Week 10: Broncos vs. Raiders

Yikes! Last week did not go as expected for the Broncos, and raised some serious concerns about this Denver Broncos team.  Everyone expected the game to be tough playing at New England but the Broncos were dominated in every single phase of the game.  However, we all need to take a page from Aaron Rodgers book and R-E-L-A-X.  The NFL season is long and there are sure to be moments of disappointment as the season rolls along.  In fact it was just a month or so ago that New England got dismantled by the Kansas City Chiefs and everyone was saying that the Patriots dynasty was done, and Tom Brady was washed up.  A few weeks later and they are suddenly the Super Bowl favorites.  So Broncos fans don't panic after a big loss on the road to a tough opponent.

Denver Broncos

There were some real concerns that surfaced during the Patriots game.  Peyton Manning would have you believe that he stunk, and was the reason for the loss.  However, had Wes Welker caught the pass that became a Brandon Browner interception Peyton had a day that should be good enough to beat anybody.  He made one big mistake in the game, and even Peyton Manning makes mistakes.  To me the real problem that is surfacing with the Broncos is the play of their special teams.  This was a huge factor in the lose to the Patriots.  The punt return for a touchdown was a huge play for the Patriots, and it turned all of the momentum in their favor.  The Broncos never really got back into the game following the return.  The Broncos have actually been pretty solid on kick coverage this season and that was the first return touchdown they have allowed this season.  The biggest area of concern for me is in the kicking game.  Brandon McManus has not demonstrated the ability to make kicks that an NFL kicker has to be able to make.  Most would point to his missed field goal in this game, but I think the most telling play was when the Broncos went for it on 4th down from the Patriots 34 yard line.  Granted, that is a 51 yard field goal but with Matt Prater there would have been no hesitation to kick the field goal at that point in the game.  Peyton Manning was sacked on 4th down and the Patriots quickly drove down the field and scored a touchdown.  If the kicking game does not improve the Broncos may have to explore other options at kicker.  Overall, I felt the Broncos offense actually looked pretty good and they moved the ball well, but they struggled to make big plays in big moments and they also had a couple of critical turnovers.  If the Broncos can clean up the mistakes and convert in big moments they will be just fine going forward.

Denver Broncos

Enough of the struggles of last week, it is time to move past the loss and look at this weeks game against the Oakland Raiders.  Most are expecting this game to be a laugher.  I think the Broncos will win this one but I do think that people are taking the Raiders too lightly.  They are not a very good team but they have shown more fight this season than in seasons past.  They are still winless but they have competed in almost every single game, and they have come close to upsetting some quality teams.  They actually played the New England Patriots very close and almost won that game.  They have also had close games against the San Diego Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks.  It will be important for the Broncos to take the Raiders seriously, and come out ready to play.  I rarely worry about this team coming out flat, as they have Peyton Manning at quarterback.  Speaking of number 18 expect him to have a big game in this one.  He has always played well against the Raiders and that trend should continue this week.  The Raiders defense will be overmatched in this one, and that is going to be obvious in the defensive secondary.  The Raiders do not have the personnel to match up with all of the Broncos weapons.  The Broncos wideouts have been on fire lately and Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders should both have big games again this week.  So far this year they have been the best receiving duo in the NFL bar none.  I would also look for Julius Thomas and Wes Welker to get back on track this week.  People are bailing on Wes Welker way too quickly.  I think that he will still play a very important role for the Broncos this season.  Even if he is just getting a couple catches a game, if those catches are for third down conversions he will be doing his job.  Look for Wes and Julius to get going soon, as the two receivers on the outside will begin to receive extra attention.

Denver Broncos

Another key in this game will be the Broncos running game. Last week the running game struggled to get much of anything going.  This team has to be able to run the ball against 6 man fronts, and last week they were not able to do so.  This week the Broncos will look to re-shuffle their offensive line once again.  With Paul Cornick down with an injury, I expect Orlando Franklin to slide back out to right tackle.  Manny Ramirez should then move from center to left guard, and Will Montgomery will make his first start as a Bronco at center.  It should be very interesting to see how this re-vamped offensive line performs in this one.  So far this season the Broncos have struggled to stop pressure that comes in between the center and either one of the two guards.  It will be worth watching the middle of this line to see if they can fix the problems that have plagued them so far.  If they can create a few holes for Ronnie Hillman I would look for him to get back on track this week.  Last week he struggled running the ball, but he was still able to make a big impact on the game by being a receiver out of the backfield.  As the season moves along I would look for Hillman to continue to be a big part of the passing game.  With his explosive running ability he is a big threat once he has the ball in his hands, and I expect for the Broncos to continue to try to get Hillman the ball in space.

Denver Broncos

Defensively look for the Broncos to get back to being a dominant defensive unit.  Last week they only had one sack but they did generate good pressure most of the game, but Tom Brady got rid of the ball so quickly they were not able to get to him.  One player that I was very impressed with last weekend, and the last several weeks is Malik Jackson.  He has been a guy that has been getting consistent penetration.  Players like Jackson making plays will be very important to the Broncos going forward.  If the Broncos can get enough plays from Jackson and Derek Wolfe in the pass rush they will be able to put constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks.  That will be very important today against a rookie quarterback.  Derek Carr has actually played pretty well this season and has a only been sacked 8 times this year, which is tied for the least in the league (with Peyton Manning).  If the Broncos can find a way to get pressure on this young quarterback they can force him to make mistakes and get some big time turnovers.  If the defense can shut down the run once again look for the pass rushers to make some big plays and cause turnovers.

Denver Broncos

Reports surfaced this week that the Broncos have started contract negotiations with free agent to be Chris Harris.  This is great news for Broncos fans.  Harris does not get the respect around the league that he deserves as he has been one of the best cornerbacks in the league over the last several seasons.  The biggest reason for his greatness is his versatility.  Harris has the ability to play at any corner spot on the field.  He is one of the best corners on the outside, and he is easily the best slot corner in the game once he moves inside to cover the slot receiver.  Locking Harris up long term will ensure the Broncos have one of the best defensive backfields in the NFL for years to come.  Hopefully they can lock him up soon and begin contract negotiations with players like Terrance "Pot Roast" Knighton and Demaryius Thomas.  As I was saying earlier I think the defense will force a couple of turnovers today and I would look for Harris to make a big play today.

Prediction

While I do think the Raiders are better than they are given credit for, they are still no match for a much more talented Denver Broncos team.  I would look for the Broncos to get back on track today in all three phases of the game.  One thing that bears watching today is the ability of Brandon McManus to make tough kicks.  If he misses another field goal or two I would not be surprised if the Broncos brought in another kicker to compete for the starting job.  I expect the Broncos to win this one, and I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some more of Brock Osweiler today.

Final Score- Denver Broncos 38, Oakland Raiders 17

AFC West showdown: Broncos vs. Chargers

It’s hard to believe that it is gameday it is but these Thursday night games roll around very quickly especially after a Sunday night game.  The Broncos face yet another tough test as they face off against the division rival San Diego Chargers.  Every division game carries extra importance, but that is especially true when you are facing off against one of the best teams in the league.   A win would put the Broncos in great position to win the division and secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.  The Broncos players have said all week that they will come out ready to play after facing a short week.  They were faced with the exact same situation last year and laid an egg against this same Chargers team. 

Keys to Victory

Denver Broncos

To win this one the Broncos will have to come ready to play as they are facing another great opponent.  It seems like I say that every week but the Broncos really do play tough team after tough team.  While it is hard right now these tough tests could really benefit this team down the road and especially come playoff time.  I think the fact that the Broncos get this game at home should be a big plus for them.  The chargers have also suffered quite a few injuries that will hurt their chances in this game. 

Denver Broncos

One key to this game will be the Broncos run defense.  The chargers will look to control the ball to keep Peyton Manning on the sidelines for as long as possible.  This was the strategy they used last year to beat the Broncos, and they have used this strategy this season to beat teams like Seattle.  The Broncos defense has to stop the run to force the Chargers to make big throws on third and long.  Although stopping the pass could be easier said than done.  Philip Rivers has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this season and is playing at an elite level.  Denver will have it’s hands full with the Chargers offense in this one.  Look for Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware to try to get pressure on Rivers early to try to make him uncomfortable in the pocket. 

The pressure will also be on the Broncos secondary as they will have to try to slow down the pass catching weapons that Philip Rivers has to throw to.  They will have their hands full with players like Keenan Allen, Antonio Gates, and Eddie Royal.  I look for Chris Harris to have another great game.  Last week against the 49ers he was aggressive at the point of attack, coming up and making some pick time stops on quick screens to receivers.  He has been phenomenal coming off of his ACL surgery and is looking like an even better player than the one we saw last year.  Between Harris and Aqib Talib the Broncos have one of the best cornerback duos in the league.  Look for these two players to have a huge game, and expect one of them to make a game changing play in this one. 

Denver Broncos

Offensively the Broncos just have to keep things rolling.  Over the last two weeks the Broncos offense has looked like it has found a rhythm.  The running game has been the most impressive part of the offense so far in the last few games.  Early on I was concerned about the running game but Ronnie Hillman and Juwan Thompson have made some big plays in the running game over the last few weeks.  Hillman has shown great explosiveness to the hole and has shown the kind of burst that you like to see from running backs.  If the offensive line can create decent holes for him against the Chargers he could have some big gains on the ground.  I am looking for Hillman to have a major impact in the passing game this week.  It looks like each week he is getting more comfortable in this offense, and I think he will have a big impact in the passing game. 

Denver Broncos

I am looking for the Broncos passing game to have a big game as the Chargers will be without several key players in the secondary.  Cornerback Brandon Flowers has already been ruled out with a concussion, and rookie corner Jason Verrett is questionable as well.  If Verrett is unable to play in this one, the Chargers secondary could be in for a very long day.  When I watch chargers game Verrett already appears to be their top cover corner, and losing him would be a major blow to the Chargers.  Look for Peyton Manning to test the secondary early and often in this one.  One player who should continue his recent success is Demaryius Thomas.  Thomas has been on an absolute terror lately, and this should be an opportunity for him to continue his recent dominance. 

Prediction

These Thursday night games are very hard to predict as you really can never tell which team is going to come out ready to play.  It is also hard to gameplan when you only have three days to prepare for the upcoming game.  I think that these teams will both show up ready to play in this one, as I am sure they understand the significance in terms of the division standing.  In the end I think the injuries that the Chargers are facing on defense will be to much for them to overcome.  I expect Peyton Manning to have a big day against a weakened Chargers secondary.  However, I expect Philip Rivers and the Chargers to put up quite a fight in this one.  They are a very talented team and will be able to stay with the Broncos for most of the game.  In the end I think the Broncos having this game at home will be the biggest difference. 

Final Score- Broncos 34 Chargers 27

Broncos vs. Seahawks Super Bowl Rematch

Super Bowl Rematch

Denver Broncos- Erik Lars Bakke

Well everyone the game Broncos fans have been waiting for is finally here.  The Denver Broncos will get the opportunity to show that the super bowl was just a culmination of unfortunate plays, and they will look to prove that they can play with the best in the NFL.  This game is the biggest measuring stick of the season for the Broncos.  If they can travel to Seattle and beat the Seahawks at home that will go a long way towards proving they can win the Super Bowl this season.  So can they do it? The short answer is yes, but they will have to play a great team game to beat the Seahawks especially when the game is being played in Seattle.

How do they do it? 

If Denver hopes to beat Seattle they will need to play near perfect football which they have been unable to do so far this season.  They cannot have turnovers in this game like they did in the Super Bowl, the Seahawks feed off of takeaways and we all saw what happened in the Super Bowl when Denver turned the ball over.  So far this season the Broncos have done a great job of protecting the football with just one fumble (which they recovered).  They will have to continue to take care of the football to challenge Seattle.

One thing that the Broncos have to improve on from the first two weeks of the season is penalties.  Not only have the Broncos had far to many penalties but they have come at the most inopportune times.  Just last week the Broncos defense had two third down stops thwarted because they jumped offsides.  The Broncos will not be able to win this week if they continue to make mental mistakes and shoot themselves in the foot.

Another key for the Broncos will be third down.  So far third down has been a major problem for both the offense and the defense.  Last week against the Chiefs the defense allowed the Chiefs to convert on eleven of sixteen third down tries.  On the first drive of the third quarter, the Broncos allowed the Chiefs to convert a 3rd & 16, a 3 & 13, and a 3 & 9.  The defense must do a better job of stopping the opponent on third down if they hope to win.  The offense must also be better on third down so they can sustain drives and give their defense a breather on the sideline.  This has been something they have struggled with so far especially in the 2nd half.

Denver Broncos- Erik Lars Bakke

The offensive line also has to do a good job of keeping Peyton upright in this game.  In the Super Bowl Peyton was under constant pressure and never really looked comfortable in the pocket.  If the line can give Peyton just enough time I think the Broncos will look to take a page from the San Diego Chargers playbook.  In their win over Seattle last week, San Diego looked to throw short routes underneath which allowed the receivers to make plays after the catch.  The return of Wes Welker could be a huge factor in this game as Peyton will get his security blanket back.  Welker should help alleviate some of the problems the offense has faced so far on third down.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

The Chargers also exploited the coverage of the Seahawks linebackers by throwing three touchdowns to tight end Antonio Gates.  After watching the film on the game it was clear that the Seahawks did not have an answer for Gates.    It looks like their should be plenty of opportunities for Julius Thomas to make some big time plays in this game.  Look for Julius Thomas to be a huge part of the game plan this weekend.

Why they won't win

I hate to say it but I just can't see the Broncos winning this game.  I think if this game was being played in Denver it would be a different story and I would like their chances, but playing in Seattle is really hard and the Seahawks are 18-1 at home in their last 19 games.  The defense feeds off of the crowd noise and all that noise allows the defensive line to get a great jump against the offense.  Running a no huddle offense will be very difficult in Seattle even with "the general" running the show.  I also do not think this team has improved enough to beat this Seahawks team.

Denver Broncos- Erik Lars Bakke

Hopefully by the end of the season the Broncos will be gelling by the end of the season, but right now they do not look like a team who can go to Seattle and win.  If they can take care of the football and eliminate mental mistakes I think they can keep it close, but at this point I just don't know if the defense is good enough for the Broncos to win.  If the defense can get after Russell Wilson and make him uncomfortable they have a chance in this game, but so far this season the Broncos defense has not shown a consistent pass rush.  I will be watching to see how Von Miller does in this game after being fairly quiet in the first two weeks.  The defense also has to stop Seattle on third down and get off of the field.  If they can do all of that I think they stand a chance, and they should be able to at least make this game competitive.

Final Score- Denver 27, Seattle 21

I know I know I said that the Broncos would not win this game but I just couldn't pick against the Broncos and I do think they will be motivated to win this game.  I think one way or another this will be a good close game.  Hopefully the Broncos can catch a couple of breaks and get a few turnovers.  If the ball bounces their way look for them to pull of the upset on the road.  Go Broncos!

Broncos, Colts Game 1 Recap and Analysis

Well everyone week one is in the books and the Broncos find themselves atop the AFC West at 1-0.  The game was a little too close for comfort at the end but as they say a win is a win and nowhere is that more true than in the NFL.  Getting a win against a quality opponent in the opener always makes you feel good and this win should get the season started off right.  The game ended up being much closer than it should have been because the Broncos offense struggled to gain traction in the second half.

Reasons for Optimism 

Denver Broncos-Ben Hays

One of the biggest reasons for optimism on the offensive side of the ball had to be the play of Julius Thomas.  The colts had absolutely no answer for the big tight end.  They tried several different coverages on him, and they simply could not stop him.  The three first half touchdowns showed just how good Thomas could be this year.  Another offensive player that really stood out was Emmanuel Sanders.  He was a player that I thought might have a big time impact this season and I think that is going to be the case.  He showed the ability to beat people deep down the field and he also showed that he can make people miss in space.  I think Sanders should be in for a huge year and by the end of the season most Broncos fans will probably forget all about Eric Decker.  The re-tooled offensive line also seemed to be in sync and seemed to be better than last years unit.  For most of the night Manning had plenty of time, aside from one missed blitz pickup the unit performed very well.  I think overall the offense should be every bit as good as last year.  There were a few reasons for concern but I will delve into that more later.

Denver Broncos-Ben Hays

Another reason to be excited about this years team is the play of the Denver defense last night.  I know the defense gave up 24 points and Andrew Luck did throw for almost 400 yards, however these stats are slightly overblown due to the fact that the colts were throwing almost the entire second half.  The defense completely dominated the Colts in the first half and set the tone with physical play and great man coverage.  As I stated previously the second half was a little bit more of a struggle, but I believe that a big reason for that was the struggles of the offense.  The Denver offense was unable to move the ball and the defense was stuck on the field for a good part of the second half.  They were also put in bad situations with short fields.  The real positive for the defense though was the ability to make big stops when they needed to.  On two second half drives the Colts made it inside the Denver 10 and managed to score a measly three points.  The fourth and goal stuff of Andrew Luck was a huge play in the game.  The Broncos were also able to do a great job in man to man coverage down the field.  On two different occasions Denver defenders were able to knock the ball away and Rahim (the Dream) Moore was able to come away with an interception.  I thought the secondary looked very good in man to man coverages.  One area where they did struggle a bit was covering a tight end or running back that was coming out of the backfield but I am sure that Jack Del Rio will shore that up very quickly.

Denver Broncos- Eric Las Bakkes

One defensive player that played tremendous was Bradley Roby.  The rookie was forced into a very tough situation and he thrived in his first NFL game.  With the loss of Kayvon Webster to illness, Roby was thrown to the wolves and he more than met expectations.  For much of the game Roby was asked to cover Reggie Wayne in the slot, one of the toughest assignments in football.  The rookie showed the ability to play tight man to man coverage and he made one of the biggest plays of the game on the Colts last possession when he was able to knock the ball from Wayne on a fourth and six that would have kept the drive alive, had Wayne made the catch.  With Chris Harris working his way back from a torn ACL having someone like Roby will be invaluable for the Broncos.  His production in the game shows once again that John Elway and the Broncos have the ability to make impact picks even late in the 1st round.

Reasons For Concern

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

Now for the negatives from the game. I thought this game did provide a few reasons for concern.  The biggest problem for me in this game was the offense in the second half.  They struggled to gain traction and were unable to stay on the field which put the defense in a bad position.  I think one reason for the struggles could be attributed to the play-calling.  On first down the Broncos called 11 pass plays that gained an average of 11.8 yards and provided several big passing plays down the field.  They also called 18 runs which gained an average of just over three yards per carry.  The run-pass balance was not terrible for the game overall but in the second half things got much worse.  In the second half there were only four first down passes.  Two resulted in a completion for nine yards and twenty six yards, another drew a five yard defensive holding and the fourth was an incompletion.  There were ten running plays on first down in the second half that gained an average of only 2.3 yards.  This kind of play-calling is way too conservative and it allowed the Colts to put the Broncos offense in bad down and distance situations.  I know a lot of people are down on the running game after the game but I think the running game will be fine, and I am a big believer in Montee Ball.  I think that Adam Gase needs to do a better job of play-calling in the second half to keep the defense off balance, and give the offense an opportunity to maintain the rhythm they enjoyed in the first half.  I think the offense will shore up the problems that arose in the second half and they should be just fine for the rest of the season.

Denver Broncos- Erik Lars Bakke

A bigger concern that I had as the game went along was the lack of a consistent pass rush.  I know they were able to get three sacks in the game, but on two of the sacks Luck was forced to hold the ball for a significant amount of time.  I was also a little bit concerned that Von Miller did not make any significant plays, he just did not look like the player that had 18.5 sacks in 2012.  I know that he is coming off an ACL injury but the Broncos really need him to have a more significant impact than he did last night.  Hopefully it was more of a conditioning issue and not a problem with the ACL. One player along the defensive line that really impressed me was Malik Jackson.  He made several plays in the backfield and he forced Andrew Luck to make several hurried throws.  I do think that the Broncos need to find a way to generate more pressure on the quarterback throughout the game or they could give up a lot of big plays.


Look Ahead

Let's take a look ahead to next week when the Broncos will face off against the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority field.  The Chiefs offense looked anemic in their opener against the Tennessee Titans and I think they could be in for a long game against the Denver defense.  I think Alex Smith will struggle to find open receivers and could have a few turnovers again this week.  Once again the Broncos defense will get to face an offensive line that is facing serious questions and struggled to protect Smith in the opener.  It will also be interesting to see how the Chiefs defense fairs after losing two starters (Derrickk Johnson and Mike DeVito) to season ending achilles tendon tears.  Later in the week I will go into more detail on this matchup and what I think the outcome will be.

Final Thought

This is a little bit off topic from the rest of the article but as I was typing this up the Ravens announced that Ray Rice's deal was terminated and the NFL followed suit and suspended him indefinitely.  These moves were well overdue and it really makes you wonder why it did not happen sooner.  I know the video came out today and it was graphic to say the least, but really what did the NFL think happened when he knocked his fiancé unconscious?  They should not have had to see the video to come to this decision.  It really makes me question the decision makers of the NFL when a guy like Matt Prater gets suspended four games for drinking a beer and Ray Rice gets two games for knocking a woman unconscious.  I hope the NFL gets this right in the future.  They can start by suspending Greg Hardy, who was involved in a physical altercation with his girlfriend in which he threatened to kill her.  Hopefully the NFL does the right thing and does its best to eliminate domestic violence.