Rocky Mountain Stampede

Last season, Denver made it to the AFC Championship Game by benefiting from their +20 turnover differential (2nd in the NFL).  The turnover run did not carry over to 2006 as the St. Louis Rams defeated the Broncos 18-10 on Sunday aided by five takeaways.  Denver was fortunate to stay in the game throughout the duration because St. Louis had numerous opportunties to blow the game wide open.

Negatives

5 Giveaways, 0 Takeaways

You hear it all the time.  It's a tired cliche.  Turnovers usually decide the outcome of a football game and the five giveaways proved to be the difference on Sunday.  I have been a huge Jake Plummer supporter since he entered Sunday with a career 32-11 record as Broncos starter, but he threw two bonehead interceptions today.  The most critical one being the first and ten pick on the Broncos last opportunity to tie the game in St. Louis territory.  Plummer had room to run on the bootleg but decided to force the ball and paid for it.

Chukwurah's roughing the passer penalty

It's easy to rip a guy who is just trying to make a play and can't stop himself at full speed.  Chuk should not be the one to blame, the strategy should be questioned here.  Denver already had St. Louis pinned back in a fourth and long situation.  There was no need for a punt block, Denver should have been more concerned with catching the punt and getting the ball back to their offense.   

Passing Game

Plummer never looked comfortable in the pocket going 13 for 26 for 138 yards with three interceptions.  The pass protection was shoddy all day long and the Broncos could never get any consistency going other than a few screens to running back Mike Bell.

Javon Walker

Unceremonious debut for the biggest offseason acquisition.  It's a long season and the big plays will come, but Walker dropped three passes finishingthe day with three receptions for 41 yards.  The most disapointing was a tough concentration pass on a fade route that could have ended up being Walker's first touchdown as  a Bronco and a much needed shot in the arm for the Denver offense. 

George Foster 

Foster had trouble handling Rams Pro Bowl DE Leonard Little off the edge.  The 2003 1st round pick has been far from a bust, but he's nothing more than an average right tackle.  I wouldn't be suprised if this is his last season in Denver since he's an unrestricted free agent after 2006.  Even though Denver likes continuity in the offensive line, the depth is the deepest in years on this squad and tackle Adam Meadows could be seeing playng time sometime down the road. 

D.J. Williams

He is an All-Pro talent, but his performance has been Jekkyl and Hyde since his brilliant rookie campaign in 2004.  He looks like a Pro Bowler in some games, but other times he looks like a rookie who plays smaller than his size.  Williams had the worst individual performance on Denver's defense.  He overpursued on a Stephen Jackson counter and did not sustain his backside containment allowing the former Oregon State running back to run for a big gain.  Williams also got manhandled more than his share of times by stiff arms and poor, arm tackling attempts.

Positives

Defense surrenders no touchdowns!

Denver could have easily been down 24-0, 27-0 in the first half, but the Broncos defense played their hearts out keeping the team in the game.  The 3rd down conversion percentage was equally impressive, the Rams were just 3-15.   

Mike Shanahan

The gutsy fourth and one call late in the 2nd quarter on his own 30 is why Broncos fans are proud to have Shanahan as their head coach.  It was the right call because Denver was risking the chance of falling too far behind and not being able to use their "bread and butter" rushing attack. 

Pass Rush

The defensive line was the major question mark entering the year and they did a solid, not great job of getting heat on Rams QB Marc Bulger.  Ebenezer Ekuban and Kenard Lang each recorded sacks and Michael Myers got his share of penetration in the middle. 

Champ Bailey, Darrent Williams, Dominique Foxworth

The cornerbacks did an outstanding job keeping Torry Holt and company from making a big play and keeping them out of the end zone.  Bailey showed why he's a complete cornerback and an all-around football player making his share of open field tackles in stuffing the run and preventing short receptions from turning into bigger gains. 

Running Game

The best rushing attack in the NFL got off to a slow start, but they started to gain steam in the 2nd half.  The running lanes started to open up as Tatum Bell and Mike Bell each had big gains for 35 plus yards.  Tatum Bell ended up with 15 carries for 103 rushing yards even though he made an inexcusable fumble in the first quarter on a running play in which he didn't even get hit.  I thought Mike Bell did not demonstrate the same good vision he showed in preseason, but he ended up with a solid debut with 58 yards on 10 rushes. 

  

Summary

Let's face it, the Edward Jones Dome is not an easy place to win. Denver was in the game the entire time despite losing the turnover battle five to zero which is a positive sign.  The Broncos lost the opener last season in Miami in ugly fashion and ended up one game short of the Super Bowl.  However, things aren't getting any easier with the Chiefs, Patriots and Ravens on the schedule in the next three weeks. 

 

 

 

cmhadorn at 4:53:35 PM EDT Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Broncomaniacs can rejoice!  It's been a long 7 years for us!  I know we're spoiled fans but its refreshing to know we don't have to hear this anymore:

 "Mike Shanahan and the Broncos haven't won a postseason game in the post-Elway era"

Denver didn't play the prettiest game, but their unheralded defense carried them to victory once again.  Ever since the Kansas City defeat, the Denver defense has been remarkable in their five game winning streak holding opponents to an average of 10.0 points a game. 

Random thoughts on the game:

-Champ Bailey only got one only vote for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year!  Time after time this season, Champ has made game changing interceptions that have made a difference in the end.  The Patriots were threatening to take the lead on a momentum swing in the 3rd quarter and Champ's 100 yard pick is what really changed the tide.  If New England scores a touchdown at that point, I am not so sure Denver was doing enough on offense to answer the call.

-Whoever said John Lynch made the Pro Bowl on reputation was dead wrong.  Lynch can still wreck havoc, just ask Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

-All week, the media yapped about Denver's 29th ranking in passing yards allowed.  That stat is very misleading.  Denver had the second ranked rushing defense in the NFL.  All season long, they stopped the run forcing offenses to be one-dimensional and had the luxury of playing in a lead.  Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer wants opposing defenses to pass.  Coyer is going to keep rattling you by bringing the heat and eventually the quarterback is going to turn the ball over.  Brady had a good night, but many times he threw passes off target and hurried throws because of the pressure. 

-New England had a remarkable, historic run and its far from over.  They will be back next year. Tom Brady is still the man.  One postseason loss doesn't change that.  Joe Montana had a tough time winning postseason games between 1984 and 1988 and nobody remembers him for those playoff setbacks. 

-Todd Sauerbrun was the unsung hero of the game booming the ball 3 times inside the 20 and he made the most unlikely turnover of the game, he forced a fumble with his helmet on a textbook form tackle on Ellis Hobbs right before the end of the first half.    Sauerbrun used to be a lacrosse player back in the day!

 

-The defense and special teams bailed out Denver's offense.  Plummer had his moments throwing the ball to Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie, but dropback, 3rd and long pocket passing is not his strength.  New England's rush defense was all that it was cracked up to be.  Denver really didn't start running the ball effectively until the 4th quarter when the game was already in hand.  If Brady didn't throw the pick to Champ, Denver would have had a tough time taking the lead back on the Patriots' D.  Seymour, McGinest, Wilfork, Vrabel, Colvin, Warren, Bruschi and company has nothing to be ashmed of.  They showed up to play.   

-Denver won their first postseason game without John Elway since Craig Morton and the 1977 Orange Crush team defeated the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Title Game on route to Super Bowl XII.

-The Broncos advanced to their 8th AFC Title Game and are 6-1 lifetime in AFC Championship Games.

 

 

 

cmhadorn at 1:55:24 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa to all Bronco fans!   The Broncos gave us loyal supporters an early present today locking up the #2 seed with a 22-3 convincing victory over the rival Oakland Raiders.  Even before they set foot on their home field, Denver clinched the AFC West division title after Larry Johnson and the Chiefs pounded the Chargers out of the postseason picture.  Thanks to Terrance McGee and the Bills' upset of the Bengals, the Broncos had an opportunity to finish the rest of their business Saturday with a victory over their battered rivals.  Denver was in control of the game from start to finish.  The Raiders had their opportunities but dropped passes, penalties and a critical Kerry Collins interception in the red zone doomed them in a game where they had little room for error.

I feel the most joy for Broncos such as Al Wilson, Mike Anderson, Ben Hamilton, Cooper Carlisle, Ian Gold and Ashley Lelie.  These players have been loyal, hard working contributors of this franchise and they weren't around during the Super Bowl rides.  After years of wild card trips and just missing the playoffs, they finally get their first taste of a division championship. 

For all the Broncomaniacs out there, it is an end to seven long years without an AFC West Championship.  We were a little spoiled by the Super Bowls, but we should all feel fortunate and thankful that we have a first class owner in Pat Bowlen and a Hall of Fame head coach in Mike Shanahan.  They have put this franchise in a strong position for another Super Bowl run.   

Other observations and perspectives on today:

-Denver won their 10th AFC West division title.  They also accomplished this feat in 1977, 1978, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996 and 1998. 

-With the exception of an interception off Rod Smith's finger tips, Jake Plummer enjoyed a successful day throwing the football in the pocket.  He completed 19 of 29 passes for 269 yards and added 16 rushing yards with a quarterback sneak TD.  Pro Bowler Rod Smith was tackled just yards short of the endzone on three different receptions as he finished with 5 catches and 91 yards. 

-Statisically, Ashley Lelie has played a reduced role this season after his breakout 1,000 yard receiving campaign of 2004.  Hawai'i 50 has been mostly involved in the occasional vertical, big pass play this season.  On Saturday, Lelie enjoyed his finest game of the season with 6 grabs for 110 yards.  Lelie was more involved in the short-to-intermediate passing game which Rod Smith has mastered all sesaon long.  Lelie's emergence today was the biggest individual player storyline of the game.

-Dominique Foxworth did a terrific job covering Oakland's physically imposing receivers.  The third round rookie showed tremendous closing speed and timing on Kerry Collins' passes.  His best play was disrupting Moss' attempt to catch a pass in the corner in the endzone and preventing a touchdown late in the 2nd quarter.  Safety Nick Ferguson intercepted a pass on the next play which stalled Oakland's best opportunity of the day.  Champ Bailey, the best corner in the league, also saved a potential Raiders touchdown.  Randy Moss beat Curome Cox on a corner pattern and Champ closed in at the last second to swat the ball out of the All-Pro receiver's hands. 

-Mike Shanahan improved his record to 17-5 against his former team.  Shanahan is also 9-2 at home against Oakland.    Before 1995, the Raiders owned the Broncos even in the Dan Reeves' era.  That doesn't happen anymore.  Just ask John Ralston, Broncos coaches have been fired in the past for not beating the Raiders. 

-I don't have any sympathy for the Raiders and their 13-34 downward spiral since their 2002 AFC Championship.  They got swept in the AFC West for the first time since Al Davis took over the franchise in 1963.  I thank Davis for trading his fine head coach for a bundle of draft picks.  

Forget the potential postseason matchups, I encourage all Bronco fans to soak in this great moment and enjoy their Christmas Day.  2005 AFC West Champions!  Nobody gave them a chance but us. 

cmhadorn at 10:49:36 PM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Denver struggled out of the gate on Saturday on a chilly night in Buffalo, but they put it together in 2nd half getting back to ball control Broncos football.  The running game started clicking in the 2nd half behind the legs of Mike "Sarge" Anderson who ran for 97 yards and 2 scores.  With their 28-17 victory, the Broncos clinched a playoff spot.  It feels so nice to get invited to the dance!   

Rod Smith had his finest game of the 2005 season, grabbing 11 balls for 137 yards and a highlight reel TD catch off a pass deflection.  The touchdown reception brought back memories of Easy Ed McCaffrey hauling in a deflected pass from John Elway at the end of a game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in 1996.  I really hope "Old Man" Rod gets the Pro Bowl honor next week.  Chad Johnson and Marvin Harrison are guaranteed to get two spots and Reggie Wayne, Chris Chambers, Hines Ward and Deion Branch give Rod some stiff competition for the other two slots.  Most likely, Rod will be left on the outside again because he is not a flashy, egomaniac wideout.  He's a steady lunch pail guy who doesn't take anything for granted and leaves everything out on the field every week.  In his postgame KOA interview, Rod deflected attention from his big day and gave Ashley Lelie credit for hauling in his big play 40 yard reception that setup a Broncos touchdown in the 3rd quarter.  Typical Rod.  After #7, Rod is the second greatest offensive player in team history and he will go down as one of the top 3-5 most beloved Broncos ever. 

My favorite play of the game was tight end Wesley Duke's 1 yard reception in the 3rd quarter. Mike Shanahan spread Duke out wide in tight formation to get a mismatch on a shorter linebacker and Jake lobbed it up there for him to go get it.  It was like posting up to a power forward in the paint!  You have to credit Shanahan and Gary Kubiak for utlizing all the talent on the 53 man roster and taking advantage of mismatches.  Just two weeks ago, the same coaching staff let athlete Bradlee Van Pelt run a quarterback draw to take advantage of his running ability he showcased at Colorado State.  I don't think its fair to start talking about Antonio Gates when mentioning Duke, but its nice to know that Broncos tight ends coach Tim Brewster helped develop Gates in San Diego the last two years.  I don't know if Duke will ever be a starting tight end in this league, but he is a red zone threat for the postseason.  Watch out AFC!

Saturday night was a satisfying win, but the Broncos know that clinching a playoff spot means nothing to them.  DE Trevor Pryce said recently that Denver doesn't care about winning the division; they expected to win it.  With Cincinnati on their tail, Denver needs to win out to assure themselves of the first round bye and the #2 seed.  With all the stiff competition in the AFC, I feel the #2 seed is Denver's meal ticket to get to XL in the Motor City.  They are 7-0 at home this season.  Who knows?  New England could beat the Colts at the Hoosier Dome in a potential 2nd round showdown. 

For all the naysayers who think Denver can't defeat the Colts:

http://www.jt-sw.com/football/boxes/index.nsf/8aba06aaab1d51b485256a9e000c9904/4f90a21dd6da7ca385256e04007a012f?OpenDocument

 

cmhadorn at 1:15:51 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 2 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

First off, I would like to apologize for writing a delayed entry.  Last weekend, I spent the entire weekend in Colorado away from a computer.  On Saturday, I went snowboarding at Breckenridge and attended the Ravens home game.   By the way, Breckenridge has some of the most beautiful women in this great nation! 

The Baltimore game was not the most exciting game I ever attended, but it was a great day to be a Broncos fan.  It proved that an ugly win still beats a loss in any predicament. 

The Chiefs and Chargers are both top ten NFL teams but sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way.  In 02, 03 and 04, I felt the Broncos were a Super Bowl contender but a few heartbreaking moments prevented the team from making a serious run.  Even though the 2005 performance might not be the prettiest, the Broncos should not feel sorry for their 10-3 record.  Mike Shanahan has been responsible for Denver's long-term stability.  During his 11 years in Denver, the Broncos have endured just one losing season. 

 

cmhadorn at 6:05:57 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Forget the records and throw out the -14 point spread, the Ravens have dominated and humilated the Broncos since the 2000 season.  The Broncos are 0-4 against Baltimore since they met in the 2000 AFC Wild Card Playoff Game.  Even more frustrating, Denver has never even played a quality game in defeat against Brian Billick's squad.  Here's a quick recap of the 4 previous meetings:

2000 AFC Wild Card Playoff:  On route to their Super Bowl XXXVI championship, the infamous Baltimore defense held the #2 ranked NFL offense to 177 total net yards and 3 total points.  To add insult to injury, former Broncos great Shannon Sharpe caught a deflected pass from quarterback Trent Dilfer and took it to the endzone from 58 yards out.  NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Mike Anderson got held to 45 rushing yards on 15 carries in an ugly 21-3 defeat

2001 Week 3:  2-0 Denver hosted the defending champions at home and got off to a fast start when mammoth DT Chester McGlockton intercepted an Elvis Grbac pass and returned to the Baltimore 3.  On the next play, Brian Griese threw a 3 yard TD pass to Dwayne Carswell to take a 7-0 Broncos lead.  After that, Denver had very few highlights as they got held to 221 yards of offense and ran for only 61 yards on ground.  Losing 16-13 late in the 4th quarter, Griese was leading Denver on a potential game saving drive when he threw his second of two interceptions to seal the game for the Ravens. 

2002 Week 4:  Broncos were flying high after a 3-0 start entering their Monday Night Football showdown in Balitmore.  Unfortunately, Clinton Portis started running his mouth before the game about Ray Lewis and got him even more fired up.  Denver got embarrassed on national television.  Chris McAlister set a NFL record with a 108 yard return of a Jason Elam blocked field goal before the end of the first half.  Ray-Ray completely leveled Broncos special teams captain Keith Burns on the play to help McAlister to the endzone.  The Ravens were leading 31-3 at halftime after Todd Heap carved up the Denver defense with 2 TD receptions from Chris Redman of all quarterbacks!   

2003 Week 8:   Two weeks before leading up tothis game, Jake Plummer got hurt getting off his couch and backup Steve Beuerlein suffered a fractured finger that would ultimately end his career.  Denver had to rely on their 3rd quarterback Danny Kanell to face Baltimore's vaunted defense in the lion's den.  Jamal Lewis ran for 134 yards in a 26-6 rout.  Lewis collided with linebacker John Mobley on a play in which he suffered a spinal injury and would ultimately end his career. 

Here's the good news, the Broncos did beat the Ravens in a 45-34 shootout during their inaugural season back in 1996 during a home game at Mile High Stadium.  Terrell Davis ran for 191 yards highlighted by a 71 yard TD run.  John Elway outdueled Vinny Testaverde by throwing for 326 yards and two scoring strikes to Ed McCaffrey.  Shannon Sharpe had one of his finest days with 161 yards receiving on 9 receptions. 

If Denver wants to put an end to their woes with the Balitmore Ravens this Sunday, they are going to need more plays like this:

(Heap ended up dropping the ball after taking a vicious lick from Al Wilson)

 

 

cmhadorn at 5:56:24 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

Denver had their opportunties to leave Arrowhead victorious, but they simply got beat up front on both sides of the football late in the game when it mattered most. 

All game long, Trent Green was comfortable in the pocket throwing darts to his receivers as he went 16-23, averaging 11 yards per attempt.  With future Hall of Fame tackle William Roaf back for the second meeting, the Denver front four were not the same disruptive force they were earlier this season during their week 3, 30-10 rout on Monday Night Football.  They failed to sack Green and defensive coordinator Larry Coyer couldn't figure out a way to rattle the former Indiana Hoosier with effective bltizes.  Green showed every reason why he's one of the best in the game against the blitz.

Furthermore, the Broncos #1 NFL ranked run defense fell apart in the second half.  Pro Bowl offensive linemen Roaf, Will Shields and Brian Waters manhandled the front four while the back seven overpursued their gaps and missed their share of tackles.  Chiefs running back Larry Johnson enjoyed the best game by an opposing running back this season as he carried the rock 30 times for 140 yards and 2 rushing TD. 

With the exception of the two interceptions by cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Darrent Williams, the Denver defense stunk it up like Pepe Le Pew.     

                                           

As for the offense, Denver had success most of the day moving the ball.  They racked up 388 total yards, averaging 6.0 per play.  However, they could only muster 6 points in the second half.  There were times when the running game was clicking, especially with Tatum Bell in the second half (5 carries, 46 yards).  Towards the end, the Chiefs front seven started to beat the Broncos offensive line at the line of scrimmage.  When Denver gets beat on the run, they are forced to drop Jake Plummer back in the pocket, which is far from his strength.  All season long, long 3rd down situations have been the Broncos' Achilles heel.  Denver was only 3 out of 10 on 3rd down attempts on Sunday. 

When the game was on the line with just over 2:00 to play, the Broncos offensive line failed to get the push to allow Mike Anderson a running lane to convert a critical 4th and 1.  I have always loved their light, athletic offensive line, but those situations you wish you had a road grader inside to pave the way.  Max Jean-Gilles anybody?

I really felt the play that turned around the game was Plummer's 1st quarter red-zone interception after the long 56 yard completion to Ashley Lelie.  Denver had an opportunity to take a 14-7 lead on Kansas City and take the crowd out of the game.  Plummer threw his most bonehead pass of the entire season when he had plenty of running room to take it into the endzone on a bootleg.  Other than the 2 picks, I felt Plummer played well.  He created some plays on his own with his legs and ability to improvise when Kansas City brought the heat. 

 

Some other thoughts on the game:

-The officials made a horrible call by throwing a flag on John Lynch for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Eddie Kennsion.  At that point in the game, the Broncos were leading 27-24 and would have forced Kansas City into a crucial 3rd and goal from the 9 with the incomplete pass.  The contact was incidental.  Lynch didn't lead with his helmet.  Lynch didn't even close on Kennison at full speed.  If Kennison hadn't ducked his head, Lynch wouldn't have hit him with his helmet.  Basically, Lynch ran into Kennison's body and their helmets happened to touch.  Big freaking deal!  It's football.  **** happens.  That was far from a personal foul.  Once again, the officials take the game out of the players' hands for some powder puff penalty.  In the past, Lynch has deserved some of his penalties for spearing, but this was a flag for an incidental tap. 

-Mike Shanahan deserves credit for utilizing backup quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt on a 5 wideout shotgun draw that brought back memories of John Elway.  At Colorado State, Van Pelt was known for being a run firstquarterback.  He's one of the best athletes on the team and he's  such a pure runner.  "Sunshine" had a few jaw dropping scrambles during the preseason that catapulted him from 4th to 2nd on the QB depth chart.  All season long, Van Pelt has never had an opportunity to display those skills.  I thought it was one of the best playcalls all season to line Plummer out wide and let Van Pelt barrel it in from 7 yards out.   

-The 66 yard Mike Anderson screen pass was a thing of beauty.  The offensive line executed textbook blocks and the Kansas City defense looked silly missing several chances to bring down Sarge in the open field.  It makes me sick to see an amazing play go to waste.

Denver had their moments and chances, but they will have to wait another year to end their slump at Arrowhead.  The Broncos still have their hands on the AFC's second seed at 9-3, but the competition is more fierce with Cincinnati and San Diego winning.  They had an opportunity to deliver a crucial blow to their rivals, but now they have let them back into the division race that looked bleak for the Chiefs after their week 10 loss in Buffalo. 

cmhadorn at 1:12:59 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Over the last fifteen years, the Broncos-Chiefs rivalry has surpassed the feud with the Raiders in both intensity and importance.  Throughout history, Denver has dominated the series at Mile High and the Chiefs have dominated at Arrowhead.  Since the Dallas Texans move to Missouri in 1963, the Broncos are 13-29 in Kansas City.  However, the Broncos won the most important game in the rivalry, defeating the Chiefs 14-10 in the 1997 AFC Divisional Playoff on route to their first Super Bowl title!

This week, I hope Denver delivers the knockout punch and finishes the Chiefs for good.  According to Bob Gretz, a long-time reporter of the team, Dick Vermeil during his post-game address to his players, said something about the Denver Broncos that couldn't be repeated on the air.  I hope the Broncos players are aware the Chiefs don't have any respect for them.

With this week being a pivotal game, I wanted to recap the 12 Broncos regular season triumphs in Kansas City. 

 1974: Broncos comeback from a 14-3 halftime deficit to win their first game ever on the road in Kansas City! The defense held the Chiefs to 174 total yards of offense and Jon Keyworth scored 2 TDs to capitalize on opportunities created by a Billy Thompson 29 yard punt return and safety Calvin Jones' INT.

1976: Rick Upchurch returned a 55 yard punt for a TD to help the Broncos to a 35-26 victory. Denver ran for 192 yards on the ground, highlighted by the tandem of Otis Armstrong (101 yards, TD) and Jon Keyworth (84 yards, TD).

1977: The Chiefs ran into the brick wall of the Orange Crush. Denver won 14-7 highlighted by Otis Armstrong's 120 yard rushing day and Haven Moses' big receiving plays (4 rec, 80 yards TD).

1978: Denver grinded out a 23-17 overtime victory finalized by a long 13 play, 60 yard drive. The Broncos ran the ball 12 times on the final drive and finished the game with 59 rushing attempts for 228 yards and 2 TD. 9 different Broncos rushed the ball that day! Craig Morton started it off with a 42 yard TD pass to Pro Bowl TE Riley Odoms in the 1st quarter.

1979: The Broncos cruised to a 24-10 W highlighted by a crazy play. Chiefs RB Tony Reed fumbled the football, Bob Swenson picked it up, lateraled it back to Louis Wright, Wright fumbled the lateral and Billly Thompson picked it up and took it into the endzone for a 2 yard fumble return. Craig Morton threw TD passes to Rick Upchurch (8 rec, 72 yards, TD) and Haven Moses (107 yards, TD) to seal it in the 2nd half.

1985: Randy Robbins blocks 2 punts and Denver rolls to a 30-10 victory (score looks familiar doesn't it?). The Broncos were without Sammy Winder and ran the ball for 206 yards with help from Gerald Willhite, Steve Sewell and Gene Lang. Rulon Jones led the stellar defensive effort by sacking Bill Kenney twice.

1987 QB Ken Karcher and the scabs helped Denver to a 26-17. Thank you scabs for helping the Broncos gain home field advantage in 1987!

1989 John Elway's first 4th quarter comeback versus the Chiefs! On a crucial 3rd down and 8, Elway threw a 30 yard shuffle pass to Steve Sewell to set up David Treadwell's game winning FG to win it 16-13. Elway led the Broncos on a 10 play, 71 yard, 5:23 drive. In the 2nd quarter, DE Alonzo Carreker sacked Chiefs QB Steve Pelluer, knocked the ball loose and Greg Kragen scooped it up for a 17 yard touchdown.

1991 The Broncos picked off Steve DeBerg 4 times and Charles Dimry put the nail in the coffin with a 26 yard interception return to seal the win in the 4th quarter. Gaston Green broke a 60 yard TD run on route to a 133 yard effort in the 24-20 win. Steve Atwater, Wymon Henderson and Michael Brooks got their hands on the other OSKIES. All game long, the Broncos players mocked the "Tomahawk Chop" and Pat Bowlen rewarded the entire team with game balls in the locker room.

1994 Jason Elam nailed a 34 yard FG in overtime to down Kansas City 20-17 in an improbable game in which backup Hugh Millen led Denver on a game saving drive! Millen stepped back to pass, there was an open stretch of running room along the sidelines and Wade Phillips waved him on as Millen scrambled for a big 21 yard gain. Before the Millen comeback drive, the Chiefs were in Denver territory with 2 opportunties to end the game. As time expired in regulation, Shane Dronett blocked what would have been a game winning 37 yard FG by Lin Elliott. Later in overtime, the Chiefs had the ball on the Broncos 20 and Schottenheimer decided to keep running the ball to get Elliott a closer chip shot. Karl Mecklenburg knocked the ball loose on Marcus Allen and recovered the fumble! Elway suffered a knee sprain in the 4th quarter and somehowMillen pulled it off. I am still shocked Denver won that game because Denver had some of the worst backups between the retirement of Kubes and Brister in 98. After starting 0-4, the Broncos had improved their record to 7-6 with a big win.

1998 The Monday Night Chiefs Meltdown! Bubby Brister did his Steve Young impersonation with his remarkable 38 yard touchdown run. Terrell Davis added a big 41 yard score on the ground. Late in the 4th quarter, the Chiefs self-destructed with 5 personal foul penalties on Denver's final drive which led to a media firestorm and the eventual release of the late Wayne Simmons.

2002 Big Play Shay's record 214 yard performance highlighted by his 82 yard TD reception! Denver was down 34-20 in the 4th quarter and Brian Griese led the Broncos back on an improbable comeback. I gave Denver a 5% chance to win that game at that point. However, the Chiefs defense was so awful they allowed Griese to march down the field on them with little resistance. Just before Denver's game tying drive, Morten Andersen was short on a 43 yard field goal attempt that would have made it a two score game and Griese capitalized on it by going 11 plays, 69 yards to set up a Mike Anderson touchdown run. In overtime, Keith Burns blocked a Kansas City punt which set up Jason Elam's 25 yard FG to finish it at 37-34!

cmhadorn at 1:53:59 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 1 comments: Show Recent | Add your own

Today's epic will go down as one of my all-time favorite regular season Broncos victories of all-time. 

Since 2002, Denver had flirted with hot starts early in the season, only to fade down the stretch and struggle to hang on with 9-10 wins.  I felt the Broncos were fighting for legitimacy on Thanksgiving night in Big D.  Yes, the media has been infatuated with the Broncos of late, but there were still some skeptics about Jake Plummer's hot streak and Denver's ability to win a tough game on the road.  Since Denver rarely wins in Arrowhead, a loss would have put the Broncos' first place standing in serious jeopardy. 

Today, Dallas showed they are a legitimate NFC Super Bowl contender.  Up until Ron Dayne's 55 yard run to seal the game in overtime, the Cowboys had held the Broncos to a total of 89 rushing yards on 19 attempts.  It's remarkable the Broncos were able to take this game to overtime with only 19 rushing carries in regulation.  For much of the game, the Dallas defense demonstrated why they were one of the best defensive units.  They showed tremendous discipline in limiting the cutback lanes for both Mike Anderson and Ron Dayne.  

The Cowboys' defense completely took away Denver's vertical game and forced Jake Plummer (15-24 162 yds 1TD 1 INT) to dink and dunk.  Plummer looked uncomfortable in the pocket all game long when Dallas put him into 3rd and long situations.  They were also the lucky team to put an end to one of the most unexpected interception streaks in NFL history and Plummer was very fortunate that Terence Newman didn't pick off one of his errant throws that most likely would have sealed the game. 

Dallas beat Denver at their own game.  They dominated the time of possesion 35:42 to 24:18.  However, the Cowboys weren't very efficient with the added time.  The Dallas offense ran 77 plays, 31 more than the Broncos.  They were only able to muster 314 total yards of offense with their abundance of opportunties, averaging 4.1 yards per play.

The Cowboys stayed committed to the run in Bill Parcells' fashion with 32 carries, but both Julius Jones and Marion Barber had trouble finding daylight, gaining only 85 yards as team.  Drew Bledsoe had success throwing to Jason Witten, but Denver's fine cornerbacks did a solid job of containing the Cowboys' wideouts on the outside.  The Broncos' defense pretty much made Dallas a one-dimensional passing team.  Drew Bledsoe threw the ball 44 times and got picked off twice, which is never a good sign.  Despite the offensive struggles, Dallas had plenty of opportunities to win this game in the 4th quarter.  They were only a Billy Cundiff chip shot away from taking it. 

 

I wanted to compliment a few of the Broncos on their individual performances:

-Champ Bailey is as much of a gamer as anybody on this Broncos team.  He has played with a separated shoulder and a badly pulled hamstring all season long.  Champ loves the contact side of the game and he loves to get down and dirty.  He's one of the league's best run tackling cornerbacks.  Twice this season, he has made a difference making TD interception return to help the Broncos to victory. 

-Choo-Choo!  I'm on the Dayne Trayne!  Ron Dayne helped Denver to victory with his running to defeat San Diego in week 2.  Since then, Dayne has been deactivated many times and has been a good sport about it.  It was nice to see him step back into the limelight again after all the negative things that have been said about him since he won the Heisman Trophy in 1999.

-John Lynch for calling tails!

-Al Wilson for being old school and playing on a bad knee when he had every excuse to leave the game.

-D.J. Williams for showing glimpses again of his stellar rookie season when he led the team in tackles and finished 3rd in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

-Mike Shanahan for his playcalling this season.  I loved his decision to play it safe when Denver had a chance to win the game on their last possession during the 4th quarter.  Dallas did a superb job against Plummer in obvious passing situations and you can't fault Shanahan for not risking a potential diasterous turnover at that point in the game.  Shanahan had enough confidence in the defense and knew Denver had a better chance to win the game in overtime with a full arsenal of his playbook.  The gamble paid off. 

Overall, it wasn't Denver's best performance, but it was the "best win of the season" based on the quality of competition, the venue and the circumstances of the short week.   I love the fact Denver is going to get almost ten days to prepare for the rival Chiefs who have the Broncos' number at Arrowhead, especially in December. 

cmhadorn at 12:12:02 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

The pro football universe pretty much expected the Broncos to have little trouble with the Jets Sunday.  The Jets are a playoff caliber football team that has been decimated by injuries to QB Chad Pennington,  C Kevin Mawae, OT Jason Fabini and WR Wayne Chrebet this season.  This team was only one Dave Brien field goal from advancing to the AFC Championship Game last season.  Despite all the odds that were against them, the Jets defense did a respectable job today against Denver's offense. 

Once again, the Broncos offense didn't really do anything fancy, they just ran a good, old fashioned West Coast gameplan.   The best part of today's performance was watching the Broncos control the game clock 42:28 to 17:32.  That's right folks, the Denver defense was only on the field for 17:32!!!  With a tough showdown in Dallas only four days away, this is what the doctor ordered.  Today's game was the equivalent of a light, midweek scrimmage for the defense.  Not to mention, the defense got good practice teeing off on the Jets helpless QBs for 4 sacks, 2 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries.   With Dallas on the horizon, a fresh defense will be needed to slow down Drew Bledsoe, Julius Jones, Marion Barber, Jason Witten, Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Peerless Price, Larry Allen, Marco Rivera and company. 

cmhadorn at 1:59:55 AM EST Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 2 comments: Show Recent | Add your own