Swagger Regained, The Denver Broncos Must Step Up Once Again

44-13 over the Kansas City Chiefs. The way it should be.

With their four-game freefall and the depths of depression feeling far off, the Denver Broncos have now won two games in a row to move their record to 8-4.

They currently sit at the fifth seed in the AFC, occupying the first of two wild-card openings. They are second in the AFC West, behind the red-hot San Diego Chargers, winners of seven straight.

The final four weeks of the season will prove challenging for the Broncos, and they will need to continue playing at the level exhibited on Sunday in Kansas City.

First on the schedule is a trip to “the Oil Can” or Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.

The Denver pass defense will be put to the test by Peyton Manning and the extremely high-powered Colts offense. It will be imperative for the Broncos to keep pressure on Manning, and the defensive backs must continue the exceptional play they have shown over the past two games.

As the New England Patriots and Houston Texans have both demonstrated, no lead is safe when Manning and the Colts’ offense is on the opposite sideline, and the Broncos will have to score early and often to keep the pressure on for all 60 minutes.

If the Broncos end up on the short side of a relatively close game, it would be a respectable showing.

The following week, they must play the suddenly-upstart Oakland Raiders. With shocking last-second wins against the Bengals and Steelers, the Raiders have become a semi-legitimate opponent.

This will be a critical game for the Broncos, especially if they fall in Indy. A win at home against the Raiders would put the hypothetical record at 9-5, likely retaining the fifth seed.

Two days after Christmas, the Broncos will visit Philadelphia in Brian Dawkins’ much-anticipated homecoming. In a game that could go either way, the Broncos will need to play physical football and put pressure on Donovan McNabb.

If the Broncos are able to leave Philadelphia with a 10-5 record, both players and fans should be very proud of their team.

More importantly, the team would then have the opportunity to give some starters a much-needed rest during the regular season finale against the Chiefs.

The Denver Broncos have re-focused themselves, worked hard, and righted the ship. As bad as the four game losing streak felt, in hindsight it may have happened at exactly the right time.

Losing streaks that begin a season can be detrimental to team and fanbase morale, and losing streaks to finish the season can knock a competitive team out of the play-offs, a situation that is all too familiar in Denver.

Losing streaks that fall smack in the middle of the season, however, can be enough to force the players to “wake up” and refocus without damaging either morale or even play-off hopes.

The Denver Broncos have a very real shot at finishing the 2009 season with an 11-5 record, far better than anyone would give them credit for in the preseason.

With this in mind, it is time to once again step things up. Step up practicing, step up effort, step up with the leadership.

The time is now for this team to drive away the demons of last year and regain their status as one of the AFC’s strongest contenders, maybe even venturing to say “AFC’s elite.”

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There Is a Pulse in Denver: Broncos Finally Wake Up and Step Up

“Wake up and step up.”

That is what I have been saying the Denver Broncos need to do ever since their Monday Night loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers three weeks ago.

It took them three weeks, but they finally did it. Going into a crucial primetime matchup with the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Night, the Broncos absolutely needed to win.

And, for the first time since mid-October, they did just that.

Just four short days ago, things looked bleak in Denver. The Broncos had lost four straight, the offense was hapless and the defense tired. Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno were fighting on the sideline.

It’s amazing how quickly things can change.

A short practice week and Thursday night game was just what the doctor ordered for the Broncos. There was no time to mope, as practice time was in short supply.

This is a young team with a young coach, both of whom needed the proverbial “fire” lit under them.

Josh McDaniels’ smack-talking incident with members of the San Diego Chargers may have been the perfect fire-starter.

When the coach makes a controversial move like that, especially following a loss, the players are more motivated to win, not just for themselves, but to protect their headman’s reputation and image.

However, regardless of the motivation, the Broncos were able to wake up from their daze, regain some of their early-season swagger, and put a 26-6 beatdown on the Giants.

The Broncos played well in all phases of the game, and looked like the team fans “knew and loved” through the first six weeks, able to execute most of the elements that had been missing over the four-game skid. 

The defense held New York to a mere 57 rushing yards, forced three turnovers, and sacked Eli Manning three times

The Giants only managed one red-zone trip the entire game, and scored only the two field goals. This is the same Giants offense that hung 456 total yards and 34 points on the Atlanta Falcons four days earlier.

Their defensive effort set the tone for the entire game, and gave the Broncos confidence to open up the offense and once again take risks.

Elvis Dumervil was “back in the building” racking up two more sacks (he leads the league with 13) and forcing a fumble. His ability to pressure the quarterback is crucial to the success of the defense.

The Denver rushing attack finally got back into gear, as Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter teamed up to consistently put pressure on the Giants and keep the offense moving in the right direction.

Finally, Brandon Marshall’s performance cannot be overlooked. His play is critical to the offense, and he made two spectacular catches.

Those kinds of catches help boost confidence for both Orton and McDaniels, which will ultimately lead to more aggressive play calling, something the Broncos undoubtedly need.

In the end though, the Broncos won the game they absolutely had to win. At 7-4, they now have nine days before they travel to Kansas City to take on the “streaking” Chiefs.

With last season’s Kansas City trip in mind, the Broncos must not overlook the 3-7 Chiefs.

At this point, they need as many wins as possible in order to either beat out the Chargers in the West or obtain a Wild Card spot in the competitive AFC.

Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu once said, “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”

The Denver Broncos took their first step. They look to be back on track. Now it is time to buckle down and, ultimately, win.

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After Inexcusable Loss, Reeling Broncos Must Put Up or Shut Up

This was the game they couldn’t lose.

The 6-2 Broncos against the 2-6 Washington Redskins. The Redskins were thought to be a well-established “trainwreck.” An incompetent owner, a terrible offense, a confused coach, and an angry fan base made Washington the laughing stock of the NFC East.

And what did the Denver Broncos do? They went into the Nation’s Capital, and lost to them.

The Denver Broncos lost by ten points to the Washington Redskins. Inexcusable.

There are plenty of excuses. Kyle Orton was knocked out of the game after Redskins defensive end Brian Orakpo tackled him by the ankle.

In the second quarter, the Redskins lined up for a field goal, then went into punt formation, and then punter Hunter Smith threw the ball 35 yards downfield to the fullback for a touchdown. The Denver special teams were taken completely by surprise and had no answer for the trick play.

Chris Simms came in for Orton to start the second half and played “like crap” for lack of a better term. In two quarters of play, he made three completions on 13 pass attempts for a pitiful 13 yards and an interception to DeAngelo Hall.

On the bright side of things, the offense came out gunning in the first quarter.

Kyle Orton and Josh McDaniels had been heavily criticized for playing a conservative offense devoid of the “big play.” Determined to change that, Orton connected with Brandon Marshall on two big plays of 40 and 75 yards, showing that this tandem is capable of stretching the field.

However, the once-vaunted defense looked soft. The Redskins were playing without star running back Clinton Portis, and the banged-up Ladell Betts ran on the Denver defense 26 times for 114 yards and a late touchdown that put the ‘Skins up for good.

The statistics speak for themselves. The intangibles are what make this loss more distressing for the Broncos and their fans.

Denver is now 0-3 after the bye week. Over that week off, the rest of the league caught up to the them, and they have been unable to make any adjustments to regain their edge.

The cold reality of the NFL has now set in for Josh McDaniels. It’s nice to start 6-0, but it will mean nothing if this team misses the playoffs. Still haunted by their three-week meltdown last December, the time for this team to be kicked in their rear-ends is now.

This cannot continue. They had a chance to rebound and they let it slip away. Orton needs to be healthy for next week’s game against the Chargers.

Pending their game with the Eagles today, the Chargers and Broncos could be tied for the AFC West lead going into that game. The desperate struggle keeping this sinking ship afloat has begun.

The season is not lost by any means, but it is now going fast, and it’s time for the Broncos to “put up or shut up.”

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Broncos-Browns: Firing on All Cylinders, Denver Rolls Over Cleveland

And the streak rolls onward to nine.

The Denver Broncos have now beaten the Cleveland Browns in their last nine meetings.

The game began with legendary Broncos tightend Shannon Sharpe parachuting into the stadium. Sharpe was officially inducted into the team Ring of Fame today.

Also worthy of note, the Broncos won their tenth straight home opener, and have now started 2-0 for the third straight season.

Today’s win, 27-6 over the Browns, was an outstanding team effort by all members of the Broncos. Everyone did their job, and the team looked very impressive playing in front of it’s fans at Invecso Field.

The game opened with a disastrous play, during which Peyton Hillis fumbled (and lost) the kickoff and gave Cleveland excellent starting field position. However, the Broncos defense held fast, and forced the Bronwns to settle for a field goal.

After a Broncos three-and-out gave Cleveland the ball, newly acquired linebacker Darrell Reid was able to recover a Brady Quinn fumble, giving the Broncos excellent field position. Kyle Orton capitalized with a nice two yard touchdown pass to tight end Tony Scheffler.

The rest of the first half was uneventful, with the Broncos adding three more points on a Matt Prater field goal.

The second half opened with the Broncos defense making more big plays.

Elvis Dumervil tackled Browns wideout Joshua Cribbs and forced a fumble that was recovered by Brian Dawkins. The Broncos were able to capitalize with another Prater field goal.

The Broncos entered the fourth quarter up 13-6, but were not done by any means. The offense was ready for their “best quarter” of the young season.

On a second down and eight from the Denver 49-yard line, Kyle Orton hit Jabar Gaffney on a deep-out route. Gaffney ran away from the defenders and sprinted all the way to the two yard line. Peyton Hillis then bull-rushed his way into the endzone to put Denver up 20-6.

After another Browns three-and-out, Correll Bucklhalter put the game out of reach. Taking a handoff at midfield, Buckhalter ran easily into the secondary, where he put a beautiful move on two defenders.

He had to stiff-arm and fight cornerback Eric Wright for the final five yards, but was able to make it into the endzone, putting the game away for the Broncos.

Brady Quinn’s final, last ditch effort pass was intercepted by rookie safety Darcel McBath.

This game, in addition to being another solid Denver win, was a very promising sign for fans. The Broncos defense turned in a lights-out performance, holding the Browns to just 11 first downs and 200 net yards on offense.

On the other side, the Broncos offense woke up in a big way, tallying 449 net yards of offense.

Elvis Dumervil had a career day, getting to Quinn for four sacks and forcing a fumble.

The Denver rushing attack also looked excellent. Correll Buckhalter led the way with nine touches for 76 yards, including the big 4th quarter run. He was followed by rookie Knowshon Moreno (17 for 75 yards) and LaMont Jordan (seven for 19 yards).

Kyle Orton also had a solid day, finishing 19 for 37 with 263 yards and a touchdown. He has yet to throw an interception.

The Denver offensive line did not allow any sacks.

Overall, today was a very good day in Broncos Country. The defense backed up last week’s performance and showed that they might just be “the real deal”. Mike Nolan’s defensive playcalling was excellent once again.

The offense made up for last week’s sluggish start, and the team looks confident and ready.

Coupled with a Chargers loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Broncos now sit alone atop the AFC West.

Next Sunday, the team will travel to Oakland to take on an improved Raiders team. It is very important for the Broncos to open the season 3-0, and they will work all week to accomplish that goal.

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Madden NFL ’10 Rankings: An Insult to Many Denver Players

Each August, EA Sports releases it’s annual edition of the well-known Madden franchise.

Madden has long been regarded as the best NFL video game out there, in many ways simply because it has been the only game that includes rosters of real players for a number of years now.

Each edition includes updated “ratings” for players and teams.

Each player is given an overall rating on a scale of 0—100, which is complied using more specific rankings of various skills.

Common skills include speed, acceleration, awareness, and strength, as well as specific skills for each position. For example, a cornerback is rated on his “shutdown” ability and a linebacker is rated on his “big hit” ability.

These numbers, especially for rookies, are almost entirely subjective. Real NFL statistics do not play an important role in determining ratings.

That means the developers and analysts who work for EA are the ones dishing out the ratings. That fact has led to some insulting results, in the eyes of a Broncos fan.

For starters, the Broncos received a team rating of 70. The offense alone is rated at a very respectable 88. While many fans would argue for at least a 90, 88 is acceptable.

The defense, on the other hand, is given a lowly 62, above only the Chiefs, Rams, and Lions. Back in grade school, that would translate to a D.

Champ Bailey is fairly ranked second among corner backs with a 96. He is the highest-rated Bronco.

On the other end, Matt Prater is insulted with a rating of 58. The EA developers essentially gave him a big fat F as an NFL kicker.

The majority of the team is underrated across the board, but no group so much as the offensive line.

The Denver offensive line was regarded as the premier group of the NFL in 2008. Jay Cutler was sacked merely eleven times…in over 600 pass attempts.

If there was one player who absolutely held down the line, it was Ryan Clady.

Clady had an outstanding season, absolutely shutting down the likes of Julius Peppers, John Abraham, Luis Castillo, and Derrick Burgess.

For these efforts, EA rewarded him with a ranking of 88, good for 12th among left tackles.

In comparison, Joe Thomas is the top rated at the position, followed by the likes of Jordan Gross, Jason Peters, Matt Light, and Jake Long.

Although these are all very respectable linemen, quite honestly they are not on the same level as Clady.

When the camera was focused on him, fans could see the opposing lineman or linebacker attempt to bull rush Clady, be knocked back, then attempt a spin move, only to be overpowered and fall to the turf.

That is the mark of a dominant left tackle, not a B+ left tackle.

As for the rest of the offensive line, Ryan Harris receives a 73, Chris Kuper a 78, Casey Wiegmann an 87, and Ben Hamilton an 81.

No player on the offensive line is graded above B+, and Ryan Harris, one of the better right tackles in the game, has a lowly C—.

In retrospect, none of this really matters. We, as fans, know that Clady and the offensive line will continue to be the best. Matt Prater will continue to improve, and the Broncos may surprise a lot of doubters around the NFL this season.

Although they might not be the best group of guys to play as against your friends on your Xbox, they might be a great team to watch in real life.

The EA ratings do not really matter, however it would be nice for Bronco fans to be able to see their favorite players perform as they actually do when they are playing a video game.

Kind of like how Patriots fans are treated to a team ranked 92 overall that will dominate any Madden online match-up.

With New Perspective, I Bid Bleacher Report…Hello, Again

The rising of the sun each morning is undoubtedly a beautiful sight. Each new day brings new chance and new hope for some, and for others a new perspective or new inspiration.

I will save you from the entirety of my metaphor. As I make my return to writing somewhat regularly in the Denver Broncos community here on Bleacher Report, I do feel that I have gained some perspective on the value of this community.

Sports are undoubtedly a major part of my life. Besides school, family, and other relationships, playing, watching, and talking about sports is one of the main things that keeps me “going.”

Before my “sabbatical” from B/R, I was one of the more active writers in the Broncos community, which I believe is the best in the NFL and here on the site. However, eventually life began to get in the way, and I “burned out” much of my inspiration to write.

I took some time off, and after awhile I began to really miss it.

Bleacher Report provides a place where true sports fans can talk about the teams they love, with both their fellow fanatics and with members of rival communities.

Without B/R, it was more and more difficult to stay current and up to date on the news and transactions that I had been right in the middle of while writing.

Without anyone to really talk to about the Broncos—I have many friends who are NFL fans, but none who follow the Orange and Blue as passionately as myself—I began to lose touch with “my” team.

So, I have decided it is time for me to end my time away and return to the community.

Training camps will soon be starting, and the Broncos have a drastically different team. There will be a lot to talk about and a lot to cover.

And then September will come, and we will be launched into yet another season of NFL football, where anything can happen.

Not to mention the New York Mets, my MLB team, is in action. That is all I can say on them at the moment.

With a new appreciation for the culture of the site, I am happy to return to Bleacher Report. I’ll resume writing about them within the next week.

With the Pieces in Place, Broncos’ Running Game Puzzle Becoming Clear

The waiting is finally over. The NFL draft, and all its anticipation, predictions, and mocks is done and gone for another 350-some odd days.

Now, the real predictions can begin. Most teams will soon be opening mandatory minicamps, and the new rookies will begin their NFL careers. 

The Denver Broncos had an interesting draft. It surprised many. It confused others. But in the end, the Broncos added many of the pieces that they will need to bounce back from a disappointing end to 2008.

One of the key factors for this resurrection (an AFC West title) will be the running game.

The historically strong unit ranked 12th in the NFL in yards per game in 2008, with 116.4 yards per game. While this is not a shabby number by any means, this year’s backfield will have more pressure to excel, the main reason being Jay Cutler’s departure from Denver.

While projected starting quarterback Kyle Orton is a highly competent player, he is not Jay Cutler, and isn’t expected to be. He can make most of the throws Cutler could, but not with such ease.

As the football adage goes, “Use the run to set up the pass.”

The Broncos will undoubtedly be doing a lot of this in 2009. With that said, on to the predictions.

The Broncos have six running backs and two fullbacks on the active roster going into minicamp. They are J.J. Arrington, Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, Ryan Torain, Knowshon Moreno, and Kestahn Moore. The fullbacks are Peyton Hillis and Spencer Larsen.

As the 2008 team proved, there is never a surplus of running backs that is too large. At some points in 2008, it seemed a back would be placed on IR every week.

This offseason has seen a full “renovation” at the running back position. The only returning players are Torain, Hillis, and Larsen.

Gone are Selvin Young, Andre Hall, Michael Pittman, Tatum Bell, P.J. Pope, and any others seen lining up behind Cutler last season.

The team signed Buckhalter from the Eagles, Arrington from the Cardinals, and Jordan from the Patriots. They drafted Moreno with the 12th pick in the first round, and added Moore as a college free agent last week.

This group has players with different specialties, and it is likely that four or five of the current six players will be on the week one roster.

As of now, first round draft pick Knowshon Moreno has a good chance to be #1 on the depth chart for week one. He will likely be followed by Buckhalter, Arrington, and Jordan.

The jury is still out on Ryan Torain. The fifth round pick in 2008 injured himself in training camp and missed the first eight weeks of the season.

He got his first start in week ten, but tore his ACL in the second quarter of that game and was placed on IR.

In his quarter-and-a-half of work, he rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown, and looked to be a promising young player.

However, the addition of Moreno and veterans like Buckhalter and Arrington could push him off the initial depth chart unless he really impresses Coach McDaniels in training camp. 

J.J. Arrington began to make a name for himself during the Arizona Cardinals’ unlikely Super Bowl run in 2008. He spent the majority of his game time as a third-down back, but also established himself as a very good receiver out of the backfield.

Arrington rushed 31 times for 187 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 29 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown. He is expected to be a situational back who could come in for shotgun formations.

LaMont Jordan is a journeyman who has spent time with the Jets, Raiders, and Patriots. He had 80 carries for 363 yards and four touchdowns in 2008.

He is only 5-foot-10 tall, but weighs 230 pounds and is a power rusher. He could be used in goal-line and short-yardage situations for McDaniels’s offense.

Correll Buckhalter rounds out the new group of veterans, and will be the primary backup to the starter. He has been a solid backup in eight seasons for the Eagles, stepping in whenever All-Pro Brian Westbrook was injured.

Knowshon Moreno, the Broncos’ first pick of the 2009 draft will be going into 2009 with high expectations.

He earned offensive MVP honors from a Georgia team that also featured #1 pick Matthew Stafford, and rushed for over 1,400 yards in 13 games for the Bulldogs.

Before the draft, I previewed the impact Moreno might have on this team if drafted. I said that “The one thing this group does not have is a true star back. A guy who will be the starter every week and who will definitively lead the team in overall rushing.”

This is exactly what Knowshon is expected to be for the Broncos. Barring any injury, it is very plausible that #27 on the Broncos will be the AFC West’s second most feared running back (LaDainian Tomlinson is still #1) by the season’s midpoint.

He has all the elusiveness, versatility, and intelligence that is required to be an every-down back. It is even noted that he’s a better receiver out of the backfield than he gets credit for, and will be a valuable weapon for McDaniels on the field. 

In the locker room, there is no shortage of praise for this young man. He was a team captain at Georgia, and according to scouting reports, is an “Extreme competitor who can put the team on his shoulders. Wants the ball with the game on the line.”

Moreno looks to be a smart draft choice in every sense, and should quickly make his way into the top running backs in the NFL.

In his first season, he will be eased into his duties with a strong group backing him up. As I mentioned earlier, J.J. Arrington will spell Moreno in third-down situations and Jordan on the goal line.

Peyton Hillis will be slicing a path through the opposing defense as the primary fullback, and the stellar offensive line of 2008 is returning all five starters.

Running backs coach Bobby Turner was one of two holdovers from the Shanahan era, and he will undoubtedly be a mentor to Knowshon, as he was to Terrell Davis in the late 1990’s.

All signs point to a revived Broncos rushing attack in 2009, one that will once again make Denver one of the most feared running teams in the NFL.

Preliminary Predictions:

Moreno (Starter) 1,000-1,200 yards rushing, 8-10 touchdowns, 30-40 catches for 300 yards.

Buckhalter (Primary Backup) 250-300 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns, 10 catches for 100 yards.

Arrington (3rd Down) 150-200 yards rushing, 1 touchdown, 20 catches for 250 yards.

Jordan (Goal Line/Short Yardage) 200-250 yards rushing, 4-5 touchdowns, 5 catches for 40-60 yards.

Hillis (Fullback) 100-150 yards rushing, 2-3 touchdowns.

Torain (Situational Back) 200-250 yards rushing, 2 touchdowns.

Team rushing totals: About 2,200 yards, 22 touchdowns.

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