecessor once had a vision and traded it in for a quick fix complex.  I believe his vision is a TEAM that has all equal parts and plays hard physical football for each other. I have never been a pro coach, but I know that this is the kind of team that wins at most levels.  These teams will develop superstars but ones that appear as a result of the master plan, and the play of their teammates, much like Tom Brady did with the Pats and much like Lloyd and Orton are doing now.  Fans want superstars and push for proven (egotistical divas and then expect that diva individual to transform a team.  This may seem trivial to many but to me it is what make sports the greatest shared experience in the world. Josh surrounded himself by loyal  individuals which is the most important trait of any assistant coach.  As far as game plans I think they have had two great ones ( Indy and Tenn.) and one average one Seattle. and one poor Baltimore .

Now let’s look at our offense-talk about the good and bad equaling the MEDIOCRE!!!  Our QB and receiver play has been excellent, our OL play average (actually pretty good pass protection) considering our QB is healthy, which is more than 7 other teams can say, and the numbers of passes the Broncos throw. The run blocking is flat out terrible. Our only excuse is youth, and injury we must pray for improvement.  It is very hard to call great plays when half of your offense is not functioning.  If the Broncos have playoff desires this must get better. I think running backs with the exception of tremendous ones are all about the same( notice they don’t go early in the draft very often)  Buck, Maroney, and Moreno will be just fine if the OL gets it together(Peyton Hillis does not play for the Broncos!!!!!!!!!!!!!)  This opportunity improvement will be the most important factor in the Broncos playoff run.  (I must eat crow here as I was not as worried about the OL as many MHR faithful. ) But I will say young talent can improve rapidly. Look for a big improvement after the by week!!

Our defense is basically the same as last years, but with more depth. The loss of Doom was huge!! We also lost several players this week so we will see if my depth prediction will hold up.  Last years D was great for 6 games and then just got worn down.  This years team has about the same amount of talent, but has much improved back-ups.( this was not evident at Baltimore) I will just call that the Broncos House of horrors.   I would not be surprised if we make a move this week due to all the injuries but I have no idea who is available.  One other transformation I like about our D is that we used to have old back-ups now most of our reserves are younger and potential future starters.  While I don’t think the D is much different than last years, I do not believe it will collapse like last years. Important note Cox will get better as he gets targeted. But our defense is MEDICORE!!!!!!!!!!

You may not believe this but I think our ST’s are slightly above average.  We have two excellent kickers which is what makes the units as a whole better than average.  Eddie Royal is a solid punt returner, Our kick-off coverage is the weakest link but that is the case on several teams. Again this is just my eye test but we are not getting beat because of special teams.  We make some plays and give up some plays. Guess what that spells MEDIOCRE!!!!!!!!

So to fans across the NFL rooting for their team we all know that our Broncos mediocrity is far better than their average. THE BRONCOS HAVE AS GOOD A CHANCE AS ANY TO WIN THE AFC WEST SO GET ON THE BANDWAGON GO BRONCOS.. 

Dear fellow Bronco lovers:

Where is the love for our team and coach.  First let me admit that I am a glass half full person and that that glass is filled with kool-aid, A trait I am sure I get from my late father whose season tickets are still in the family(since 1962). I also am very aware that we have weaknesses which need to be addressed, but the majority of the comments following today's VICTORY!! were predominantly negative and I will tell you that why is oh so wrong after the jump.

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As the regular season approaches I have several things I will be watching closely on both sides of the ball. I can't remember a season where I had so many questions and still believe that the Broncos are headed in the right direction and will make the playoffs as a wild-card. I do not think that they are ready to unseat the Chargers for the division crown, but there is nothing that I would like better.  Additionally, I am a team first guy, and perhaps that is why I completely am drinking the McDaniel's kool-aid.  I think for years we have been way undersized, and we addressed that in the off season. I also believe that teams win; even though, ESPN would have us think that superstars drive the sports world.  I know teams need play-makers, but hi-light real plays are made just as much by all the little fundamental things teammates are doing I will start with defensive questions after the jump.

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Let me begin by saying that this is my first post, but I have been a loyal Bronco fan since the early 60's. Going into this season I had lots of questions and high hopes, primarily because as a retired(basketball) coach I believe that coach McD is going about things in the right way. However, after 2 pre-season games my biggest worry is not the OL or the QB or the DL or the Punter all things that headed my list  of concerns going into training camp. The most glaring weakness of this team is the linebackers.  They play far too deep in zone pass coverage thus arriving at the underneath routes way late; have you seen the RAC we give to backs and TE's.  Additionally, they fill the gaps against the run far too slowly. Their reads as to run or pass are way too slow and they don't attack the line of scrimmage, and when the do their tackling is poor. I also feel the coaching staff must agree because they have signed new linebackers recently. Am I crazy or are any of you knowledgeable fans that feel the same way? If this post is decent let me know and I will be more specific in the future. however I thought I would keep it short for my initial effort. thanks.