Broncos Vs Ravens

What up gang, Aussie is back and excited after a long week off due to the bye week. I need a good dose of football. I did manage through with the Nuggets 2-0 and the Avalanche getting wins. Got to say I am a big fan of the Birdman. Also want to give a shout out to Champ who has been a class act for years and again being awarded for his efforts.

Now to this weeks game and it is the always tough Ravens. The Ravens look to rein in the Broncos but I don't see that happening. This will be a real test for our offense, both teams are coming off the bye and the Ravens have lost their last 3. So i think this game will come down to who wants it most. This game is excepted to be a cracker, I can't wait after a week off. Now to look around the league and what is being said:



NFL.com

In Brief

» Last meeting: In a defensive struggle, the Broncos outlasted the Ravens and earned a 13-3 victory in Week 5 of the 2006 season.
» Streaks: The teams have split six regular-season meetings, but the Ravens won the only playoff encounter en route to a Super Bowl XXXV championship.
» Last week: Both teams were on byes.

Keep your eye on ...

Elvis' sack dance: After struggling in recent seasons, Denver's defense has turned it around in 2009. The unit ranks first in the AFC and Elvis Dumervil is one of the biggest reasons for that success. He leads the league with 10 sacks. Baltimore's offensive line, which has allowed seven sacks in its last three games, must keep Dumervil from getting into the backfield and roughing up Joe Flacco.

The chess match between coaches: This is the rare game in which both teams are coming off a bye and have had two weeks to prepare. Each coach -- Denver's Josh McDaniels and Baltimore's John Harbaugh -- has had ample time to craft a game plan, but which head man has devised a better one?

Ed Reed's impact: Reed is one of the league's best players at goading quarterbacks into mistakes. On the other hand, Broncos QB Kyle Orton has taken extraordinary care of the football this season, with his only turnover coming on a desperation heave toward the end zone as time expired in the first half against New England. If Reed is able to bait Orton into an uncharacteristic miscue, the Ravens' chances improve significantly.

Did you know?

The Broncos are going for their first 7-0 start since 1998. ... Denver has a 15-5 all-time mark after a bye. ... Since 2002, Reed leads the NFL with 45 interceptions. ... Flacco has thrown at least one touchdown in six straight games.

ESPN.com

• Denver defensive tackle Ronald Fields practiced on a limited basis with a hamstring injury Thursday. He didn’t practice Wednesday. Safety Brian Dawkins continued to be limited in practice (hamstring).
• Denver named cornerback Champ Bailey its Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee for his outstanding work in the community.

Denver's special teams: The Broncos don’t have many issues, but they do need to tighten up their special teams coverage unit. In their last game, against San Diego, Darren Sproles brought back a punt for a touchdown. Denver cut punter Brett Kern and signed veteran Mitch Berger this week in an attempt to spark the unit.

DenverBroncos.com

QUICKLY:

• Denver is 6-0 for the first time since 1998, and its six-game winning streak is the club’s longest since 2000 (6 games).
• Head Coach Josh McDaniels is the fifth rookie coach in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to begin his coaching career with a 6-0 record.
• The Broncos have been one of the NFL’s best teams in the second half/overtime this year, outscoring opponents by a 76-10 margin.
• Denver owns the NFL’s fourth-best record (15-5 / .750) following the bye week since it was introduced by the league in 1990.

OFFENSE:

• QB Kyle Orton is 9-1 in his previous 10 starts dating back to last year and ranks third among active quarterbacks in career winning percentage (.692 / 27-12). He leads the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio (9-to-1), lowest interception percentage (0.5%) and fourth-quarter passer rating (142.1).
• RBs Correll Buckhalter (3rd, 4.3%) and Knowshon Moreno (5th, 6.1%) both rank among the NFL’s top five players in avoiding rushes for negative yardage. As a team, Denver leads the league in lowest percentage of rushes going for negative yardage (4.4% / 8-of-181 / excludes kneeldowns).

DEFENSE:

• Coached by long-time NFL defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, the Broncos lead the NFL in scoring defense (11.0) and third-down percentage (26.9%) while ranking second in the league in yards per game allowed (262.5 ypg.) and yards per play allowed (4.4).
• OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil leads the NFL with 10 sacks. He tied as the second-fastest player (6 games) to reach 10 sacks since they became an official statistic in 1982 (fastest since Michael Strahan, NYG, in 2001, 6 gms.).

SPECIAL TEAMS:

• WR Eddie Royal became only the 11th player in NFL history to score a touchdown on a kickoff (93 yds.) and a punt return (71 yds.) in the same game at San Diego on Oct. 19. He joins Cleveland’s Joshua Cribbs as one of two players in the NFL’s top 10 in both punt and kickoff return average.
• P Mitch Berger, a 16-year NFL veteran and two-time Pro Bowl choice, was signed on Monday. Since 1999, he ranks fifth in the league in gross (43.4 yds.) and net (36.6 yds.) punting average (min. 500 punts).

Big Games
I am looking for big games out of the Broncos defense. The Ravens have a good offense and a great running game. They will need to contain these guys if we are to be a chance to win this game. Also looking for a big game out of Knowshon Moreno, it will be his first game against a really good defense front 7. One person that I really want to see get involved is Peyton Hillis. For all the praise he got in pre-season he has been known existent during games. He needs to lift himself out of the doghouse. Also hoping Spencer Larsen gets back on the field since his freak accident. He may play since he has been participating in all of practice so far this week.


My Take
This game will play out one of two ways. One it is a really tough hard fought low scoring game. Or both offenses will go to town on each other. I am leaning more towards it being a low scoring game. So my prediction is that the Broncos will win but in a close one. Either 13-10 or 30-27.

Jokes
Q: How do you keep a Baltimore Raven out of your yard?
A: Put up goal posts.

Q: What do the Baltimore Ravens and Billy Graham have in common?
A: They both can make 70,000 people stand up and yell "Jesus Christ!"

That is it from me ~ Aussie Out

Champ Bailey named Broncos "Man of the Year"

For the second consecutive year, our rockstar CB Champ Bailey has been named "Man of the Year" by our Denver Broncos organization.

This award recognizes a player who displays oustanding leadership both on the field and in the community.

Bailey has been strongly dedicated to the Denver Rescue Mission as well as it Broncos' Youth Center. The Mission Center offers long-term rehabilitation and transitional housing to Denver-area individuals and families in need of assistance. The 8-time Pro Bowler will receive $10,000 to be given to a charity of his choice for his efforts off the field.

Daniel Graham, Darrell Reid and Ryan Harris were the other finalists for the honor and each will receive $2,000 to be given to a charity of their choice.

Other players who were named Denver Broncos Community Ambassadors include Josh Barrett, Ryan Clady, Tony Scheffler, David Bruton, D.J. Johnson, Kenny Peterson, Jack Williams and Wesley Woodyard for their "up-and-coming" leadership in the Denver community.

Champ Bailey will be put in a pool of 32 league nominees for the National Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honor, which will be announced at Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 in Miami.

John Elway is the only Bronco in history to receive this prestigious honor (1992), originally initiated in 1970 and then renamed in 1999 to honor the Chicago Bears' Hall of Fame RB Walter Payton. Other Broncos that have been nominated include Dominique Foxworth (2007), Rod Smith (2004, 2006), John Lynch (2005), Ian Gold (2003) and Ed McCaffrey (2002).

Congrats to Bailey for this honor. Definitely a class-act that deserves to be recognized for his off-field contributions. And congrats to all the other players recognized for their charitable services and off-the-field leadership. Makes me even more proud to be a fan of a team that is filled with players with hearts of gold.

Celebrating 50 Years of Bronco History: The Elway Era

As soon as the Broncos allocated John Elway, he instantly became the starting QB. From that point on the Broncos had a new era on their hands and maybe they knew it, but it probably lasted a lot longer than many people thought it would.

Elway became the new face of the franchise carrying on that special legacy once held by Floyd Little.

In ’83, they made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card only to have a glimpse of hope taken from them in a 31-7 loss to Seattle. The following year, the Broncos got new ownership with Pat Bowlen coming on board hoping for some new and exciting change. They got one step further than they did the previous year but fell short of being able to play for the AFC Championship when they lost to the Steelers at Mile High, 24-17.

But if I know the Broncos at all, and I do, they without a doubt persevered. Even though they reached an 11-5 record in ’85, they fell short of reaching the playoffs. However, in the year of 1986, that all changed.

Elway became a strong leader as a young quarterback and helped his team go all the way. This particular season would be one for the record books and would reside forever in the memories of every Bronco fan alive to witness it and those yet to come.

The AFC Championship was a game no one would forget, whether you were a Bronco fan or one of those stuck in the “Dog Pound” in Cleveland. Trailing the Browns 20-13 with 5:43 left in the game, John Elway did what he does best… make a miraculous unforgettable 4th quarter comeback.

Denver came into this game as the underdog (what a shocker), crazy Cleveland fans throwing anything in possession onto the field and its freezing cold (wind-chill of 5 degrees)!! Bu-bu-bu buuuurrrrr All of that added onto 98 yards to go, Cleveland fans are probably still wondering how they made a comeback like this to tie the game. I’ll tell you how… they are the Broncos and they only had the best quarterback to orchestrate that miracle.

I give you one of the greatest memories of Broncos history, The Drive ( part 2 , part 3 ).

Step by step, Elway led the Broncos on a 98-yard drive to tie the game in hopes of making another spectacular drive to win in OT. And they did just that.

Elway threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson (one of “Denver’s Three Amigos” ) with 37 seconds left in the game. Once over time began, Elway worked his magic, yet again, to get into field goal range so Rich Karlis could make the game-winning 33-yard FG for the chance to go to the Super Bowl.

In no time, Denver found themselves in Pasadena to face the New York Giants in the biggest battle known to man, the Super Bowl.

Facing the Giants in their 2nd Super Bowl attempt in Broncos history, things were not looking good. Denver was barely hanging on to a 10-9 lead, then with two unsuccessful drives that went deep into Giants territory, kicker Rich Karlis failed to make 2 field goals to get further ahead. Think that’s bad? Game isn’t over yet.

At the same time they couldn’t get any points on the board, nearly 10 years later after their first Super Bowl appearance, the Broncos’ defense was nowhere near what it was in ’77 with the Orange Crush. After halftime, the Giants got down to business, and fast.

In the first 20 minutes, they put up 24 points leaving Denver dazed and confused. Somewhere along the way, Denver managed to get 10 more points but they just couldn’t keep up with the Giants as they went on to win Super Bowl XXI, 39-20.

That was strike one for Elway.

Another year came and the Broncos did it again. They went on to earn a 10-4-1 record, claimed the AFC West, Elway won NFL MVP after a miraculous win over Chicago and then gave the Cleveland Browns a little bit of déjà vu for a second straight year in the AFC Championship

This time the Broncos had the lead for most of the game gaining a 21-3 lead at halftime only to have the Browns comeback in the 4th and return the “déjà vu” favor. Cleveland tied the game but Elway had some unfinished business to attend to. With 4 minutes left in the game, the boys in Orange & Blue answered back and took the win, 38-31. Boo-ya!!

Cleveland practically gave the game to Denver when Ernest Bynar fumbled the ball and the Broncos’ Jeremiah Castille recovered it at the 3-yard line.

Another victory over Cleveland in the AFC Championship and the Broncos found themselves back in the Promise Land for Super Bowl XXII to go up against the Washington Redskins.

However, this turned out to be worse than the previous Super Bowl they went to. Disaster plagued the Denver team from start to finish. They were never even able to get anything successful going to give them any fighting chance in the game.

As no surprise to everyone else, it was just another one of those games where the Broncos had a big opportunity sitting in front of them and the whole world knew they would choke, again.

The Broncos were unable to prove them all wrong.

In the first 5 minutes, Denver took control gaining a 10-0 lead, but unfortunately the first five minutes isn’t what counts. They basically gave the game away in the 2nd quarter when Washington came back to score 35 unanswered points leaving Denver in the dust.

Denver, yet again, couldn’t regain their momentum, losing their 2nd consecutive Super Bowl, 42-10. Not only that, but John Elway became notorious for losing the “big one.”

Strike two for Elway.

After a tumultuous 2 years at the Super Bowl, losing RB Tony Dorsett to a career ending knee injury and ending their ’88 season at an ironically 8-8 dead end, Denver came back to life.

Denver finished at 11-5 in ’89, earning the division title and home field advantage. Taking on the Steelers was no easy task. This playoff game was like a tennis match as the lead flip-flopped back in forth into the hands of each team. But the Steelers forgot Elway is “The King of 4th Quarter Comebacks.”

With 2:27 left in the game, the Steelers had the lead at 23-17 when Elway helped Denver come back for the win 24-23.

Don’t know about any of you but I think Cleveland liked (no LOVED) losing to Denver in the AFC Championship game. I guess the Browns wanted some more Bronco lovin’. Denver had the lead in the 3rd quarter at 24-7 when Cleveland got within 3 pts in the 4th.

But Elway wasn’t gonna put up with that.

Anybody remember Sammy Winder? Well, he caught a 39-yard Elway pass for a touchdown to give the Broncos their 3rd AFC Championship in 4 years. Too bad that couldn’t have been 3 Super Bowls in 4 years.

Denver stepped into unchartered territory again, only to wish they hadn’t. Super Bowl XXIV against San Francisco turned into another nightmare. This is the part of Broncos history that is just ugly.

To the 49ers, Denver was nothing but a doormat. 55-10 was the embarrassing ending and that’s about all I can/will say about that. Next subject…

The following few years for the Broncos was like one big rollercoaster.

Before the 1992 season, then Offensive Coordinator Mike Shanahan was fired. Head Coach Dan Reeves (1981-1992) and Elway began having problems in 1990 that turned into an irreconcilable relationship. The public and Broncos ownership sympathized with Elway, divorcing with Reeves a day after their 8-8 ’92 season.

As the 10th Head Coach for Denver, Wade Phillips gave Elway a little more freedom than he was given before, however, Phillips’ freedom with the Broncos didn’t last long at all. After the ’94 season, he was gone and Shanahan became the 11th HC for Denver.

Before the ’95 season, the Broncos acquired a future Super Bowl MVP, running back Terrell Davis .

In his rookie season he put up 1,117 yards alone, not too shabby for a rookie.

There is a lot more where that came from and by the end of his career (8 season career cut short because of injury), he came away with a lot to proud of.

Two back-to-back Super Bowl wins
Super Bowl XXXII MVP honors
7.607 yards on 1,655 carries (avg. gain 4.6 yards)
60 career touchdowns

The Broncos became somewhat immune to reaching the Super Bowl for almost 10 years, but something was different about the 1997 season. The Broncos were on a mission.

Despite their 9-1 start, the Broncos would lose 2 important divisional games on the road which would cost them the AFC West title. At that point it looked like another dead end season. But after winning their final game of the season, ending at 12-4, they made it into the playoffs as a Wild Card.

In the first game, they routed the Jags 42-17. Next game they almost had their hopes dashed when they returned to KC but stayed alive with a Terrell Davis touchdown.

The AFC Championship game was next, facing the Pittsburgh Steelers for their 5th try at a Super Bowl victory. The Broncos had a 24-14 lead at the half but Pittsburgh fought their way to catch up until Denver got the ball back late in the 4th quarter, ran out the clock and held on to their lead.

This win not only gave Denver their 5th AFC Championship victory but their fifth trip to the biggest game on the planet.

John Elway found himself in very familiar territory in Super Bowl XXXII . He had been in this same position 3 times before but got the wrong kind of reputation out of it… someone who couldn’t win a Super Bowl.

And as usual, the Broncos were the underdogs in any game and this time they were going up against the Green Bay Packers.

I remember watching this game with my dad like it was yesterday. They went up against the defending champs but this time around, everything definitely had a different vibe. The Broncos played with pure determination to come away with the win, and as a first-hand witness, that determination was more than obvious.

This was the Broncos’ time to shine. This was Elway’s time to hold the Lombardi trophy, have tears of joy and help his team achieve the greatest victory in football.

Elway was so determined to get this win, he was diving head first for first-downs and making every possible move he could to keep moving forward. By the 2nd quarter they had a 17-7 lead but then the Packers shortened the gap to 17-14 before heading into halftime.

By the fourth quarter, Terrell Davis would get his third TD of the night and Steve Atwater would knock down a key 3rd down pass by Brett Favre. Then the moment LB John Mobley was able to tip another pass by Favre and it landed on the ground… the Broncos became Super Bowl Champs for the very first time.

Broncos – 31, Packers – 24. Game over. I will NEVER forget that game.

Rumors were swirling shortly after that game that Elway would soon retire. Thank God he didn’t.

He came back for another round in the 1998 season and the Broncos got off to a very impressive 13-0 start, easily claiming the AFC West title that November. In the midst of that winning streak, Jason Elam tied the NFL record for the longest FG (63 yards on October 25th).

Shortly after, Denver lost 2 games but reclaimed their momentum when they pulled off a 28-21 victory over Seattle when Mr. TouchDown himself rushed for 178 yards to capture a 2,000-yard rushing season, which also earned him NFL MVP honors.

The Broncos took the AFC Championship again facing the New York Jets. When it looked like trouble was taking its course with the Jets taking a quick 10-0 lead, Denver came answered back with 23 points to take the game. Elway and Company were right back in Super Bowl territory and Elway was not about to go home empty.

Super Bowl XXXIII turned out to be a bit of reunion for the two teams, when Dan Reeves returned to face his former team as the coach for Atlanta. Was this game the Broncos vs. the Falcons or more like Shanahan & Elway vs. Reeves? The world may never know.

One thing is for certain though, the Broncos came to dominate and win this game. Elway was notorious for his late-game comebacks and while it would’ve been fun to see him pull off one more, for this Super Bowl it wasn’t necessary.

Denver controlled the game from start to finish creating a huge gap with a 31-6 lead early in the 4th quarter. The Falcons had little to no time to make a strong comeback. Of course, it was twice as difficult for them considering they didn’t have Elway orchestrating one comeback drive after another.

Atlanta scored 2 lonely touchdowns but it was too little too late. Denver won 34-19.

I’ll never forget that game either. Incredible ending to an incredible career for Elway.

The Broncos silenced the critics on multiple levels. If one Super Bowl win (with Elway) wasn’t enough to make Denver victorious in the world of football, I can only imagine what critics were thinking when Elway retired with back-to-back wins.

He was also the MVP of that game and rightfully so. He truly went out on top.

Elway said goodbye in style, making him the envy of many quarterbacks. Every QB wants to go out like he did, with at least one Super Bowl win. He earned it, no questions asked.

As Elway finally announced his retirement in May of ‘99 but he left behind an incredible legacy. A legacy that no Bronco fan should forget or not know about.

Total Career Passing Touchdowns – 300
Total Career Rushing Touchdowns – 33
Total Career Passing Yards – 51,475
Total Career Rushing Yards – 3,407
Total Completions – 4,123
2 Super Bowl wins (’98 and ’99) out of 5 Super Bowl appearances
Super Bowl XXXIII MVP
9 Pro Bowl appearances
47 fourth-quarter comeback drives
1987 NFL MVP

Enough said.

From his days at Stanford to becoming an elite, dangerous and respected NFL quarterback, there’s a reason why he’s my all-time favorite Bronco.

I have posted some of his greatest comebacks and memories that will showcase his legendary career and why he made it into Canton the moment he was eligible for the Hall of Fame. He was just that good.

There are also some videos that feature classic footage and memories of the Broncos leading up to the 2 Super Bowl victories. Enjoy!

Terrell Davis Tribute

50 Years of Broncos Offense

Reliving the Broncos/Raider Rivalry

The Best of Elway

Super Bowl XXXIII highlights, Elway’s retirement & Hall of Fame speech

Mile High Salute to the one and only #7, John Elway. Love you man!!

Part three of this 50th anniversary article will be the final piece but will take this team through the struggles it faced post-Elway, the highlights and a few tragedies that no Bronco fan should forget.

John Elway named "Man of the Year"

My guy, Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway has been named "Man of the Year" by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

This prestigious award has been given to some very distinguished people and now Elway is one of them. No surprise there.

Other recipients of this honor include: Roger Staubach, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus and Morten Andersen. So proud to see our Super Bowl winning QB be among such respected men for their on and off field contributions.

Owner, President and CEO of the Denver Broncos, Pat Bowlen had this to say about our former franchise QB receiving this honor:

“On behalf of the Denver Broncos Football Club, I’d like to congratulate John Elway for receiving this great award. In addition to being the greatest Denver Bronco of all time, John is one of the few who is among the greatest players of all time in both college and pro football. His receiving this accolade from the Walter Camp Football Foundation is an honor well deserved by John for public service and community work that equal his greatness on the field. He has always been generous with his time for a myriad causes that benefit those in need and it is gratifying to me and the entire Broncos organization to see John named for this honor.”

The Walter Camp Football Foundation gives out this award to someone "who has been closely associated with the game of football as a player, coach or close attendant to the game. He must have attained a measure of success and been a leader in his chosen profession. He must have contributed to the public service for the benefit of his community, country and his fellow man. He must have an impeccable reputation for integrity and must be dedicated to our American Heritage and the philosophy of Walter Camp."

That describes Elway to a "T" if I do say so myself.

Congrats to the great #7. You most certainly earned this and I'm proud to be your number one fan.

Bronco Awards: Week 6

The Broncos are on fire!! After an incredible battle between two divisional rivals on Monday, Denver came away with the HUGE win over the San Diego Chargerettes led by Flipper.

In that big win for the Mile High team, one person stood out (and it wasn't because of his socks).

Eddie Royal made history Monday Night as he became the 11th person in NFL history to take a kick0ff and punt return back for touchdowns.

The kick return came in the first quarter when Royal was the man waiting for the ball to drop. When it did, he had some great blocks by his teammates that allowed him to go 93 yards for one of the best touchdowns I've ever seen.

Later on in the second quarter, Royal couldn't seem to get enough of the action when he took a punt return 71 yards in for a beautiful TD. This young man was built for speed and man was it awesome to watch.

His two returns also set a couple of franchise records as well. His 235 total return yards set a franchise record. He also became just the 2nd Bronco player to record a kickoff return and punt return in the same game.

And while those were the only "catches" he made during the whole game, I won't complain because not only did the Ed man fool the SD special teams once, he did it twice. So because of his two incredible runs and TDs, he was awarded the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for week 6.

Congrats to #19 for a spectacular game!! This honor was well-earned and so is this week off for the whole team.

Oh and if any of you feel like reliving some of the good memories here are some highlights from the game.

Flip gets sacked 5 times

Kyle Orton Highlights

Bronco Awards Update

Denver Bronco fans have done it again. For the 2nd consecutive week, rooke RB Knowshon Moreno has been voted Rookie of the Week for week 5. In the game against the Patriots, Moreno showed more reasons why Head Coach Josh McDaniels drafted him back in April. He's good, really good.

The Broncos have a tough game coming up against a huge divisional rival in San Diego, on Monday Night Football. Will be a good game, no doubt about that and Moreno (as well as his QB Kyle Orton) are bound to have stellar performances yet again. Defense needs to remain fierce (humble but hungry, like Dawkins says) and offense needs to be strong throughout the whole game. I see it as our offense has 2 choices: get ahead early and keep adding on to that or if they happen to fall behind throughout most of the first half, come back fighting like mad in the 2nd half. They've done the latter in our past 2 games extremely well, if that is the case on Monday... Orton and Co., can come away with another exciting finish.

Who's ready for a Monday Night clash??