Josh McDaniels: Denver’s Arrogant Ruler with an Iron Fist

Josh McDaniels is an interesting man.

At first look, the young head coach seems pleasant—he smiles at press conferences and speaks to the media in a straight-forward fashion—a far cry from his old boss Bill Belichick’s passive-aggressive approach.

McDaniels is obviously intense; a character trait that he’s showcased numerous times on the sidelines in his first year as the Broncos’ head man. After beating his ex-boss and ex-team in the New England Patriots, McDaniels ran down the sideline pumping his fist in excitement. During Denver’s Thanksgiving game the head coach passionately berated his players with a curse-word laden tirade—a tactic that arguably worked and hyped up the players who eventually pulled off the win.

But Josh McDaniels doesn’t always get the approval of all his players, something that if left unchecked could result in a perennial problem down the road.

From Day One of the McDaniels’ regime he’s made it known that he’s in charge and the Broncos are going to do everything his way. He hired Brian Xanders as GM and the two handed out double digit pink slips to former Denver players. He made it known that he thought Matt Cassell would be a better fit than Jay Cutler and ended up trading arguably the best player the Broncos had when he took over.

Then there was his month-long dispute with Brandon Marshall that got so ugly the receiver was showing his displeasure with the coach in skipping practices or showing up to show off his new found ball-batting skills.

But everything seemed resolved, or at least kept quiet for almost the entirety of the regular season, until now.

Marshall, who injured a hamstring in practice, is being benched by McDaniels. “He’ll be deactivated from the game Sunday. That’ll be a coaching decision,” explained the head coach at Friday’s presser.

When asked why the star receiver will be deactivated, McDaniels dodged the question saying, “Our word for the week has been accountability. We’re lookin’ to put the 45 guys on the field that want to play together, want to help us try to win and qualify for the playoffs and we talked about it as a group this Wednesday that’s what’s going to happen this week. Anybody that showed any indifference to that we’ll play without them and we’ll play well anyway.”

“We’re building a team. And if you have players that aren’t going to put that ahead of everything else then that can be detrimental to your club.”

“We’re all accountable to give our very best effort to Pat Bowlen, to this organization, to this city, to all the people that support us.”

“We’re playing Sunday with the guys that want to play, that want to be accountable to each other and want to help us accomplish what we want to accomplish.”

He repeated the last stanza around five times during the press conference when asked about any further details about Marshall, and when asked about why pass-catching tight end Tony Scheffler will be benched as well.

So the real question is this: What happened?

Scheffler was hurt when he heard the news of McDaniels shopping him in the offseason and he’s likely quite upset with the lack of opportunities to be effective within the offense. Really, Scheffler has a legitimate gripe as he’s only caught 31 passes and two touchdowns this season.

But McDaniels also has a point; football is a team game and selfish players have no place on his team.

As for Marshall, I’ve heard from multiple sources that the player said something out of line to the coach, although what exactly was said is unknown as of now.

And as McDaniels is making another stand while knocking the starters down a notch with his iron fist, he’s starting to leave a sour taste in the mouths of some fans.

Marshall and Scheffler are arguably the two best pass-catchers the Broncos have, and with Eddie Royal likely a no-play due to injury, Denver’s pass attack will be mediocre at best.

To think that “the offense won’t change,” as McDaniels said, is ludicrous, borderline arrogant and if the Broncos can’t produce points he will be questioned all offseason.

Besides that, McDaniels is showing that he may have a problem connecting and earning the respect of his players.

Could it be that McDaniels is too callous because he’s so driven toward the goal of winning a Super Bowl? Or could it be that McDaniels’ ego and desire for ultimate power are turning people against him?

Only time will tell, but if McDaniels can’t adapt and work on his interpersonal skills, he will be the one missing games after being shown the door by Mr. Bowlen.

 

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Broncos-Eagles: Why Brian Dawkins Return to Philly Is the Smallest Story

Brian Dawkins was an absolute beast when he played for the Philadelphia Eagles—he covered well, and hit hard enough to blow up any receiver. But above anything else, Dawkins was the unquestioned leader of the Eagles on the defensive side of the ball.

He started his career in Philly, played 13 years there and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times while an Eagle. All his wonderful play led to him not only being one of the most feared safeties in the modern game, but Dawkins also became a huge fan favorite in the City of Brotherly Love (which can show their hate for the Eagles at times).

But really, B. Dawk’s return to Philly is a less significant story line among many good ones in this Christmas weekend game—most notably pending playoff positioning for both teams.

For the Eagles, a win against the Broncos and a Cowboys loss means they would clinch the NFC East and secure a Wild Card round home game. Beyond that, while the Saints (13-1) have basically sewn up home field throughout the playoffs, Philly could still take home field up to the NFC Championship game with two wins and a Minnesota loss.

For the Broncos, the game is more meaningful than that, as Denver must win both their last two games to secure a playoff spot in this year’s muddled AFC. In fact, the Broncos could actually clinch a playoff position with a win and losses by four of the 7-7 teams (JAX, MIA, NYJ, and PIT). Either way though, this game is the biggest of the season for Denver—a definite must-win if they want to make the playoffs this year.

The Broncos are coming off two tough losses in a row that have made their last two must-wins, meaning the playoffs start today if the Broncos want to still be playing in two weeks.

Of course, as the season rolls into Week 15 every team in the NFL is dealing with injuries and that includes the Eagles and Broncos.

Philly will likely be without the services of Michael Vick and safety Quintin Demps, as they are both listed as questionable. But, veteran running back/kick returner Brian Westbrook has been cleared to come back and play for the first time since Nov. 15, even though he will play in a limited role only.

For Denver, wide receiver/kick returner Eddie Royal will miss the contest due to his neck strain, and fullback Spencer Larsen is out as well. Royal has been underutilized in 2009, with only 37 receptions and zero touchdowns, but his 23.9 yards per return will definitely be missed. Fan favorite Peyton Hillis will step in for Larsen, but will still likely not see many chances in the offense since Josh McDaniels uses the fullback almost solely as a blocker.

The last huge storyline of this game is coaching, and there is a massive contrast when these two teams are compared.

The Eagles have one of the best coaches in the NFL leading their team in Andy Reid. Reid’s Eagles own 107 regular season wins with a .611 winning percentage—second best only to Bill Belichick. Reid is the commander of his team, the seasoned vet with five NFC Championship appearances, the fearless leader of a team that has no fear in him.

On the other hand, the Broncos head man is Josh McDaniels in his first year leading a team. McDaniels and Denver went 6-0 to start the season, but only 2-6 since—and most of the onus lies on coaching. In large losses to AFC opponents Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, the offense was mediocre at best and pathetic at worst. Last week against the Raiders, McDaniels had many coaching blunders, multiple mistakes that cost the Broncos valuable points.

If Denver hopes to win this game, and if McDaniels wants to avoid his first losing season in his football life (he told Woody Paige preseason), then he’s got to be on top of his coaching game today.

All in all, the Broncos task of beating a strong NFC team in the Eagles in Philadelphia today is a tough one to say the least, but nothing is impossible in the NFL. Denver can beat the Eagles, and they must to stay afloat in the AFC playoff hunt. One thing’s for sure, all of Denver will tune in to see what happens at 2:15 MT today.  

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Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe Should Be Horseshoe-Ins for Hall

Terrell Davis and Shannon Sharpe are hands-down one of the greatest duos to play for the Broncos and the best Denver players to ever do it at their position.

And even though they were both named to the NFL’s All-Decade team of the 90s, one former Bronco may have a harder time getting into Canton’s hallowed hall than the other.

 

Shannon Sharpe should be nothing more than a shoe-in for Pro Football’s Hall of Fame—he revolutionized the NFL tight end position forever, taking a sixth offensive lineman and turning him into a threat on the offensive end.

Sharpe was dominant in a pass-catching role, receiving HOFer John Elway’s bullet passes from 1990-98, and from other less notable QBs from 1999-03. During his 14 year career, Sharpe caught an amazing 815 passes for 10,060 yards and 62 touchdowns—all of which were all-time highs for tight ends in NFL history when he retired.

While not speedy (my Dad used to always say he looked like he was moving in slow motion), Sharpe was as dangerous as any receiver in the NFL during the 1990s. Many times opposing defenses would line up a linebacker against the massive tight end, a matchup that was irrevocably eaten alive by Elway and Sharpe. He was amazing across the middle, was the Broncos’ best possession receiver, and could score at-will with an Elway naked bootleg on the goal line.

Sharpe also blocked for five different 1,000-yard rushers in Denver, including Terrell Davis from 1995-98, and he is one of only four players in NFL history to have 11 or more 50-catch seasons (Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Chris Carter). He also won three Super Bowls and had three 1,000 yard receiving seasons. Sharpe was so good; ESPN named him the No. 7 draft steal of all time .

But what Sharpe is remembered for the most is his big personality, which gave him his big mouth and big touchdown celebrations.

His most famous quote came in a Nov. 1996 Denver drubbing of New England as he was caught by NFL Films proclaiming, “Mr. President, call in the National Guard! Send as many men as you can spare! Because we are killing the Patriots! They need emergency help!”

Sharpe was not shy about asking for the ball either, as NFL Films interviewed him and Elway explained how Shannon would constantly come back to the huddle to say, “I’m open John, throw me the ball.”

When he couldn’t be heard over the eardrum-busting Mile High maniacs, Sharpe showed his delight nonverbally. He came up with two different TD celebrations, both of which helped make him a fan favorite. His original celebration was a mere flex of his bulging muscles as he earned the nickname “Hulk.” The second was more innovative, as he danced around and made it look like he was riding a bucking bronco in the end zone.

And while many believe he’s an absolute no-brainer for the hall, one stat may go against his quest, as there are only seven TEs in the HOF currently.

Realistically, Sharpe will have a bronze bust of his chiseled jaw and smiling face in Canton soon, but what chance does Terrell Davis have?

Davis is more the long-shot of the two, although his greatness should not be ignored. Even though TD technically played for seven years in the NFL, his first four were the masterpiece of his career.

From 1995-98 Davis’ rushing yards increased every season and he amassed 6,413 total yards in those years, including 56 touchdowns. While being only the fourth ever player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, he was the NFL MVP in 1998 and was the major reason why John Elway and the Broncos won back-to-back Super Bowls.

But as they say, sometimes the brightest stars burn out the fastest, which couldn’t be truer about Terrell Davis.

In his hey-day, no one could stop TD, let alone slow him down. He was never really a threat to go for an 80-yard dash down the sideline, but Davis hit holes quicker and harder than any back in recent memory. He exploited the idea of a “one cut and go” running system, with running backs coach Alex Gibbs, which became Mike Shanahan’s calling card in the NFL for almost a decade.

Likely the best run I ever saw TD make was in Super Bowl 32 against the Green Bay Packers. Davis hit the hole in the O-line quickly like usual, then as a safety dove at him, TD spun quickly to get away (:42). Then a few yards down the field, he juked a guy so hard he fell over and Davis walked in for the score.

And while Davis was proving he was the best running back in the game in 1997-98, he came up with a little TD celebration of his own—The Mile High Salute. The salute is the best celebration in the history of the Broncos, something respectful done with a fellow teammate after a successful drive. Davis supposedly started doing the salute in honor of his father who was in the military, and the small gesture pumped up the Broncos faithful in a huge way.

In total, Davis’ 7,607 career yards and 60 touchdowns are two of the 47 Broncos franchise records he holds and he added three pro-bowls to his resume as well. But, neither of those numbers rank him even in the top-25 among running backs and many say his career was too short.

I say, a player’s career length should not keep a player out of the HOF, especially when he was the best player at his position—arguably the best player in the NFL at the time. Terrell Davis definitely belongs in Canton along with Elway, Sharpe, and their lineman Gary Zimmerman.

The ironic thing about it all is that while both Sharpe and Davis were great on the field, they couldn’t be more different in character. Sharpe was the loud and proud, larger than life figure—the personality of the Broncos—while Davis was a reserved, quiet perfectionist that let his game do all the talking.

And now that the two are in the top-25 finalists to get into Canton in 2010, the writers must silence Sharpe and speak up for Davis and make sure both Broncos greats are in the Professional Football Hall of Fame—if not this year, then soon.

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Broncos-Cowboys: Denver Wins Grind-It-out Battle 17-10, Mile High at 4-0

The Broncos (4-0) came into today’s contest against the Cowboys (2-2) undefeated but many criticized that they had yet to play against any good talent. Denver beat Cincinnati (3-1), Cleveland (0-4), and Oakland (1-3). But Dallas brought a respectable team that had averaged over 200 yards per game coming into the mile high city.

And even though some, like Troy Aikman, thought the game would be a shoot-out, it was anything but. This was a classic hard-nosed battle in which defenses shined and offenses couldn’t cope.

To start the game, the Cowboys’ offense looked strong while the Broncos’ O struggled mightily. After both teams were forced to punt on their first drives, Dallas drove down the field with three straight first downs and an eight-play 40 yard drive ending up in a 49-yar field goal. Denver forced itself into a three-and-out because of a penalty on their next drive and had to punt to Dallas once again.

The Cowboys drove with ease, as Tony Romo passed for 59 yards of the 61 Dallas went for a touchdown and the Cowboys led 10-0 after the first quarter.

Denver’s offense strained to make any progress once again and punted the ball away, but that is when the Broncos defense decided to make a stand. Reportedly, Brian Dawkins yelled at his defensive teammates and told them it was time to make a stand, and that’s exactly what happened. After starting on their own 12 yard line, the Cowboys got a first down but then after a tripping penalty, Denver made their first huge play on defense all day.

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan sent a safety blitz with Renaldo Hill who came in untouched and forced the ball from Romo’s hands for a fumble. The Broncos recovered the ball on the Dallas nine and the next play Kyle Orton passed the ball to Knowshon Moreno for Denver’s first points of the day. So, five minutes into the second quarter and the Cowboys still led 10-7.

Neither team could do much to end the first half, as Denver kept stopping themselves with penalties and Dallas decided to go to half rather than risking another turnover.

The first play of the second half, Knowshon Moreno fumbled a ball deep in the Broncos territory, at the 27. Romo though, made another mistake and through a ball to the sideline when his receiver went inside and Champ Bailey made an amazing interception. The Denver O bogged down though and they were forced to punt again. On Dallas’ drive, Romo was sacked again on their second first down which forced them into a difficult situation and they had to punt again.

On the next Broncos drive, which started on their eight yard line, was the first time Denver had run the ball effectively all day. McDaniels showed his confidence in the rookie Moreno as Knowshon ran the ball seven times for 19 yards on the drive. But, as McDaniels gambled on a fourth and one call, Moreno, the Broncos, and young Josh came up short. Denver should have kicked the field goal, and would have tied the game with a Matt Prater make, 10-10. Instead, the Cowboys remained in the lead by three points.

On the biggest drive of the game for Denver’s defense, they came up massive to give the ball back to the offense and a chance at a game-winning drive. The Cowboys did get three first downs on the drive, but on second and 13, Vonnie Holliday sacked Romo for a four yard loss and put Dallas into a third and 17. Romo’s subsequent pass was incomplete and the defense gave Orton and the offense a chance to win the game with 2:47 remaining in the contest.

Denver went into the two minute warning with the ball on their 35-yard line, hoping to get into field goal range for the win—what they got was much more than they expected.

Kyle Orton finally risked a throw and it paid off in a substantial way for the Broncos. Orton under threw a pass that was luckily high enough for Marshall and his 6’ 5” frame to go up and grab over Dallas’ Terrance Newman. Then Marshall took off, down the field and to the middle, only to stop on a dime and reverse directions, making two Cowboys collide and cruised into the end zone. Denver finally had its first lead at 17-10 with 1:46 in the game.

 

In the next drive the game seemed to be over, as the Broncos made the Cowboys go for it on fourth-and-three, but Romo made an amazing play to save Dallas’ chance at the win. Romo was flushed out of the pocket but tossed a great touch-pass to Sam Hurd who took the ball 53 yards to the Denver 20. Romo then threw two short passes in a row to take the Cowboys to the Broncos’ eight-yard line but Dallas had to call their final timeout with :27 left.

Again Romo passed short for six yards down to the Denver two-yard line and Dallas had to spike the ball to stop the clock with a mere nine seconds remaining. The whole contest came down to the final two plays as this classic would have to be won as it was all day, by the Broncos’ defense.

For some reason, the Cowboys decided to attack one of the greatest corner backs in the league and today’s player of the game, Champ Bailey, on two consecutive passes over the middle. The first was easily deflected by Champ, and he got his hand on the second ball as well, along with Jack Williams’ helmet on Hurd’s belly and the ball. McDaniels was pleased with Champ saying, “We did a nice job of denying the ball there on the last two [plays]. We blitzed them. We were going to make him [Romo] throw fast and he did and Champ was in great position.”

The Broncos defended their home stadium and improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2003.

Following the game, Josh McDaniels was seemingly ecstatic when talking about his team. “I’m proud of our team. It’s a sixty-minute game against a really good football team. I give Dallas a lot of credit.” On Marshall’s game-winning touchdown, “He made a great catch and an even better run. Maybe one of the best runs I’ve ever seen after the ball was in his hands. And that’s just what a great player will do and that’s was he is.”

In all, despite some struggles early including penalties leading to punts, the offense still played solidly against a good Dallas defense. Orton out-played the more hyped Romo with a 20-29 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. Romo was a less efficient 25-42 with 255 yards and an interception.

Following the game Orton said, “I don’t listen to things about me. I play this game to win football games and compete with 53 other guys. It is not about me. It is not about what happened in the offseason. It is about working hard every week and competing our butts off. Every chance that you get to play a football game, you play as hard as you can. That is the approach that I take. If that means that I throw for 100 yards or 300 yards, I’ll be happy either way as long as we win.”

But really, the game was won by the Denver defense, not with Orton and the O. Denver held Dallas to only 74 yards rushing on the day, a considerable drop-off from their usual 193.7 per game. The pass rush constantly confused and overwhelmed Romo, who was sacked four times in total, one of which resulted in the fumble that gave the Broncos their first score of the day.

So, now the Broncos have had their first respectable test of the year, and they passed, even if it wasn’t with flying colors. The defense showed up in a huge way even after getting down by 10 points early, and didn’t allow a single point in the last three quarters of the game. The offense, after repeatedly slowing themselves down with penalties and misfires in the first half, produced well in the second half.

After four weeks of play the Broncos sit at 4-0, more wins then some thought they could get all year, as one of only five undefeated teams remaining in the NFL. And Denver sits a mile high atop the AFC West as all divisional opponents the Raiders (6-29), Chiefs (16-27), and Chargers (28-38) all lost today.

Instead of all the “doom and gloom” that national and local media had predicted, it seems everyone in the Broncos organization has come into this 2009 season energized, and united under McDaniels’ ideology of team-first.

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What Should Oakland’s Nickname be? The Raiders, Faders, or Rai”duhs?”

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The Raiders, as many loyal “black holians” on B/R have told me, are the “team of the decades,” as argued by Autumn Wind. Apparently, many of them believe that the Raiders are one of, if not the greatest NFL team to ever grace the gridiron. Sure, Oakland has three Super Bowl victories, 12 division championships, and 19 hall of famers. The problem is, all of that is ancient history.

The Raiders last won the Super Bowl in 1983, that’s over a quarter of a century ago to you Oaklandaniacs. After their last Super Bowl victory and the “fat man” as Tom Jackson called him, John Madden’s retirement, Oakland officially became the Faders, as in they faded in the standings and out of the national eye. Sure, the Faders went to playoffs from 2000-02, and even went to the Super Bowl but they were dominated by Tampa Bay by 27 points.

Since then, they have returned to the spotlight, but only for all the bad reasons and have evolved into the Rai“duhs.”

What warrants such a nickname you may ask? Well, for starters, they have only won 25 games since 2002 including last week’s squeaker against the Chiefs. That’s an average of four a year, and during the span they haven’t won more than five in a year either.

What else does a Rai“duh” do you ask?

For starters, a Rai“duh” is the owner, as in a senile old man that has run his once proud franchise into a literal black hole, and hires Rai“dummies” for coaches. Art Shell was way past his time of the early 90s, Lane Kiffin proved he is better suited for college, and Tom Cable kicked the crap out of his assistant coach. (Norv Turner and Bill Callahan actually turned out to be decent coaches but the Rai“duhs” held them down)

Then there’s the players, as the Rai“duhs” almost always lead the league in penalties and only they could cheer their head coach on in practice after he broke their assistant coaches jaw.

But why write this article? I bleed orange and blue and have since Elway was beating the Browns, not that I am old enough to quite remember. One of the things I learned early on is that if you’re a Broncos fan, you’re also a Raider Hater, which I have been for years and years.

And now that I’ve got you, here’s my prediction for the Broncos game three against the “Rai“duhs” in Oakland this Sunday.

Denver has the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL and they are leading the AFC West at 2-0 as the division’s only undefeated team. Oakland has a problem scoring this season, averaging only 16.5 points per game, but their defense is somewhat solid, only giving up 17 points per so far.

 

When Denver passes the ball: Advantage Denver

Yes, I know, Jay Cutler is gone, but Kyle Orton is showing he is a decent, if not solid QB. So far he has averaged just over 200 yards and a touchdown a game. What he hasn’t done is turn the ball over in his 36 completions in 2009.

The thing is, even though Orton’s arm isn’t awesome, his receivers are. Between Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokely, and Jabbar Gaffney he has a solid corps, and if Brandon Marshall can learn some more plays he will be back as the No. 1 soon enough. Add in tight ends Tony Scheffler and Daniel Graham, and Orton can pick and chose as he furthers his knowledge of the Broncos offense as well. Not to mention the “Rai“duhs” give up over 235 yards passing per game.

 

When Oakland passes the ball: Advantage Push

The Raiders passed decently against the Chargers, but could only muster 99 yards against the Chiefs last week. JaMarcus Russell though does look like he’s coming on, but he doesn’t have much in the form of receivers, of the five on the team, only Javon Walker has more than two years experience. Tight end Zach Miller is Russell’s favorite target with six catches for 96 yards so far.

The Broncos though, have given up a decent 186 yards per game, but have forced three interceptions in two games. In all, the Broncos turnover differential at plus-4 is second in the NFL. Champ Bailey has shown he is still one of the best CBs in the league, and Brian Dawkins can still hit very hard.

 

When the Broncos run the ball: Advantage Broncos

Denver averages 131 yards per game running, as Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno provide a nice one-two punch for the Broncos. Denver’s offensive line is solid, and they have been moving opponents with ease so far this year. The Raiders allow 125 yards per, so look for the Broncos to get anywhere from there to 150 and at least one touchdown on the ground.

 

When the Raiders run the ball: Advantage Broncos

Denver gives up a mere 70 yards per game, and has only given up one touchdown overall in the first two weeks. Oakland averages 103 yards and one touchdown per game on the ground. Like the Broncos, the Raiders have a two headed monster at running back in Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. If Denver can play well against the run once again, it might be time to start thinking of them as a legit defense.

 

Special Teams: Advantage Raiders

Sebastian Janikowski is a great kicker, and he always seems to hurt the Broncos. However, as I said in my preseason preview, he will blow a kick at the buzzer and the Broncos will win 21-20.

Also, Denver’s kick coverage is much improved, and so is field position over the past few years, so the advantage is minimal. 

 

So, in all, Denver will stay undefeated and continue leading the AFC West heading into the heart of their schedule and many tough 2008 playoff opponents.

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Smile High: The Wonderful Weekend That Was for Colorado Sports

Sometimes the planets align, or an eclipse happens, or a beautiful comet streaks by and we get a quick look see. This weekend was like that for Colorado sports fans, as many of their teams took the field and won.

 

Colorado Rockies win two, widen wild card lead

This weekend, the Rockies played the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Colorado clobbered Arizona in Phoenix. During Saturday’s contest, the Rockies got a solid pitching performance from Jason Hammel (9-8) as he went seven innings with three runs given up off of four hits while punching out five.

But the performer of the game was Jason Giambi, as he hit his first home run with the Rockies during a five-run ninth inning that put Colorado up 10-4.

Following the game Manager Jim Tracy said, “With the way things have been going offensively, as frequently as it has of late, you ask yourself the question, ‘Is this going to come back to haunt us?’ Tonight, we followed it up with a terrific ninth inning and did put it away.”

Sunday, the game was much dependent upon the pitching side of the game, as Ubaldo Jimenez whiffed eight batters over seven innings and only gave up one run. Jimenez was his usual hittable self early on, but domineering as he got into the flow of the game.

“That’s what I’ve learned about me; probably in the first two innings, I’m never as sharp as the game gets going,” said Jimenez. But as he got into the heat of a game with playoff implications on the line, Ubaldo sat down an amazing 12 straight batters at one point in the game.

With the wins coupled with a San Francisco loss Sunday, the Rockies lock on the wild card lead is about as solid as the Rocky Mountains themselves at four-and-a-half game lead over the Giants.

 

Broncos improve to 2-Ohio by beating the Browns

After McJaygate, Brandon Marshall’s tirade, and the team being basically overhauled, many Broncos fans were wary to say the least about how the team would fare this season. Well, things have begun well, as Denver’s NFL team is undefeated through two weeks.

In all, the offense looked improved over the first week, but not exactly proficient. Given that, the Broncos gained almost 450 yards on offense, and Kyle Orton played relatively well with 263 yards and threw a touchdown as well.

The Broncos pulled out the win 27-6 and looked solid if not somewhat impressive.

Following the game, Josh McDaniels said, “I think we have had confidence since really we started training camp. I think when you win on the road in this league it is tough, and that certainly can help your confidence level.

“We are not an overconfident football team, and we know we have got a long way to go and a lot of improvements to make.”

 

Colorado State Rams improve to 3-0, Air Force wins and is 2-1, and even CU got a victory

The Colorado State Rams (3-0) won in impressive fashion over the Nevada Wolf Pack (0-2) 35-20 in their second home game of 2009. They reached 3-0 for the first time since 1994 and have received votes in each national poll for the third straight week now.

Against Nevada, CSU moved the ball effectively up and down the field while creating turnovers as well, as they started up 14-0 and led 20-6 at one point.

Next up for the Rams is a tough in-conference opponent in No. 19 BYU in Provo, Utah, on Saturday.

The Air Force Falcons (2-1) won 37-13 versus New Mexico Lobos (0-3) in Colorado Springs on Saturday behind four forced turnovers. Air Force was up as much as 17-0 before New Mexico scored its first offensive touchdown of the season, one that broke a 15 quarter drought.

And finally, even the lowly CU Buffs (1-2) got a victory 24-0 over the Wyoming Cowboys (1-2) this weekend.

CU had been demoralized in their first two games of the season, and this win was much needed for them to at least gain some confidence coming into their Big 12 schedule.

The Buffaloes won behind a strong 127 running yards and two touchdowns behind Rodney Stewart. The Colorado defense only allowed Wyoming three first downs on the day.

 

So, as this wild and wonderful weekend comes to a close, there is nothing like the feeling you get when all your teams have won.

It’s like the planets all aligned for Colorado sports for the past few days, let’s all hope the teams can continue their winning ways.

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Broncos-Browns: Denver Goes 2-0 in Commanding Victory over Cleveland

The Denver Broncos had their home opener Sunday, as they drew the Cleveland Browns in the second contest in a row against an Ohio football team, defeating them 27-6

Mike Nolan’s 3-4 defense seems to be adapting quite well as they all but shut down the Bengals’ potent offense in Week One and much was the same Sunday as Denver basically shut down Cleveland’s offense.

But the Browns’ offense is more dilapidated than domineering, as they have been ranked 32nd in the NFL in almost every important offensive category since November of 2008.

The Broncos defense was stellar, but it could just be a house of cards built upon sorry opposition. Sure, Denver only allowed 200 total yards of offense by the Browns (after allowing only 307 to the Bengals), but that was behind an old and fat Jamal Lewis (38 yards) and holding a young and inexperienced Brady Quinn to a paltry 161 yards and picked him off once.

Easily the star of the defense was Elvis Dumervil. The converted lineman to linebacker had a career-high four sacks versus Cleveland and seems to be enjoying it so far.

“Yeah, I guess I’m a linebacker now,” he said. “It’s fun, though. I get to play linebacker and I still get to do what I love—rush the passer. I’ve found my niche. It makes me a complete player.”

The fact of the matter remains that the ’09 Broncos defense is like the new Cowboys’ stadium fire escapes—untested. What will the Broncos do against some of the better offenses in New England, Pittsburgh, or Philly?

The offense on the other hand, was anemic at best in Week One, but rather fruitful on Sunday at home. The ground game was good as Correll Buckhalter had 76 yards on nine carries, the biggest an explosive 45-yard touchdown romp in the third quarter.

Josh McDaniels’ play-calling was dynamic and with 449 total yards including 263 passing by Kyle Orton. The young coach couldn’t really be happier, but you couldn’t tell from some post-game quotes.

“I think that our guys understand that there are a lot of things that we want to fix and a lot of things we want to improve on, which, I think, is really where most teams in the league are right now. You are never at your peak after Week One. Our players saw that on the film on Monday, and we have got to get better.”

And including his great play-calling, the young coach has a deep desire to improve on a week-to-week basis, which is very promising indeed. The Broncos are (shh!) rebuilding, the word with a million negative connotations in sports. The best ideology to have with a team in the situation is to attempt to cultivate a team-first mentality, and to progress in any and all areas possible.

Really though, in the big picture of things, the Broncos are 2-0 now after winning 27-6 over Cleveland. Also, Denver is leading the AFC West heading into Oakland.

The Raiders have looked surprisingly decent so far in 2009, taking the Chargers down to the wire, and winning a grind-it-out battle against the Chiefs today. So, any writers that predicted Denver would easily sweep the Raiders this year would find himself terribly mistaken.

Well, I know there is a reason this is a rivalry, both teams play each other as hard as possible no matter what the records of either team are. The point is, the Broncos find a difficult opponent in Oakland next week and are likely already preparing for them. Denver plays the Raiders on Sunday the 27th at 2:15 p.m. MDT.

 

Notes

Broncos great Shannon Sharpe was inducted into the Ring of Fame at Invesco Field at Mile High during halftime of today’s game, that was after he parachuted in before kickoff. He is currently a finalist for becoming an NFL Hall-of-Famer with his own bronze bust in Canton, Ohio in 2010 … McDaniels beat Eric Mangini today, another Bill Belichick disciple …Kn owshon Moreno looked healthy rushing for 75 yards on 17 carries and also caught two passes for 22 yards as well.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Injury Bug Bites Broncos Hard, Early Again, Could Be Denver’s Downfall

Three big-name offensive players were hurt on Sunday, in Kyle Orton, Eddie Royal, and Chris Kuper—OK maybe Kuper isn’t the biggest name on the list, but his production was huge last year as he started all 16 games.

But in Royal, who is currently the No. 1 receiver, and especially Orton, the newly acquired quarterback, the Broncos will suffer if either are out for an extended period of time.

Royal and Kuper seem to be fine, but there is no telling for sure from the Broncos due to Josh McDaniels’ hiding the true nature of the injuries calling them simply “lower” and “upper extremity injuries.” So now, a shroud of mystery cloaks injuries in Denver.

Though, according to Fox 31 Denver, two sources revealed that Kuper “has just a high ankle sprain.” Royal reentered the game, an indication that he should be OK.

As for Orton, while the injury was described as “not fractured” by two league sources, it was severely dislocated and teammates could reportedly hear Orton scream as it was popped back into place. According to Pro Football Talk, Orton’s bone was so badly dislocated it sliced through his flesh, from the inside.

Orton’s injury could be the most serious concern, as he has already been named the starter by McDaniels. And backup QB Chris Simms injured an ankle last week against the Seahawks, and his timetable for return is two to four weeks. Because of his injury, rookie Tom Brandstater was forced into the starter’s role for the entire second half Sunday.

Remarkably, two more Broncos were injured in the past week, fullback Peyton Hillis had his knee banged on the ground hard when he was tackled against the Bears. He didn’t seem too hurt though, and should be fine.

Also, No. 3 receiver Jabbar Gaffney broke the thumb on his left hand last Friday, and his timetable for return is four to six weeks.

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Beyond those big names, there are numerous others injured, or at least hurt as well. First-round draft pick and favorite at starting running back, Knowshon Moreno, injured his knee in the first preseason game. According to Fox 31 again, he returned to practice today, and the team is hopeful he will return in time for the Sept. 13 season opener against Cincinnati.

Big-time free agent signee, Brian Dawkins, broke his hand in training camp, and finally got his first football action this Sunday. Champ Bailey pulled a groin in this preseason, a big scare as he missed seven games last year due to the same injury. Luckily he was OK and continued to play, and was in top shape again Sunday.

Finally, at the end of this huge list, LaMont Jordan has an injury in the metatarsal area of his foot, which sounds familiar to a “turf toe.”

So, after losing a ridiculous seven running backs to the Injured Reserve list in ‘08, Denver’s four best runners are already hurt in ’09. Add in the loss of Ryan Torrain to the IR and cut from the team, and it’s five for the Broncos.

Sad but true, if you look at it this way, with Orton, Royal, Kuper, Moreno, and Hillis hurt, and Brandon Marshall a huge question mark, the Broncos have more starters out of the lineup than in it.

Though, there is a ray of sunshine still creeping over the rocky mountains, as the sun has not set on Denver’s season before it has began, yet. Perhaps the most promising news about almost all of the aforementioned injuries is that most are not too severe and many of the players will be ready for the season opener in two weeks. Although, in some instances, it seems more like well-wishing by the Broncos’ franchise rather than the real facts.

Basically though, the Broncos should be OK, and even if they miss a starter or two in Cincinnati, if they are back in Week Two or Three, then Denver fans will be able to breathe easy again. At receiver, the Broncos are deep, so Marshall and Gaffney don’t necessarily mean downfall for Denver. Likewise, as long as the Broncos can get some production out of two of their four best running backs, they should be fine. But if Orton misses time making Brandstater the starter, and Denver misses Marshall and Gaffney, and Moreno and Hillis, it would almost certainly spell the complete and utter downfall for Denver in 2009.

In all, the Broncos will not be competing for the Super Bowl this year likely, and if there was ever a good time for the injury bug to bite, 2009 seems to be the best one.

Denver Broncos Have Scary Moments During Haunted Dress Rehearsal

The Broncos came out to the third game of the preseason, unarguably the most significant, as it is the precursor to the regular season, the dress rehearsal if you will.

Denver came out to the game, in the team and fan aspects alike, as it was “Jay Day” as reported by Lindsay Jones of The Denver Post reported, the day in which disgruntled Broncos fans gathered in a Golden bar (that is ironically a Chicago themed one) to destroy Jay Cutler jerseys. Denver was represented well in the stands as fans booed and gave some Mile High Thunder during almost all of Cutler’s drives.

On the field, the Broncos showed up strong early, as they forced the Bears into two straight three-and-outs, before holding Chicago to only a field goal on their only decent drive of the first quarter.

Denver too was held to three three-and-outs in their first four drives and the offense was ineffective to say the least early. On the second punt of the second quarter, Devin Hester and the Bears made the Broncos’ special teams unit look silly, as he took the punt down to the Denver three yard line.

Chicago punched it in from there, took the lead 10-3, and never looked back. The Bears won 27-17 when all was said and done.

Likely the best drive of the night for the Bears, and worst for the Broncos offense, came with five minutes left in the first half and Chicago backed up to their own two yard line. Cutler directed an amazing drive, in which he passed for 86 of the 98 yards, including the touchdown that led to the score.

And while the Bears looked decently effective on offense, the Broncos stumbled down the field, and had many scares on the injury front.

Starting guard Chris Kuper, current No. 1 receiver Eddie Royal, Correll Buckhalter, and Peyton Hillis all sustained injuries that were disclosed so cryptically from the Broncos, that it’s hard to say how hurt any really are.

The scariest of the night was Kyle Orton’s lacerated pointer finger on his throwing hand, one that was cut eerily on a rushing defensive lineman’s hand. Denver did at least disclose that the finger was not broken or dislocated, although it was still worrisome to see the starting QB taken out of the game before McDaniels wanted him out.

In all, Orton still had an adequate night, as he went 12-for-16 for 96 yards. But Cutler outshined him in the game, as he passed 15-for-21 with 144 yards and a touchdown. Tom Brandstater, who was called on to play the entire second half, also played well going 8-for-12 with 110 yards.

For the Broncos, Buckhalter looked strong, rushing nine times for 37 yards, and Royal was speedy as usual grabbing five passes for 44 yards. Hillis backed up well at running back, and had seven carries for 24 yards and a touchdown. Also, rookie Eddie McKinley might have earned a spot in Denver’s deep receiving corps with a four catch, 75 yard outing.

In all, Denver played a fierce opponent to Chicago, which is a good sign for the Broncos overall. The Bears look to be playing for a playoff spot, and will be one of the better teams in the NFC North this year. And the biggest question surrounding this game is whether or not all the players that were hurt are injured, or just dinged up.

If any, let alone all will miss a significant amount of time, it will damage the Broncos plans for the current year.

Denver knows it is in the midst of rebuilding and retooling for a new regime, but it can still steal away some games, and will have a solid year even with all the controversy that has surrounded them in this offseason.

The Oakland Raiders Are Such a Mess They Make the Broncos Look Great

As game time of this monumentally over-hyped preseason game between the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears comes closer, many thoughts are flying around the minds of Broncos’ fans.

Some of their thoughts surely include hopes that Jay Cutler gets sacked or at least picked off, wondering if McDaniels will run the ball at least once from the goal line and how to feel if Cutler looks amazing and Kyle Orton struggles.

Yet for all the negative media the Broncos have received since the Josh McDaniels regime began (McJaygate, McDraftgate, and now McMarshallgate) it all pales in comparison to the black hole (all puns intended) of the AFC West the Oakland Raiders.

 

The Raiders are fresh off a 45-7 drubbing by the New Orleans Saints, in which the Saints won nearly every statistical category. 

“Guys, you can’t stay out all night, can’t expect to come in here and just turn it on,” defensive end Greg Ellis was quoted as saying. “This isn’t high school or college football.  This is the best of the best in the NFL.”

Ellis wasn’t the only one chiming in on the poor effort put forth by the Raiders, as Saints’ QB Drew Brees said, “I feel like a lot of times we were getting up to the ball, getting set and they were still trying to get lined up.”

Even Tom Cable couldn’t hold in his hurt feelings saying, “This is embarrassing to me.”

 

This isn’t the first indication of the complete disaster brewing out in Oakland, as earlier in the month Raiders’ head coach Tom Cable allegedly cold-cocked his assistant coach Randy Hanson. The head coach, who looks like an ex-WWE fighter, going all Monday Night Raw on his assistant coach during practice?

Not even Vince McMahon is diabolical enough to think a story line that juicy up. Although, Al Davis is still the man behind the curtain for the Raiders.

The aforementioned Hanson is reportedly Al Davis’ “eyes and ears” on the team, basically spying on Cable and players, looking for dissension.

Davis is so paranoid he doesn’t even trust his own head coach!

Hanson had previously not wanted to press charges for his broken jaw in order to avoid publicity but now Hanson has recently retained a lawyer and is now working with police investigators according to Pro Football Talk.

Brad Biggs of National Football Post cites an anonymous source saying “Cable knocked Hanson out of his chair and up against the wall and into a cabinet.  Cable and Hanson fell to the floor, where Hanson was choked and Cable was pulled off Hanson by the other men before Cable went after Hanson again.” Cable allegedly went on to choke Hanson saying “I am going to kill you, I am going to kill you.”

But even after this craziness went down, the Raiders players started chanting “Cable, Bumaye!” while in warm-ups the following day.

Oakland is a joke, the laughing stock of the league, and while all Raiduhs fans try to hang onto the ancient history of the Oakland/LA days of the 80s and beyond, the bottom line is that they will never be return to their former glory until Al Davis finally kicks the bucket.

Until then the NFL should declare McAfee Coliseum a disaster area.

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