The 2010 Broncos season is just one draft, three shockingly random trades, and five months away.  The once proud residents of Broncoland, who have spent most of this offseason trying to avoid the new ‘all news is bad news’ flavor of the organization, are desperate to know how Denver stacks up against its 2010 competition.

What follows is an exact (mock) depiction of the Denver Broncos’ 2010 schedule.  While staring deeply into my future-sight crystal ball (it may have been a highball glass) I was able to watch the entire 2010 Broncos season unfold from on high.  Returning in a stupefied, half-conscious state, I wrote this article…

Denver Broncos @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, September 12^th 2010 @ 11:00 MST on CBS

The revamped Denver defense will hold down the inconsistent Jacksonville offense just long enough for Kyle Orton to find a tight end or something for the winning touchdown.  Josh McDaniels will be hailed publicly as a genius, but still reviled privately by 90% of his players. WIN 1-0

Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, September 19^th @ 2:05 MST on FOX

Pete Carroll & his Seahawks will stroll into Mile High Stadium fresh off an emotional Week 1 victory at home versus the division-rival San Francisco 49ers.  Pundits will believe that the Seahawks are now a competitive team.  They will be wrong.

The Broncos’ offense will open up a minor can of whoopass on the defenseless Seahawks.  Having started the season 2-0, pundits will laud Denver as a challenger in the AFC West.  They will be wrong. WIN 2-0

Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, September 26^th @ 2:15 MST on CBS

An 0-2 Colts squad will come to Denver off unexpected losses at Houston to the rising Texans and at home to Manning the Lesser and his hardnosed Giants.  Peyton Manning will finally warm up that terrifyingly mechanical Indy offense after two pitiful outings, followed by an undressing of the Broncos’ young secondary. LOSS 2-1

Denver Broncos @ Tennessee Titans

Sunday, October 3^rd @ 11:00 MST on CBS

Josh McDaniels will have his team playing tight, disciplined football by Week 4.

Unfortunately, the Titans have been playing tight, disciplined football (except for the postseason) for 15 years under Jeff Fisher.  McD’s Master Plan will not be enough to mash out a win in Tennessee.  LOSS 2-2

Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens

Sunday, October 10^th @ 11:00 pm on CBS

Last season the Broncos were embarrassed at Baltimore 7-30.  That loss came after a 6-0 start, and it started Denver down a path to football purgatory (8-8).  In 2010, the Ravens will have a chance to deal Denver its first losing record of the season.  They will succeed.  LOSS 2-3

New York Jets @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, October 17^th @ 2:15 MST on CBS

The Jets will have an opportunity to start the season 5-0 with a favorable early-season schedule.  (Road games against beatable teams, home games against tougher teams.) Will the boys in green really come to Denver undefeated in Week 6?  I don’t know, my amazing Future Vision becomes blurry and disoriented at the New Jersey border.

What is certain is that the Jets will stroll into Denver with a winning record, a bye week on the horizon, and a serious case of unfocused play.  It happened to the Jersey Jets all last season, and it will happen again in Denver.  Lucky thing too, because the Jets are a title contender in 2010.  WIN 3-3

Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, October 17^th @ 2:05 MST on CBS

The Broncos have struggled with the Raiders in Denver the last two seasons.

This time McDaniels will have his team ready.  Josh McD is a lot of things… among them a sore looser.  Recognizing that he lost to a lesser team at home last season, McDaniels will outmaneuver whatever pasted-together coaching staff takes the Raiders sideline on this particular day.  WIN 4-3

Denver Broncos @ San Francisco 49ers

Sunday, October 31^st @ 11:00 MST on CBS

For some reason I blacked out during this portion of the Vision.  It may have been too much whiskey, we’ll never know for sure.  As a result this game will officially be noted as a sure-thing tie.  Good job Broncos.  Way to not lose.  TIE 4-3-1

BYE WEEK

Week 9

Josh McDaniels will utilize his Bye Week to place his best player on the trading block.  It will probably be DE Elvis Dumervil.  Luckily, other organizations will have stopped answering McDaniels’ & Errand Boy Brian Xanders’ phone calls weeks earlier after McXanders drunk dials his entire NFL contact list in a single night.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, October 31^st @ 11:00 MST on CBS

The Broncos are lucky to get Kansas City at home after a week of rest.

These Chiefs are on their way up the AFC West ladder.  A well-rested Denver defense does just enough to hold down the explosive KC offense, and Kyle Orton throws for 300 yards in the win.  Zombie Eddie Royal shakes off a headache and the thirst for sweet brain juices long enough to find his legs and grabs 10 balls for 100+ and a touchdown.  WIN 5-3-1

Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers

Monday, November 22^nd @ 6:30 MST on ESPN

The Broncos’ one and only trip to the Monday Night Football stage in 2010 will be an unmitigated disaster as the Chargers flex their dominance.

However, in an epic twist of fate, former San Diego Nose Tackle Jamal Williams, now decked out in orange ‘n blue, does a double underhook suplex on Chargers’ QB Philip “Perma-smirk” Rivers.  Philip breaks something important on the play, and the Chargers immediately regret trading their best backup QB in the offseason.  Undaunted, Norv Turner puts Darren Sproles under center and runs direct snaps to him the rest of the game.  Somehow this strategy works, or Josh McDaniels calls fifteen bubble screens to Jabar Gaffney or something, and the Broncos lose anyway.  LOSS 5-4-1

St. Louis Rams @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, November 28^th @ 2:15 MST on FOX

This late November game in the Mile High City will be played in swirling snow.  Knowshon Moreno will take the opportunity to run for almost 200 yards while only fumbling twice.  His three touchdowns will make it just better than a break-even day, and Elvis Dumervil will toss Rams quarterbacks all over the offensive backfield.  WIN 6-4-1

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday, December 5^th @ 11:00 MST on CBS

It’s a real shame the NFL scheduling czars didn’t see fit to make this a Monday night affair the next day.  The Broncos always beat the Chiefs on my birthday, December 6^th.  Check the record books, its true.  The day I was born, the Broncos beat the Chiefs on December 6^th.  A couple years ago Denver rocked the chiefs on my birthday.

December 5^th?  What a lame day.  And a lame loss.  The Broncos experience their typical late-season in KC shakes, and are pounded into the Arrowhead turf.  LOSS 6-5-1

Denver Broncos @ Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, December 12^th @ 2:15 MST on CBS

Poor, poor Cardinals fans.  Kurt Warner comes in and turns a perennial loser into a Super Bowl contender.  Then, like a flash, he’s gone, and with it any hopes of a return to the Big Game.  Luckily, Arizona still plays in the weakest division in football.  Unluckily, their soft schedule will not prepare them for a home game against the Broncos.

Denver rolls the Cards in an unseemly fashion.  WIN 7-5-1

Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders

Sunday, December 19^th @ 2:15 MST on CBS

Late in the season and needing a win to stay in the playoff hunt, the Broncos scrape together a gutsy win in Oakland.  For many Broncos fans, this game will look like an okay team turning the corner towards greatness.  Other Broncos fans will realize that it’s just the friggin’ Raiders and even a near-loss to Oakland is just a little disgraceful.  WIN 8-5-1

Houston Texans @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, December 26^th @ 2:05 MST on CBS

The Day After Christmas and all is not well,

For one Gary Kubiak is coming to town.

Mastermind Junior and dressed in all red,

With visions of playoff births stuck in his head.

McDaniels will scream, kick, bite & spit,

But the Ghost of Mike Shanahan presides over this.

At Mile High Stadium on this fateful day,

The Texans will win it running away.

LOSS 8-6-1

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, January 2^nd @ 2:15 MST on CBS

A New Year and a new chance to smite the hated Chargers will instill a sense of purpose and destiny in the Broncos.  Having already locked up the shaky AFC West, the Chargers will rest Philip Rivers, who has his contract amended to read, “Philip shall not take the field if Jamal Williams and Elvis Dumervil have both lined up on the opposite side of the ball.  Failure to abide by this amendment shall result in the immediate launching of one Norv Turner from the nearest catapult or catapult-like object.” WIN 9-6-1

Denver eeks its way into the postseason with a 9-6-1 record, beating out at least three 9-7 teams.  A first-round rematch with the Jersey Jets lies on the horizon.  (End Vision)

Before you settle in for another non-stop media blitz populated by talking heads, draftnicks & pundits galore, take a moment to reflect on the 2009 season with Jerome V’s 2009 NFL Awards

Articles similar to this:

• April 21, 2010 -- Denver Broncos 2010 Draft: McDaniels-Xanders Draft Day do-over (0)
  All things being equal, it is difficult to decipher the...
• April 16, 2010 -- Kyle Orton signs RFA tender to stay with Broncos (0)
  Broncos starting Quarterback Kyle Orton has signed a re...
• December 20, 2009 -- Broncos play with fire, get burned by Raiders (0)
  An extreme case of red-zone impotence has finally come ...

The Denver Broncos should take a flier on Tim Tebow.  No doubt.

Proven talent, proven personality & versatility, wears the colors well.  But before we get into the many reasons that Timothy Richard Tebow would be a great fit for the Denver Broncos, we’ll address the immediate, “Are you kidding me!?” queries.

Are you kidding me!?  Tebow didn’t play in an NFL-type system as a Gator.  He won’t be able to run an NFL offense efficiently.

Tim Tebow threw 88 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in his time at Florida, and was the first college quarterback to both run and throw for 20+ touchdowns in a single season (2007).  Those two statistics speak volumes about his maturity as a young quarterback.  Add to that his Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, another NCAA first, and you’ve got a balanced playmaker who is clearly well ahead of the traditional QB learning curve.

Tebow did all of this without elite receiving options in the most aggressive defensive conference (SEC) in the nation.  If that doesn’t spell NFL-ready, I don’t know what does.

Give Tim Tebow a system and pro-caliber receivers, then watch him thrive.

Are you kidding me!?  Tim Tebow doesn’t have the traditional delivery of Peyton Manning and other elite NFL quarterbacks.

Tim worked throughout the last year to teach himself the traditional delivery that NFL coaches prefer.  He has succeeded at everything he’s ever done, and done so at an accelerated pace.  Tebow will master a new throwing motion in less time than it takes to teach a lesser two-way quarterback the new playbook.

Add to that his proficiency with a non-traditional semi-sidearm throw, and you’ve got the kind of versatility required to survive in the NFL.  Tebow’s natural throw is more useful on the run, and as a running quarterback he can challenge defenses to chase him outside of the pocket.

Pursuit or coverage?  Pick your poison.

Are you kidding me!? Tim Tebow’s Heisman-winning sophomore year was his peak.  He’ll never be as explosive as he was in his first starting season with Florida.

While Tebow’s passer rating and touchdown totals did decline each season as a Gator, his completion percentage spiked in his senior season at 70.1%.  That 2009 campaign saw Tebow playing alongside the least amount of offensive talent in his career, which explains the drop-off in passer rating and drastic rise in sack total.  Tim was dropped for a loss 25 times in 2009 compared to 15 sacks in 2008.

Despite the team-related struggles, Tebow still only threw 5 interceptions and made up for what his teammates lacked by rushing for over 900 yards.  That was a career best, and showed that Tebow was as explosive as he needed to be without pushing too hard.  Tim had less to work with, but didn’t make the mistake of trying to force plays.

That situation is precisely what Tebow will likely be walking into at his first NFL job, as the teams in need of his services predominantly lack both a star quarterback and elite receiving talent.  Those “welcome to the NFL” moments that have destroyed a laundry list of quality college quarterbacks won’t deflate Tebow.  His college career slowly prepared him to do more with less, and his decision-making is unparalleled in this draft.

So… why the Broncos?  They’ve got a signed starter in Kyle Orton, a quality backup in Brady Quinn, and a QB-in-training in Tom Brandstater.

Make no mistake, Kyle Orton is not a winning quarterback.

Orton is just good enough to not lose.  A winning quarterback goes out and takes the game by the horns.  Kyle’s above-average winning percentage in the regular season is purely the result of playing on good defensive teams with the kind of conservative approach that promises fewer mistakes.  (Orton was a loser in every game last season where his opponent scored more than 23 points.)  He will never win a playoff game, because that takes a quarterback who is capable of stepping up his game under pressure.

Brady Quinn may yet turn the corner as an NFL quarterback, but his statistical career to date is a nightmare.

In 14 NFL games over a 3-year career Quinn has thrown for 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.  In 10 games during the 2009 campaign, Brady’s passer rating only topped 75.0 twice… against Detroit & San Diego.  In half of those games it was worse than 50.0.

Quinn’s only wins last year came against Pittsburgh (a 13-6 suckfest) and Kansas City.  In his win over the Chiefs, Brady threw for a total of 66 yards and 2 interceptions.  He didn’t throw a touchdown in either victory, and 7 of his 8 touchdown passes on the season came in two of his ten games… against Detroit & San Diego… both losses.

Gag me with a spoon.

Tom Brandstater is presumably a system quarterback whom Broncos coach Josh McDaniels plans to mold into his perfect passer.

However, Brandstater is clearly not anywhere near ready to take the helm.  Otherwise the Broncos would not have marched the noodle-armed Chris Simms onto the field after Kyle Orton was injured at Washington.  Perhaps Brandstater would be better suited for the practice squad until he can top a trust-fund baby on the depth chart.

By comparison, Tim Tebow excels where each of these quarterbacks is lacking.

Tebow has guts and moxy where Orton has made a career of low risk, low reward quarterbacking.  Tim’s last two years in Florida compare favorably to Quinn’s last two in Cleveland considering they both played on untalented offenses.  Tebow manufactured yardage and wins in that situation while Quinn ceded time to Derek Anderson.  Brandstater is a slow-developing maybe-someday QB where Tebow is a proven winner who has quickly dominated every new or changed situation throughout his career.

And what about Josh McDaniels?  Why would he want a Tim Tebow on his team?

Because Tebow gives him options galore in an offense clearly working towards a highly complex, misdirection-heavy playbook.  (Wild Horses anyone?)  Not only is Tim a quick learner, not only does Tebow have the ability to run set plays, options & the occasional breakdown with maturity and efficiency, but he is also everything that Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall & Tony Scheffler are not…

Tim Tebow is a good kid.

We’re talking Christian Missionary good, Jesus-lite good… the epitome of all things positive in a prominent sports figure good.  Dude visits jails to bring the Good Word to those who have no hope.

And whether you agree with that message or not, you have to respect the fact that Tim Tebow isn’t doing community service because he ran afoul of the law.  Tim does it because he wants to, feels driven to, gains pleasure from doing so.  Who wouldn’t want to coach that kind of player?  Who wouldn’t want to root for that kind of guy?  Who wouldn’t want their kids looking up to him as a model for success?

Tim listens well, learns well, and stays out of off-field trouble.  He is the ideal student for a coach looking to bark orders and take no lip.  And yet, no matter how hard McDaniels pushes, Tebow will forever remain… the unflappable Tim Tebow.  McD couldn’t possibly break this kid or so much as hurt his feelings.  Tim works for The Man, and all else is a means to an end.

The foul-mouthed, no nonsense, my way or the highway coach who would just as soon spit on you as apologize, and the saintly son of a preacher who has never doubted his talent or his path since before he could grow chin hair.

They’re a match made in heaven.

Articles similar to this:

• April 21, 2010 -- Denver Broncos 2010 Draft: McDaniels-Xanders Draft Day do-over (0)
  All things being equal, it is difficult to decipher the...
• March 14, 2010 -- Move for Brady Quinn sends a message (0)
  The Broncos have acquired quarterback Brady Quinn for P...
• April 22, 2010 -- Denver Broncos Mock Season 2010 (2)
  The 2010 Broncos season is just one draft, three shocki...

Broncos starting Quarterback Kyle Orton has signed a restricted free-agent tender with Denver, indicating that he will stay with the team through the 2010-2011 season.  Orton was tendered at a first-round draft pick, but is not likely to follow the tender-to-trade path that Brandon Marshall took out of town.

Orton was already participating in the Broncos’ offseason conditioning program after signing an injury waiver, and his relationship with the team was never in doubt.  Kyle said that he felt his presence at offseason workouts was necessary because of his leadership role with the team.

However, Orton was also critical of Denver’s unwillingness to settle ongoing contract disputes with Pro Bowl Defensive End Elvis Dumervil and other young Broncos who had paid their NFL dues by playing through their rookie contracts without asking for a pay increase.  Dumervil has not signed the RFA tender offered by the team, and may hold out through training camp as a result.

Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels has said that Kyle Orton will remain the Broncos’ starting QB so long as he continues to perform at a high level and show improvement.  There was some doubt as to whether the recently-acquired Brady Quinn would compete with Orton from the beginning of training camp.

Orton threw for more than 3,800 yards last season, with more than 1,100 of those yards moving through elite Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday.

Articles similar to this:

• April 22, 2010 -- Denver Broncos Mock Season 2010 (2)
  The 2010 Broncos season is just one draft, three shocki...
• April 21, 2010 -- Denver Broncos 2010 Draft: McDaniels-Xanders Draft Day do-over (0)
  All things being equal, it is difficult to decipher the...
• April 14, 2010 -- Brandon Marshall to Miami as Shanahan offense finishes fade (2)
  With Brandon Marshall's exit from the Broncos, head coa...

Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said from the NFL owners’ meetings in Orlando that 2009-10 starter Kyle Orton is still the team’s top Quarterback.

The Broncos traded for former Cleveland Browns Quarterback Brady Quinn on March 14^th, leading to questions about the QB depth-chart in Denver.  McDaniels finally answered those questions (for now) when he said Orton had “the respect of his teammates and coaches and we look forward to him improving.”  Josh held out the possibility that Quinn could start the 2010-11 season, though saying that, “Now Brady’s here competing, and as always, players determine what they do on the field.”

Second-year player Tom Brandstater will also compete for the starting Quarterback job, but will have difficulty ascending past two experienced starters.  Brandstater played well with the second and third teams in the preseason last year, and will continue to develop with Denver’s younger receivers.

Quinn says he knows the score, but plans to compete for the starting job anyway.  “I’ll put it this way, I think every quarterback on our roster wants to play,” said Quinn. “Believe me, whether it’s Tom, Kyle, or myself, we’re all quarterbacks. We’re going to be team players first, but we all want to be out there playing.”

For his part, McDaniels welcomes the idea of a competitive environment.  Josh was optimistic that a competition at the position will push each of his three QB’s to excel.

“There are guys that are definitely starters, and until someone comes in to knock them off their spot, it’s going to be that way,” said McDaniels on Monday.  “Brady’s a player who fits a lot of the qualities and characteristics we look for in our quarterbacks. We feel like we have three who are in that same boat. It made sense for us to try to improve the competition at that position just like it does when we try to improve our competition at any position.”

Articles similar to this:

• March 14, 2010 -- Broncos net Quinn for Hillis plus two picks (2)
  The Denver Broncos completed a trade Sunday for Clevela...
• March 14, 2010 -- Move for Brady Quinn sends a message (0)
  The Broncos have acquired quarterback Brady Quinn for P...
• April 16, 2010 -- Kyle Orton signs RFA tender to stay with Broncos (0)
  Broncos starting Quarterback Kyle Orton has signed a re...

The Denver Broncos completed a trade Sunday for Cleveland Browns Quarterback Brady Quinn.

Denver traded Running Back Peyton Hillis, a 2011 6th round draft pick, and a conditional 2012 pick for former first round pick Quinn.  Brady struggled to succeed in his 3 years in Cleveland with limited receiving talent and a porous offensive line.  However, Quinn was able to oust Browns starting QB Derek Anderson midway through last season, and has shown flashes of brilliance that harken back to his days as a standout at Notre Dame.

Brady played for former New England offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss in Notre Dame.  Weiss runs an offensive system similar to his replacement in New England, Broncos coach Josh McDaniels.

Brady Quinn will likely compete with Broncos 2009 starter Kyle Orton for the starting QB role in the Denver offense.

Quinn became expendable after the Browns picked up Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme to compete for their 2010 starting quarterback position.

Articles similar to this:

• March 23, 2010 -- McDaniels says Orton is still starting Broncos QB (0)
  McDaniels welcomes the idea of a competitive environmen...
• March 14, 2010 -- Move for Brady Quinn sends a message (0)
  The Broncos have acquired quarterback Brady Quinn for P...
• April 21, 2010 -- Why the Broncos should draft Tim Tebow (6)
  Tim listens well, learns well, and stays out of off-fie...

The Broncos have acquired quarterback Brady Quinn for Peyton Hillis and draft picks. Quinn, who was the first round pick (22 overall) for the Cleveland Browns in 2007, was supposed to be the franchise quarterback, but couldn’t wrestle the starting job from Derek Anderson, who was recently released.

Peyton Hillis became a fan favorite in Denver in 2008 after picking up playing time in the wake of multiple backfield injuries. Hillis could never make it into the good graces of head coach Josh McDaniels, however, and saw his playing time diminish to almost nothing.

The Broncos also sent a 6th round draft pick in 2011 and a conditional pick in 2012 for Quinn, who is expected to land on the depth chart as the backup to Kyle Orton.

On first look, I’m inclined to like this move if only for one reason: Hillis was done here anyway, and getting anything for him was a coup. I loved to see Hillis in the backfield, but it was clear McDaniels had no such love. If the guy was gone, then we oughta get something for him. If that something is a quarterback to push Orton, then even better. Of course Orton is the starter, but word is that BQ has the chops to master the McDaniels system (he’s familiar with former Belichick assistants anyway … Crennel, Mangini), and he certainly has more raw arm strength. I’m not calling Quinn the savior just yet, but that McDaniels even went after another QB at least sends the message to Orton that his job isn’t any safer than anyone else’s. So for that reason alone, I give this trade a solid B.

Articles similar to this:

• March 23, 2010 -- McDaniels says Orton is still starting Broncos QB (0)
  McDaniels welcomes the idea of a competitive environmen...
• March 14, 2010 -- Broncos net Quinn for Hillis plus two picks (2)
  The Denver Broncos completed a trade Sunday for Clevela...
• April 21, 2010 -- Why the Broncos should draft Tim Tebow (6)
  Tim listens well, learns well, and stays out of off-fie...

The Broncos made an expected move today, placing tenders on several big name players, including Brandon Marshall, Elvis Dumervil, Kyle Orton, Chris Kuper and Tony Scheffler. As restricted free-agents, the tender indicates what a team must surrender if they are able to sign the player away. The most telling is the tender on Marshall – it’s a first-round tender only. The process works like this – any restricted free agent can be signed to an offer sheet – an offer that the Broncos have an opportunity to match. If they match the offer, they are committed to signing the player to that deal. If they choose not to match it, they become the property of the offering team, who must surrender the tender price to the Broncos. In Marshall’s case, rather than using the maximum first and third round tender (draft picks the offering team must give up), the Broncos set the tender as first round only, presumably as a message to the league that Marshall is here and available for the taking. Just offer him more money than Denver thinks he’s worth, throw down a first round pick, and he’s yours. This is not a prohibitive price for one of the top receivers in the league. The message is that the Broncos are not dead set on keeping Brandon around.

The tender on Dumervil is quite a bit more restrictive, and it would seem the Broncos would be more aggressive in matching offers that might come in for the pass rusher that thrived under the new 3-4 system.

The tenders on Orton and Kuper are first-round tenders only, but no one is expecting teams to make a big play for either of those players at that price. The big issue here is the collapse of the collective bargaining agreement. Under the old system, restricted free agents often used their RFA status to leverage their way into a new multi-year deal – but with the future uncertain, teams aren’t about to go out and break the bank.

The free agent signing period officially begins midnight Friday, so this weekend is the earliest you’ll see any activity on the Broncos roster.

Articles similar to this:

• April 22, 2010 -- Denver Broncos Mock Season 2010 (2)
  The 2010 Broncos season is just one draft, three shocki...
• April 16, 2010 -- Kyle Orton signs RFA tender to stay with Broncos (0)
  Broncos starting Quarterback Kyle Orton has signed a re...
• April 21, 2010 -- Denver Broncos 2010 Draft: McDaniels-Xanders Draft Day do-over (0)
  All things being equal, it is difficult to decipher the...

1. Soap on a Rope. For Josh McDaniels’ mouth.

2. Prescription Glasses. For Knowshon Moreno, maybe he’ll be able to see the hole and then run through it.

3. The best possible medical care for Chauncey Billups. (Come back,, buddy, we miss you!)

4. A real big-boy apartment for Matt Duchene – he’s growing up in the NHL before our eyes. Can’t wait to see what the future brings with this kid.

5. Electric Blanket for Carmelo Anthony. Anything to make sure he doesn’t suddenly cool off on us.

6. A decent starter to join the Rockies rotation. Nothing witty about this one, it’s just something we won’t go too far in 2010 without.

7. A checkbook for Dan O’Dowd, blank checks pre-signed and ready to spend from the Monforts. (I know, a guy can dream, can’t he?)

8. A big fat fruit basket for every team that passed on Ty Lawson in the NBA draft. Thanks guys… you’re almost as precious to us as Joe Dumars after the Darko draft and AI trade…

9. A t-shirt cannon for Kyle Orton. Oh yeah, and an evil genius to cybernetically remove his right arm and replace it with said cannon.

10. Ah heck, I’ll just say it – I really really really really really RE-HEE-HEE-HEELY want to see October baseball again in 2010.

What do you wish for? Whatever it is, leave it in the comments so we can all enjoy… and no matter what you’re celebrating today, I hope your day is filled with joy, peace, and a Nuggets win against the Blazers tonight.

Articles similar to this:

• April 26, 2010 -- Leaderless Nuggets on brink of elimination (0)
  Denver’s bigs couldn’t make layups, their bench had no ...
• April 16, 2010 -- NHL Game Ones show heart of Cup Playoffs (0)
  With Game One finished in 7 of 8 Conference Quarterfina...
• April 12, 2010 -- Memphis Grizzles at Denver Nuggets 4-12-10 recap (0)
  This was just what the doctor ordered for the Nuggets’ ...

Ryan Clady gets a reception, then gets tackled hard. An illegal procedure call negated the play.

An extreme case of red-zone impotence has finally come back to bite the Broncos, costing them a game that they had in their back pocket. Problem is, there’s no little purple pill for this variety of dysfunction. The only remedy is touchdowns, touchdowns, and more touchdowns.

Now I’m not one to just go completely fan-boy when the team wins, then doom and gloom when they lose, but this game showcased some serious deficiencies. And for the first time in a long time, I don’t blame the defense. Yeah, they could have stuffed the Raiders on that last drive, and yeah, the pass interference penalty didn’t help things any. But this time, I have a problem not just with the offense, but with the play calling. How many times do you think a team can score when they start their drive at 2nd and 11? It happened – and it happened a lot. First down and 10, handoff to Moreno, stuffed at the line. At what point does McDaniels admit that the first down run just isn’t working. I’m starting to feel like I’m watching the Dan Reeves era Broncos, complete with Sammy Winder getting squashed on first down, only this time, we don’t have Elway to save the day. Let me make this clear – you cannot win games when your 2 main problems are first down yardage and red zone efficiency. You can’t. Even Jamarcus Russell can beat you when you leave the door wide open like that. One touchdown, four field goals – including 2 figgies on impressive opening drives. They could have taken the heart right out of the chests of the Raiders in the first 10 minutes, instead they left hope. It’s the opposite problem of last year, when you couldn’t possible expect the offense to overcome the deficits the defense left them in. This time, you can’t possibly expect the defense to be playing at such a high level all the time and carry the weight of a powerless offense.

I bought into the McDaniels system, complete with Orton at the helm, and I did so early on. I remained on board through the 5 game skid, and felt vindicated over Thanksgiving weekend. Now, as much as I want to stay on board and see out the season, I’m surveying the softest place to jump. There is no reason to think this team will make the playoffs. I’m already looking ahead to 2010, and there is some serious work to be done before next season. I have a feeling McDaniels knows this, and had better be formulating some plans in the back of his head. The Denver faithful will not be patient.

While it wasn’t a completely horrible game, anything the Broncos did well was washed away by the heart wrenching loss to the despised Oakland Raiders. This one will be hard to get over.

Articles similar to this:

• April 22, 2010 -- Denver Broncos Mock Season 2010 (2)
  The 2010 Broncos season is just one draft, three shocki...
• April 21, 2010 -- Why the Broncos should draft Tim Tebow (6)
  Tim listens well, learns well, and stays out of off-fie...
• April 16, 2010 -- Kyle Orton signs RFA tender to stay with Broncos (0)
  Broncos starting Quarterback Kyle Orton has signed a re...

McDaniels and Orton watch from the sideline

You know things are getting dicey when your 2 million dollar backup gets pulled in the first half for a quarterback with a gimpy ankle that can barely walk off the field. A week of practice would get Simms comfortable, the conventional wisdom said. The conventional wisdom hasn’t watched the Broncos yet this year. Simms was completely ineffective, only managing to complete 2 passes for 10 yards.

The turning point of the game, in my opinion, was the very first drive of the game. The Broncos opened up with an offensive drive that pushed all the way to the red zone, mostly due to Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter. The drive was stalled when Simms got caught from behind and dropped the ball. The Chargers recovered, and the tone of the day was set. Just like in Baltimore, when the tone was set on the first play, the Broncos would never recover from the deflation of missing the end zone on that drive. Later on, Moreno would fumble the ball at the goal line, and as a result the Broncos left 2 touchdowns on the table. Add a questionable on-side kick call by McDaniels which basically gifted a score to the Chargers, and the rout was on. The Broncos could do no more than post a meaningless second-half field goal, setting a new low for offensive impotence this season.

Instead of breaking down the failures point by point, I feel compelled to ask a couple questions that have been plaguing me the last few weeks. How is it that a team that went 6-0 by beating good teams and making remarkably astute halftime adjustments, appear so woefully inept and unprepared four weeks in a row? You could make the argument that the league has figured out the system, but you can’t tell me that Belichick hadn’t “figured out the system”. Wade Phillips couldn’t “figure out the system”? The difference is not that defenses have figured them out, it’s that Denver just seems unprepared. They aren’t making adjustments, they aren’t improving in the second half. Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

Here’s another question – granted that Kyle Orton has a command of this offense that Simms just does not have, when down 23 points, why is Orton and his bum ankle on the field? I know you play each week to win that game and you play until the final whistle – I get that. But aren’t you better off either letting Simms take his lumps or giving Brandstater a few snaps, allowing Orton to heal further? The Broncos have a mere 4 days to prepare for the Giants on Thursday. If Orton reinjures his ankle, we’re in for the same results next week as we’ve seen this week. A season that once looked promising is now slipping away faster than you can say “wild horses”.The defense has gotten extremely soft in the middle, the offense has only managed 30 points in the last three games and looks completely lost. With today’s win, the Chargers retake control of the AFC West, and makes it all but impossible for the Broncos to make the playoffs.

Every week, I remind myself that the  wins the Broncos have are better than I thought they’d do, and so everything else is gravy. Unfortunately, the gravy has not been free flowing, and it’s still hard to swallow watching your team get utterly dominated week after week. Make no mistake – as they stand now, this team is bad. What makes it most painful, is that for six weeks we saw what they could do, and now we’re seeing the other side of the coin. Expect more of the same against New York this Thursday, and hope the long break allows Denver to get their heads on straight.

Articles similar to this:

• November 15, 2009 -- Orton limping as Broncos fall (0)
  Some questions are being answered about the Broncos, an...
• December 20, 2009 -- Broncos play with fire, get burned by Raiders (0)
  An extreme case of red-zone impotence has finally come ...
• November 1, 2009 -- Broncos lose defensive showcase (1)
  In a game that was billed as the story of two defenses,...