Bleacher Report - Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos Show a Real Lack of Commitment to the Run

Chaz Mattson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:16:13 -0500

Congratulations Broncos' fans, your team went from maybe having a top-10 offense to a paltry 22nd in the NFL in total offense. The team average of points per game is down to 18.6. The Broncos total points actually lands them in the 24th slot with 167, just 10 points better than Tampa Bay.

The bright side is that the Broncos aren’t the league's worst offense, that belongs to the Cleveland Browns at 78 points. The Browns are still looking to break the century mark. What’s the over/under on ex-Brown Braylon Edwards reaching the century mark in New York before the Browns do?

Lack of Commitment to the Running Game

It’s time to talk about the Broncos' commitment to the run, which appeared to have abandoned the team in losses at Baltimore and at home against Pittsburgh. Against the Ravens the Broncos ran for 66 yards. At home against the Steelers the Broncos only gained 27 yards on the ground.

During those two games the Broncos' offense also failed to stretch the field with the passing game.

It seemed the Broncos game plan against Washington was a formula for success as they focused more on the running game, while throwing no less than four deep balls over 40 yards, two of which resulted in deep touchdown passes to Brandon Marshall.

The Broncos wound up with 120 yards on the ground and 207 yards through the air. However if you subtract out Knowshon Moreno’s longest run of the day, a 28-yard blast that got the Broncos going, he only had 69 yards on the ground.

The air attack was even worse once you take out Brandon Marshall's two big plays that went for two touchdowns and 115 yards.

That means the Broncos had less than 100 yards passing outside of those two big plays.

Given all of the above, the Denver Broncos' offense has shown a real lack of commitment, not just to the run or pass, but also to actually attacking their opponents where it hurts. The Broncos' maximum output on offense thus far on the season is three touchdowns against a very poor Cleveland Browns squad.

Possibly the most telling statistic of all is that between the Broncos' two starting running backs platoon system, only Correll Buckhalter has rushed for over 100 yards once and Knowshown Moreno has not been over the century mark yet, though he has been close on two occasions.

Opponent : Run, Pass, Touchdowns

@Bengals: 20-75, 17-243, One (B. Stokley’s 87-yard miracle)

Browns: 37-186, 19-263, Three

@Raiders: 45-215, 13-157, Two

Cowboys: 25-116, 20-243, Two

Patriots: 25-103, 35-330, Two

@Chargers: 33-101, 20-22, Two

@Ravens: 19-66, 23-152, One

Steelers: 14-27, 23-221, None

@Washington: 22-120, 14-206, Two

One thing that stands clear from these statistics is that the Broncos have not shown a real commitment outside of games against the Browns and the Raiders, two of the league's worst teams, to run the ball consistently.

Denver's Philosophy

The Broncos have had a very clear change in run philosophies this season. In the past, under Mike Shanahan, the Broncos had a furious rushing attack that utilized an amazing zone blocking scheme. The scheme allowed the Broncos offensive linemen to be undersized and more agile athletes than most of their opposition's O-line talent.

The Broncos, under Josh McDaniels, have a clear change in philosophy to their run game and the statistics and recent changes in the lineup show a clear deficiency.

Recently longtime starter Ben Hamilton was replaced in the starting lineup by Russ Hochstein who is all of 15 pounds heavier at the same height. Hamilton has had near career-ending concussion issues in the past; however this change in the lineup is at the root in the change of philosophy towards the run game.

The Broncos' current attack has essentially abandoned the zone blocking scheme entirely, which was not a big deal early on. However, due to the lack of production of late, coach McDaniels should take the old schemes under some consideration.

The underlying issue here is that the new offensive approach is similar to cramming a square peg into a round hole. The Broncos are trying to force a more physical run game, which comes at the expense of an offensive line that was originally designed to be more agile.

In the recent Broncos' losses they have been out-played up front, out-schemed, and out-coached.

That’s why it’s a little perplexing that coach McDaniels has not really implemented much of a zone run game at all to date. It seems like the strength of this team coming into this season was the offensive line and their zone blocking and pass protection abilities. It has literally become a subtraction by omission that shows up on the stat sheet and the overall production of the offense.

Coach McDaniels' new philosophy has taken the rest of the league all of seven games to catch up to it. The approach needs to breathe new life into the direction of the output of the Broncos' offense. The coach needs to get in front of the curve, not lag behind it with a sub-par rushing attack and a pass game that is afraid to utilize the entire field.

If you consider the track record on the season, the Broncos failing to produce a 100-yard rusher every game shouldn’t be the biggest surprise of the season. The bigger surprise is that the new regime has not played to any of the strengths of the past.

Given the current injury to QB Kyle Orton and the poor showing last week by backup Chris Simms, the Broncos could use a good rushing attack to protect the quarterback and make it the strength it proved to be during the first six weeks of the season.

If the Broncos want to seriously control the ball and the tempo against the San Diego Chargers in the most important game of the season, they should implement the zone blocking scheme once again.

The fact that Josh McDaniels hasn’t tapped into this sooner is as big of a shock as their 6-0 start.

Moreover, the Broncos have two new starting offensive linemen since opening day of the season. In order for the Broncos to protect the quarterback, they really need to run the ball. In order to be affective, they have to keep the Chargers off-balance.

One of the best ways to do that is implementing the zone blocking scheme.

Casual observers may have noticed that the Broncos were at their best offensively last Sunday when they lined up under center, not in the shotgun, and had the threat of a rushing attack opening up the skies to big gains.

While the Broncos were more affective on the ground than the previous games against the Ravens and the Steelers, they still failed to produce a rusher over the century mark. The Broncos need to control ball and clock against the Chargers to have any realistic chance of winning the game.

The Broncos' fast start had a lot of fans amazed and scratching their heads with the play of the defense. If the Broncos are to grow as an offensive team, they have to start producing the same sort of results on offense.

Rudimentary football says you build the systems around your talent, not your talent around your system.

Broncos' fans will learn a great deal more about their coach and their future against San Diego. The failure to control the ball on the ground, regardless of the quarterback, will say a great deal about coach McDaniels' willingness to adapt to the situation at hand.

Last week he showed great resolve to do the two things the Broncos failed to do against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, but the team still lost out on the road.

This week, he must find ways to make the Broncos rushing attack dominate the tempo of the football game. Failure to adapt may possibly bring about a failure to win the division, and possibly even making the playoffs.

This is a serious issue, and if the Broncos fail, they will have to point the fingers at themselves, starting at the top.

Contact Chaz at sportsmanagement@gmail.com

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Have Sports Mascots and Stadium Names Crossed The Line?

Sayre Bedinger — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:35:24 -0500

Where do professional sports teams draw the line? Is there a line to be drawn?

All across the sports globe, there are questionable if not borderline offensive and derogatory mascots and stadium names.

Or are there?

This topic was recently brought to my attention by fellow Bleacher Reporter Chaz Mattson, a fellow Denver Broncos columnist who sparked my interest with an enlightening debate.

The topic at hand was the Washington Redskins, and we were at disagreement over whether or not their mascot was offensive to Native Americans.

Maybe it is, but any offense taken by those whose heritage is that of the Native Americans is simply selfishness on their part.

I mean no offense by this whatsoever. I realize, acknowledge, and am embarrassed at the fact that this nation of people suffered mass genocide and horrid treatment from European men taking over this country.

It is absolutely wrong, but that does not mean that the term Redskin cannot be used in good spirit. The team means no offense by it, and as the 90,000 plus who visit the biggest stadium in professional football eight weeks a year prove that not only is this mascot loved, its name is held in high regard.

But what if this team were called the Washington Whiteskins? The Washington Blackskins?

Would it be offensive then?

As a white person myself, I can honestly say no.

Now, my family and ancestors did not suffer the same way Native Americans did. They did not endure genocide in this way. But in this day and age, the term "Redskin" is often considered pejorative and a good majority of Native Americans are enraged that this term is being used so loosely.

My advice: Don't watch the Washington Redskins.

If you don't like something, then don't support it. But don't ruin it for those who do support it either. For a vast majority of the people who support the Redskins, they do not take the name in vain. They hold it in high regard.

But if the term "Redskin" as a sports team is offensive to someone, then we might as well throw out every other pro sports team's name and mascot.

The Bears play at Soldier Field. Should soldiers be offended by it? Should those who have seen war or lost loved ones at war file a lawsuit against the Chicago Bears for the stadium they play in?

The Miami Hurricanes better change their nickname as well. There have simply been too many people lost to hurricanes to associate a game with the term.

Let's not forget the hundreds of other Native American nicknames in sports like the Indians, Seminoles, Illini, and Fighting Sioux.

The New Jersey Devils had better change their nickname for Christians, because Satan is the enemy of God.

As a Christian myself, my parents never allowed me to follow anything Devils or even the Tampa Bay Rays when they were called the Devil Rays. It's okay to not follow a team because you do not agree with their name.

Do I take offense to the Devils because of their choice of mascot? Absolutely not.

Do I agree with it? Absolutely not.

We all need to remember what we are talking about here--sports.

The Redskins are part of the game of football. There is no blasphemy going on whatsoever.

Obviously, this is only my opinion, and there are those who will hate me for it. I am sorry.

I respect the views and customs of all races, but I do not agree with boycotting or taking offense to sports nicknames. If you are one who does, I simply say with all due respect do not follow those teams, and please do not ruin the game for those who do.

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The Bird Is The Word: Ten People Bronco Fans Should Flip Off

Kris Burke — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:58:25 -0500

It was one of the most bizarre scenes of this and perhaps any other NFL season.

In the waning moments of the Tennessee Titans' 41-17 romp over the Buffalo Bills, there was Titans owner Bud Adams giving Bills' fans a two-middle finger salute that just happened to be caught by a fan's iPhone camera. The impromptu celebration led the league to fine Adams $250,000, pocket change to the man for sure.

This is where the joy of being a fan comes in. Fans can go to the game and show whomever they want on the field the bird and not face a fine like that. Now, showing the finger to fellow fan may earn them a black eye, but let's keep our attention on the people on the field.

In the Denver Broncos' 50 year history, there have been plenty of villains worthy of a one fingered Mile High Salute. Here is a list of just 10:

1. Jay Cutler

Let's start with the incredibly obvious one. Now, the reason behind giving Cutler the finger is not that his selfish behavior and immediate trade doomed the franchise to years of misery, in fact, it's had the opposite effect as evidenced by the Broncos' surprising run this season.

Cutler's main offense is that he basically desecrated the team Broncos fans hold so near and dear to their heart. Note to any future Broncos quarterback: never EVER say you have a stronger arm than John Elway before you have even led the Broncos to a winning season, let alone a playoff berth; Cutler did it.

His second offense is that in the immediate weeks preceding his trade to Chicago, Cutler blew off not only Josh McDaniels, but Pat Bowlen;big no no. Never ever blow off the owner, especially one as well respected as Mr. Bowlen.

2. Bill Romanowski

This one hurts more than Cutler to me because "Romo" was the heart and soul of the Broncos defense that won Super Bowls XXXII and XXIII. The thing is, I'm not talking about Romanowski hacking a loogie in the face of JJ Stokes during a game against the 49ers in the regular season. Romanowski did something potentially even worse;he signed with the Oakland Raiders.

As if that act of treason wasn't bad enough, in his post football career, he has now become the Silver and Black's biggest cheerleader. As evidence, take a look at his Twitter feed.

For shame, sir. For shame.

3. Wade Phillips

The head coach who never should have been hired.

After the Broncos had a fallout with Dan Reeves following the 1992 season, Bowlen opted to hire Phillips. The move made sense as Phillips was Reeves' friend and protege, but secretly it seemed everyone knew that franchise quarterback John Elway wanted Mike Shanahan.

A 9-7 season in 1993 followed by a 7-9 season in 1994 led to Phillips' firing and hiring of Shanahan. Some believe Elway would have gotten his first ring sooner had Shanahan been hired right away in 1993,we'll never know.

4. Willie Clark

OK, we've had some fun, but it's time to be serious. For those of you who don't know who Willie Clark is he is the man who is accused of (and has confessed to) the murder of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on New Year's Eve 2006.

Williams was leaving a party with teammate Javon Walker when their limousine came under fire with Williams reportedly dying in Walker's lap.

Williams had just concluded a promising 2006 season in which he recorded 86 tackles and four interceptions. It seemed like he was a rising star for the Broncos.

It was a sad and senseless death and Broncos fans have Clark's stupidity to thank for that.

5. Jake Plummer

I realize Plummer still has some backers amongst Broncos fans even today and he did lead the Broncos to their lone playoff victory since the retirement of Elway.

That said, Plummer made an incredibly stupid decision after a game in 2006 when Plummer decided to tell Broncos fans they were number one, but in a not-so-nice way.

Fans were already on the fence with Plummer and this little incident no doubt made the calls to start the then-rookie Cutler even louder. Plummer's penchant for making mistakes coupled with this little doozie are what put the Jay Cutler era on track for the Broncos.

Oh, the irony.

6. Any Oakland Raiders fan

It's a rivalry, both teams hate each other, as do their respective fans. Shanahan's feud with Raiders owner Al Davis only added fuel to what was a fire already burning out of control.

Couple this with the Broncos and Raiders slugging it out for playoff berths in the early part of this decade, and you have a recipe for a rivalry filled with blood curdling hate.

7. Analysts and the sports media in general

Doomed. Screwed. Destined for a top 10 pick in the 2010 draft.

Those were all words and phrases used to describe how the Broncos would fare doing the 2009 season. While the season isn't quite over and the Broncos are currently in the midst of a three game losing streak, it's pretty safe to say the media disrespected not only Bowlen and McDaniels, but Broncos fans as well.

They thought the fanbase would be split after the divisive debate following the trade of Cutler; nope, didn't happen. Broncos fans proved it was team first and individual player second, just like the team itself believes.

8. The Jacksonville Jaguars

OK, it's not a person, but rather a collective sum of people.

No Broncos fan will ever forget the excitement of the 1996 regular season, only to be followed by the heartbreak of the 30-27 defeat to the Jaguars at home in the divisional round.

This was supposed to be the season the Broncos put everything together and finally won the Super Bowl, instead, it was only another early round fizzle.

Yes, the Broncos got revenge in the wild card round of the playoffs the following season, but still many fans believe that the Jaguars robbed the Broncos of the chance to be the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles.

9. Kent Graham

It looked like the 1998 Denver Broncos would finally do it.

After starting the season 13-0, the Broncos faced what should have been an easy win against the Giants in week 15. The Broncos just came off an emotional win at home over Kansas City that set the stage for the Broncos to complete the first perfect regular season since the Miami Dolphins did it in 1972, but not if Kent Graham had anything to say about it.

Graham replaced the struggling Danny Kanell earlier in the season because the Giants needed this game to keep their playoff hopes alive. A desperation heave by Kanell to Amani Toomer sealed a win and ended the Broncos dream of an 19-0 season.

10. Al Davis

Heck, even Raiders and Broncos fans can agree to something together. Find a big enough idiot and everyone can rally against him.

Conclusion

There you go Broncos fans, now tell them they're number one.

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Denver Broncos Must Sweep San Diego To Keep Season Alive

Sayre Bedinger — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:42:11 -0500

So what is the remedy for a three game losing streak? How about a division showdown with your biggest rivals?

The Denver Broncos are reeling. They have not won since a Monday night match-up on the road against the San Diego Chargers. Inversely, the Chargers have not lost since that contest.

Both teams have a 6-3 record going into this game, arguably the biggest game of the year for either team thus far.

For the second straight season, the Broncos have seen a three game lead in the division disappear. Now it is time to prove that this team is not a fluke after their 6-0 start.

During the losing streak, the Broncos have not been able to do two things which are absolutely essential to victory in this league: Stop the run and score points.

Thankfully, they are playing a team ranked 32nd in rushing offense and 20th in scoring defense. This is a huge trap game for the San Diego Chargers.

The Broncos are, like I said, reeling, and they are banged up at key positions. Kyle Orton is considered questionable for Sunday's game, though it seems unlikely he will miss a game of this magnitude. Ryan Harris is not going to play on Sunday, and that has proven to be a lot bigger of a deal than anyone could have imagined.

All of that being said, the Broncos are in great shape to win this game. They are in a similar situation to the Baltimore Ravens from week eight, who broke a three game losing streak of their own to beat the red-hot Broncos.

The Chargers cannot stop the run, and rookie tailback Knowshon Moreno is literally on the brink of cracking 100 yards for the first time in his short career. He will likely be a focal point of Denver's offensive attack with Orton likely limited.

The Broncos are at home for this game, and they need to come away with a win. The only way they can lose this game is to let the Chargers control the clock by running the ball well. That doesn't seem so likely with San Diego having the worst rushing attack in the game today, but we did just watch Ladell Betts go for over 100 yards and a touchdown this past weekend.

The most likely formula for success for Denver is to get up 7-0 right away. They need the Chargers to play from behind at an early stage because they want them to be one dimensional offensively. The key for Denver is the number seven.

If the Broncos lose this game, their season is not lost, but with a short week to work with, it certainly wouldn't hurt this team to have a 7-3 record and a one game lead over their biggest division rivals.

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Broncos Losses, Kyle Orton Injury Put QB Controversy on the Radar in Denver

Chaz Mattson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:39:45 -0500

The current state of the Denver Broncos is somewhat reminiscent to the famous scene in the movie Young Frankenstein. Strange things start to occur while Igor and Dr. Frankenstein are working late at night digging a grave.

“It could be worse,” says a loony looking Igor, played by the late Marty Feldman.

“How?” says Dr. Frankenstein, played by Gene Wilder.

“It could be raining.”

Then, in a flash of lightning with a booming thunder and a torrential rain, the joke hits the audience and puts them in stitches.

Now this movie line wasn’t talking about football, but it could easily be applied to the likes of the New England Patriots blowing a 17-point lead Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts. It could also just as easily be applied to the current downward trend in Denver that took the team's amazing 6-0 start and quickly turned south to a mediocre 6-3.

Something strange happened to the Denver Broncos during their bye week, which coincidentally fell on Halloween weekend. Perhaps it was raining.

Either way, since the Broncos blew up the Chargers in San Diego, their season has taken on water of torrential proportions.

The Denver Broncos now find themselves fighting for their playoff lives. If they don’t wake up soon, they will fall victim to the San Diego Chargers and their fast start will go for naught.

A last-ditch effort to win the division and control the fate of the Chargers and the Broncos comes this Sunday in Denver.

It's mind boggling to think the Broncos had a 3.5-game lead after beating down the Chargers in San Diego on Oct. 19. That lead has now entirely evaporated following two big wins by the Chargers against the Giants and the Eagles. Meanwhile, the Broncos posted two tough losses to the Ravens and Steelers and one unsettling loss to a dismal Washington squad.

The Recap

It seemed to start with a cloud of dust and a hearty “Hi-Ho, Silver!” and the Denver Broncos were off and running and throwing the deep ball. The same two elements that seemed to be lacking in their two previous losses showed up in Washington D.C. on Sunday.

Knowshon Moreno got the game going with a 29-yard jaunt and the Broncos were immediately in business. On the following third down play Kyle Orton went top shelf 40 yards to Brandon Marshall and the Broncos had the early 7-0 lead.

Almost as quickly as the Broncos scored did the Washington natives show that they came to play ball as well. They responded with a 78-yard drive that ended with a short two yard pass from Jason Campbell to big tight end Todd Yoder to even the score 7-7.

Broncos running back Correll Buckhalter was hit from behind by Lorenzo Alexander on the subsequent drive and fumbled. The one thing that is certainly a constant in the Broncos three losses are the turnovers and the Broncos turned it over twice to Washington’s zero on Sunday.

The Broncos defense held the Washington attack at bay following the turnover and Denver went back on offense.

Coach McDaniels chose to go on the quick strike again as he hit Brandon Marshall deep again on a ball that traveled 45 yards through the air for a 75-yard touchdown and a Broncos 14-7 lead.

Orton later had Eddie Royal wide open deep down field and the Broncos could have scored a third touchdown on a deep ball if not for overshooting an outstretched Royal.

Then, at the 6:39 mark of the second quarter, came the worst blunder of the Josh McDaniels era in Denver.

Say what you will about how poor special teams play was under Mike Shanahan’s watch, his teams never allowed a punter to look like John Elway. That is exactly what happened to Denver when Washington punter Hunter Smith hit Mike Sellers off of a fake field goal that went for a touchdown.

The real embarrassment off of this play was that Washington showed their hand on the fake prior to coach Jim Zorn calling a timeout to set up the play correctly. Denver sadly enough failed to make any adjustments in preparation for a fake. The only response to come from McDaniels was that the Broncos had not seen the play before.

The play put the score at 14-14.

This play in particular might signal that it’s time for a new special teams coach. The Broncos have been riddled with poor play on special teams and certainly that play cost the Broncos this game at least in part.

On Orton’s last drive of the day, he led the Broncos to a field goal and their last points on the day and a 17-14 edge at the half.

Orton was injured on third down and it appears it is an injury that will have the Broncos looking at their future starter sooner than later.

The second half the Broncos defense played valiantly in the third quarter to help the offense find a way to win. The reality, however, was that backup Chris Simms was not ready to play mentally, and that fact alone ensconced the Broncos' fate.

Washington subsequently wore down the Broncos defense by the fourth quarter and scored 17 points in the quarter to beat the Broncos going away, 27-17.

Quarterback Issues on the Radar

The real issue now is it comes with an underlying quarterback controversy brewing in Denver with Orton literally falling victim to what appears to be a very bad sprained ankle. Orton’s left leg was caught under the weight of a tackle and with it took some of the stability the organization was used to at the position.

The pure nature of the sort of injury suffered by Orton leads to easy speculation that he could be out anywhere between 6-8 weeks at minimum and the rest of the season a strong possibility. These sorts of injuries make an already immobile quarterback a duck on water for all too eager defenses to finish off for the rest of the season. In other words, it's pure speculation on an early front but Orton may be done for the season and possibly as the starting quarterback in Denver.

Simms clearly showed he was not ready to play, going 3-of-13 for 13 yards and an interception. That leads to this thought: It might be time to start Tom Brandstater again this season. It would absolutely set off a sort of quarterback controversy, but face the facts. Simms, a highly paid backup, was not ready to play when all his team probably needed was one drive for a touchdown. If the Broncos get that touchdown early enough it might be a different outcome.

Going into the most important game of the season, it’s a simple question to consider. Would you rather have a quarterback that throws a good ball with a little inexperience or a backup who’s shown he’s not ready to play and isn’t throwing the ball incredibly well?

You have to feel for McDaniels, since he went the distance to get Orton and for a time that bet was paying off huge dividends on the Broncos' tumultuous offseason. Now the Broncos' season comes down to this. He must make the right decision here or the Broncos are in trouble in their most important game of the year.

Having looked at film on Simms and fellow backup Brandstater, it would seem that Brandstater, for all of his inexperience, is the more capable quarterback to help the Broncos franchise move forward. The situation, however, opens up the floodgates to trades and free agent signings to right the ship sooner than later. This is obviously a situation where anything is possible moving forward.

Earth to Jake Plummer: Come in, Major Tom!

So stay tuned.

The Final Note on the Washington Namesake

For nearly a century, the Washington football franchise has made its living off of the backs of a race of people that are nearly extinct in North America. Regardless of the origins of the team name, which there are exhaustive stories and excuses alike made to endorse the name, it needs to change.

That said, today an “official” decision was passed down today regarding the namesake, and Washington will not be forced to change the name of their franchise.

The irony is this: Neither Dan Snider, the previous ownership, nor any of the judges handling this case are part Native American in any form.

With the era that our country is currently under, it’s no longer a time to live in ignorance or under predatory capitalism, under both of which this clearly falls.

If the Washington franchise is so bold to claim to be the torch on the hill for an overrun race of people, they should put their money where their namesake is and sponsor tribal rights issues and scholarship programs.

For the better part of a century the football team has had the opportunity to do so and they have failed miserably.

The reality is there are no other sports franchises named after the color of a persons skin and their likeness emblazoned on a team logo. This is racism; apparently the Supreme Court does not consider racism an atrocity on humanity. In multicultural America it is an issue whether they admit it or not. It is racism, and let’s be clear; there are no mild forms of racism, just racism.

So this is something that the NFL should now address as a league. It has been a league that is quick to respond to detrimental actions from its players.

In this case, it should crack down on this ownership group for leaving a black eye on the league. It's bad public relations for this charade to continue, and the team should change its name immediately.

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Veteran's Day: Broncos Need Experienced Help As Orton Heals

Kris Burke — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 22:58:51 -0500

I will finally admit it. The Denver Broncos need to sign another quarterback. Now.

I say that not for the reasons many Broncos fans have been crowing about since Week One. I don't think Kyle Orton is a bad quarterback. Orton is not holding back the Broncos offense.

He is not the problem. Every single Bronco fan should now realize this.

Orton, actually, is the solution. With him out of the lineup during the second half of today's game against the Redskins, the Broncos offense was putrid. A lot of Broncos fans got their wish when backup quarterback Chris Simms finally got his chance to lead the Broncos' attack.

It's a wish they surely want back. With Orton out with an ankle injury, Simms played poorly. Three of 13 for 13 yards and an interception. His quarterback rating: 7.5. That's barely lower than the IQ of the owner of the opposition. (I kid, I kid.....or do I?)

People who have continued to doubt Orton's value to the Broncos offense have officially run out of excuses. The scoreboard doesn't lie. At the half, Denver led 17-14. The Broncos were then shut out in the second half and were outscored by a pathetic Redskins offense 13-0, leading to a final score of 27-17 in favor of the 'Skins.

Now, this doesn't put 100 percent of the blame on Simms. The fact that the Redskins converted a fake field goal AFTER a timeout is beyond me. There is no excuse for that to happen and I am sure Josh McDaniels will let special teams coach Mike Priefer know that this week.

If Orton can't go this week, McDaniels and GM Brian Xanders need to give strong consideration to bringing in a veteran. Jeff Garcia immediately comes to mind. I think Simms still has potential but you don't throw someone under center that hasn't played a meaningful football game in years when you are in the middle of a battle for the division. With the Chargers coming in this week, you need to put your best foot forward and right now Simms is understandably rusty.

I understand Garcia would be rusty as well and would have to learn a new offense, but this is where experience serves him best. He is a smart quarterback and could pick up the Broncos offense in a heartbeat. Same goes for any veteran the Broncos would bring in. McDaniels offense has been described by the coach himself as very "quarterback friendly" and learning it should not be much trouble for a seasoned veteran.

Now, Orton could be cleared to play this week and this could all be moot. That said, Orton likely will not be 100 percent. I think the Broncos would be better off with a more seasoned backup than Simms. Simms had a chance to prove his worth today and he didn't do it. Some of that could be chalked up to rust, but he looked lost out there.

If the Broncos lived up to preseason expectations and were below .500, I would be all for letting Simms play, develop and get his legs back under him after missing so much playing time. He, in theory, would then be ready to challenge Orton for the starting spot in 2010.

Fortunately, the Broncos are in a much better position than predicted. Nine games into the season, they are tied for first with the Chargers at 6-3. While the Broncos' recent skid allowed the Chargers to close the gap from two games back to a tie, the Broncos are still in better shape than most had thought they would be.

If the Broncos want to get back on the winning track and keep this magical season from completely falling apart, they need to bring in a veteran quarterback. If Simms truly has bought into the culture McDaniels has brought to Denver, he will understand that it is best for the team that a more experienced signal caller be brought in until Orton is ready again.

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery for Orton, otherwise Denver better be ready for "plan B," and that "B" does NOT stand for Brandstater.

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After Inexcusable Loss, Reeling Broncos Must Put Up or Shut Up

Henry Gula — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:33:00 -0500

This was the game they couldn't lose.

The 6-2 Broncos against the 2-6 Washington Redskins. The Redskins were thought to be a well-established "trainwreck." An incompetent owner, a terrible offense, a confused coach, and an angry fan base made Washington the laughing stock of the NFC East.

And what did the Denver Broncos do? They went into the Nation's Capital, and lost to them.

The Denver Broncos lost by ten points to the Washington Redskins. Inexcusable.

There are plenty of excuses. Kyle Orton was knocked out of the game after Redskins defensive end Brian Orakpo tackled him by the ankle.

In the second quarter, the Redskins lined up for a field goal, then went into punt formation, and then punter Hunter Smith threw the ball 35 yards downfield to the fullback for a touchdown. The Denver special teams were taken completely by surprise and had no answer for the trick play.

Chris Simms came in for Orton to start the second half and played "like crap" for lack of a better term. In two quarters of play, he made three completions on 13 pass attempts for a pitiful 13 yards and an interception to DeAngelo Hall.

On the bright side of things, the offense came out gunning in the first quarter.

Kyle Orton and Josh McDaniels had been heavily criticized for playing a conservative offense devoid of the "big play." Determined to change that, Orton connected with Brandon Marshall on two big plays of 40 and 75 yards, showing that this tandem is capable of stretching the field.

However, the once-vaunted defense looked soft. The Redskins were playing without star running back Clinton Portis, and the banged-up Ladell Betts ran on the Denver defense 26 times for 114 yards and a late touchdown that put the 'Skins up for good.

The statistics speak for themselves. The intangibles are what make this loss more distressing for the Broncos and their fans.

Denver is now 0-3 after the bye week. Over that week off, the rest of the league caught up to the them, and they have been unable to make any adjustments to regain their edge.

The cold reality of the NFL has now set in for Josh McDaniels. It's nice to start 6-0, but it will mean nothing if this team misses the playoffs. Still haunted by their three-week meltdown last December, the time for this team to be kicked in their rear-ends is now.

This cannot continue. They had a chance to rebound and they let it slip away. Orton needs to be healthy for next week's game against the Chargers.

Pending their game with the Eagles today, the Chargers and Broncos could be tied for the AFC West lead going into that game. The desperate struggle keeping this sinking ship afloat has begun.

The season is not lost by any means, but it is now going fast, and it's time for the Broncos to "put up or shut up."

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Will The Force Be With Them? Broncos Can't Overlook Redskins

Kris Burke — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:42:18 -0500

If Admiral Ackbar of "Star Wars" fame were a football fan, he would be screaming his trademark line to the Denver Broncos right now.

"IT'S A TRAP!"

The Broncos are currently in a sort of tailspin following two straight blowouts at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. If there ever was such a thing as a perfect opponent to bounce back against, it's the Washington Redskins whom the Broncos face Sunday.

That's the exact reason why the Broncos should not look past the Redskins this week. It seems all too easy, like Darth Vader thought fighting Luke Skywalker in "The Empire Strikes Back." This is the perfect week for a major letdown to happen for the Broncos, and it very well could. Who at this time last week thought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would not only beat the Green Bay Packers, but beat them by more than a touchdown?

Many Broncos fans are feeling confident heading into this weekend's matchup, but others have a such a bad feeling about this game, it would make Han Solo proud.

The Broncos offense has been stagnant the past two games and if there was ever a time for Josh McDaniels to take the leash off of Kyle Orton and see what he really can do, now would be the opportune time. Orton is notorious for being a dink and dunk passer and while that served him well the first six games of 2009, it must be dawning on Orton and McDaniels that the deep passing game has to open up for the Broncos to continue to win.

Washington's defense, for all the team's other flaws, is fairly stout. Orton and company will be challenged this weekend so it's important that the offense establish an early rhythm as well. The offense needs to do its part early so that the Broncos defense can do their thing while protecting a lead instead of trying to come from behind. Orton needs to avoid sacks and not commit the critical turnover.

As far as the defense goes, they need to regain the form they had against the Steelers in the first half. Ben Roethlisberger was under siege in the first half and the Broncos need to do the same to Jason Campbell on Sunday. Now, the Steeler offense Washington is not, and it's easy to overlook Washington's incompetency.

That said, the Broncos still need to make plays because what happens if this is the one game in his entire career that Campbell is actually on target? The Broncos need to make the plays on defense instead of waiting for play to come to them. I'm sure Mike Nolan has preached that all week.Any quarterback can get hot at any given time so the Broncos still need to be on their toes.

The Bottom Line

Denver has no excuses not to win this game. They are better than the Redskins in every area. As long as the Broncos offense gets moving early and doesn't make the critical turnover and let the defense do the rest, the Broncos should be 7-2 heading into next week.

If Washington comes out on fire and the Broncos offense sputters early and often, then the Broncos could be in trouble. A third consecutive loss would likely tie the team with the Chargers in the AFC West heading into next week's face-off in Denver. The Chargers would have momentum clearly on their side and some will even begin wondering if Denver is really the team everyone thought they were before the season began.

The Broncos need this game. It's not a matter of trying. All they need to go out there and do what they did the first six games of the season.

After all as the wise Jedi Master Yoda said: "Do, or do not. There is no try."

All of Broncos Country is hoping the team has those words at heart this Sunday.

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Step Up or Get Out: Denver's Key Players at Washington

Jesse Schaffer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:08:21 -0500

Is it me, or is this year's team starting to remind anyone else a little bit of the 2006 Denver Broncos?

Personally, I hate to make comparisons to old teams. What happened three years ago should have no relevance to what's going to happen for the rest of this season. Still, the two teams are a little too similar to ignore.

That team, as you may remember, was famous for not allowing a single touchdown through their first 11 quarters of play and did not surrender more than 20 points in a game until their loss at home to the Indianapolis Colts in Week Eight. The offense wasn't scoring as many points as Mike Shannahan would have liked and he eventually benched Jake Plummer in favor of rookie quarterback Jay Cutler.

Until their last two games, the 2009 Broncos had not given up more than 25 points in a game nor had they been outscored in the second half. Or lost a game at all. The offense, though mostly efficient and turnover free, has struggled to put points on the board. Some in the media are already calling for Chris Simms to replace Kyle Orton at quarterback despite the fact that Orton has been a good fit for Josh McDaniels' offense.

After ending the first half of 2006 at 6-2, the Broncos slumped badly in the second half of the season and finished with a record of 9-7. The team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and it was the beginning of the end for Mike Shannahan in Denver.

After ending the first half of 2009 at 6-2, the Broncos...?

That part of this article, or season, has yet to be written for the Broncos. It starts this Sunday at Washington, where Josh McDaniels and co. desperately need a win to avoid going into their key Week 11 matchup with San Diego on a three-game losing streak.

Here are three players that need to play well for the Broncos to win in our nation's capital.

QB Kyle Orton: If you read my column from earlier this week, you know my feelings about Orton's play as of late. He hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in the last two games and has looked frighteningly inconsistent passing the ball. Based on what he's done, it's hard to be too tough on Orton, but it's obvious that something is off.

For those of you who think the Broncos would be better off with Jay Cutler (five int's last night) or Chris Simms under center, you are mistaken. A switch to Simms would only be detrimental to the progress this team has made and barring an injury or a simply awful performance by Orton, McDaniels wouldn't make that change anyway. So what then?

We've seen that Orton has a hard time getting the passing game going when the running game is faltering as well, so Denver needs to get back to what they do best. And speaking of running the ball...

RB's Correll Buckhalter/Knowshon Moreno: Most people thought that under Josh McDaniels, the Broncos would deviate from the running game that they had relied on for years and move towards a more passing-oriented offense. This supports my belief that most people know nothing about football. Wait a minute, I was one of those people!

However, this much I do know. This season, when the Broncos run the ball well, they win. When they don't...well, you saw what happened in the last two games. And I don't know about you, but I say it's time for the No. 12 pick in the draft to earn his paycheck. Moreno has been solid, but the Broncos expected him to be more than just solid when they drafted him.

CB Champ Bailey: In all likelihood, Jason Campbell won't even look Champ's way. Most quarterbacks don't. However, Ben Roethlisberger did, and he and Santonio Holmes found unlikely success as they burned Bailey on more than one play.

It hurts to see that happen to your team's best player, but even Champ has his moments of mortality. He'll probably bounce back this week and assume his usual duties of shutting down half of the field. I don't want to be greedy, but it's been awhile since No. 24 has had a pick-six.

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