Broncos Blog: Offseason Program

With the Broncos season ending over the weekend by the Patriots it is time for the Broncos front office to turn to matters of the business side of the organization. There are a number of key events coming up for the FO and for us to follow along with. But first a look at current news events.

News:

The Broncos announced the signing of nine players to future contracts on Monday. Those players include all eight practice squad members — DE Jeremy Beal, T Adam Grant, TE Cornelius Ingram, RB Xavier Omon, WR Greg Orton, DT Sealver Siliga, WR Tim Toone and QB Adam Weber.

In addition to the eight practice squad members, the team also announced the signing of wide receiver Tyler Grisham. Grisham spent the 2010 and ‘11 seasons on Pittsburgh’s practice squad after appearing in four games with the Steelers in ‘09, catching one pass for 14 yards.

Pro Football Weekly and the Professional Football Writers of America announced their annual All-Rookie team on Monday. Broncos cornerback Chris Harris (named as a safety, they had to get him on the team some how) and linebacker Von Miller represented Denver on the squad. This is what they had to say about the two:

Miller, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft from Texas A&M, tied the Broncos’ rookie sack record with 11.5 quarterback takedowns on his way to becoming just the second rookie in club history to be named to the Pro Bowl. His 11.5 sacks tied for ninth in the NFL and his 64 tackles were fifth-most on the Broncos.

Harris, who was signed by the Broncos as a college free agent out of Kansas, finished the regular season ranked fourth on the team with 65 tackles. He also intercepted one pass and broke up six others. Harris was the team’s nickel cornerback for the majority of the season, but was selected to the All-Rookie team as a safety.

Check out these videos of the Broncos. First is the two parts of today's press conference, here is part 1 and part 2. The last video is of the players talking in the locker room, Champ is so chill and awesome.

And finally the big news. Last week, it was learnt that the Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy was being interviewed for the Jaguars head coaching position and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was being interviewed for the Rams vacant position.

Recently we learnt McCoy is now interviewing for Miami's head coaching position. The Broncos worst for first season in the AFC West has drawn a lot of attention to them including their coaches. There are a lot of head coaching positions available this off-season and John Fox has always been the kind of coach that allows his assistants to leave for a better job.

However, more news broke recently by Adam Schefter that both McCoy and Allen are scheduled to interview with the Raiders for the head coaching position after the firing of Hue Jackson. Hopefully neither agree to any position as they will be big parts of next season.

Broncos Blog Program:

There are a number of events leading up to the free agency period in the second week of March.

Honor Wall

First for us is the voting for the top 5 Broncos players to appear on the Broncos Blog Honor Wall. I am taking Nominations for players that you think are deserving to be considered in the top 5 for the Broncos. I will then put the nominations in a poll to be voted on for the next month. The top 5 voted players will appear on the honor wall until re-voting is done the middle of next year.

On the honor wall at the moment are:
Tim Tebow
Willis McGahee
Brian Dawkins
Champ Bailey
Von Miller

Since Dawkins didn't play much to end the season he very well could be replaced. But will the others lose their positions? It is up to you.

Season Review

I would like to do a number of review pieces on this past season to better understand what we did this year and our weaknesses. What positions need to be addressed and where our strengths lie. I am also looking for volunteers to help me out with these pieces. If you see something you like or are interested in doing let me know. The pieces are as follows:

Offense

This piece will take a look at the offense and how it did this year. How the starters played this year, what they achieved and what they need to do better next year. This will be a long piece.

Defence

Same as the offense. This piece will take a look at the defense and how it did this year. How the starters played this year, what they achieved and what they need to do better next year. This will be a long piece.

Special Teams

Same as the offense and defense. This piece will take a look at the Special Teams and how it did this year. How the starters played this year, what they achieved and what they need to do better next year. This will be a short piece.

Coaching and Staff

This piece will take a look at the big three coaches. Fox, McCoy and Allen. It will take a look at how they did in their positions and what they achieved. Along with these three this piece will also look at Elway and Xanders and their year. This article will be of medium length.

Free Agency and Trades

This article will look at the players we acquired in Free Agency and Trades. It will look at how they did this year and what we expect/plan for them next season. This will be a short piece.

Draft Picks

This article will look at the players we acquired in the draft. It will look at how they did this year and what we expect/plan for them next season. This will be a short piece.

QB Play - Tim Tebow

This post will take a deeper look into the quarter back play of the Broncos over last season. Mainly focusing on Tebow, but if you/I am game it may include the play from Orton. This probably will be a long piece.

There you have it, again if any of them interest you let me know.

Key Dates:

The next few months are busy busy for the Broncos.

This week is the East-West game and next week is the Senior Bowl. This will be the first chance to have a look at some of the prospects for the upcoming draft.

Three Broncos will be playing in the Pro Bowl this year.

Following this there is the combine at the end of February where we will get a really good look at all the prospects.

In March free agency beings where we will be able to sign, resign and trade players. It will be interesting to see how this plays out since last year the draft was before FA.

April is OTAs and the Draft. I will be doing Aussie's Big Board and Mock draft again like last year and will be running the Broncos Blog draft competition.

Then of course next season starts.

As always we will be here to follow along, analyze and discuss all Bronco news.

Busy days ahead, I hope you all enjoy ~ Aussie

Divisional Week: Broncos Vs Patriots

Hello Broncos Country! Have you all come back down to earth after the great victory at Mile High? Most likely not I think, probably still in a state of shock and awe. I know I was the last few days and I didn't even see the game live! But it was a great feeling to see the boys stick it to all the doubters, people that didn't believe in us, didn't even think we would score a touchdown. Big props go to the Coaching staff for getting the guys prepped and ready to go with a solid game plan. They played hard all game long and fought to the very end. And we all know what happened in overtime. A play which I am going to call 'The Pass'. Why? because it captures everything about the haters and what people said about Tebow and this team. That Tebow can't pass, is inaccurate, he won't be able to complete a pass on the 1# ranked pass defense. As we know Tebow and the Broncos proved every doubter wrong. Everyone will remember where they were when Tebow completed 'The Pass' to put not just himself but the Broncos on the map.

But the season is not over, with the win the Broncos progress to the divisional round to face the Patriots. We are on the road again and heading to Foxborough for this clash. As you probably remember the Broncos played the Patriots during the regular season where we were beaten by a score of 41-23. Most people outside Broncos fans thought that the Patriots thoroughly dominated us in that game which could not be further from the truth. The Broncos went up early and were dominating on the ground. But three fumbles in a row would turn the tide of the game. The Patriots managed to convert those turnovers into points and get back into the game and by that stage the life had gone out of the Broncos. The second half was just a wash as the Patriots had already won. The Broncos had lost all momentum and confidence in themselves and it would take them a further three weeks to get out of their funk. The Patriots should be a little concerned with this match up.

It was also interesting that after the last game Brady said to Tebow "Maybe we will see you again" That is where the below picture comes from and I added the caption. Now let's go out and do it!

With the win over the Steelers the life and passion has returned to the Broncos and they are starting to believe in greatest. But I am a little concerned. It is something that is known as 'playing their Superbowl'. Have the Broncos played their Superbowl, have we peaked too soon? I say yes and no. Yes because the Steelers game was so emotion for the team and everyone involved. We will be hard pressed to reach that level of emotion again (especially away from home). There is also the desire, hopefully the players don't think they have done enough and gone into offseason mode. They still need the will to win and the desire to win. These things I worry the Broncos can't reach again and that they had peaked too early. I say No because I can still see improvement in this team. We didn't play a perfect game against the Steelers. We can get better passing, running the ball and playing defense (We gave up over 400 yards against the Steelers). We can not play so conservative in the 3rd quarter. We can get better and that is scary when you think of the possibilities. But to beat the Patriots we probably need a perfect game. So I ask for just one more game, this should be our peak. (Well I think it will be at least)

Then there is the return of McD. People say he won't be much of an advantage to the Patriots but then why were they in such a hurry to have him start this week? This won't provide much motivation for the team but maybe a few players that McD gave 'special treatment' too that want to return the favour. They will be a little more pumped for this game. It is interesting to note that some people are coming around to the idea that McD isn't that bad, what with the evolution of some of his key picks into good players. I will say this McD was a good coach and had a vision for this team but I disliked him as a person (The disliking him as a person is what causes people to think he was an idiot). He left this team in a good position with key players that we wouldn't have made the playoffs without.

Match Ups

First lets being with the defense. I will say this now I really like our defense now then I did last time we played the Patriots. We now have a few more pieces I will say are key to this game.

The first is 36# Bush S/CB who really played a good game against the Steelers. He is now playing as the Dime CB and he has surprising good coverage skills. (When you think about the return of guys like Squid and Vaughn I really like our Secondary next year). Bush is a safety by trade but was excellent in his coverage on TE Miller taking him out of the game. With him, Goodman, Champ and Harris I think we can hold down the Patriots weapons. Add in Bruton, Carter and Woodyard and I think we can finally cover all the Patriots can throw at us. Last time we were always leaving one man get free because of the lack of good cover guys. That hopefully I think has been solved.

The other key piece for me is the emergence of Ayers and the return of Miller. Miller I think has come to grips with his issues having the cast and has confidence back in his ability. He was sorely missed last time we played the Pats. Then there is Ayers who I think is key to this game. He played great last week against the Steelers and picked up two sacks. Also it was funny to note that all the media sites were reporting that Ayers had 'Doubled' his season total. Ayers actual finished the year with 3 sacks. I mentioned in last weeks preview that I thought pretty much everyone missed the sack Ayers had on Orton in the Chiefs game. I guess I was right. The reason I think for Ayers explosion last week was he was finally let off the leash. I would not be surprised if Ayers's primary assignment was to read run first then rush the passer. Being one of our best run defenders and that he had the rookie Miller outside him, who struggled to set the edge in the run game all year, that his first read would be run. Against the Steelers the Broncos players said that Allen was sending 'the kitchen sink' at Berger all day long. This new freedom I think let Ayers attack the line looking for sacks and not playing the run as much. (Also probably the reason why Redman got 112 yards on 17 carries.) The reason I think this is key for this weeks game is you can't send 5-6 guys regularly against the Patriots. They have too many weapons, you need those guys to cover. When Allen was asked about the kitchen sink comment and what he would do against the Patriots he responded saying he was going to be sending 'everything including the garbage disposal'. I for one am not a fan of sending everyone against Tom Brady (maybe to being the game but not for the whole 60 mins). I like what the Giants did against the Patriots in the Superbowl. Play dominate at the LOS with your front four and occasion send a fifth blitzer. I am hoping with the emergence of Ayers that him, Bunk, Thomas and Doom will be enough to get after Brady. Add in a few creative blitzes with Miller and hopefully we can but Brady on the turf. That allows us to drop 6-7 guys into coverage preventing Brady from finding the open man. It will be up to these 5 guys to do the number on Brady because if we have to send any more than that we have already lost.

Another issue with sending helps of blitzes at Brady is the Patriots have a good screen game (though McD tried to demolish it with his last stay at the Patriots and with his return will it be a none factor?) The Superbowl the Patriots played against the Eagles who blitzed on a lot of plays were beaten by the Patriots screen game. (Some how the Patriots managed to call a screen on pretty much every play the Eagles blitzed, I wonder how....) If we send to many against the Patriots Brady will quickly dump it off and beat us that way.

I also doubt the Patriots pull a fast one and try to run heaps. But a few draw plays will probably happen to offset the pressure.

If we can cause their offense to turn the ball over a few times the W in the win column will be easy to put up.

Enough on the defense time for some offense. The Patriots D isn't very good, they have a solid middle but not much else. The one thing we CAN NOT do is TURN the BALL OVER. If we give Brady the ball too much he will beat us.

The Patriots will probably back off a bit compared to the Steelers and be more wary of that deep ball. So we run, run and run some more. A health dose of McGahee (who wasn't healthy in our last game against the Patriots) and a few carries by JJ (I think Johnson could tear up the Pats) we should be sweet, but for the love of the holy spirit don't turn the ball over. When we do pass send someone long to spread the defense out and then hit those slants and crossing routes. It is time to get those TEs involved more.

Now Tebow, oh sweet, sweet Tebow. Keep it up buddy. Against the Steelers I really think he started to come into his own. He throw the play into tight windows and let his receivers make a play. I want more of the same, maybe pop that completion percentage up into the 50s but I think you will do just fine, but keep that intensity burning. Now was the game against the Steelers the game I keep talking about where Tebow blows it up? 10 completions for 300+ yards? I say no, that is a regular game for a QB. When Tebow blows up a game you will know, 20+ completion and 400+ yards is blowing it up. But he did blow our minds with that final play of the game.

Speaking of which, Thomas has some serious speed....especially for a guy that torn his Achilles which is usually a career killer for skill position players. Nice job being patient and doing your rehab correctly to get back to 100%.

Inside slant

The last time these teams met, the match-up was closer than the final score would indicate. Denver pummeled the Patriots on the ground in the first half; things turned only when the Broncos started fumbling, forcing them to try to play catch-up. The Patriots also won't have Andre Carter this time around. Demaryius Thomas will be a handful for any Pats corner that lines up opposite him, though the loss of Eric Decker limits Denver's options. Eddie Royal in the screen game could be key.

Oh, did I mention Tim Tebow yet? Yeah, he's playing, too. I have a feeling that on the road, we'll see even more of the read-option, given Tebow's accuracy issues. New England's defense isn't nearly as punishing as Pittsburgh's, but dropping back to pass more than 15-20 times in an away game invites danger.

Denver linebacker Von Miller looked better last week than he has in a month, even with that club still on his hand. He seems to be adjusting to it, and New England's older, beat-up offensive line will have a real test here. I don't think Brady will be quite as comfortable as he'd like to be. This smells like a ballgame to me, folks, and you just never know how long Denver will be able to keep conjuring up that Tebow magic. If the pass rush is going, those screens and little slants to Wes Welker off the three-step drop will be Brady's best friend.

Prediction

Oh it is that time again the prediction. This game will be close and I would expect nothing less. The Patriots are a veteran team that have done this all before. They will push the Broncos right to the end. I do think we can win this game but it will require the Broncos to play a flawless almost prefect game to beat the Patriots. So with that said about 50+ points will be scored in this game with the Broncos taking home the victory, probably in overtime (which we are automatic in, 4-0 so far this season). 28-21, Broncos win, now TAKE IT!!!

Injury Report

David Bruton (S), Achilles, Limited
Brian Dawkins (S), Neck, DNP
Eric Decker (WR), Knee, DNP
Elvis Dumervil (DE), Ankle, Limited
Daniel Fells (TE), Ankle, Limited
Von Miller (LB), Thumb, Full
Lonie Paxton (LS), Personal, DNP

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Kyle Love (DT), Non Injury Related, DNP
Kyle Arrington (CB), Foot, Limited
Patrick Chung (S), Foot, Limited
Dan Connolly (C), Groin, Limited
Julian Edelman (WR), Back, Limited
Dane Fletcher (LB), Thumb, Limited
James Ihedigbo (S), Shoulder, Limited
Matt Light (T) Ankle, Limited
Logan Mankins (G), Knee, Limited
Devin McCourty (CB), Shoulder, Limited
Rob Ninkovich (LB), Hip, Limited
Matthew Slater (WR), Shoulder, Limited
Brandon Spikes (LB), Knee, Limited
Sebastian Vollmer (OT), Back/Foot, Limited
Wes Welker (WR), Knee, Limited
Tracy White (LB), Abdomen, Limited
Tom Brady (QB), Shoulder, Full

Other News

Tebow set a twitter record with over 9000 posts a second

Tebow is ESPN poll's favorite athlete or most popular, whatever, people like Tebow!

DT needs an optimus prime nickname, can you help us out?

Ladies

A few of the Patriots lovelys.

Jokes

Q: Why is Patriots player Rodney Harrison perfect for a broadcasting job with NBC?
A: Anyone who has played with Bill Belichick knows a thing or two about being in front of a camera!

Youtube Funny

That is it from me, I will be watching this game live as it is a Sunday for me with a few of my boys, let's Go Broncos! ~ Aussie

Wildcard Week: Broncos Vs Steelers

It has been a long time coming but our Broncos are finally returning to the playoffs. But it will be against a very familiar opponent in the Pittsburgh Steelers. These teams have faced off 6 times in the playoffs and have ended each others playoff hopes in the past. The current record between these two team's stands at 3-3 a piece. The Steelers finished the season with a 12-4 record and are only playing in the Wild card round because the Ravens who are also in the Steelers division finished with a 12-4 record but won out on the tiebreakers. The Ravens managed to claim the second seed and do not play this week. Last week the Steelers played the Browns and managed to sneak out a win after not being able to do much for the majority of the game. They do come into this game with a number of key injuries but they have the experience factor on their side.

On the other hand our Broncos finished the year with a 8-8 record and lost their previous three games to enter the playoffs. (Note that the Texans also finished the year with three loses and that the Saints also did this then won a Superbowl) In recent weeks we have struggled to move the ball and have had too many turnovers. But this is the playoffs! What happens in the regular season really means nothing now (it is a good foundation to build off though). We have been invited to the dance and it is up to us to rise to the occasion. Two teams play and only one can win, 50-50, I like those odds. Now it is up to the Broncos to.....TAAAKKKKE IIIIIITTT!

There is some bad blood (mainly between the fans) between these two teams even though they don't play that often. The main reason for this is the fact that the Steelers some how manage to fill out Mile High with their own fans. Hopefully the Broncos ticket holders will hold onto their tickets and show up in force. (Why don't we ban the terrible towel at the ground?) The other reason is like I said before these two have been known to knock one another out of the playoffs.

Match Ups

First we have to look at the Defense and the task that is ahead of them. The Steelers have a good receiving core with a nice amount of speed. The three main targets are Mike Wallace, Hines Ward and Antonio Brown. Wallace I think will be Champ's assignment for this week. Champ needs to limit the big pass to Wallace. (The Steelers love the play action, go deep pass) I am a little worried about Ward, he doesn't have much left and isn't a threat to take it all the way but Chris Harris will have his hands full covering him. If I am correct Ward plays the slot with Wallace and Brown on the outside or does he rotate around with Brown (probably both). That leaves Goodman and Brown. I am most worried about this match up as Goodman has struggled with speedy receivers that can get behind him. I expect to see Goodman give a big cushion and a lot of short passes completed in front of him.

With Mendenhall out with an knee injury it will fall to the backups to carry the load. I watched the Browns-Steelers game last week while I was watching the Broncos game. (It was on locate TV while I was on the computer) I got to say I was impressed with Redman. He seemed to keep plugging away and picking up nice yardage. I do think we can stop the Steelers run game but the D-Line will need to be physical going up against a good Steelers line. Mays also needs to be physical and a force in the run game because he can't cover. Miller if you play on run downs make sure to set the edge correctly.

The RapistBerger did seem to struggle with his passing in the game but got it together towards the end of the game. He does limp around but I am unsure of which ankle it is, whether it is his front or back foot. Either way he struggles to set his feet and transfer the weight between them as he passes. Though if you make him move he does seem to get the ball out better. We need to keep him in the pocket and make him step up. Hopefully we can get some pressure on the outside. Von Doom need to get some pressure on Berger and ruin his day. Also did you notice that Ayers had a sack last week? Almost everyone missed it.

Now for the offense, oh our lonely offense.

For our running backs I want more of the same. McGahee needs to carry this offense but I would like to see him get into the endzone. I has still want to see more from Johnson, he seems electric with the football, like last week I would like to see him get 5-10 carries and spell McGahee not Ball.

It is a bummer Larsen is out because he has some skills when used correctly. Look at last week he goes up makes a catch and holds onto the ball even with his legs are getting destroyed in the process. Larsen is a keeper. The question is who will replace him? Are we going to active Sylvester for the game?

Now for the wide outs and tight ends. This is the most IMPORTANT part of the preview for me. What I want to see or the game plan for me (even if it is only for the first series) is that we go 5 wide. From the shot gun go 5 wide. With 4 WRs and a TE or 3 WRs and 2 TEs. Some have said use Quinn to pass, change it up, the Steelers won't expect it. What the Steelers won't expect is the Broncos go 5 wide with no running back, we are a running team after all. This is also how the Packers beat the Steelers to win a Superbowl (Also was what the Broncos did against the Falcons in Superbowl 33 to completely throw them off as they thought TD was coming) and it is the reason the Broncos may win. With Ryan Clark ruled out for this game (and happens to be the better cover safety) this doesn't allow for Polamalu to roam the field. It also means that a backup safety will be playing. So spread them out and attack the third and fourth string CBs or the backup safety. Doing this we can create a number of mismatches in the passing game and get guys like Ninja Willis and Royal more involved. Plus if we move Decker inside every now and then it will help him get off the line clean and make some plays. Also if we were ever going to use TEs this would be the game for it as they can create mismatches against the Steelers linebackers in the 3-4. This idea has worked before and I think it would work for the Broncos.

The key to it's success though is on Tebow. But this should also free up the receivers, get them more open for some easy completions to hopefully get Tebow in a rhythm. I see a lot of benefit from it.

Now for Tebow himself. Tebow needs to grow a pair for this one. He needs to flat out start balling if the Broncos want to win. Complete passes and don't turn the ball over, that is all I ask. 50% completion rate and no turnovers. If he can do this I think we can win. Plus I am still waiting for that break out game.

Special Teams, the one area I haven't mentioned before. Prater, Colquitt....more of the same please. As for the coverage teams just do your jobs and maintain good field position. I can now breathe a sigh of relief because McCarthy is no longer on our team.

Prediction

The main part, who do I think is going to win. If you had been following I have been saying all week if Dawkins plays we will win, if Dawkins can play all the remaining games of the year we will win the Superbowl (you heard it here first). The reason I think this is because of two reason. The only real difference from the team that won 6 straight then lost 3 in a row is, One we were missing Dawkins and Two we had no heart, desire or emotion. It is surprising how much Dawkins means to this team and the way he lifts our whole team and not just the defense. It is what we have lacked in recent weeks. That edge, the want to go above and beyond. Remember on this Broncos team their is not one player than Dawkins who wants to win a Superbowl more. He knows his time is almost up and he is trying his hardest to will this team to greatest. Him combined with Tebow have pushed this team to it's limits. When both are playing we are 7-0 without we are 1-8. (Dawkins didn't finish the game against the Bills?) Even if Dawkins does or doesn't play I still need to give a prediction. This game I think will be surprisingly close, probably in the teens. But I say 20-17 Broncos win it late.

Fun Facts

» Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller combined for 21 sacks this season.
» The Steelers put up 161 yards rushing in Cleveland. Expect Isaac Redman (92 yards) to get the ball often with Rashard Mendenhall's knee injury.
» These two teams last met in the playoffs in the 2005 AFC Championship. The Broncos were the two seed, but were bested by the sixth-seeded Steelers, 34-17.

Injury Report

Brian Dawkins (S), Neck, DNP
Spencer Larsen (FB), Knee, DNP
Eddie Royal (WR), Toe, DNP
David Bruton (S), Achilles, Limited
Von Miller (LB), Thumb, Full

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Troy Polomalu (SS), Calf, DNP
James Harrison (LB), Toe, DNP
Brett Kiesel (DE), Groin, DNP
Cortez Allen (CB), Shoulder, DNP
Mewelde Moore (RB), Knee, DNP
Ben Roethlisberger (QB), Ankle, Limited
Markice Pouncey (C), Ankle, Limited
Doug Legursky (G), Shoulder, Full
LaMarr Woodley (LB), Hamstring, Full

Other News

The Broncos have made a number of moves lately. Here they are:
Kyle McCarthy S was cut.
Brian Iwuh, RLB was signed to the roster.
Ryan Harris, ROT, was signed to the roster.
DL Jeremy Jarmon was signed to a future contract.
Signed DB Ramzee Robinson to a future contract
Placed G Chris Kuper on injured reserve

Ladies

These were the 'untouched' ladies I could find :P

Jokes

I found this picture and I lol'ed haha, too funny.

Youtube Funny

That is it from me, time to shock the world, Go BRONCOS! ~ Aussie.

Game 16: Broncos Vs Chiefs

It's that time of the year again when the Broncos play their final game of the regular season. The Broncos return home this week after their second straight lose. The Broncos are on the cusp of making the playoffs for the first time in years but they have one more task to complete. That is to beat the Chiefs to progress to the playoffs. This game has been made a bigger story by the fact that the Chiefs have come into a bit of form lately with their coaching change and that the Chiefs starting QB is Kyle "Fainting Goat" Orton who as you know was the starting QB for the first 5 games of our season. The Chiefs have gone Win, Loss, Win, Loss in their recent games, one win of course was against the Packers. Their last loss was to the Raiders last week in OT 16-13. The Chiefs are hoping to spoil our season by preventing us from getting to the playoffs. Let's not allow them to do that and get the win...onto the preview.

Why to watch

Broncos waive Kyle Orton; rival Chiefs claim him. If Orton beats the Broncos, he could keep Denver and Tebow Time out of the playoffs after a miracle surge for eight weeks.

Inside story

Tim Tebow has been a turnover machine during a two-game losing streak after protecting the ball incredibly well, and Denver's defense is slipping as well (Von Miller hasn't been right since his hand injury). The Chiefs are likely to attack in the run game. Tamba Hali is rushing the passer as well as anyone in the NFL in the second half of the season. We all know what Matt Prater can do kicking field goals in the altitude at Mile High. Both of these teams have seen their share of late-game field goal blocks and heroics.

Match Ups

Let's start with the defense. The front seven will need to stop the Chiefs running game. The Chiefs have had a good running game in recent years and do run the ball well so we will have to tackle well. No RBs running free for big games like Spiller did last week, I am looking at you Mays time to show us something....anything.

If we can stop the run that will force Orton to pass. Champ has to do an number on Bowe again and keep him limited all day long. That means it is on our other secondary guys to not let Orton pick us apart. To prevent this Von Doom need to get after Orton and knock him over. We know that if Orton is pressured and knocked over a few times he can be forced to cause turnovers. If we put Orton on the ground we can win this game.

For the Offense they need to go to work. Willis needs to get 20 carries in this game and over 100 yards. I would also like to see Johnson get 5-10 carries in this game. I don't think we will be able to run all over the Chiefs like we did last time. So that means our WR will need to get open, create some separation and get open for Tebow. Decker, Thomas, Royal and Ninja Willis get open and hook Tebow up!

The O-line will need to push the pile to create running lanes for the backs. But their main job will be to keep Tebow up right. Hali has been in top form in recent weeks and will need to be stone walled. They will need to do this as I think Tebow will be the one that has to win this game for us.

Tebow's arm I have a feeling will be the difference in this one. I just want to see some improvement from Tebow but also that he has learned from last week and has a better performance than he had against the Bills. It's time to go to work.

Prediction

This game will be a lot close than it should be. Orton is going to give us a real fight I think and we will be pushed right to the end of the game. Maybe even over time. I am thinking a 20-17 score line with the Broncos winning it I hope....then PLAYOFFS!

Playoff Scenarios

Simple if the Broncos win they are in the playoffs. If we lose then the Chargers need to win against the Raiders for us to make it into the playoffs because we will win on the tiebreakers.

Injury Report

Brian Dawkins (S), Neck, DNP
Chris Harris (CB), Neck, Limited
David Bruton (S), Achilles, Limited
Quinton Carter (S), Hip, Full
Von Miller (LB), Thumb, Full

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Jon McGraw (S), Ankle, DNP
Jackie Battle (RB), Foot, DNP, Doubtful
Jeremy Horne (WR), Illness, DNP

Denver safety Brian Dawkins is not practicing for the second straight day because of a neck injury. His chances of playing Sunday against Kansas City may be dwindling. Kansas City running back Jackie Battle did not practice for the second straight day because of a foot injury. He is doubtful to play against Denver.

Other News

No Matter What Happens On Sunday, The 2011 Denver Broncos Season Was A Success (MHR)

Apparently, many Americans would like to borrow cup of sugar from Tim Tebow.

According to the annual Zillow poll, the Denver Broncos’ second-year quarterback would be the most desirable celebrity neighbor. Tebow won 11 percent of the vote and beat several other celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lopez.

Prior to Tebow, the two winners were Sandra Bullock and the Obama family. TebowMania rages on, despite a two-game losing skid.

On the other end of the spectrum, the cast of the "Jersey Shore" were votes as the least desirable celebrity neighbors.

Who would you rather share a fence with, Tebow or Snooky?

Ladies

I was trying to think of Ladies from Kansas to put up here...than I thought of one :P but I settled on some KC cheerleaders.

Jokes

Q: If you have a car containing a Chiefs wide receiver, a Chiefs linebacker, and a Chiefs defensive back, who is driving the car?
A: The cop.

Q: What does a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a bottle of beer have in common?
A: They’re both empty from the neck up.

Youtube Funny

Happy New Year

I also would like to wish everyone a happy new year.

 And that is all from me, Go Broncos an Playoffs baby! ~ Aussie.

Reviewing a Classic: Broncos Superbowl 33

As a relatively new fan to the Broncos, I have been following them since about 2002, grade 7 for me and for an Australian fan that is pretty young to start. As such I have taken it upon myself to learn the history of the Broncos where I can. It will never be complete compared to a fan who went through it first hand but it is worth doing to get a better understanding of the team, the culture and what this team has been through. For me one of these things is to watch the Broncos Superbowls. The only one I have managed to acquire a copy of so far is Superbowl 33. So join me for the trip down memory lane as I watch the Broncos last Superbowl game and my random thoughts along the way.

The year is 1999. The Broncos have had one of their most productive seasons in franchise history over the course of the 1998 year. TD got over 2000 yards on the ground and Elway was clutch all year long. This of course would end up being John Elway’s last game as he would retire soon after.

On to the game:

The coverage just starts and I realize this game is Dan Reeves Vs Mike Shanahan. That must have been one of the biggest stories for the game.

I am loving the pregame 1999 graphics, they are pretty sick considering the year.

John Madden is a great commentator. I had got kind of sick of Madden as a commentator a few years ago before he retired. But compared to some of the current commentators I miss his analysis and insight. He does talk about himself and uses himself as an example a lot but once you look past that he knows his football. I thought this was a great line from the big man before the game and is relevant to any NFL season. "Getting here is nothing, winning here is the greatest."

They are talking about the keys to the game, for the Falcons to win they need turnovers. (In case I forget the turnover ratio was 1-3 to the Broncos).

The Broncos were 26th in the league for pass defense. Will this be a factor in the game?

The players are coming onto the field now and they are doing the player introduction. They only do them for offense, I guess the defense wasn’t very important back then.

Rod Smith, I love you guy.

Tom Nalen! Elam. It is unbelievable how many good players this team had. Eddie Mac, TD, Shannon Sharpe. Howard Griffith. Elway!

I know some players from the history of the NFL but Jammal Anderson is the only Falcon player of their offense I know. (I also see a LB wearing a Brooking jersey, I believe that would be Keith Brooking, but he wasn’t starting back then).

Cher singing the national anthem, nice.

I love Elway’s golden locks! Haha.

1st Quarter

Ball is blown off the tee...twice, funny way to start a game.

Broncos Defense is playing 8 in the box to prevent the run. But Anderson is a beast.

PI calls are still terrible no matter the decade.

No roughing the passer calls in this decade.

I don’t care much for Romanowski the person but as a player he is a monster. He destroys Chandler (Falcons QB) on a blitz this play.

The Falcons move the ball well, but the D holds. Falcons kick a field goal, 3-0.

Broncos first series come out and run the shotgun with an empty back field (TD is a receiver). The Falcons weren’t expecting that with TD on our team.

Elway only had a 44% completion percentage from the shotgun through the season. He completed 66% of passes from under center though. I found this very interesting. Rod Smith is a beast, Elway has whatever is bigger than a cannon or a bazooka for an arm!

Sharpe limbs off the field after almost scoring, took a huge hit to the knee. But he looks alright. Also of note he doesn’t wear any pads on his legs.

First series the Broncos come out passing and get the touchdown with the hand off to the FB Griffith from about 5 out. The Falcons were expecting TD to get the ball.

Second Falcon’s series they go three and out. Romanowski is crazy coming off the blitz.

Broncos being their next series. Sharpe drops/juggles a pass and the Falcons pick it off and now have field position. That’s one of those turnovers the Falcons needed. I wonder if Sharpe was thinking more about his knee then the pass.

Tim Dwight is a faster version of Wes Welker.

End of the first Quarter, score is 7-3.

Second Quarter

Sharpe is heading up the tunnel to get his knee re-taped in the hope to get back out there.

The Falcons have moved the ball into Broncos territory again but the D holds the Falcons who decided to go for it on 4th and 1. Madden is saying they should take the field goal, I would agree with him.

Romanowski blows up the outside run. He blows past the TE trying to block him and destroys the guard who is pulling. This forces Anderson to go backwards and around the pile Romanowski has created. The Broncos swarm to the ball and stop Anderson for the loss. Turnover on Downs! Great defensive play.

Broncos take over. TD has no room to run. TE Chamberlain has made a few nice catches in place of Sharpe.

Elway rolls out of the pocket and hits Smith for the first.

Draw play, TD picks up 20 yards.

Next play TD makes a spin move at the line of scrimmage to beat a defensive lineman and then makes another player miss with a step. He picks up 8 on the play when it should have been a loss. The Broncos are now inside the 10.

Elway rolls out of the pocket but doesn’t have anyone open, he throws it in the stands instead.

Timeout Broncos.

Elway is pressured and almost throws a pick.

Elam kicks the 26 yard field goal. 10-3 is the score, Broncos leading.

Falcons take over, Chandler throws a laser for the first down to a wide open receiver. Mathis grabs another pass and is wide open again. The Falcons are moving the ball through the area easily. The Broncos secondary is playing off though, preventing the big play.

Romanowski is a monster on the blitz. He blows up Anderson who tries to block him as he goes after Chandler.

Another pass completed. No runs so far on this series.

Speaking of which the Falcons hand off to Anderson for 2, he picks up the first.


Anderson gets 5 on the next play. I start to think how good would it be to watch the Broncos in the Superbowl playing in orange as they are playing in white for this one.

Falcons are inside the 10 again. CB Gordon – 21 is injured on the next play. He takes an knee from Anderson to the head, Anderson is kept out of the in-goal though.

Broncos defense holds again and the Falcons have to kick a field goal. They miss the FG! How do you miss from that close? Broncos get the ball back and seem to have all the luck.

Broncos take over. First play is play action. Elway hits Smith deep on the post for a huge TD! 17-3. That’s a Quick Change for you!

Are the wedge, helps Dwight get loose on this return.

Atlanta has had all the field position but has no points to show for it.

Sharpe is done for the game! I feel the momentum swinging a little bit.

Falcons are back at the Broncos 10 yard line. Chandler passes to the back right corner and almost is picked off! James – 20. Next play Chandler tries the back left corner. Gordon -21 is back in the game and pats this one away. In today’s game Gordon may have been held out with a concussion.

Falcons kick another field goal after being held out again. 17-6, that 3 redzone trips and 3 field goals for only 6 points. I may have been wrong about the momentum shift. The Falcons center is done for the day, No 61.

Broncos take over. Hand off to TD who has a huge hole, he picks up 15. TD may be good put I think I could run through those holes. The O-Line is balling!

Chamberlain makes another catch and is playing well.

Broncos Timeout.

The Broncos complete a few more passes and another timeout. A minute left to halftime.

Holding penalty by 62-Neil, Falcons timeout.

TD runs off left tackle. Falcons take another timeout.

40 seconds to go till halftime.

Matt Lepis is a backup for this game! What a team.

Pryce is a monster coming from defensive tackle he blows up the play here.

Halftime. Score is 17-6.

Madden and Summerall are good commentators with quality analysis.

Broncos start off the second half with the ball. On the first play of the half Elway hits up Eddie-Mac for his first catch of the game.

This is when I notice that the jerseys the players are wearing were made by Nike. I didn’t know that.

TD is stuffed on a run. Griffith makes a catch. Then takes a hand off for the first down. Eddie-Mac makes another catch low, great grab. Holding penalty on Denver, TE-89.

Elway boot legs and tries to make a play with his legs. But the OLB chases him down for a lose. Tebow would have stiff armed the LB for a TD :P

Now 3rd and 20, Smith gets 10 on a pass.

Elam misses the field goal from about 36 yards out! Score is still 17-6. What is wrong with the kickers today?

Falcons takeover. WR Martin is wide open again. I would be a little worried about the secondary, lots of open guys down field.

LB Mobley makes the sack on an overload blitz. But the Falcons are moving the ball easily between the sticks.

Chandler drops back to pass and is picked off! Johnson – 25 gets about 30-40 yards on the return.

Broncos with the ball. TD breaks a tackle and picks up the first. TD goes off the field for a break.

TD is sitting down on the sideline, I think it is migraine time. TD has already picked up 80 yards so far.

Next play Elway rolls out to his right and tries to find someone open. Defenders are closing in so Elway dumps off to Eddie-Mac who gets nailed! By 4 Falcons players. That was one of those ‘I’m too old for this shit” moments. Eddie-Mac was all ‘thanks for that Elway’. They didn’t get the first down.

Elam comes out for the 48 yard field goal and misses wide left! Score still 17-6.

31 cameras are used for the coverage, nice...

Falcons take over, Anderson picks up the first.

Mathis is open again. Falcons got to score at some point I would think.

Anderson spins away from Atwater for the first, he is a beast.

Chandler drops back for the pass and it is deflected at the line! It is picked off by 21-Gordon who makes 40 yards and is tackled by the QB. Come on bro, you got to make the play and beat the QB to get the TD! Haha

Elway incomplete to Eddie-Mac in the endzone, was way too low, hit him in stride! Elway you got to do better :P

Eddie-Mac completion to the 5. There are no progressions here. Elway just sits in the pocket staring down his receivers. But he can do it because his O-Line gives him heaps of time and his receivers are good enough to get open for yards.

End of 3rd Quarter

From the 5 the Broncos do another FB drive to Griffith because the Falcons are keying on TD and he scores again. I notice that the referees don’t signal the TDs (arms in the air, so hard to know when one is scored with a short field). Score 24-6

Broncos blitz has been good all day.

Anderson gets another first.

Martin wide open for a pass...again.

The Falcons are playing well and just can’t get any points.

Chandler’s pass is picked off again! Gordon – 21 from the goal line gets it back over half way, nice return, it is his second pick. The Falcons are losing because of all these picks.

Broncos take over again. Elway stove pass to TD who gets it to the 10 for about 35 yards.

Elway sneaks from 5 yards out for the touchdown!

31-6, that’s the game for me, watching the game it seemed never in doubt the Broncos were always going to win. I got the feeling that since they had been there and done it before and got the win that there was no pressure on the team to get the win in this one.

Tim Dwight makes some moves on the return and gets free! He returns the kickoff for the TD. Score now 31-13, may be some fight left in the falcons.

Onside fails, Broncos take over. Eddie-Mac makes a catch for a first on another 3rd down.

Elam kicks 37 yard field goal, score now 34-13.

Falcons take over at about the 23. Chandler gets smashed again by Denver’s D.

Chandler is rushed again and takes off for 6.

Martin makes a catch for the first but gets hammered into touch.

Chandler hits his lineman in the head with the ball....again. He has had a lot of balls deflected.

Mathis gets the first on a reception. I just realized the Falcons haven’t scored an offensive TD yet.

I love the D-Line stunts the Broncos have been running.

4 & 4 the Falcons go for it and Mathis gets the conversion, to the 24 of Denver.

I took a few minutes to get that D-Line stunt that the Broncos have run several times with great success against the Falcons O-Line. Here is the pre-snap look.

I tried to define the stunt as best I could. Both Defensive Ends start off going forward to draw in the Offensive Tackles then pinch inside to hit the side of the Guards. The Defensive Tackle (light blue) crosses in front of the other defensive tackle (blue). They both then go around the outside of the Tackles. Most of the time both Defensive Tackles were getting through untouched and laying hits onto the Quarterback.

Now look at the offensive line’s pre-snap reads. The offensive tackles are taking on the DEs, the right guard is tacking on the DT (blue). The left guard and the center are going to double team the other DT.

This is the play after the snap, a few seconds in. The DEs have drawn the attention of the offensive tackles turning them inside, so they are facing inside. They then pinch and usually blind side the guards who don’t see them coming. The Center usually tracks his man but gets squashed in by the guards. The whole play is designed to squash the offensive line and get the DTs free to get around and destroy the QB. I love this stunt.

Back to the game...

Chandler overthrows Dwight in the endzone. Harris-82 makes a catch to the 3.

The Broncos rush 2, Chandler is almost picked off in the endzone. The ball was tipped by Atwater.

Another in-completion. The reason the Falcons lost this game I think is they tried to throw the ball too much into the endzone. They should have handed it off to Anderson once they got in the redzone.

Chandler hits Mathis for the TD, finally the Falcons get their first offensive points. They are going for two. Chandler incomplete. Score now 34-19. Though they scored on a pass I still think they should give it to Anderson to smash it in.

Two Minute Warning.

Another onside kick. Chamberlin picks it up again. He has had a great game so far.

Broncos running out the clock now. 1:30 left on the clock for the Falcons who take over after using all their timeouts.

Anderson off right tackle and is stripped! Turnover Broncos D. They have played great all day long.

Elway looked like he was having fun all game long.

Elway is MVP! Broncos kneel for the win. 34-19 final score.

O-line was amazing all day long.

The Broncos become the 6th team in history to go back to back.

Mike Shanahan was chocking up. He was so happy to beat Reeves, well I think.

Elway is the coolest character. He always seems to be in command.

Post Game Notes:

There was a story going into the game about the TE for the Falcons being involved in some incident before the game but they didn't explain it at all during the game. Can anyone explain to me what happened?

I really enjoyed the game. Anyway that is it from me. ~ Aussie.

Game 15: Broncos Vs Bills

What up Broncos fans? After a disappointing loss last week to the Pats at home the Broncos go on the road for the final time this year. This week the Broncos are facing the 5-9 Bills. Who after a great start to the year have struggled in recent weeks and are limping to the of the season. The Broncos last week were disappointing in their loss to the Pats but there is a lot of good to take from the game. For example the Broncos now know what areas they have to improve on. They know that they can run the ball and score points on a good team. The game against the Pats should be a great motivation for the team to know nothing is a given and they will have to work hard for their wins.

Why to watch
Tebow Time is trying to keep a grip on the AFC West lead and get into the playoffs. The Bills are trying to end a death spiral since getting off to a 4-2 start.

Inside story

Willis McGahee is banged up, but would love to get a piece of the Bills, who traded him to Baltimore earlier in his career. There are some rumblings that a front office shakeup of some sort in Buffalo is not out of the question. C.J. Spiller is breaking a few longer runs recently. You have to like Denver's chances of getting plenty of hits on Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Match Ups

The Bills don't worry our defense much. But CJ Spiller and Steve Johnson are the two biggest threats for our defense. I except Champ to be on Johnson most of the time. As for Spiller the Bills have been moving him around and trying to get him in space. Our defense will have to stop his runs and limit his catches to take him out of the game. I am looking at you Woodyard, you will need to play better than last week.

Von Doom need to get after Fitzpatrick early and often. Throw him off his game so he passes a few intercepts and turns the ball over. We can't let him play himself into form.
I would also like to see a little more out of Mays too.
Our offense on the other hand needs to put in work. Run the ball and get some points. DT has been a beast but I would like to see the others get involved, especially our TEs. I would also like to see Johnson get a few more carrys, he may be that change of pace back.
Our offensive line needs to block better overall for this one. Plus Daresus will be out to prove himself again.
Now for a word on Tebow, last week I asked a lot from Tebow. He didn't deliver but he started off well. This week he needs to show last week didn't phase him and that he has learnt from his mistakes. I would like to see Tebow spread the ball around and have a good day against the Bills.

Prediction

Don't over look the Bills, they ain't a bad team, just a very injured one. But I do think the Broncos can held them. I am thinking a 31-10 score line. Champ gets a pick six for the D.

Playoff Scenarios
Denver clinches AFC West Division:

1) DEN win + OAK loss or tie

2) DEN tie + OAK loss + SD loss or tie

Denver clinches a wild card spot:

DEN win + NYJ loss + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie

Injury Report

David Bruton (S), Achilles, Limited, Questionable
Brian Dawkins (S), Neck, Limited, Questionable
Broderick Bunkley (DT), Knee, Full, Probable
Willis McGahee (RB), Hamstring, Full, Probable
Daniel Fells (TE), Thumb, Full, Probable
Von Miller (LB), Thumb, Full, Probable

BUFFALO BILLS

Johnny White (RB), Concussion, DNP, Out
Stevie Johnson (WR), Groin, Limited, Questionable
Ruvell Martin (WR), Hamstring, DNP, Doubtful
Scott Chandler (TE), Ankle, Limited, Questionable

Other News

Miller didn't get any sacks last week against the Pats but Aldon Smith got a few sacks to take his total to 13. Let's go Miller, it is time to get a few sacks and get that record for the Broncos!

The injury report looks pretty good for the Bills, until you find out that they have 15 players on IR. Many of which are starters. Link for reference.

Ladies

Here is a few photos of the Bills Cheerleaders.

And I thought an old classic would be nice.

Jokes

The Definition of an optimist: A Buffalo Bills fan waiting at Buffalo Niagara International Airport for the Bills to return from winning the Super Bowl.

Report: In 2002 Bush considered sending troops to Buffalo
A wild celebration on the streets of Buffalo got out of hand when the Bills actually won a game.

The New York Police are cracking down on speeders heading into Buffalo .
For the first offense, they give you two Buffalo Bills tickets.
If you get stopped a second time, they make you use them.

YouTube Funny

I thought this was funny...


But this is even better!

Merry Christmas

Finally a big Merry Christmas too all Broncos Blog readers. Everyone have a great holiday and if your traveling make sure to be safe.

That is it from me, I may or may not be around over Christmas as I expect most of us will be busy, but I will do what I can...oh and GO BRONCOS! ~ Aussie.