Reported by Sandy Clough of 104.3 the Fan, Tony Scheffler will practice with the scout team this week and will be a healthy scratch on Sunday against the Chiefs. This is a clear signal that Tony Scheffler will not be back next year, probably only for the sin of being a Shanahan guy.
Scheffler is a solid tight end - very productive last year under Shanahan/Cutler - and it makes no sense why McDaniels is insistent on pushing him out the door. Unfortunate that McDaniels was unable to figure out how to use a lot of the talent at his disposal.
We very well may be looking at a major overhaul again this off-season.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Broncos lose to Eagles: 30-27
Philadelphia hit the game winning field goal with 4 seconds to go to defeat Josh McDaniels and the Denver Broncos 30-27. Denver made a valiant second half comeback on the strength of two touchdowns in less than a minute, but Philadelphia was able to prevail.
Again, the key to Denver's game was the strong play of the defense in the second half. The Eagles had trouble moving the ball and the Denver offense was given plenty of opportunities with great field position. In the end, it was not enough to overcome the terrible first half.
Denver is now at the mercy of the scoreboard. If we can beat Kansas City next week, we still need either Pittsburg or Baltimore to lose, and perhaps the Jets as well. We'll see how the tie-breakers play out. I think that the Jets and Broncos have identical conference records. the subsequent tie-breakers are below:
Head-to-head, if applicable.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
Strength of victory.
Strength of schedule.
Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
Best net points in conference games.
Best net points in all games.
Best net touchdowns in all games.
Coin toss.
Denver has lost to both Pittsburgh and Baltimore. I'll have to investigate common games played with the Jets but it may come down to Strength of victory if those two teams are tied. I do know that if the Jets win next week, they are in.
From 6-0 to 8-7. 2-7 in the last 9. Enough said.
Again, the key to Denver's game was the strong play of the defense in the second half. The Eagles had trouble moving the ball and the Denver offense was given plenty of opportunities with great field position. In the end, it was not enough to overcome the terrible first half.
Denver is now at the mercy of the scoreboard. If we can beat Kansas City next week, we still need either Pittsburg or Baltimore to lose, and perhaps the Jets as well. We'll see how the tie-breakers play out. I think that the Jets and Broncos have identical conference records. the subsequent tie-breakers are below:
Head-to-head, if applicable.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
Strength of victory.
Strength of schedule.
Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
Best net points in conference games.
Best net points in all games.
Best net touchdowns in all games.
Coin toss.
Denver has lost to both Pittsburgh and Baltimore. I'll have to investigate common games played with the Jets but it may come down to Strength of victory if those two teams are tied. I do know that if the Jets win next week, they are in.
From 6-0 to 8-7. 2-7 in the last 9. Enough said.
Elvis Dumervil is the new Denver Broncos Sack King!
With just under 6 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Elvis Dumervil sacked Donovan McNabb for his 17th sack of the year to pass Simon Fletcher for the all time franchise single season sack lead.
Dumervil Ties Simon Fletcher for all time Denver Season sack record
Elvis Dumervil sacked Donovan McNabb in the first half of today's game in Philadelphia to record his 16th sack of the season. This ties Simon Fletcher for the all-time franchise single-season sack record with 6 quarters to go to break it. Congrats Elvis Dumervil!
Broncos - Eagles Halftime Report
Denver is down 20-7 at halftime and Philadelphia will start the second half with the ball. Denver is really playing poorly. Josh McDaniels did relent to pressure and give Peyton Hillis a carry at 3rd and 1 but the carry was from the full-back spot and Hillis was stuffed for a short loss. Moreno converted the 4th and short carry on a run to the right.
Denver is having a lot of trouble moving the football today and also having a lot of trouble stopping Philadelphia's offense. Orton looks terrible. Marshall has dropped quite a few passes. I don't see how the Broncos will win this game.
Denver is having a lot of trouble moving the football today and also having a lot of trouble stopping Philadelphia's offense. Orton looks terrible. Marshall has dropped quite a few passes. I don't see how the Broncos will win this game.
Brandon Stokely Ejected
Brandon Stokely was just ejected for hitting the referees hands while protesting a pass-interference non-call. It was a pretty slight hit, but fairly cut and dry. Denver now has just three healthy WRs in the game because McKinley was injured on the same drive (drive = 3 and out).
Luckily, Orton only likes to pass to Brandon Marshall so we probably won't notice any difference.
Luckily, Orton only likes to pass to Brandon Marshall so we probably won't notice any difference.
Must-win Game
The Steelers beat the Ravens today leaving both teams at 8-7. If Denver loses today in Philadelphia (and through 10 minutes, that seems likely), we will be out of the playoff picture. Baltimore faces Oakland next week while a resurgent Steelers team plays at Miami. If Denver loses today, they no longer control their own destiny.
I willl pose a question: Do we really want to be in the playoffs anyway, the way the team has looked over the last 9 weeks? I think everybody remembers the crushing defeats the Broncos suffered in Indiapolis as the wild card a few years back.
Philly just scored a touchdown . 7-0.
I willl pose a question: Do we really want to be in the playoffs anyway, the way the team has looked over the last 9 weeks? I think everybody remembers the crushing defeats the Broncos suffered in Indiapolis as the wild card a few years back.
Philly just scored a touchdown . 7-0.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Broncos lose to Oakland 20-19; in other news, Peyton Hillis missing
The Oakland Raiders came into Denver and stole a victory from the Broncos, 20-19. As with many of the Broncos losses this year, Oakland was able to run the ball down Denver's throat throughout much of the game. Perhaps most painfully, the game-winning drive was led by benched former starter Jamarcus Russel, who threw the for the game winning touchdown on what was just his third touchdown pass of the season.
This game was very similar to the Indianapolis game last week. Just like Indianapolis did, Denver started out strong, scoring on their first two possessions and shutting down the Raiders offense. Then, for much of the middle portion of the game, Oakland looked like the better team - just as Denver did last week against Indianapolis. Finally, just as Peyton Manning did for the Colts, Kyle Orton led the Broncos down for a late touchdown. The major difference between these two scenarios is that Denver only scored field goals on their first two possessions and led just 6-0 while Indiapolis had jumped out to a 21-0 lead and Denver really had a long way to come back. Oakland, on the other hand, was able to get a touchdown early and led 7-6, erasing the lead Denver had built up and completely switching the momentum of the game.
There were three key reasons Denver lost this game, in my opinion:
1) The first two scores were FGs and not touchdowns, as outlined above.
2) Mitch Berger kicked a 12 yard punt off the side of his foot after Denver's third possession. Oakland's next play was a long run into Denver territory and they eventually punched it in for the touchdown and the 7-6 lead. The momentum shift at this point of the game was palpable.
3) Josh McDaniels. McDaniels had a terrible coaching game with some inexplicable moves. First and foremost, he continued to dig his heels into the ground like a Donkey ready for the glue factory and played LaMont Jordan (who arguably shouldn't have made the team to begin with) over Peyton Hillis as our second running back. Denver, as usual, struggled to convert short yardage downs - an area where Hillis' size and power could really help. Lamont Jordan was ineffective. Moreno had an okay game, but Oakland clearly won the battle between the two running games. Why does McDaniels continue to refuse to play Hillis? If the Broncos were still winning, it would be hard to argue. However, they are now 2-6 over the last 8 games with an offense that is frankly not very good. Peyton Hillis is very popular among Denver fans and media and there is simply no explanation as to why he is in McDaniels' doghouse - especially because the broncos have some ills which Hillis could be used to cure. McDaniels simply seems to prefer to be right rather than to win. Beyond Hillis, Denver's offense has become predictable. The names we hear most are Marshall, Moreno, and Buckhalter (when healthy). Moreno, in fact, was tied with Royal for 2nd most catches today - 3 each. Denver has a lot more weapons than that: Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler, and Brandon Stokely (who was the offensive MVP in games 1-4) are all underutilized and even Daniel Graham and Jabar Gaffney (who was much more productive early in the season) have gone quiet. Where is the Wild-Horses formation or any other wrinkles. The most innovative play we saw out of Denver today was a quick-snap quarterback sneak on 2nd and 4 which went for a couple of yards. Josh Mcdaniels came into Denver promising to fix a long laundry list of problems - but we are seeing the same types of problems this season and I think the offense is clearly worse than it was last year.
Right now, the Broncos are not a good team. Even if we can sneak into the playoffs (Denver is now the 6 seed, one game ahead of Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Tennessee (scary good right now), Miami, Houston, and New York. Pittsburgh and Jacksonville would both win tie-breakers over Denver), it is hard to imagine any result other than a first round beating.
Finally, a hypothetical question. Where would Denver be without the Queen City Miracle? This team has showed very limited ability to bounce back from losses. They rode an incredible wave of momentum off that miracle win at Cincinatti and then a couple of easy games against Cleveland and Oakland. The confidence went a long way. Now, they don't seem to have the confidence and swagger. I am beginning to suspect that the team that started 6-0 was a complete mirage and the team that has gone 2-6 in the last eight is the real Josh McDaniels led Denver Broncos.
By the way, congratulation to San Diego for clinching the AFC west title today, with two weeks to go in the season. What a day for Denver.
This game was very similar to the Indianapolis game last week. Just like Indianapolis did, Denver started out strong, scoring on their first two possessions and shutting down the Raiders offense. Then, for much of the middle portion of the game, Oakland looked like the better team - just as Denver did last week against Indianapolis. Finally, just as Peyton Manning did for the Colts, Kyle Orton led the Broncos down for a late touchdown. The major difference between these two scenarios is that Denver only scored field goals on their first two possessions and led just 6-0 while Indiapolis had jumped out to a 21-0 lead and Denver really had a long way to come back. Oakland, on the other hand, was able to get a touchdown early and led 7-6, erasing the lead Denver had built up and completely switching the momentum of the game.
There were three key reasons Denver lost this game, in my opinion:
1) The first two scores were FGs and not touchdowns, as outlined above.
2) Mitch Berger kicked a 12 yard punt off the side of his foot after Denver's third possession. Oakland's next play was a long run into Denver territory and they eventually punched it in for the touchdown and the 7-6 lead. The momentum shift at this point of the game was palpable.
3) Josh McDaniels. McDaniels had a terrible coaching game with some inexplicable moves. First and foremost, he continued to dig his heels into the ground like a Donkey ready for the glue factory and played LaMont Jordan (who arguably shouldn't have made the team to begin with) over Peyton Hillis as our second running back. Denver, as usual, struggled to convert short yardage downs - an area where Hillis' size and power could really help. Lamont Jordan was ineffective. Moreno had an okay game, but Oakland clearly won the battle between the two running games. Why does McDaniels continue to refuse to play Hillis? If the Broncos were still winning, it would be hard to argue. However, they are now 2-6 over the last 8 games with an offense that is frankly not very good. Peyton Hillis is very popular among Denver fans and media and there is simply no explanation as to why he is in McDaniels' doghouse - especially because the broncos have some ills which Hillis could be used to cure. McDaniels simply seems to prefer to be right rather than to win. Beyond Hillis, Denver's offense has become predictable. The names we hear most are Marshall, Moreno, and Buckhalter (when healthy). Moreno, in fact, was tied with Royal for 2nd most catches today - 3 each. Denver has a lot more weapons than that: Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler, and Brandon Stokely (who was the offensive MVP in games 1-4) are all underutilized and even Daniel Graham and Jabar Gaffney (who was much more productive early in the season) have gone quiet. Where is the Wild-Horses formation or any other wrinkles. The most innovative play we saw out of Denver today was a quick-snap quarterback sneak on 2nd and 4 which went for a couple of yards. Josh Mcdaniels came into Denver promising to fix a long laundry list of problems - but we are seeing the same types of problems this season and I think the offense is clearly worse than it was last year.
Right now, the Broncos are not a good team. Even if we can sneak into the playoffs (Denver is now the 6 seed, one game ahead of Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Tennessee (scary good right now), Miami, Houston, and New York. Pittsburgh and Jacksonville would both win tie-breakers over Denver), it is hard to imagine any result other than a first round beating.
Finally, a hypothetical question. Where would Denver be without the Queen City Miracle? This team has showed very limited ability to bounce back from losses. They rode an incredible wave of momentum off that miracle win at Cincinatti and then a couple of easy games against Cleveland and Oakland. The confidence went a long way. Now, they don't seem to have the confidence and swagger. I am beginning to suspect that the team that started 6-0 was a complete mirage and the team that has gone 2-6 in the last eight is the real Josh McDaniels led Denver Broncos.
By the way, congratulation to San Diego for clinching the AFC west title today, with two weeks to go in the season. What a day for Denver.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins talking coach job` - ESPN
From ESPN (although originally reported in the Denver Post): Mike Shanahan is negotiating with the Redskins about becoming their next head coach. The Redskins replaced their GM yesterday. I find this interesting as I would have expected Shanahan to wait and see what may be available in the off-season, particularly in Chicago (to reunite with Cutler) or Dallas. However, I am sure Daniel Synder's free-spending committment to win (or at least attempting to win) is pretty tantalizing.
Report: Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins talking coach job` - ESPN
Report: Mike Shanahan, Washington Redskins talking coach job` - ESPN
Monday, December 14, 2009
Colts beat Broncos 28-16; Denver looks both good and bad
Denver was surprisingly competitive in its 28-16 loss to Indianapolis on Sunday. The Colts looked like they would blow Denver out - jumping to a quick 21-0 lead by the second quarter behind a red hot Peyton Manning; but, Denver's defense stiffened and Manning looked pretty bad the rest of the game until the last Colts' possession where they scored their final touchdown. IN the meantime, Denver's defense got 3 interceptions and began to get a little bit of pressure on Manning, despite never getting a sack. The 2 linebacker/5 DB set worked pretty well for Denver and played to the strenght of our defense, clearly the secondary.
The real problem was the offense. The Broncos left a lot of points on the field. The only effective weapon was Brandon Marshall who caught an NFL record 21 passes. Unfortunately, Denver could not convert on numerous 3rd/4th and short nor could it capitalize on the great field position enjoyed after the three Manning interceptions. Kyle Orton had a back breacking interception at the Colts' 4 yard line that killed a potential scoring drive. And, Matt Prater missed a 42 yard field goal.
The takeaway from this game is that Denver had a great chance to win, and wasn't able to. The Colts are simply a much better team. This was the first time in Peyton Manning's career that he threw three interceptions and won. If Denver should face Indianapolis again in the playoffs, we can't count on another bad game from Manning.
One big question is where was Peyton Hillis? Buckhalter went down early with an ankle injury and McDaniels went almost exclusively with Knowshon Moreno the rest of the game, instead of subbing Hillis in as the second back. Hillis did get one carry, but I was disappointed that he didn't get any other opportunities. McDaniels' refusal to play Hillis is very confusing.
In the end, Denver needed a perfect game and didn't deliver.
The real problem was the offense. The Broncos left a lot of points on the field. The only effective weapon was Brandon Marshall who caught an NFL record 21 passes. Unfortunately, Denver could not convert on numerous 3rd/4th and short nor could it capitalize on the great field position enjoyed after the three Manning interceptions. Kyle Orton had a back breacking interception at the Colts' 4 yard line that killed a potential scoring drive. And, Matt Prater missed a 42 yard field goal.
The takeaway from this game is that Denver had a great chance to win, and wasn't able to. The Colts are simply a much better team. This was the first time in Peyton Manning's career that he threw three interceptions and won. If Denver should face Indianapolis again in the playoffs, we can't count on another bad game from Manning.
One big question is where was Peyton Hillis? Buckhalter went down early with an ankle injury and McDaniels went almost exclusively with Knowshon Moreno the rest of the game, instead of subbing Hillis in as the second back. Hillis did get one carry, but I was disappointed that he didn't get any other opportunities. McDaniels' refusal to play Hillis is very confusing.
In the end, Denver needed a perfect game and didn't deliver.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Ryan Harris Out for the Year
Right tackle Ryan Harris will miss the rest of the season with an injured foot - I believe it is his toes. This leaves the right tackle position in the hands of local boy Tyler Polumbus, who has filled in admirably for Ryan Harris to date.
Broncos now in prime playoff position
Travel and work have kept me away from the blog for about a week but I wanted to put a quick post to wrap-up this weekend's events in the NFL which have made the Broncos a favorite for one of the wild card slots. Pittsburgh and Baltimore (both teams that hold the tie-breaker over Denver) lost this week and are left at 6-6. Pittsburgh's loss to Oakland was particularly bad - but should also signal a warning to anybody who thinks the upcoming Oakland game is a guaranteed win. The Dolphins and the Jets are also both 6-6 but Denver has a better in-conference record so owns the tie-breakers with both of them. Jacksonville sits at 7-5. With Denver, these are the 6 teams competing for 2 wild card slots.
A few knockout games make me especially confident at this point that Denver will make the playoffs with 10 wins:
Baltimore faces Pittsburgh. Both teams would have to win their last 4 games to tie denver at 10-6. Since they face eachother, that is impossible.
Pittsburgh faces Miami. This will be a good game for Denver regardless since this eliminates another 6-6 team from getting to 10 wins.
Jacksonville faces Miami. Another matchup of two teams behind the Broncos. Good for Denver either way, but I'd rather see Jacksonville win and knock Miami out.
New York has a game at Indy and finishes at home vs Cincinatti. However, Indy may be resting players and so may Cincinatti. Their other two games are versus Tampa Bay and Atlanta. I think there is a loss in there somewhere.
Denver seems to be back on track in the last two game - very convincing wins over the Giants and Kansas City. While these may have been struggling opponents, Denver beat them the way they should have.
The key to the rest of the season, in my opinion, is how Denver can bounce back from their likely loss to Indianapolis this weekend. THis is not a game we need to win, but Denver cannot afford to spiral into another losing streak.
A few knockout games make me especially confident at this point that Denver will make the playoffs with 10 wins:
Baltimore faces Pittsburgh. Both teams would have to win their last 4 games to tie denver at 10-6. Since they face eachother, that is impossible.
Pittsburgh faces Miami. This will be a good game for Denver regardless since this eliminates another 6-6 team from getting to 10 wins.
Jacksonville faces Miami. Another matchup of two teams behind the Broncos. Good for Denver either way, but I'd rather see Jacksonville win and knock Miami out.
New York has a game at Indy and finishes at home vs Cincinatti. However, Indy may be resting players and so may Cincinatti. Their other two games are versus Tampa Bay and Atlanta. I think there is a loss in there somewhere.
Denver seems to be back on track in the last two game - very convincing wins over the Giants and Kansas City. While these may have been struggling opponents, Denver beat them the way they should have.
The key to the rest of the season, in my opinion, is how Denver can bounce back from their likely loss to Indianapolis this weekend. THis is not a game we need to win, but Denver cannot afford to spiral into another losing streak.
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