Week 11: Broncos vs. San Diego Monday Night Football Preview

Last Sunday was a great day for the Broncos as they put a whooping on the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver with a 49-29 win. The Broncos now face another division rival, the Chargerettes in San Diego... on Monday Night Football. If this isn't a big game, I don't know what is. Denver has a lot on the line, several key players are still out with injuries including a new one & we're up against a team that has caused us big problems in the past. As much as I HATE Philip Rivers, he somehow manages to get the job done. That's as nice as I'll be about him. Here we go.

Offense:

Kyle Orton & Philip Rivers meet for the third time this coming Monday in a AFC West showdown. The two QBs are also the top 2 passers in the league right now with Orton (unfortunately) taking second to Rivers. Bleh. Monday's game will be a deciding game with the season on the line for both teams. It will be a heated, emotional, high-energy, crazy, wild & nasty game. ahaha, I can't wait. So Mr. Crybaby himself is just 138 passing yards ahead of Orton, a 3.3% better completion rate, 3 more overall TDs & INTs and a 6.5% better overall QB rating.

Clearly, these two are not that far apart in stats which means this could very easily be more of a close game rather than a blowout by one. I hope to see another strong presence by our defense when going up against Rivers. Denver's D hassled Matt Cassel all day and it helped out our cause. We need to put 10 times the pressure on Rivers cause he will see through us or find a way around our stand to get the win. This is the one game of this 2nd half of the season we HAVE to win.

Our running attack was actually an attack for once this season against the Chiefs, who oddly enough have (should say had, haha) the #1 run game in the league. Not no mo. lol This Monday night we will have obstacles to face & overcome in every aspect a football team can have. While SD's #1 go-to RB Darren Sproles hasn't had a rushing TD all season, they have 2 other RBs that have bested him, Mike Tolbert & Ryan Matthews. Tolbert has 87 rushing attempts for 395 yds and 7 TDs and Matthews is 87 rushing attempts for 382 yds & 2 touchdowns.

Catch is San Diego along with a lot of other teams have the option of using multiple RBs while we have to rely on one because Moreno is solely the best we got when it comes to putting together a run game. Our 30th ranked rush defense has got to hold down San Diego's entire run game otherwise we'll get run over by a bulldozer... that might be a better idea than me having to watch this team get stomped on.

Knowshon Moreno had his best game of the year & his 2 years in the NFL landing his first 100-yard rushing game. And since we'll be facing the league's 4th best rush defense, 3rd ranked pass defense & 2nd best defense in yards allowed... we got our hands full.

A little bad news for Denver but also good news for us regarding Antonio Gates. While neither one is confirmed yet, both Denver's Eddie Royal and San Diego's Antonio Gates are injured with both players facing the likely possibility of not playing in Monday night's game. Even though that would be a big hit to SD, Rivers still has plenty of options to look to for their passing game. Denver has been strong in receivers with Brandon Lloyd finally finding his place in the NFL along with Jabar Gaffney and rookie Demaryius Thomas getting plenty of reps.

Interesting note: Both Lloyd & Gaffney have caught 48 passes and Royal has 43. Very possible with Royal out, Thomas will get some more action on offense. And with the possibility of Gates out for SD, Rivers will have to rely on Patrick Crayton, Malcolm Floyd, Buster Davis & Jacob Hester to test out Denver's secondary. Also, the best thing this offense can do in this game is get out to another early lead.

Defense:

Even with Cromartie out of the picture in San Diego, their defense has proven to be one of the best in the league right now yet they stand at 4-5, third place in the AFC West. Our Oline will need to be in top shape again for 3 particular players in Shaun Phillips (7 sacks), Kevin Burnett (5 sacks) and William Garay (4 sacks). Orton has been sacked 21 times this season (Rivers 22) and we need to cake on the pressure on Rivers while our Oline does their job at giving Orton all the time in the world in the pocket, when needed.

Denver's defense seemed to rectify themselves against KC with a stellar performance stopping them at the goal line at least twice that I remember including one goal line stand that just blew me away. My heart was pounding like a washing machine in the 3rd quarter, its 42-10 Denver when the Chiefs got down to the goal line and Denver stopped them again & again, making remarkable goal line stand. Truly amazing to see them do that. I would love nothing more than for our defense do the same to Rivers.

Time for Denver's defense to take another stand and make their division run. Fight for it boys. I'll be looking for Champ to have a good game and get his 2nd INT of the season. Mario Haggan (3 total sacks) was on fire against KC, sacking Cassel & forcing a fumble in the same play to get Denver's first defensive TD of the year. A truly awesome performance by Haggan (and to Jason Hunter for picking up that ball and taking it 72 yards for the TD). Well done men. Keep the momentum and for the sake of this season, carry that into this Monday night's game and rip Rivers apart... I'm begging!! Take him down... bury him alive 6 ft under... bury him some more and make him cry... grrrrrrr. Yeah, I think I'm ready for Monday night. :D

Special Teams:

If there's one area we can get a handle on San Diego it could be special teams. Their punter Mike Scifries has had 4 blocked punts this season and their go-to guy for returns, Darren Sproles has yet to be able to take one back for a TD. In fact, their opponents have 2 kick returns touchdowns and 1 punt returned for a TD. Its unfortunate that we could be without Royal but it could and should give rookie Syd'Quan Thompson a fair chance to take on return duty in this game. And with that in mind, its very likely he could have a big return.

We won't know until he's given the chance. C'mon McD, play the rookie on returns and let him stomp on the Chargerettes. Our ST has slowly been getting on track... what better way to make it explode onto the scene than have a rookie take it all the way back?? Give him a shot and leave Thomas on the field with our offense. We'll need him there more than on ST.

As for San Diego, both Sproles and Patrick Crayton haven't had much success on punt returns with both of them having 13 yard returns as their biggest gain. Sproles has 24 catches on kick returns (longest gain 39 yds). Not much to say about it other than we gotta keep a tight rope on Sproles. He could break free at any moment in a game, don't give him that chance. Kick it out of the park. lol


Injuries:

Not likely to return just yet but LB Robert Ayers was back on the practice field this week after dealing with a foot injury; also back at practice was Safety Darcel McBath (ankle). CB Andre Goodman (hip) is still not ready to practice, don't count on his return anytime soon but also don't count him completely out for the season. New to the Broncos' injury list is WR Eddie Royal (hamstring). Didn't practice on Friday, don't expect him to play on Monday night.

Denver could get lucky again with the possibility of San Diego's TE Antonio Gates (toe) and RB Ryan Matthews (ankle) missing the game. Both have not practiced lately. This could be a big break for us but we still have to stay alert and not let Rivers pick us apart. Safety Steve Gregory (shoulder) is also listed as did not practice. WR Malcolm Floyd (hammy), DE Travis Johnson (shoulder), WR Legedu Naanee (hammy) and TE Kris Wilson (back) were all limited in practice.

I think we have a legitimate chance at winning this game. Never an easy task going onto someone else's turf to get a win but this is where we need to shine and take over. We need to let the division & NFL know we mean business and that when we win games, it isn't just a fluke. We won the KC game fair & square (a few questionable calls, like the replay was inoperable for KC's first challenge??) but we came out fighting in that game and we didn't let our guard down till the 4th quarter.

We should've kept putting on the points and if a similar situation happens with San Diego, they won't give us room to let our guard down. We have to put up points left & right to secure this win. Rivers will play till that clock says 0:00 which is the way it should be done. Defense stayed strong and kept a 20 point lead but Rivers & Co., won't be so generous. They will find a way to take us down if we let them. Go into San Diego and let them know we mean business. Go get 'em boys... 28-20 Broncos. Show no mercy on that no-good punk Rivers. I want to see him mad as..... well, ya know.

Broncos-Chargers on Monday Night Football Preview

Trivia Time: Use Google or something to find the answer to #3, you'll need it! lol

1) Against what team did wide receiver Rod Smith post his lone 100-yard receiving effort in 2003?

2) What Broncos' player was selected as the AFC squad's "need player" for the Pro Bowl following the 2003 season

3) Against what team did the Broncos record the lone 50-point game in franchise history in 1963?

More highlights from Denver's big week 10 win over KC:

Awesome catch by Lloyd

Haggan Sacks Cassel Numero Uno

Haggan Sacks Cassel: Part 2

Tebow’s First NFL Passing TD

Broncos-Chiefs Highlights 

By BroncoPrincess7

Fun with Photoshop - McHandshakegate

Haha ~ Aussie Out!

Postgame - Broncos vs Chiefs

Well guys and gal, the Broncos took on the Chiefs today at home. And can I say...WOW, where has this team been? Well I think I know, this team hasn't changed that much, what has changed is the team is getting healthy and the team has found some heart and pride, plus a bit of luck doesn't hurt. But back to the heart and pride, where did the team find that? Did McD send the team into the mountains to search for some soul? No, McD got probably the biggest name in pride, heart and passion into the building to talk to the team. Yes that is right, John Elway stopped by at training this week to address the team. He is a little of what he had to say: (from ESPN)

"Elway’s travails in Denver, and the need to try to win on a daily basis and to enjoy the moment. Elway, 50, told players he still occasionally wishes he had the opportunity to play again and that they needed to seize the moment and not waste their opportunity as NFL players.

At one point, Elway asked players to raise their hands if they would be relieved to win against the Chiefs on Sunday. When several players raised their hands, he said that was the wrong attitude to take. He said winning teams are built during the week and hard work is the key. Elway works for the Broncos as a marketing spokesman and he is interested in becoming a part owner of the team. He has been a presence at some practices this season. "

Well lets take a look at the game and who played well.

The O-Line was great, finely healthy and with 2 weeks worth of training the O-line was on fire, blocked very well on both the pass and the run. Clady looks much better and Walton and Beadles had great games. Plus did Orton get sacked today? Nope, was such a good game from these guys.

Since the O-Line played so well Knowshon Moreno had big holes to run through, he had his first 100 yard rushing game and scored a TD on a reception. Moreno looks much better when he has holes to run through and is starting to play up to his 1st round pick status.

Larsen, I love this guy, is a beast, give him the ball some more.

Orton was on song today, throwing 4 TDs, looked really at easy throwing the ball around to a number of receivers. Lloyd and Gaffney had TD receptions and both had good days. Thomas had a number of good grabs, still think we need to get him more involved. He looked good as a kick returner as well, but I noticed when ever he got hit he got up with a limp, but I think that is just him as he was fine for the game.

Tebow was solid again in the redzone, need to get him more involved with his packages.

And Trick plays made a return but instead of just running one we ran a few trick plays which was nice to see.

Onto Defense, first the defensive line was really good, Vickerson has been one of the best finds for us. But Bannan and J-Will had really big games as well, eating blocks and letting the Linebackers run free. There was a noticeable difference when these guys left the game, just look at the last quarter.

Hunter had an awesome touchdown that was really cool to get a TD on defense.

Haggan had a really good game, 3 sacks and the forced fumble that resulted in the TD was massive. Imagine if Doom had played, he would have had a field day haha.

Joe Mays was a monster, shows some real aggression and hits hard, the problem that is stopping him from being a great player is that it isn't a controlled aggression and he gave away a few stupid penalties in the first half before he was taken off for DJ.

McBath you got to pick that s#$&!

Now onto DJ, I thought he was not meant to play today but he did, and he didn't even miss the first quarter like the other guys. The fine he got was the maximum the team could give so the team couldn't do more there. And getting stripped of the Captaincy will hurt him so much. But it would not surprise me if the league fines him or he misses a game or two.

Jarvis Moss, not many would have noticed him play today, but I did and watched him closely. And not much has changed in him. He has no power and gets blocked out easily if he can't beat his man with speed. At one point the LT was blocking him with one arm. But if he gets the edge with his speed he usually beats his guy. If they could put Ayers (power) and Moss (speed) together then we would have the most dominating push rusher in the league.

And finally on for the defensive side I am going to talk about Champ. And as I figured people are going to say he played bad and like a chump. But to be honest all the people that watch this game must not have been paying attention until the commentators started talking about it. Champ had Bowe locked down in the first half, when the Chiefs went to the pass after the run didn't work they still couldn't get it going, as no one was open. But in the second half BoweBowe did make were on come back routes, which had Champ between him and the goal line, giving Champ the easy tackle. Pretty much the defense played really soft football in the last quarter hence so many points. When safety McCarthy, a practice squad and now ST guy is in with the starting defense you know they ain't trying anymore. The last goal line stand the TV flicked to McD on the slide line and the whole starting defensive line was standing behind him, so you know what I mean about playing second stringers. So Champ can't do it all himself, he did make some good plays though, the fumble that Bowe recovered and then the blocked two point conversion is classic Champ, he had a number of other good plays as well. Champ is still Champ.

Few other notes:
Here is what NFP said about the game: The numbers from Kyle Orton should stand out (22-34-296-4TD). But when I look at this game the play of the Denver O-Line and the defensive front seven is impressive. Go back to the last month for the Broncos. They were soft at the point of attack, couldn’t get off blocks on defense and were outright physically beaten against teams like Baltimore and Oakland. However, they run for 153-yards as an offense and limit a very good K.C. backfield to 51-yards on 22 carries (Jamal Charles: 14-41).

DP had this also: However, for a defense that has performed better when its regulars are a little healthier, seeing safety Renaldo Hill leave the game with a neck injury in the third quarter was not desirable.
Hill did not return in what was a 42-10 game at the time. "But I'm OK," Hill said after the game.

Todd Haley, dude low class, even if we beat you down and over celebrated, so what, be respectful.

Final word
Coming into this game we said we had to go back to simple football, back to basics and we did that. Stop the run, run the ball, rush the passer and cause turnovers. And we did that until we clocked off in the second half.

Looking Ahead
We have a number of winnable games coming ahead and it all starts with the Chargers next week who are also starting to come on a roll. A win there will be huge and start as rolling onwards to playoffs, yes I said it playoffs. But we can always hope ~ Aussie Out!

Pictures from DenverBroncos.com and NFL.com

Week 10: Broncos vs. Chiefs Preview

Well my fellow Broncomaniacs, the bye week for Denver is already over and we are just a few days away from the start of the 2nd half of the season for the ever struggling Broncos. I personally think that extra week off will do this team some good with 8 games left on the line. From where we're sitting, these 8 games are all crucial, with 5 of them being division games. We got our hands full, we all know that. But even with all the adversity staring us in the face, this team CAN get it done. The question is will they put everything they have on the line to do so.

It's a very bold statement to make and possibly very unrealistic but I'm crazy enough and high enough on the Orange kool-aid to say it... I think they can muster up the smarts to pull out a crazy comeback and win 7 or 8 games either ending the season 9-7 or 10-6. At this point, when they can make anything happen, I hate to think they end up 8-8 again. I'm sick of seeing those numbers behind our name every year. Time for a change. And it starts Sunday. Chefs are going down baby... I'm talking flushing those stinkin' Arrowheads down the toilet where the sun never shines.

Offense:

Air Orton vs. McD's old flame, Matt Cassel. Denver's Kyle Orton has had to use his right arm so much this season, his right shoulder is obviously becoming sore. He said himself that he prefers to balance out this offense rather than ‘airing it out’. Glad to see he has finally admitted to it. It's great that he's on pace to break Dan Marino's passing record but our season is on the line, along with a strong respected reputation for this team and one record isn't going to salvage our problems. We've needed balance for years now. Get with it already.

Orton has lost his mojo in the last few games leading to the 'Tebow Time' question. Must be something in the air as once again I'm on the fence about a lot of issues going on, including this one. I'd like to see the team rally around Orton as he is our starter and for good reason, he earned it. But everyone in Bronco Country knows he isn't our long-term future QB. Hence the reason why Tebow is with us. He's been used a time or two and has 2 rushing TDs but this kid has so much more potential than this. Let the kid throw the ball. I say if we can't get a run game going, strong & steady, and that causes Orton to get more of sore shoulder, it should be Tebow Time for the remainder of the season. I rallied around Orton the second he got to Denver but now that we have Tebow, its time to get him comfortable taking the reigns. Let him lead this offense like he was meant to.

As for Matt Cassel, I don't know if I can say it again. I'll just say the Chiefs are having a better season than us. Even that leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. Bleh!! The rookies on the KC roster have definitely made an impact on their 2010 season and have made the difference from the team they were a year ago to the team on top of our division now. Bleh again. Both QBs are pretty close in stats although Orton has been sacked twice as many times as Cassel. Cassel also has guys he can rely on to actually run the ball. Quite the concept. Our best option to run ball, Knowshon Moreno, has yet to be able to really break free but he definitely the better choice out of Maroney, Bucky & Lance Ball who we yet again signed on from the practice squad. With run weapons like rookie Dexter McCluster, Thomas Jones & Jamaal Charles, we got even bigger problems considering we are 31st in stopping the run and dead last at a run game of our own. We be in twouble.

Good news is we still have strong, healthy & reliable WR weapons that should give KC's pass defense a run for their money. Brandon Lloyd is still the favorable WR but with other hot weapons like rookie Demaryius Thomas, Jabar Gaffney and Eddie Royal we will probably have another game focused more on passing since that is our strong suit these days. Catch is, KC has reliable receivers as well Dwayne Bowe, Tony Moeaki, Jamaal Charles, Chris Chambers - just to name a few.

The Chiefs now have the #1 rushing offense so it's up to our defense to put on a good balancing act so they can put pressure on Cassel just as well as stopping the run. With the state we're in it seems like a tall order to ask of this defense but they have to find a way to get it done. No questions asked. Denver is 8th in putting up yards on offense, KC is 13th in that area. Denver is 24th in points, KC is 12th. Denver is 3rd in pass yards, KC is 30th. There are considerable gaps between these two teams but the fact that they are long-time rival division teams will make this a tight game, I believe.

Defense:

When it comes to defense, Kansas City seems to have the stronger of the two. With guys like Derrick Johnson, Eric Berry, Brandon Flowers, Brandon Carr & Glenn Dorsey our receivers will be covered well and most definitely our RB. Then they have guys like Tamba Hali with 8 sacks on the year and Wallace Gilberry with 4 - the top two sack leaders of the Chiefs. And for the record, Orton has already been sacked 21 times in 8 games (double the amount on Cassel this year and double the amount he was sacked all of last year). Our Oline is also losing its mojo if Orton is getting pressured like this.

Denver's is 8th in pass defense, their strongest area. 27th in points allowed, 23rd in yards allowed and 31st in stopping the run. KC on the other hand is 8th in points allowed, 15th in yards allowed, 21st in pass defense and 9th in stopping the run. Denver has their hands full.

Special Teams:

McCluster has got to be held down on punt & kick returns. We cannot afford to have this guy running all over us as he is a major threat. Stopping him should NOT be our only priority but it should be on their Top 5 to-do list in the game on Sunday. Contain that kid or we will be doomed. As for Denver, I'm gonna say it again, use Squid more often and we'll get much better results instead of risking one of our best receivers for punt returns.

Injuries:

I'm happy and relieved to report that Denver's injury list has shortened up big time but we will still be without 2 strong defensive guys, Robert Ayers and Andre Goodman. Denver's defense will be short two key players, making their already tough job even tougher. However, McBath, Vickerson & Woodyard were all limited in practice this week so far and could play in Sunday's game.

KC's injury list is short as well with S Kendrick Lewis (hammy), WR Dexter McCluster (ankle), S Jon McGraw (knee) and G Brian Waters (shoulder) all limited in practice.

Broncos-Chiefs Preview

Trivia Time!

1) What Broncos' player led the AFL in pass-receiving in each of the new league's first 4 years of existence (and five of the AFL's first 6 years)?

2) In the 2003 season, how many TOTAL fumbles did the Broncos lose all season?

3) What Broncos' player returned 3 punts for touchdowns in 1997?

I say Denver comes into this game and the rest of this season fighting for wins and playing better, smarter football. They will start it off with a 20-17 win.

GO BRONCOS!!!

Elvis Dumervil: The Sack Master

With the Broncos on their bye, it's going to be a quiet week so I've decided to post my long-overdue article on Doom. lol Wish so badly he could be out there for us in 2 weeks... this is the very reason why I've put this off for so long, I knew I'd finish it and miss him even more on our defense once I posted it. All I can say is I cannot wait to have this guy back on the field for us. Enjoy!


On July 22, 2010, a man that goes by the name “Doom” on the football field, agreed to a monster deal with the Denver Broncos – his home since 2006. With this 6-year, $61.5 million deal comes a very special player. A player that the Broncos are thrilled to have on the team but a player so many quarterbacks feared in 2009, as he was the NFL’s leading sack rusher with 17 sacks.

The Broncos and their fans were looking forward to seeing if he could surpass his sack total and were planning on having Dumervil back out on the field in 2010. However, all those dreams would be put aside for an entire season when on August 4, 2010 during the Broncos’ training camp Elvis left the building with a season-ending pectoral injury. How would the Broncos’ defense hold up with out his strong presence and fierce tactics on the field?

I’ll come back to that after I walk you through his life journey to the NFL.

Elvis was born on January 19, 1984 in Miami, Florida with part of his heritage coming from the Caribbean country of Haiti where his parents immigrated from. Despite watching his parents separate at age three, they still managed to raise 10 children (including Elvis).

Dumvervil spent his high school days at Miami-Jackson High School in Miami and spent 3 years there as a starter, recording 78 career sacks (a school record). He also managed to become a 2-time all-state selection. In his junior year, he earned the team’s MVP honors after recording 30 sacks and that year the team went on to the state semifinals.

His senior is probably his biggest highlight, as it should be for any football player looking to make it to a college team. In his senior year of high school he recorded 110 tackles, 30 sacks (again), 3 forced fumbles and recovered 4 fumbles, which led to him earning the team’s defensive MVP honors (yet again).

Bottom line: his high school career was only the beginning of a bright future for this budding defensive player who went on to play college ball at the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

Dumervil’s career at Louisville is one he should be very proud of and it was one that certainly made him stand out enough to land with a major NFL team in 2006.

His college career got off to a much slower start then where he left off in high school. In his first two years at Louisville he recorded just 28 tackles and 2 sacks, leading the coaching the staff to redshirting Dumervil but due to the injuries and mediocre performance by coach John L. Smith’s team, Dumervil was forced into rotation.

Elvis finally got into the spotlight that he was used to in high school in his junior year, recording 10 sacks and 11 tackles. This improving success led him to have one of the best senior years for a defensive end in both NCAA and Louisville school history. In a game against rival University of Kentucky, Elvis broke the NCAA record for most sacks recorded in a single game (6) and for most forced fumbles.

Growing up Elvis highly respected and looked up to now famed Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney and went on to break one of his records as well in his high profile senior year. Freeney used to have a record in the Big East Conference for sack totals but that faded away when Elvis Dumervil arrived on the scene.

In addition to Dumervil’s successful 2005 season, he also managed to earn several very prestigious college awards, which include the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (an award given to those who are deemed the best defensively by the FWAA; this trophy was also awarded to another beloved Bronco, Champ Bailey back in 1998).

Elvis’ other awards for his defensive contributions include the Ted Hendricks award (given to college football’s top defensive end), Big East player of the year and First Team All-American.

Dumervil was also known for his “strip-sack” maneuver in college where he would put his talent to good use by stripping the ball away from carriers and quarterbacks.

After all that being said, one would think this young man would be set to have a good day during the NFL’s draft of 2006. However, Elvis was chosen on the second day of the draft due to high concerns about his small size (5’11”, 258 lbs) as a defensive end and the fact that he didn’t record one sack in his last 3 collegiate games.

Despite the concerns that it may be due to fatigue or he wasn’t ready to play pro football, the Denver Broncos selected him in the fourth round of the ’06 draft anyway… and it was a unregrettable pick, if I do say so myself.

In his rookie season, he got little playing time but in that little time he played in 13 games, recorded 14 tackles, 3 assists, 8.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. For a rookie, that ain’t too shabby.

From there, Dumervil would only rise to defy his critics and prove them all wrong. In his case, size didn’t stop him from doing what he was meant to do… terrorize offenses, especially quarterbacks.

His 2^nd pro year was his most productive. He started and played in all 16 games in 2007 and in those sixteen games, he doubled his stats and then some. 34 tackles, 5 assists, 12.5 sacks, 1 INT for 27 yards and 4 forced fumbles.

In 2008 his status in games declined when he only accumulated 17 tackles, 7 assists, 5 sacks and 1 FF. But I guess you could say he was just warming up for what he was about to do in his 4^th NFL season (2009).

The official 50^th year of the Denver Broncos was celebrated during the 2009 season along with several other former AFL teams and Dumervil took it upon himself to celebrate in his own way.

He started 14 of the 16 games and made his mark not only in Bronco history but the NFL that year. Elvis recorded a career high 42 tackles, 7 assists, 4 forced fumbles and the icing on the cake – 17 sacks. The Denver Broncos were faced with many challenges and problems during the ’09 season - the addition of a new head coach which brought new coaches/staff and players, a different atmosphere and new system but Dumervil managed to give Bronco fans 17 reasons to be excited (although the excitement didn’t last very long).

His ’09 season led him to earn his first Pro Bowl selection and became the first Bronco in team history to lead the NFL in sacks.

So now I’m back to Elvis’ injury, one that so far has hurt this Denver defense immensely by having to deal without our very own “Sack Master”.

I will say the season has been a constant struggle for Denver and their survival. Coming into the bye week they are 2-6 but shockingly enough, even with our current record, we can still be in the hunt in our division. They'd have to pull off a miracle but I can't stress enough, anything is possible. We don't have the best defense by far in this league but they can get their act together if they wanted to. It's been pretty obvious though that they have struggled without the strong presence Dumervil brought to the field. One person CAN make that big of a difference.

The season will go on as it already has. Denver is now on its much needed bye week and then will be preparing for an intense division match-up against KC at Invesco Field. Although this will be a tough season for any Bronco fan to swallow for many reasons and we’ll always wonder how better off we could’ve been if Dumervil hadn’t gotten injured. But with his new contract extension we can look forward to him being 110% healthy at this season’s end and what he can give to this team next year.

With that said, the following is just a small piece of what is to come from this talented defensive end in the future.

Since Dumervil arrived in Denver in 2006, he’s posted the third most sack total (43) in the NFL and the second-most 2+ sack games (13) in the league. He owns 14 multiple sack games, which ties for the 4^th highest total by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history and set a Bronco single-game record of 4 sacks in a game against Cleveland (September, 20, 2009).

As fans, we have no choice but to just wait and see what is in store for the Sack Master’s future. There is plenty in store for him and what he can give to this struggling organization.

Here’s to a calming resolution between the NFL and the Player’s Association for next year, so that we may be able to witness Elvis Dumervil come back alive on the field.

Highlights of Dumervil's NFL career:

The Sack Master 

Record game for Doom 

2007 highlights

Broncos - Mid Season Report Card

The Broncos are going into the bye week at the mid way point of the season. They have a record of 2 and 6, that is 2 wins from 8 games which is 25% and I don't care what school or grading system you use that is a fail in everyone's book. We are here then to review the Broncos season to date and to take a look at the Broncos games, the few bright spots we have had so far. A review of the rookies and their work this season and we will take a look ahead at the reminding games on the Broncos schedule, and finish up with a fearless prediction. Sit back relax and strap yourselves in as this is a bumpy ride.

Match Reviews:

Jaguars
The Broncos first game was an away game against the Jaguars. This would be the Broncos first lose of the year as in my opinion we put to much focus into stopping MJD, which by the way we did. But we let QB Garrard beat us through the year and it was the Jaguars tight ends which did the damage. Tim Tebow also saw his first action of the year as McD gave him some pity plays for the fans (does this mean he has a heart?). We would also first notice the lack of a run game and the much improved passing game of the Broncos. The pass rush was none exist this game and there wasn't that aggression we expected to see out of Wink calling plays. But it was good to see Ayers get his first regular season sack this year. The final score was 24 - 17 in favour of the Jaguars.

Seahawks
The Broncos first home game of the season was against the Seahawks where the Broncos would get their first win of the season. Orton threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns and spread the ball to 7 different receivers. One of the bright spots from the game was the ability of the secondary to get turnovers. Champ, Dawkins and Cox all made good grabs and ended drives that could have finished in scores. Thomas made his debut in this game and he finished the day with a stat line of 8 receptions for 97 yards and a TD. The final score was 31 - 14 in favour of the Broncos.

Colts
Leading up to the Colts game the Broncos had two things happen. The Broncos first traded for RB Laurence Maroney and then later in the week WR Kenny McKinnley was found dead in his house. This was a hard week for the Broncos as they had lost another son. The Broncos played tough and really had a good dig against the Colts. But Manning was to good and managed to pick on Cox and get some scores. Though I personally thought Cox did well, it could have been worse if Cox hadn't played well. Orton had a great game against the Colts, he finished by going 37 of 57 for 476 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Brandon Lloyd grabbed 6 passes for a team high 169 yards and 1 TD and Jabar Gaffney caught 12 passes for 140 yards. The Broncos were terrible in the redzone and left 2 to 3 touchdowns on the field. Floyd Little was also given his HOF ring at half time. The final score was 27 -13 in favour of the Colts.

Titans
The Broncos took on the Titans in the fourth game of the year. Orton followed up his career game last week with another very solid game. He finished by going 35 of 50 for 341 yards, 2 TD's, and 1 INT. This was a physical game and was played with a bit of nastiest. QB Kyle Orton went as far to say that the Titans defense was 'cheap', taking a few cheap shots at the Broncos players. Matt Prater was really good for us today, he accounted for 14 of the Broncos 26 points. His kick on the late kickoff that was recovered for a fumble was great and was placed in the perfect spot for the recovery. The defense as a whole was pretty good. They covered well and held the Titans offense to one touchdown. Dawkins was all over the field making plays and the pass coverage was good. And Bailey is awesome as always. But this was a close game and went right down to the wire where the Broncos were able to come away with the win. And it was a big win away from home and it has set the Broncos up with a nice 2-2 record. The final score was 26 - 20 as the Broncos came back late in the game to get the win.

Ravens
The Broncos would head to Baltimore this week to face the Ravens. And this game was well dismal, the Broncos didn't play with much heart and the Broncos got dismantled. Kyle was good for 23 of 38 pass attempts for 314 yards, ZERO INTs and the two Lloyd TDs. In addition, Orton completed his fourth consecutive 300-yard passing game, including a 44-yard pass to Lloyd with 35 seconds left in the game. We had no run game at all, committed 10 penalties, defense struggled and the injuries started to pile up, Dawkins got hurt in this game. The final score was 31 - 17 in favour of the Ravens.

Jets
The Jets game at home was huge for the Broncos, will I thought it would be. The Broncos would lose but it was orange sunday and the home crowd was going off, shaking the stadium and the cameras. The Broncos were good and played some tough football. The defense played really good and the defensive line held their own. Thomas had a few good plays, as did Tebow

 

Raiders
I think the Broncos played the Raiders this week...

49ers
The Broncos travelled to London to play the 49ers, and that game was not the greatest for the Broncos. Too many dumb penalties killed possible touchdowns and the Broncos would fail yet again against a very beatable opponent. The Broncos are really struggling right now and need to find something to inspire them. Not even the return of Dawkins in the secondary helped lift the Broncos. Questions are now being asked about the coaching staff and what the Broncos should do going forward, Tebow maybe? The Broncos lost 24 - 16 to the 49ers and would have a long trip home on the plane as their will need to do some soul searching, as the Broncos need to find a way to get motivated and a way to win.

Bright Spots:
The play of Orton has been huge for the Broncos at the start of the year, but his play has faded in recent games as he can't do everything himself. Because of the play of Orton the Broncos receivers have seen some extra attention. Gaffney and Royal have both had very productive years so far. But the best of the lot has been the play of Lloyd who is playing at a pro bowl level. Lloyd has been really good for us and caught a number of touchdowns and made some super grabs.

I give credit to DJ Williams as he has played really well so far this year and is having one of his best seasons statistically. Champ Bailey has been good but he is Champ, but he needs more support from the rest of the defense.

Other than that the other Broncos players have been up and down, had some good and some bad. But that happens with a losing season so far.

Rookies:

There is not much to say about the rookies at this point in the season. Walton and Beadles have seen the most action and have been playing ok, but need to improve going forward. Thomas and Decker have seen limited action, Thomas has seen a little more action and made some nice plays, hopefully in the second half of the season we will see him get more involved. Tebow has seen a little action and scored a few redzone rushing touchdowns, but he is yet to throw a pass. I can see Tebow starting in the future if the Broncos continue to lose games. Cox has seen some action and been up and down but he looks promising, but he is injured at the moment. Squid has seen some action but very limited.

A look a head:

In the last 8 games of the season the Broncos have 5 games against division opponents and if we want to see the playoffs we really have to win all these games. But it will be a tough task for the Broncos as they need to find a way to win. After the bye the Broncos face an improved Chiefs team and then the Chargers. But the Broncos can win these games, if they just show up for the game and play with some passion.

The Broncos can win games and have some talent at all positions. It is just a matter of putting all the elements of the game together, to stop making mental mistakes. The Broncos also need to win the turnover battle, when they do the Broncos will win a number of games. But at the moment that doesn't look likely as something needs to change. Maybe a change at QB? This is where I make a fearless prediction, I can see the Broncos going 8-0 and finishing 10 - 6. But I don't think so with Orton, if Orton continues to start we finish the year at 8-8, if Tebow plays and starts a few games I can see us finishing 9-7. So there it is from me, well what you guys think? Hit us up in the comments ~ Aussie Out!