Denver vs. Kansas City: Post Game Quotes

HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On today’s game: “We talked about the keys to the game. Obviously the first one is you can’t turn the football over. Kansas City has an unbelievable home record when they win the turnover battle, and they won it by three today. Credit that to them. They ran the football exceptionally well. You’ve got to be able to stop the run and you’ve got to be able to run the football. Kansas City made a couple plays on special teams right there in the clutch; a big kickoff return to give them field position. Now we go back, obviously a tough loss. We had our opportunities during the game, credit to Kansas City for fighting like they did and finding a way to win. We’re obviously disappointed, but now we go back and get ready for the next game.”

On the status of WR Clifford Russell: “I really don’t know. I don’t know how he is. I know he was numb on his right side. Had feeling in his toes, and that was it. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”

QB JAY CUTLER

On if he was pressing today: “I don’t know. You know, you can’t have four turnovers offensively and score a lot of points. You know, one for four in the Red Zone, It’s hard to win ball games that way.”

On if Denver needed to run the football better today: “You know, we don’t know. We had the turnovers, we got in the hole a little bit, you know, we had to start throwing the ball around a little bit. So we should have played better in the first half.”

On what this loss means: “We’re 3-1. There’s a lot of football left. We’re still a good football team. We can’t go into a panic here. We’re going to go back and look at it and get ready for Tampa.

CB CHAMP BAILEY

On being prepared for the game: “You always think you are doing enough. I’ve been around this game long enough to know if we have a good week of practice or we don’t. Coach (Shanahan) came into the game saying stop the run, run the ball, no turnovers, and we’ll win the game. And, we didn’t do the things necessary to win the game.”

CB DRE’ BLY

On today’s game: “They were able to force more turnovers and we still had chance to win. RB Larry Johnson was able to make some runs. For the most part, we were able to keeps things in front of us in terms of our pass defense. But, we didn’t do a good job against the run this week. Larry Johnson is one the better backs in this league. I know he hasn’t gotten off to the good start he has in the past. He’s a big physical guy and he was able to make some plays. Like we say in this league, ‘On any given Sunday, a team can win.’ Just because they were winless doesn’t mean that they couldn’t win the football game. We’ve just got to go back to the drawing board and evaluate this film. Hopefully we can get ready for Tampa next week.

On giving up 30 points or more for three consecutive weeks: “We don’t want to give up as many points as we’ve given up the last three weeks. But, Kansas City was getting good field position. We did good job of holding them to field goals a couple of times. To be good in this league, you have to try to hold teams to under 20 points. Offensively, we couldn’t score the amount of points we have the last three weeks.

C CASEY WIEGMANN

On the Chiefs: “They were 0-3 with their backs against the wall. They had to come out swinging and that’s what they did. The coaches did a good job of preparing them and they were ready to go.”

On playing against his old teammates: “It doesn’t matter. It was fun seeing them after the game. It is what it is. I am a Bronco now.”  

HEAD COACH HERM EDWARDS

On today’s game: “That’s a good football team we played today. I think what we finally realized was we had to play with passion – just play, not worry about doing everything right or the score. I thought for the most part we did that.

“We went in with the mindset that they have a very good offense and were going to move the ball some, but hold them to field goals. If you just hold them to field goals you’re going to have a chance. They’ve been a team that has possessed the ball 10 times per game and they’ve scored five times out of those possessions – touchdowns and field goals. We just tried to reverse it and wanted to make them score two touchdowns and kick three field goals and you’ve got a shot.  We held them to less than that.

“I thought our offense did a great job of running the ball and keeping their offense off the field. That’s another way you combat a high powered offense like that. Our guys played with a lot of emotion and we took the ball away. Turnovers always help you. That was a big key too. Those kids deserve a win; our fans deserve a win, too. We haven’t won a football game in quite some time. I’ve never been in a drought like this before. Now we’ve got to try and build on this win.”

On the difference in the running game today: “I thought we finished our blocks and we’re starting to learn how to run the ball. I thought we ran the ball last week and while we didn’t win the game, we did some things running in the second half and we built on that. That was our mindset. The only way you can run effectively is if you don’t get behind. We weren’t behind and we kept running it. That was our whole emphasis. It was a close game and we wanted to stick to it. We didn’t get down by two scores or anything like that. That was our plan.”

On the play of your linebackers: “They took the ball away; they ran to the ball. We were a little shorthanded at times and not having (DE Tamba) Hali at full speed hurt. Gun (Cunningham) did a good job. They ran to the ball. The fumble the receiver had, that was a lineman (DE Turk McBride) chasing and hitting the ball out.

“I thought our corners did a pretty good job on the receivers. Denver passed the ball some but (CB Brandon) Carr and (CB Brandon) Flowers – two rookie corners – did a good job. The one touchdown pass (by Denver) in the end zone was a big time catch and the young (corner) came back and intercepted one later.”

On Red Zone defense holding Denver to field goals: “That was the key. I’ve always felt that anytime you get in the end zone that it favors you because the field is cut down and there is not room in the back of the end zone. The throws have to be very accurate. Last year we were in the top three in the Red Zone. If you can hold people from scoring and make them kick field goals, that’s the key. For a team like this that was averaging almost 38 points a game, it was pretty good.”

CHIEFS RB LARRY JOHNSON

On today’s game: “Well, we had great balance. We didn’t make a whole lot of plays in the passing game, but we were able to run the football. We fed off our defense’s energy and their ability to create turnovers. We kept fighting, we had the running game going and the passing game picked up there in the second half. It was a great, complete win. Our kicker had a great day today, just all around. All three phases contributed to a much-need win around here.”

On getting the running game going: “I think so. Anytime you get (RB) Larry (Johnson) the ball like we did and the yards he had, we’re going to have a good chance to win. And then our defense’s ability to create turnovers, like I said. We didn’t have a whole lot of turnovers on offense, when you do that you give yourself a chance to win, even against a really good football team.”

On if missing two TD opportunities early might have hurt: “Maybe, we had a lot of energy today. Everybody played with a lot of energy. All the young guys on our defense flying around, our crowd was into it. It was just nice to get a lead early. Even though we only got field goals, we were still ahead early, so that’s the first time that’s happened in a while it seems like. We got that early lead, we got the momentum, we built on it and just put together a great win today.”

On playing with a lead: “I think it relaxes us a little bit. We hone in on our jobs and individually, you know, make a pass, make a run, make a block, do your job. You know, know your role and do your job and we did that today. We executed and we won the game.”

On what this win means in the big picture of things: “It’s one win. We’re 1-3. But it gives us some confidence. We can beat a team that’s 3-0 and playing the way the Broncos were coming in to this game. I think it’s something we’ve got to build on and certainly next week in Carolina.”

On if the offense was feeding off of the defense’s play: “Oh yeah, no question. That’s when you’re at your best when you’re both feeding off of each other; you know offense, defense, special teams. Making plays making hits. (WR Dwayne) Bowe making great catches, (TE) Tony (Gonzalez) (RB) Larry (Johnson) on and on. When playmakers make plays like that you get the momentum and football as we all know is such a game of momentum. We got that early and built on it wouldn’t let down and had a great team win.”

On his performance today: “I think I managed the game well, I didn’t force anything, I was pretty smart with the football for the most part. It was a pretty good game.”

On if this is the most satisfying win he’s had with the Chiefs: “I don’t know. I guess when you lose 12 in a row, this is definitely significant. It’s a nice win. It’s up there.”

LB DERRICK JOHNSON

On the game: “This was a must win game for this football team. We were getting kind of frazzled. We knew our backs were against the wall to win this game. This team came in 3-0 and played good football. The Denver Broncos played good football. They didn’t let us just have it. We just fought. We had fight.”

On his forced fumble play: “We’ve been working on it all week, the toss from the shotgun. He kind of seized up before the play and just anticipated and I shot the gap. It looked like I was back in college at Texas. I was just making a play. I was making a play for this football team stripping it out.”

On the interception? “I was really surprised I caught it. I was just reading my keys. Knowing that it was third-and-long, don’t jump the little routes and stay back with the Defense.”

On playing in the heat: “We were sweating and we were getting really tired out there. A couple of times I had to get to the sidelines a couple of times to gets some oxygen. We’re a well-disciplined football team and we worked our butts off to get this win. We’re just happy right now.”

On what this win means: “It’s something to build on. This is a division opponent too, so this is a big win for this football team. We cannot be satisfied with this football game, we need to build on it. We beat a really good football team.”

G BRIAN WATERS

On the game: “We are just excited that we played a decent game for four quarters on all sides of the ball and made some plays. Special teams really helped us out and settled some scores for us. We got some turnovers, the defense did a great job of getting some turnovers and getting us in the scoring areas. We did a good job finishing off some (drives) we still had some yards, had some points out there. We wish we would have got some of those and maybe we could have made this thing a little easier. A win is a win and we really needed it.”

On having a short field for the offense today: “The great thing about it is that we were able to gain some points and reward our defense by putting some points on the board. We would love to get touchdowns in those areas, but just being able to put points on the board for a team that hasn’t been scoring very many points. Anytime we can put some points on the board after a turnover is a great thing to really salute our defense for the great job well done.

On the offensive line and Larry Johnson’s performance: “I think everyone is starting to get on the same page. We’re getting better knowing exactly where we’re going to and the running backs are getting better at knowing where we’re going to so they can set up things for us a little bit. And really just finishing blocks and running hard. That’s really what we’ve got to do as a team.”

On today’s pass protection: “We felt like coming into this game that this was an area that we could get better. Our biggest area of improvement is going to be pass protection. We’re really upset because the sack we gave up was really a miscommunication between the quarterback and the receiver and we ended up cutting a guy thinking the ball was going to be out and he ended up getting sacked. So even with that we were able to overcome it. The great thing about is that we didn’t let it bother us and we just got back and went back to work. That’s where we got to be in this game, we have to have our head on strong and just focus on the next play.”

WR DWAYNE BOWE

On the game: “It was great. They (Denver) were behind all four quarters. The offense, we scored almost every time we got the ball and they gained confidence to do their job well and fill the gap and they know that the other guy was going to make the tackle.

On getting a victory: “I knew it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. It was  a big game like this where we needed to show that we can go out and play for four quarters and we did. … It’s nice getting the pressure off of the coaches and staff. We are the one’s that have to go out and do our jobs and make the plays and we showed it.”

On Damon Huard’s performance: “He played like a veteran is supposed to play. He made the throws. He made the checkdowns. Now he has confidence going into next week.”

On wanting to go for it on fourth down during the second drive of the day: “Once you do one thing and it works, and another thing and it works, that builds confidence. That’s what wins games when the whole offensive line and the quarterback is confident. When the quarterback is confident, the receivers are confident. I was just hoping (to go for it), but the coaches made a great decision and kicked the field goal and that kept us in the game.”

On Larry Johnson’s 65-yard run: “It opened up things tremendously, the corners stopped playing back and that just left him with tremendous holes to read. He made some great runs and I made some blocks for him and he finished it off.”

NFL to Denver: Still Just Human

It was suggested early last week by me, that, being that the Kansas City Chiefs employed two of the best players in the NFL- maybe they should try getting them the ball. I suggested maybe just passing the ball to Tony Gonzalez and Dewayne Bowe all the time, spell that by handing the ball off to Larry Johnson- couldn't be a worse outcome right? 

Well, slap my ass and call me Herm Edwards.

The problem? The Denver Broncos defense was complacent in their misery, they may have actually gained overall ground in the NFL against the Chiefs; being that the Chiefs only scored 33 points. The Broncos secondary gave up only 160 yards to the Chiefs and only 207 yards to their ground game. By all looks of it, Denver showed vast improvement on defense. As good as the Broncos defense is at being bad, it was ultimately the Broncos offense that lost the game. 

Denver fans were ready to crown Brandon Marshall the messiah and Eddie Royal his second coming. Then they both fumbled, Royal on the Broncos opening drive, deep in Denver territory. Marshall's was even worse though... 

The Messiah's drop cost the Broncos their drive, their forward momentum and their confidence. Quarterback Jay Cutler went on to throw two times as many interceptions to the Chiefs than he has all season, if that wasn't enough, his sack total was doubled as well. 

However, despite it all, Cutler threw for 361 yards, Royal had his second 100-yard game, Selvin Young kept chipping away at his 2,000 yard prediction with 49 yards (only 1,821 to go). So what gives? Brandon Stokley even came out a bit this game, he was worth 80 yards. So improved defense- check. Offensive production- check. Better special teams- check. What's so different this game?

It has become my mantra lately, defense wins championships, but not games- hell, the Philadelphia Eagles just proved it, losing to the Chicago Bears. Offense wins games.

Breaking down my focuses:

• Focus one: Contain Tony Gonzalez.
  
  Throughout all of my scouting on the Chiefs, last week I in advisably said that the Chiefs should just feed Gonzo the ball. Let Johnson and Bowe spell him and just see what happens. The Chiefs did find Gonzalez for a touchdown, but for the most part Boss Bailey kept the man in check. 
  
  
• Focus two: Stop Larry Johnson.
  
  The man went buck wild on that 65-yard run, he shouldn't have, but it happened and he did. He finished with 198 yards. He probably wouldn't have, except Kansas City was leading the whole game, did you expect them to pass? The man has made a career out of teeing off against the Broncos. 
  
  
• Focus three: Cover Dewayne Bowe.
  
  For the life of me I do not know why Bowe caught wild on Denver, but then again, I really do and that brings me to my fourth focus. That was... 
  
  
• Focus four: Incorporate rookie cornerback Jack Williams in as the nickel back. 
  
  Fed up with Karl Paymah getting ran over? Me too, I was the first calling for Jack "Mother F***ing" Williams two weeks ago, he tore it up in preseason and in training camp. However, Jack "Mother F***ing" Williams became Jack "Mother F***er" Williams today. However, what the hell was he doing covering Bowe in the first place? Who the hell was Champ Bailey covering on that play? It got to the point where literally every time Bowe caught a pass, Williams was covering him. What is up with that? Did the Chiefs have two other receivers that I wasn't aware of that warranted Bailey and Dre Bly's attention? 

Let me sum this whole thing up by saying that, I'd rather Denver get humbled in September by the Chiefs then get blown up by the Carolina Panthers in the midst of a playoff hunt. So with that out of the way, I've got plenty of Tampa Bay Buccaneers scouting information to report to you. So keep plugged in, because I'm back. 

Larry Johnson photo courtesy of Reuters.

Brandon Marshall courtesy of A.P./Charles Riedel

After Further Review...

Isn't DVR a wonderful thing? A second/third viewing of the September 14 game between the Broncos and the Chargers has produced the following observations:

• The overall defense wasn't as bad as it seemed in realtime. Run D is much improved.


• Pressure was applied to Philip Rivers, but he just stands in the shrinking pocket and throws the ball. Elvis is banged up and the Broncos need another pass rushing defensive lineman. We are all wondering about Jarvis Moss. Ekuban and Peterson made some big-time defensive plays. Engelberger had a sack. Josh Shaw played some. Robertson and Thomas are doing a good job in the middle and really collapse the pocket on pass plays while remaining solid against the run. The Broncos are playing a three-man odd-front D-Line in passing situations. My jury is still out on that.


• Sproles was mostly contained when he was rushing except for his TD run which must have been a blown play for the D. The Bronco LBs ran themselves out of position in a way that Slowik couldn't have possibly wanted. Aside from the kick return for a TD (oops), he was contained by Denver's ST.


• Denver's LBs may as well be considered as new with Williams and Webster in new spots and Bailey new to the team. Boss was playing in his first game since the first preseason game. It seems that he was manned up on Tolbert when San Diego made a big pass play to him in the third quarter. My take is that the defense will improve as it advances through the season with the backers becoming more comfortable with the system, the calls and each other. One wonders, however, if Webster runs himself out of position to make tackles. DJ was great and got a flag for a hit on Rivers which was duplicated by the Chargers later on, but with no flag on them.


• In spite of big plays by the Chargers in the third quarter, Denver's D held them to two FGs instead of TDs which is huge.


• Karl Paymah doesn't seem to be able to cover as a nickel DB. That's odd because nickel coverage is often cover 1. Paymah was clearly in man several times, especially against Chris Chambers. Eventually Jack Williams may get his chance.


• Safety play appears to be just adequate at the moment. Three of them (McCree, Manuel and Lowry) are new, so maybe we'll see steady improvement. I hope so. Two Safeties (Barrett and Rogers) are on the Practice Squad, so if there is regression at that position ...


• Punting and place-kicking are vastly improved this year. Prater made a 50+ FGA and Kern punted for about 60yds a couple of times. He seems to be a pretty good holder, too. This situation seems fixed. O'Brian seems to be a good coach for kickers/punters.


• Kick coverage is mostly good except for the occasional breakdown (e.g., Sproles' TD). There are many new players on ST (Koutouvides, Woodyard, Larsen, etc.), so maybe more consistency can be anticipated. Punt coverage was pretty good.


• Raving about the "skill" positions aside, the big development for Denver's O is the line. Hey ... , they ARE BIG. The tackles are very young and inexperienced, but the Ryans are playing great right now. Clady is a better pass than run blocker at the moment, but he has much upside. Harris has really stepped up and pleasantly surprised us all after we expected to see Kuper at RT. San Diego's odd-front DL w/a different backer coming each play was a good test for the O-Line. That front is more difficult for the C and Gs than for the tackles. Kuper struggled with it at times, but came out OK. Hamilton's return is doing wonders for the OL. His experience, leadership and consistency are invaluable. Wiegmann is doing a great job, but gets his butt kicked from time to time. An odd front with a big NT and ILBs blitzing the A gap is harder for him than a split-front. Let us hope Nalen can return before much longer and give Casey a break. Lichtensteiger is getting some game time in the backfield on short yardage/in + 20 situations which is interesting.


• Even after trading away Colbert and Jackson injured at the moment, Denver's receivers are a scary bunch especially when you include Scheffler. One of his TDs came on a route he ran as a split-end vs. double coverage. Marshall the Monster, Royal the Rookie (who plays like a vet) and Stokley the Slot Machine are as difficult a group to cover as any in the league because they are all so different from each other. Imagine covering Scheffler on one play and Royal on the next followed by Marshall and, later on, Stokley. Wait 'til Darrell is back at full speed. Graham is stll mostly a blocker (he's SO good at it), but he will get some balls thrown his way in each game. Nate Jackson draws coverage and is an excellent ST player.
• The RB committee is working well, better than most suspected. Hall, Young and Pittman are following their blocks, making the cuts and getting good yards. How did you like that 3rd and 24 situation where the Broncos gave the ball to Selvin who cut back and got blocks from Cutler, Marshall and Royal to run for a 1st down? Sweet! By rotating the backs, Shanahan is keeping them all healthy and using them on ST as well. Just wait until Torain returns ... just wait. Peyton Hillis deservedly earned his roster spot as the "true FB". He is learning as he goes. Sometimes he blocks the wrong guy on a blitz, but he will figure it all out sooner rather than later. His blocking is better than I thought it would be. Also thought he would have a bigger impact as a receiver than a ballcarrier, but so far it's been the other way around. It is inevitable that will change when defenses think they have found a way to cover Marshall, Royal and Scheffler AND stop the run when Hillis is in. That's when Shanahan and Co. will get him the ball through the air. Watch out when Pittman is in the backfield with Hillis.
• If Jay Cutler isn't the real deal as a premier NFL QB, then I haven't seen one lately. He has a ball security issue that I'm sure he will fix (dropped the ball twice vs. Chargers). Averaging over 300 yards per game, he seems to be on a mission to compensate for the defense (which shows signs of improvement). The OL is protecting him well giving ample time to connect with a dangerous group of receivers. The pass is setting up a run game which must be respected at all times. Finally, the playcalling is imaginative and aggressive. Cutler gives Shanahan and Co. the ability to run anything from their playbook from anyplace on the field.

"Are you ready for some football!"

This isn't what you'll see on Monday night, but it's enough to get you pumped up for Monday.

Okay... Not quite the hax0r that I used to be, copy and paste here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_LfRE9lr3c

"You want their Momma's to say, 'Oh, that's not my child, my child has a face!'" - Samuel L. Jackson



(Javalon over at BCMB is nice enough to post it up for all of the Denver Broncos fans.)

Echoes of Futures Past

Last year, Mike Shanahan was asked for his position on the team, prior to the first game of the season, "We're undefeated..." he said as he kept walking briskly. He was right, two weeks later, still undefeated. The Walker injury, the Indianapolis game, then Travis Henry, we were a team that had overdosed and in desperate need of an intervention. Or at least a breath. There was none to be had, a team that couldn't breath, back against the wall and stumbling punch drunk.

I've referenced the dark cloud before, I'm not going there again, but I will say there's nothing like the days before the season starts. Knowing only that you really don't know is always the most exciting part of any game for me, it just gets magnified prior to the season. The optimist in me usually strangles the pessimist in me and this is usually around the time that I cut off my nose to spite having a knife.

Seems a far cry from, "We're undefeated," doesn't it? I don't have anything bad to say about the Raiders, hell, I feel bad for them. I am working for someone whom I is very similar to the Raiders owner/general manager Al Davis. Similar in that they're both far past their time, stuck with old ideas and burdened by the fact that they'll never quite be great again. Sad in that life has dwindled down to just one measly possession and like a good captain of a ship, they will hold the mast as their old age blinds them into every oncoming iceberg until there is nothing left of the ship to hold onto and nothing but the cold dead sea will be there to embrace them in the end.

Did you see the look in Mike Shanahan's eyes when he said, "No, it doesn't dissipate at all." (01:05). How he held his gaze and his eyes grew cold, could you feel his thoughts? As the reporter continued the question and Shanahan's eyes literally went bloodshot on camera, "When I said it doesn't dissipate, that's what that means..." (01:18). He's laughing, but that's so he doesn't axe that guy right there. I know exactly how he feels and this is how I know that this season is different than any other. It also happens to be the reason why earlier I said that I feel bad for the Oakland Raiders.

Denver Broncos release three: Parker, Mallard, Lorne

Tuesday is the deadline for the rosters being trimmed to 75, yet today Denver released three players.

Veteran wide receiver Samie Parker cut.

Most notable of the cuts is veteran wide receiver Samie Parker who came to the Denver Broncos via free agency, Parker was a long time Kansas City Chief. He came at a time prior to the Broncos signing wide receiver Darrell Jackson, who is expected to start opposite Brandon Marshall/Eddie Royal this season.

The Denver Broncos also cut defensive tackle Josh Mallard and wide receiver Lorne Sam. Josh Mallard is a major surprise, as he has seen time with the first-team defense on several occasions during training camp and in rushing situations. Mallard played in only a couple of games last season, but was able to compile three sacks.

Big Changes Coming

Everyone, I know that I've been a bit sporadic with the updates lately. I have been doing my best to make updates that you haven't known about the whole day when I do make an update. I'm being sub-planted on the east coast (back to New York City), so I've been running around, finding apartments and such... However, there are some rather major things in the works here at your favorite Denver Broncos Blog.

All will be revealed very soon, I can't give anything away just yet, but soon.

Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: 4th Quarter

4th and goal from tehe 1. Patrick Ramsey rolls, diving attempt by Clifford Russell is incomplete.

Packers get it from their own one yard line, rush out to their one five-yard line.

Would love to see a pass-rush here, fat chance, but the Broncos and Roderick Rogers stop Green Bay on the next run, next play Brohm's pass is incomplete as he goes 0-4. Packers punt from deep in their own end-zone.

Glenn Martinez drops the punt, but makes it to the Packers 45.

Here we go, would love to see Darrell Hackney in here, but apparently only the Denver Broncos fans can see that he is clearly the number two quarterback in Denver. So Ramsey marches back out.

Ramsey hits Keary Colbert on a deep pass, but Colbert drops it as the Packers safety knocks it loose. Ow well, guys that make the team would have caught that.

Ramsey dumps it off to his old faithful Michael Pittman for about six, follows it up with a nice pass for a Broncos first down. Ramsey is 8-12

Ramsey pitches it out to Michael Pittman for about 6. Pittman's feeling Anthony Aldridge on his heels, so he's running like there is no tomorrow, but barely misses the next down.

Peyton Hillis gets the hand-off, and he gets the first down.

Andre Hall comes in and runs for five yards. Hall on the next play fights through three tacklers for two more yards, to the 19. 3rd and five.

Ramsey to Clifford Russell for nine yards, first down Denver!

Ramsey reads his progressions, dumps it off to Michael Pittman for a touchdown pass. 8:27 left to go 24-20 Broncos.

Domonique Foxworth stays high to stop the first Packers pass for three.

Broncos show blitz and stop the run for two, Packers try to quick pass- Foxworth is not having that. Packers will punt. Packers punt 75 yards out to the one... Wow, John Ryan, of the Packers with an official 72 yard kick.

Ramsey's back out lob to Clifford Russell who catches, then doesn't catch the ball.

Pittman on 2nd down runs for about two.

Ramsey is hit as he throws and bobbles an INTERCEPTION to Jason Humphrey on his own 10 yard line. Mile High Salute Patrick Ramsey! Here's to one more before the end of the game, Jack Williams can't save your ass this time. Well, maybe he can, he is Jack "M****F***in'" Williams. Oh good he's hurt, maybe the Broncos will be forced to cut him.

2nd and goal, Jarvis Moss in on the tackle. Green Bay in the I formation. Hand off fumbles on the one and the refs call Lumpkin down at the one. Niko Koutouvides makes the tackle to savee the touchdown.

3rd and one, the Broncos stop the diving touchdown. Creating 4th and one.

The Bronco crowd is so loud, that I can't hear Lumpkin get the touchdown for the lead. Packers lead 27-24.

Hopefully Darrell Hackney can save our soul now. And he will, time to show and prove my man, you can drunk drive, but can you drive sober. Let's get it! 3:15 left in the game.

Glenn Martinez gets it to the kick-off to the 35, Larry Birdine is now hurt.

Patrick Ramsey's arm is wrapped, 3:08 to go.

Hackney to Michael Pittman passes for negative four.

Hackney to Glenn Martinez and it's 3rd and five.

Slot left, Martinez in motion over the middle, first down to Martinez for 18 yards! Flag down, illegal motion on Denver five yard penalty 3rd down.

Hackney, 3rd and 10. Don't make me look like an asshole, passes deep down field to Keary Colbert at the 20. Hits his hands, Colbert drops is (of course) and the Broncos will punt. No, they're going for it 4th and 10.

Good to see Keary Colbert in on the third-team though, hopefully he'll be cut. Hackney literally has a Packers linebacker hanging on him, he's still up looking for an open receiver, as another Packer's linebacker levels him and he still gets the ball out of bounds.

Patrick Ramsey, notice how he didn't throw an interception.

Packers take over on downs, not on an interception.

First and ten Green Bay, Denver has two time outs and a Green Bay 2nd down with less than 1:45 left in the game.

Clock rolling, Shanahan doesn't care about winning this game as the Packers take a knee.

Truth is, Broncos first-team is better than the Packers' first-team.

Doom's not hurt, Marquand Manuel's not hurt and that's all I really need to know.

UPDATE: Shanahan says Manuel's thumb may have been broken.

There's more! Check out the Broncos Denver Broncos Blog for multiple daily updates.
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Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: Third Quarter

Opening kickoff and Marquand Manuel is helped off the field, he is the starting free safety for Denver.

Patrick Ramsey comes in and Michael Pittman is handling handoffs.

Dibs on Ramsey's interceptions this half? I'd say two, I've got two...

Green Bay still has their first team defense on the field.

Ramsey has his pass knocked down as the Packers appeared to rush no one then, rushed nine at the last moment.

Brett Kern's punt is impressive, but is negated by the piss poor second-team punt defense and the Packers make the Broncos look like, well... The Broncos.

Green Bay Packers keep their first-team offense and the Broncos get their fifteen yards on the first play.

Wesley Woodyard stops the next play for no gain what-so-ever. 2nd and 13.

Karl Paymah's coverage on Greg Jones could have been pass interference, but Aaron Rodgers pass to Jones is out of bounds.

Next play, same play, Paymah gets called in teh end-zone for pass interference. First and goal on the one yard line.

Brandon Jackson is stopped on the one-yard line! Niko Koutouvides and Wesley Woodyard on the stop.

Jackson is stopped again by thee Denver second-team defensive line. Give Larry Birdine and Wesley Woodyard the credit.

Third time's a charm and Aaron Rodgers gets the touchdown on the QB sneak. 20-17 Green Bay, but remember that's the first-team Packers offense against the second-team Broncos defense.

UPDATE: Marquand Manuel has hurt his thumb and went to the locker room.

Broncos second-team offense stalled in their first drive, let's see where they go. Michael Pittman is wrapped up by Desmond Bishop, Pittman cut back way too early.

Patrick Ramsey's dump off to Michael Pittman goes barely for a first down, this is Pittman's specialty.

Pitch to Pittman goes nowhere, the safety Aaron Rouse stops it in the backfield.

Ramsey scrambling on the next play hits Keary Colbert for nine yards.

Ramsey's handoff to Pittman goees for negative yards and the punt team heads out.

The second-team offensive line just can't handle the pressure right now.

Packers punt returner catches the punt from Brett Kern and is knocked to the ground by his own player.

Noah Herron, Packers third-stringer, who beat a lampshade against a robber in the off-season, he nearly beat him to death. Regardless, he's now beating the Broncos to death, running for 4-10 yards at will. Brian Brohm is in at quarterback for the Packers.

Thank science the Packers brought in their second-team, because now the Broncos can compete again. Some pressure and dropped pass make it 2nd and 13 for Green Bay.

Defensive end Paul Carrington may be hurt on the Broncos side, the Broncos trainers rush out to help him.

Wesley Woodyard again in on a tackle, this #59 is an animal. However, the Broncos look like the Broncos of last year. Not able to make a tackle on a rush...

Alvin McKinley, doing his best to make a point pushes Packers quarterback Brohm to the ground as Tim Crowder bats the ball down. Domonique Foxworth breaks the 3rd down pass up and Mason Crosby is back in for 53 yards, but it's wide right.

Broncos second team offense may be clicking against this second-team defense... Pittman catches a dump from Ramsey for about eight. 3rd and 1. Ramsey bootlegs to Clifford Russell for the first down. A late hit on Patrick Ramsey gives Denver an extra 15 yards.

Clifford Russel's my guy by the way, the dark horse, Michael Pittman rushes on the next play for 15, Andre Hall comes in, first and goal from the 6.

Patrick Ramsey nearly passes for his first interception! Not quite as Ramsey's interception attempt to Clifford Russell is incomplete. Ramsey will be back though.

Ramsey hits Brett Pierce at the two yard line. That's two bootlegs in a row. Hall is still in the back field.

Cecil Sapp isn't enough to get into the backfield.

Paul Carrington- strained calf muscle done for the night as the third quarter is done.

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Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: Second Quarter

Denver defensive coordinator Bob Slowik finally gets it together and the Denver Broncos are able to stop the Packers on 3rd and 16. Packers will punt to Eddie Royal.

Eddie Royal lets his rookie shine and waves off a punt that bounces to the one before the Packers down it. I'd really love to see Royal get a punt return.

Let's see if Denver can do a 99 yard drive.

Jay Cutler yet again guns a pass, incomplete, this time to Tony Scheffler 1-7.

Andre Hall runs up the middle for a gain of two yards. 4rd and 8.

Peyton Hillis! The best hands in the backfield, for the first down, he gets all the way to the 17.

Andre Hall breaks an 18 yard run. Selvin who? He's one player away from going yard.

Next play: Andre Hall again for about seven yards. Mike Shanahan loves to run backs back-to-back.

Selvin Young, yawn, Clifford Russell is wide as Selvin Young gains the three necessary for a first.

Jay Cutler on first from the shot gun, run a draw, Selvin Young takes it for about eight before Charles Woodson attempts to take his head off. Selvin Young runs for two on the next play.

That's the problem with Denver, focused on the first down, not focused on scoring.

Cutler roll and passes to Eddie Royal, Nick Rollins is draped all over him, but there is no passs interference.

Nate Jackson! With an incredible catch for a first down!

Screw Brandon Marshall, Andre Hall is the most dangerous player in Denver. Catching a dump out of the backfield. He goes for 20 to the 17 yard line. Broncos continue to drive off of their 99 yard drive

Hall taken out in favor of Michael Pittman, who gets the two yards the Broncos need for the first down.

Nate Jackson with the touchdown from Jay Cutler!

Matt Prater killed that kickoff, it ended up somewhere near the south standers...

DJ Williams with great coverage! Yet, he gets the pass interference. Yet, it's great to see DJ able to cover a receiver of Donald Driver's ability.

After that horrible play, Brandon Jackson catches a dump off pass, splits Jamie Winborn and Nate Webster and goes forever. Before Hall of Famer Champ Bailey gets him out of bounds.

Jamie Winborn makes up for it on the next play and the Packers still can't run on the Broncos.

No pressure on Aaron Rodgers, Nate Webster wraps up the Packers back on the dump off.

3rd and 6, four men in the box, there's a flag- damnit. I was looking forward to seeing how Denver held them. Off-sides on Green Bay. They're going for it again 3rd and 11. Denver holds! Barely though, Dre Bly missed a tackle on the third-string tight end.

Packers going for it on fourth, quarterback sneak and, Aaron Rodgers gets his second quarter back sneak.

John Engleberger destroys Brandon Jackson on the next play. Nate Webster **** the bed and missed the first tackle. 2nd and 5.

Question marks everywhere... Either Dallas is horrible or Green Bay is really incredibly good. Don't know yet.

When Denver's not rushing, they have four men in the box, the three linebackers way back and they kind of just float there...

Dump pass is swallowed up by Marlon McCree and Kenny Peterson. Fourth down.

Elvis Dumervil hurt a finger, great...

Mason Crosby in for a field goal 10-10.

Two minute offense time, Jay Cutler comes out with 1:41 left on his 20.

Pass play deep to Brandon Marshall and it looks like it's intercepted. However, may have been interference and it is. 1st and 10 on the 48 yard line.

Cutler looks deep TOUCHDOWN BRANDON MARSHALL, same play, same man, defender knocks the ball into Brandon Marshall's hand.

Here's the message to the NFL, give Brandon Marshall on one-on-one coverage and he will destroy you.

Took the Broncos 16 seconds to score, this is Madden '08 type football. I am not kidding, the problem is that Denver only took 16 seconds off, but it gives us a chance to see the number one defense against an urgent offense.

Over the middle, Donald Driver catches one off of Marlon McCree, gave Driver at least 15 yards.

Dump off to Marency, goes for 10. 56 seconds left and two timeouts for the Packers.

Domonique Foxworth yet again shows why he's a number three corner back, letting the Packers catch yet again in front of him, another first and 10.

No pass rush, of course Green Bay gains another 9, Jamie Winborn on the tackle off of the dump off.

This bend but not break defense... I don't know. 14 seconds left and the Packers call a time onut on their own. 34. The tight end hurdles Foxworth on his way to the sideline. Smart attempt, poor execution.

Aaron Rodgers passes deep into the end-zone, but Foxworth blankets Greg Jennings and it goes out of bounds.

Mason Crosby comes in with five seconds left. 13-17 Denver and it's halftime.



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Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: First Quarter

Got started just a bit late, sorry guys.

Broncos D-line looked pathetic on the first series.

Got scored on, where was the covereage?

I don't get why our sweep plays are starting off so deep. It's never worked for us and now we're trying it still in the preseason.

Giant run for the Broncos from Selvin Young, that's what we've been waiting for from Young.

Selvin Young's lining up literally 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, I don't understand. He runs 13 to gain three yards...

Jay Cutler looks good tucking and scrambling, hasn't been sacked yet ::knock on wood::

Andre Hall gets yet another first and ten, imagine that? Penalties, even with the Packers having 12 men on the field doesn't mean they can stop the inevitable which is Andre Hall. Green Bay's Charles Woodson hurt.

Jay Cutler's 0-3 a very far cry from last weekend. Just complete one man, we'll get back on track.

Cutler to Brandon Marshall! Finally!

Andre Hall was tackled by an unblocked strong safety. Nice!

Brandon Stokley has now missed two passes this series. This one was Cutler's fault.

Selvin Young, got both hands on a pass and can't come up with it. Bring Hall back in!

Here comes Matt Prater, he's missed his first attempt every game so far- He doesn't this time 3-7 Packers.

Let's see how the Denver Broncos defense does on their second series, after adjustments.

Nate Webster just owned someone in the Packer's running system and may have solidified his first-team membership.

DeWayne Robertson with his first major contribution to the defense!

Well, we get to see the Broncos in spread coverage, Marlon McCree proves once again to be useless in man-on-man.

Dre Bly gives Greg Jennings an inch, he takes a mile... Stop them Denver!

Well, Nate Webster and Champ Bailey made sure that the Packers knew they still can't run on us. Now, let's stop the pass.

There was a sack, Kenny Peterson somehow didn't get to him! Either way, Elvis Dumervil got called for off-sides, so it doesn't matter.

Packers are just marching down the field on Denver, this is pathetic. Come on Bob Slowik, figure it out.

Finally a sack! Doom! Elvis Dumervil lining up on the left side to wrap up the first quarter!


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HBO's Hard Knocks featuring Denver Broncos tonight!

HBO's Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys features Dallas' trip to the Denver Broncos practice in Dove Valley this past week.

Sorry, forgot to announce this earlier, get your DV-R's ready. I'm watching it right now on the east coast. I'll be back to edit this with a review.

Know Your Opponent: Green Bay Packers

Denver Broncos record vs. Green Bay Packers: Home 4-1 Away 0-4-1, overall 5-5-1.

Connections: The Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers first met each other in 1974 during the preseason at Lambeau Field, the Broncos won 31-21 (the preseason was 6 games back then). The Broncos and Packers, coupled with the New England Patriots are the top three winning teams in the NFL since 1997 (Patriots: 135-73, Packers: 134-74, Broncos: 130-78). Since the NFL incorporated a 16 game season, Denver holds the most season with an undefeated record at home (4), the Packers are tied for second (3) with the Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs. Broncos are 6-2 in the preseason vs. the Packers and undefeated at home in the preseason.

On Denver's side: Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Bob Slowik came to Denver via Green Bay, where he was the defensive backs coach (2000-2001), assistant head-coach/defensive backs (2002-2003) and defensive coordinator (2004). Denver offensive assistant offensive coach Joe Baker coached the secondary in Green Bay in 2004, where they led the league against the pass. Denver defensive assistant Charlie Jackson also coached with Green Bay in 2006 where he was a defensive assistant/quality control.

Denver safety Marquand Manuel started every game for Green Bay in 2006, totaling a career-high 102 tackles and one interception returned for a touchdown.

History: Most notably Denver defeated Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXII, other than that it seems to be whoever is playing at home historically wins the ball game. With the exception of last season's 82-yard connection courtesy of Brett Favre. Quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Jay Cutler have befriended one another this off-season.

Key contributors: WR- Donald Driver, WR- Greg Jennings, RB- Ryan Grant, OL- Chad Clifton, LB- Nick Barnett, CB- Al Harris, CB- Charles Woodson and S- Atari Bigby.

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Tom Nalen to have another surgery

The Denver Post is reporting that Denver Broncos center Tom Nalen is going in for what head coach Mike Shanahan refers to as a, "clean-up." The surgery is to take place on Friday and comes after Nalen participated, though limited, in practice the last two days. This procedure is a last effort to have the ailing center ready for the Broncos Monday Night Football regular season debut two Mondays from now against the Oakland Raiders.

Nalen's backup at center Casey Wiegmann has anchored the offensive-line, that returns only one starter from last season, the whole preseason. Denver's in good hands either way, to me the situation is starting to make me look over out of the corner of my eye a little bit. Tom Nalen is a sure fire Hall of Famer and he may be desperately clinging to life in the NFL. Denver can afford to lose him, though it will burn...

Best of luck to Tom and we here at Broncos Denver Broncos hope that he is able to return soon.

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Sundquist joins ProFootballTalk

Former Denver Broncos General Manager Ted Sundquist has joined Mike Florio and the gang at ProFootballTalk.com. Florio explains:

"We’re pleased, thrilled, happy, and frankly a bit befuddled to announce that former Denver Broncos G.M. Ted Sundquist will be joining the PFT team.

Seriously.

Ted will be responsible for a brand-new feature on the site. Each week, he’ll provide a scouting report for three selected games. Then, after the games are played, he’ll provide a scouting breakdown of each of the three contests."

Well, that's certainly exciting, should provide incredible insight, similar to how Sports Illustrated's Mike Lombardi is able to say so much with so little and provide incredible insight with his blurbs on his blog.

Ted Sundquist is no stranger to blogging either, he had a blog last year on DenverBroncos.com.

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TMQ article opens up some old wounds

I might be part to blame, calling that the 2008 Denver Broncos would finish somewhere between 14-2 and 12-4 this season. I predicted nearly every preseason position battles winner (including Marquand Manuel over Hamza Abdullah), I predicted the rise of Jay Cutler and Eddie Royal and I've also predicted that Andre Hall would be the number one back in Denver (okay that one hasn't happened yet, but I've finally got the bandwagon behind me).

An unconscious memory was ripped to the forefront of my brain after reading this afternoon's TMQ Broncos Preview. Dripping in glossy sarcasm ESPN.com Page 2's Greg Easterbrook, points out that amongst other things:

"Bob Slowik is the new guy, and twice already Slowik has been fired after a one-year stint as an NFL defensive coordinator. This makes him an ideal fit for the Denver program."

Ouch, I don't want to point out that once Slowik took over the Broncos defense last season, the running defense specifically bumped up three pegs, from worst in the league to 29th in the league. Granted the Broncos shut down the San Diego Charger's LaDanian Tomlinson in a meaningless game, the same defense shut down Minnesota Viking's Adrian Peterson in a game that would have sent the Vikings into the playoffs.

I'm not here to be a homer or to rebut every point made by TMQ, there are very valid points made in the article. They were valid seven months ago too, but take into account those two games I mentioned in the last paragraph and package them with how Dallas' new one-two-punch did last weekend.

"The Broncos were 7-4 with the inside track to a wild-card berth, quarterbacked by Jake Plummer, a career 41-22 with Denver, and boasting one of the league's top defenses. Then The Ultimate Leader, Mike Shanahan, benched Plummer and sent in rookie signal-caller Jay Cutler. Since that moment, the Broncos are 9-12, their defense has gone Fizzie and even their vaunted rushing game has become mortal, slipping to ninth in 2007."

Need I say more? Jake Plummer was quite a quarterback, but had Denver stuck with Steve DeBerg (another guy who was quite a quarterback) in 1983 John Elway would never have emerged. Plummer had his shot, multiple times in the playoffs and he blew it, multiple times in the playoffs.

It's getting old, fans of Denver are ready to look forward to the upcoming season, why can't the media just let them? Take into account now, not last week, month, year... Right now, that's what matters.

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Report: Horn likes San Diego & Denver

UPDATE: Joe Horn's agent has contacted every team.

The Atlanta Falcons have finally caved to wide receiver Joe Horn's demand to be traded

ESPN.com's Bill Williamson is reporting:

[Joe Horn's] agent, Ralph Vitolo, said he plans to talk to both teams.

"If they are interested in us, we'd be interested in them," Vitolo said of the Chargers and the Broncos.

Not sure if everyone knows the Joe Horn story, it's only a little reminiscent of a recent of a recently retired Bronco receiver. Horn had signed a letter of intent to play college football at the University of South Carolina, however, do to a bad GPA and low SAT score he was not able to attend the school. Horn went to junior college at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, MS. In his two years at Intawamba, he had 54 catches for 878 yards and seven touchdowns.

He returned home to Fayetteville, NC after having little success in college, to work with his mother at a Bojangles restaurant. While there he was down to his last six dollars when he decided to buy a Jerry Rice workout tape for $3,95 at a local Blockbuster (from Wikipedia):

He then proceeded to work out in Fayetteville and made a highlight film with some colorful music which he sent to various teams. Memphis Mad Dogs coach Pepper Rodgers got this tape and offerend Horn a contract. He was signed by the Memphis Mad Dogs of the Canadian Football League for the 1995 season, where he led his team in receptions (71) and receiving yards (1414).

Why would Horn not be interested in the Raiders or the Chiefs? Well, Horn began his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, who drafted him out of the CFL in 1996. When he left the Chiefs in 2000 for the New Orleans Saints he blew up, catching 94 passes for 1,354 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Horn has had four years in his career in which he's received over 1,000 yards. He has 603 career receptions, 8,733 yards and 58 touchdowns in 12 years in the NFL.

Trouble in Oakland

While it is absolutely no secret that there is a cold war between Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin and owner Al Davis, Kiffin's making it even less of a secret how miserable the situation is getting.

In two articles from the Contra Costa Times entitled, "Coach Kiffin has no power to upgrade Raiders roster," and, "Does Raiders coach Kiffin want confrontation with Al Davis?" The paper highlights several quotes from Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin, including, but not limited to the following:

"I'm trying to win," Kiffin responded Sunday.

To which the paper asks:

Win what, exactly? Games, or his own freedom?

In the confrontation article, the paper bring up the following Kiffin quotes:

Day 1 of training camp: "When you take this job you realize who the owner is and you realize most guys don't last really long, so that is what it is." (He added that he and Davis have a "working relationship" and a shared desire to win.)

Day 3 of camp: After praising defensive lineman Tommy Kelly's potential, Kiffin noted: "He's got a lot to prove now with that contract."

Last Monday, Aug. 11: Disappointed by the team's depth, Kiffin said: "It's been a situation that, unfortunately, we haven't brought guys in. I control what I can control. We come out every day and get our guys as good as we can. I'm pleased with the top of our roster, but we need to add to the bottom of our roster. We need more competition."

Friday night, after losing at Tennessee: In terms of who might supplant punt returner Johnnie Lee Higgins, Kiffin said: "I really don't have anybody to look at, that's the problem. There isn't anybody there that's very dynamic with the ball."

Saturday media conference call: Rightfully irked by wide receiver Javon Walker missing two catch-able passes Friday, Kiffin said: "... That's discouraging because he was paid an awful lot of money, paid like one of the top five receivers in the NFL. We need him to make those plays.

What does this mean for the Denver Broncos? Well, it certainly can't hurt our week one odds of emerging undefeated and welcoming the San Diego Chargers into Mile High. I truly do feel for Lane Kiffin, well as much as I possibly could for a Raiders coach, remember Mike Shanahan was a coach under Al Davis for a short time. I know not everyone has worked for a geriatric boss who takes every opportunity to illustrate his power, but I have and Kiffin going public at 33 years-old, is probably the smartest thing that he can do.

He's showing the potential employers out there that this situation isn't his fault. Of course he'll have no problem taking complete credit if they win either.

BroncoTalk Ticket Giveaway

Kyle over at BroncoTalk let me know about a ticket give away they are holding over at his blog BroncoTalk. Here's the information:

"BroncoTalk - your source for Denver Broncos football - is very happy to announce a contest that will land one lucky Denver Broncos fan a $100 gift certificate from VividSeats.com! Vivid Seats has always been your source for Denver Broncos tickets, and now they’ve agreed to give some away to our readers for free."

You must follow this link here to enter the contest and it involves leaving a comment, but the whole ordeal takes less than a minute. So go for it!

Update: John Lynch

I was in person to witness John Lynch's debut as a New England Patriot tonight. The game was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New England Patriots, John Lynch was announced during the starting lineups as the starting free safety. Lynch's hometown crowd went crazy.

John Lynch didn't start of course, he was on the field a handful of times and looked lost. Can't blame him, he's been incorporated into that defense all of what four days? However, were I Brian Griese or Luke McCown I would have targeted him.

By the way, two minutes into the third quarter, the score was Tampa Bay 24, New England 3. Then I left...

The Darkside of John Lynch's Decision

Do you think that when John Lynch made the decision to leave the Denver Broncos last month that he thought for a second that the Denver Broncos had a chance at a Super Bowl? Of course not, he wouldn't have left, fear around these offices was that he would return home to San Diego... He did one better, he moved in with the New England Patriots. Yet, with the Patriots John Lynch will see even less time then he would have with Denver. How does that feel for a backhand Denver? Smarts a little bit and every little bit helps, because Denver plays New England mid-season and they don't really have anything to prove, just Lynch- who won't be on the field much. Denver, however, will be on the field the whole time.

Quick question, with all of the discussion of legacy and athletes playing out their careers beyond their time. What if Denver were to go to the Super Bowl this season and not New England. Would John Lynch become this years Tiki Barber? There's a man who lost a lot of respect, I'm sure not just in New York. Tiki Barber's decision to retire couldn't have backfired worse, he's been the butt of a lot of jokes and probably will continue to be now that Michael Strahan has a job in broadcasting.

Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys: Fourth Quarter

Phelps won his 8th Gold Medal or 7th?

It's good to finally hear Keary Colbert's name.

Alright, Patrick Ramsey's a bum, leaving Glenn Martinez open like that. Hope that he's okay.

Are we seeing elements of Bob Slowik's, "Bend but don't break," defense? It's possible, haven't really seen a blitz or even eight men in the box yet this game. So it's hard to tell, during the season, I expect to see much more blitzing, especially from the corners and safeties though.

Please let Darrell Hackney come into the game with eight minutes left.

I think I jinxed Clifford Russell, Glen Martinez made a smart play downing the botched kick off.

No Darrell Hackney.

Brett Kern just redefined, "Booming," a punt.

Good to see Spencer Larsen having a presence this game on special teams.

Forgot to say that I like Jordan Beck this game on defense too, injuries are getting him many more reps.

Don't know what to think of Tyrone Poole in his first game back with Denver. Biggest hit I've seen him make came against Jarvis Moss so far.

Spencer Larsen laced Richard Bartel, good hit.

Jack Williams saved the game! Haha, should have been a pick six though.

Oh sure, now Darrell Hackney comes in.

Matt Prater goes 3 of 4 again this game.

Denver wins! 23-13.

Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys: 3rd Quarter

Hamza Abdullah was in on the first five tackles in the first drive. Think he wants a shot back at the first team?

Rookie linebacker Wesley Woodyard's getting beat in coverage, but is still tackling well.

Defensive tackle Nic Clemons is quick for a big dude.

We could use someone like Nick Folk on our team.

Did I mention Clifford Russell is my dark horse at wide out this year? I hope we get to see a lot of him this second half. Guy can block too.

How many interceptions do you think Patrick Ramsey throws this game? I got $50 on two interceptions.

Wow, speak of the devil, see who almost came up with the blocked pass? That was Clifford Russell.

Did Brett Kern just become the number one punter or the number two?

Patrick Ramsey just can't stop throwing interceptions can he!?! Pass interference or not, that was illegal contact before the pass was thrown. I guess when you're complaining about the backup... Things could be worse.

They're running Oldman [Michael] Pittman way too much, Denver's going to be down to two running backs by the end of the game. Can Spencer Larsen play tailback?

Clifford Russell with the first down! 19 yards.

If Matt Prater misses this field goal, Mike Shanahan should just cut him here, during the game.

He keeps his job for one more play.

Jack Williams missed a pick six. Come on rookie.

Denver Broncos second-team defensive line is creating major pressure on Dallas' second-team offense and third-string quarterback Richard Bartel.

Keep it on refresh here folks.

Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys: Second Quarter

Our defensive line is looking better this second series as well.

Eddie Royal not impressive on his first punt return, chalk that one up to the blocks he didn't receive though.

I was about to say that Selvin Young looks like a backup, but he's redeeming himself. Saw Andre Hall run over half the Dallas defense though. Including Zach Thomas, Roy Williams and Tank Johnson.

That pressure on Brad Johnson is encouraging, nice to see Josh Mallard and Jarvis Moss making those pushes with Elvis Dumervil on the sack. Three team rush.

Why is Domonique Foxworth not the number two corner back in Denver? We just saw why. He tackles well though, but the object is to stop your receiver from catching.

Let's see the two minute offense...

Okay, Matt Prater, time to make a move. There will be riots in the streets of Colorado and south Wyoming if Denver loses a game over a missed field goal.

Keep it on refresh after every quarter or so....