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

Manning vs. Brady 16

Another week in the NFL and another huge game for the Denver Broncos.  It seems like every game so far has been a "must win" for the Broncos and this week they face another tough test against the New England Patriots.  The Patriots have been on a roll lately, scoring 51 points last weekend against the Chicago Bears.  This game is so important for the Broncos because if they are able to win this game they will be in control of the AFC's #1 seed.  If they lose things will become a little more difficult for them although not impossible.  As always this game takes on added significance because of the quarterback matchup.  Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time so anytime they face off against one another, it is a media spectacle.  This game also marks the third consecutive year that this matchup has taken place, all of which have been played in Foxborough.  The Broncos have not fared too well the last two seasons, but this year could be different and I'll tell you why.

Keys to Victory

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

The biggest key in this game has to be the turnover battle.  The Broncos have to avoid beating themselves in this game.  In the last two regular season meetings against the Patriots the Broncos have been careless with the ball and it has cost them the game.  We all remember last years game where the Broncos managed to squander a 24-0 lead because of two turnovers deep in their own territory.  That is how the Patriots beat you.  They play good disciplined football and when you make a mistake they are sure to capitalize on it.  In this one the Broncos need to make sure that they are not helping the Patriots out with turnovers.  If Denver can win the turnover battle I think they will win this game, if they cannot then it could be a different story.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

One player that could play a big role today for the Broncos is Emmanuel Sanders.  If the weather is going to be as bad as they say then the Broncos may not be able to push the ball down the field in the passing game.  This could mean that the Broncos run a lot of underneath routes, and bubble screens that give their playmakers the ability to run after the catch.  Sanders is one of the most dynamic pass catchers that the Broncos have and he is always fun to watch when he has the ball in his hands.  In the last several games the Broncos have run a downfield screen that has been very effective.  They ran this play twice last week on third and long situations and I think they could look to run this play on a more consistent basis if the weather is bad.  On this play the Broncos set three receivers in a trips formation to the right with one receiver (Demaryius Thomas) set to the left.  The three receivers on the right side of the formation come flying off the line of scrimmage which forces the defenders to back off quickly.  The receiver on the left of the formation then runs a shallow crossing route, once the ball is thrown the three receivers who are downfield find a man and block.  So far this has been an effective play for the Broncos and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Broncos try it a few times.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

Assuming the weather is as bad as predicted the Broncos will have to rely on the running game, and given recent performance that might not be such a bad thing.  Ronnie Hillman has been a fresh breath of air for the Broncos running game.  He has transformed the running attack from an area of concern to a real strength of this team.  Since taking over as the starter Hillman has consistently shown the ability to hit a hole and get as many yards as he can.  He has also shown great quickness.  His ability to break big plays has shown up in each game so far and I would not be surprised to see him bust loose for a big play again this week.  The last two weeks he has had runs of over thirty yards, and I think that trend will continue this week.  The fun thing about Hillman is that once he gets past the second level he has the ability to run away from everybody.  Last year against the Patriots the Broncos ran for 280 yards and seemingly had their way with the Patriots defense.  I think that this trend will continue against a Patriots defense that is missing it's leading tackler as well as its best pass rusher.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

As for the Broncos defense they will have their hands full against a Patriots offense that is firing on all cylinders at this point in the season.  At the start of this season the Patriots looked out of sync and there were some who said that this was the end of the Patriots dynasty and that Tom Brady was done.  Well a few weeks later and those ideas have been solidly laid to rest as the Patriots have been on fire over the last several weeks.  What changed? One word: Gronk.  The biggest difference for this Patriots offense has been the play of the tight end known only as GRONK.  Over the first four games Gronk just did not look like the same dominant player that we are so used to seeing.  He ran mostly crossing routes and did not challenge the defense vertically.  Things have changed over the last few weeks though and it appears Gronk is healthy and back to terrorizing opponents.  He has been running down the seams and dishing out punishment when he makes contact with a defender.  So how do the Broncos slow down this Patriots offense?  I think that if the Broncos are able to stop the running game and make the Patriots one dimensional Tom Brady could be in for a long day in this one.  The Broncos are the #1 run defense so far this season and if they can continue to stop the run they can make life tough for the Patriots today.  If the Broncos can stuff the run that means the pass rushers can pin their ears back and get after Tom Brady.  This is important because the Patriots offensive line has been suspect at times this season and going against Von Miller and Demarcus Ware is no small task.

Denver Broncos- Gabriel Christus

These two pass rushers have been terrorizing opponents all season long, and they show no signs of slowing down.  Von Miller in particular has been practically unstoppable and he now has a sack in six consecutive games which is the best current streak in the NFL.  Von Miller is a great pass rusher there is no doubt about that, but one thing that often goes overlooked with Von is just how dominant he is against the running game.  If you watch him on running plays he regularly gets into the backfield and at the very least forces the play to go the opposite direction of him.  If the Broncos pass rush can get to Brady quickly they should have the ability to either bring him down for a sack or force him to throw it before he is ready.  This should provide the defense with opportunities for takeaways and I would look for the Broncos to get at least one interception in this one.  Rahim Moore has looked great so far this season and he seems to be seeing the field really well.   I was particularly impressed with his interception last week against the Chargers.  On the play Moore had deep responsibility and as he saw Malcom Floyd head down the sideline he immediately drifted that way and made a great play on the ball to pick off Phillip Rivers.  This shows just how far he has grown as a player.  We all remember the play against Baltimore where Moore failed to make the play on the ball.  I think he has really developed as a safety and he is a major cog in one of the best secondaries in football.

Prediction

This one is hard to predict because of the weather.  If it is cold and windy that takes away the Broncos ability to throw the ball downfield and forces them to dink and dunk a lot more.  However, even if the weather is bad I still think the Broncos have the better team.  The Broncos have superior talent and as long as they do not make mistakes with the football they should take care of business.  I look for Peyton Manning to get his first regular season win in Foxborough as a Bronco in this one.

Final Score- Denver Broncos 24, New England Patriots 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