The end was mercifully quick… for Broncos Nation and for Josh McDaniels.

The Denver Broncos’ 12th head coach was fired on Monday after a disappointing loss to the arch-rival Kansas City Chiefs.  It was the Broncos’ 17th loss in their last 22 games, after Denver won the first six games of McDaniels’ tenure.

How could an era that began with such promise and fanfare go down in flames so quickly?

The Winds of Change

After blowing a three-game lead over the San Diego Chargers with three games remaining in the 2008 season and missing the playoffs, Pat Bowlen decided the time had come to dismiss the most successful head coach in Broncos history, Mike Shanahan.  Bowlen said that the next coach would not have the same power that Shanahan had in making personnel decisions.

After the long interview process, Bowlen offered the job to New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.  At just 32 years old, McDaniels became the youngest coach in the league.  Despite McDaniels’ youth and inexperience, the Broncos gave him the very power they had claimed he would not have.

McJayGate and the ’09 Draft

McDaniels would quickly make major headlines when he apparently contacted his old friends in New England to inquire about the possibility of a trade that would bring quarterback Matt Cassel to the Broncos.  Cassel took over the starting job in New England under McDaniels for the final 15 games of the ’08 season after a Tom Brady knee injury.  Denver’s incumbent QB Jay Cutler was incensed and, after the Cassel deal fell through, demanded to be traded.

McDaniels and Bowlen attempted to smooth things over with Cutler, but things deteriorated to the point that Cutler refused to take either McDaniels’ or Bowlen’s phone calls.  Bowlen had had enough, and traded Cutler to Chicago for QB Kyle Orton and draft picks.

The Broncos’ biggest problem under Shanahan was their defense.  Mike Nolan signed on as defensive coordinator after the ’08 season.  McDaniels signed future Hall Of Fame safety Brian Dawkins as a free agent, and was expected to focus on that side of the ball in the draft.

Instead, McDaniels used his first pick on Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno.  After McDaniels selected linebacker Robert Ayers with the 18th pick, he then made a move that raised a lot of eyebrows, trading a 1^st Round pick in the 2010 Draft to select CB Alphonso Smith from Wake Forest in the 2nd Round.  McDaniels used only four of his ten picks on defensive players.

6-0

The Josh McDaniels Era started with a bang, as the Broncos won their first six games of the 2009 season.  But let’s examine that surprising 6-0 run in hindsight.

Their first win, against the Cincinnati Bengals, was a fluke.  The Broncos were anemic on offense and fell behind 7-6 with just 38 seconds left.  Orton threw a pass to a well-covered Brandon Marshall.  The ball was tipped in the air and caught by Brandon Stokley with only open field in front of him.  Stokley went 87 yards for the score as the Broncos stunned the Bengals 13-7.  It was a win that came purely from luck… and Mike Nolan’s suddenly studly defense.

The Broncos then won 27-6 in their home opener against a weak Cleveland team led by an underachieving, once great in college quarterback.  What was his name again?  Oh, yeah!  Brady Quinn (more on him later). The following week they won again on the road against an awful Raiders team, 23-3.

Then came a tough three-game stretch against the Cowboys and Patriots at home, and the Chargers on the road.

Against Dallas, the much improved Bronco D allowed only 10 points, and Marshall scored the game-winning TD in a 17-10 win.  Then the Broncos beat McDaniels’ old friends from New England 20-17 in overtime.  However, they were helped by the fact that Tom Brady was still not at his best after his injury, and was throwing the ball as inaccurately as he ever has in his career.  The Broncos kept rolling with a 34-23 victory over the Chargers on Monday Night Football, thanks to Eddie Royal returning both a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns… a very rare occurrence.

The Broncos headed to their bye week on top of the world.

Reality Check

Then came the collapse.

The Broncos returned from the Bye and were blown out in Baltimore, 30-7.  They returned home and were dominated again by the Super Bowl Champion Steelers, 28-10.  The next week in Washington, the Broncos were playing well when Kyle Orton was lost with a sprained ankle.  Chris Simms took over at QB, and was awful, as the Broncos lost 27-17.  They returned home for a rematch with the Chargers and were blown out again 32-3.

The Broncos rebounded with a Thanksgiving Night win over the Giants, and a 44-13 drubbing of the Chiefs at Arrowhead.  They would then lose in Indianapolis despite Brandon Marshall’s record-setting 20 catches.  Then Denver really hit rock bottom.

They lost at home 20-19 to the Raiders, led by the worst draft bust in history; JaMarcus Russell.  The Broncos fell in Philadelphia and then at home in a 44-24 beat-down by the Chiefs as the improvement that the defense showed earlier in the year vanished.  Brandon Marshall was benched for the Chiefs game because McDaniels felt he was exaggerating the severity of a hamstring injury and was not giving his full effort to the team.

The Broncos finished the same way they did a year earlier; 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

2010

After the disappointing second half of 2009, Mike Nolan left the Broncos because of what was termed “philosophical differences” with McDaniels.  Linebackers coach Don “Wink” Martindale was promoted to defensive coordinator, the fifth man in five years to hold the position.

One of the surprise stars for the Broncos in Shanahan’s final year was running back Peyton Hillis.  He had rushed for 129 yards in a win against the Jets before tearing his hamstring against the Chiefs, ending his season.  Despite coming back healthy, McDaniels somehow didn’t see anything worth keeping in Hillis.  He carried the ball only 13 times in ’09, and was traded to the Browns for Brady Quinn.  McDaniels traded away two more stars when he sent Marshall to Miami and tight end Tony Scheffler to Detroit for draft picks.

In the 2010 Draft, McDaniels again made headlines when he traded up to the 25th pick to select Florida QB Tim Tebow, one of the greatest players in college football history.  There were questions about Tebow’s mechanics, and many wondered if he was worth a 1^st Round pick.  But his work ethic and character fit McDaniels’ blueprint of what a quarterback should be.

Again, McDaniels ignored his team’s defensive woes during the draft, using only three of nine picks on defensive players.

Alphonso Smith, for whom McDaniels had sacrificed a 1^st Round pick, never panned out and was traded to Detroit before the season began, a major admission of failure from the head coach.

The Broncos lost their opener in Jacksonville, and then rebounded in their home opener with a win over Seattle.  In week 3 the Broncos outplayed the Colts at home, but managed only six points in five red zone possessions in a 27-13 loss.  The Broncos won on the road in Tennessee to even their record at 2-2.

Strange Parallels

Then, once again, the collapse came.

For the second straight year the Broncos traveled to Baltimore and were blown out, this time 31-17.  After giving up a late lead to the Jets and falling 24-20, the Broncos once again hit rock bottom at home against the Raiders.

The Broncos were completely humiliated on their home field by their old nemeses, losing 59-14, and the fans’ anger against McDaniels intensified.  The Broncos traveled to London and lost to the 1-6 49ers, dropping them to 2-6 going into the Bye Week.

Denver was ranked dead last in the NFL in rushing, averaging well under 70 yards per game.  Meanwhile, Peyton Hillis was putting up huge numbers in Cleveland as a featured running back.  Brady Quinn, who had been inaccurate and ineffective in the preseason, was parked firmly on the bench as the 3rd QB on the Broncos’ depth chart.

Denver appeared to have turned it around after the bye week with a 49-29 blowout of the division-leading Chiefs.  But hopes of a late-season run were dashed when the Broncos were again dominated by the Chargers the following week, losing 35-14.  Five days later, McDaniels’ reputation took the worst hit yet.

Spygate II: Denver

The day before the Broncos played the St Louis Rams in Denver, McDaniels was fined $50,000, and the Broncos $50,000 more, after a Broncos assistant was revealed to have videotaped a 49ers practice the day before the game in London.  McDaniels had failed to report the incident to the league.  Josh claimed that video assistant Steve Scarnecchia, who was part of the Spygate scandal in New England while McDaniels was O.C., acted independently and that he never viewed the tape.  Many in the fan-base and media did not buy his explanation.

The Broncos lost to the young Rams, 36-33, in front of the smallest crowd in Invesco Field history.  McDaniels was losing the fans, but Pat Bowlen said that McDaniels would remain coach for the rest of the season.

The Broncos traveled to Kansas City with a chance to play spoiler to the Chiefs’ playoff hopes.  Knowshon Moreno was having the game of his life with 161 rushing yards, and the Broncos trailed just 10-6 with 4 minutes remaining.  McDaniels could have run the ball with his hot back or used play-action to open up the field. Instead, he had Kyle Orton, who was having his worst game of the year, drop back for two straight plays, throwing an incompletion and taking a sack.  The Broncos punted two plays later, and Orton threw another incompletion on the last play as the Broncos fell to 3-9, out of playoff contention for the fifth year in a row.

The End

Pat Bowlen had finally seen enough.  The day after the loss to the Chiefs, Bowlen fired McDaniels as head coach.  That amazing 6-0 start was nothing but a distant memory.

To be fair, I don’t believe Josh McDaniels is solely to blame for the Broncos’ downfall.  Pat Bowlen must accept a lot of the blame for giving so much responsibility to such a young coach.  Being a head coach in the NFL is difficult enough without the pressure of building the roster through free agency and the draft.  McDaniels was in over is head, and that is not his fault.  It takes years of experience to have that kind of power over an NFL franchise and be successful… experience that McDaniels has yet to gain.

From a coaching standpoint, I believe McDaniels is a good offensive mind, but he needs to make better use of the running game.  I know that the Broncos have a young offensive line, and Moreno is seen as an underachiever, but I have always felt that McDaniels was too quick to abandon the running game when they got off to a slow start.  There were too many times that the Broncos threw the ball 35-40 times compared to only 15-20 running plays.  McDaniels wanted to throw the ball all day long, and that usually is not a successful formula unless your quarterback is named Brady or Manning.

So, who will be the next man to lead the Broncos?  How long will it take for this once proud franchise to rise from the ashes?  The next several months should be very interesting in Broncoland.

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Eagles 34, Texans 24
The Texans put up a fight, leading 24-20 as the 4th quarter began, but Michael Vick scored a touchdown from 2 yards out and later hit FB Owen Schmitt for another as the Eagles won to keep the pressure on the Giants.

Chiefs 10, Broncos 6
The Broncos had a chance to play spoiler and steal this one from their hated rivals on the road, but poor play-calling in the final minutes by Josh McDaniels killed that chance.  Kyle Orton was terrible, completing only 9 of 28 passes, and the Chiefs rushed for 185 yards as they beat the Broncos in the final act of the tragedy that was Josh McDaniels’ head coaching stint.

Packers 34, 49ers 16
Needing a victory to stay within striking distance of the Bears after last week’s heartbreaker in Atlanta, the Packers torched the Niners at Lambeau thanks to a 298 yard, 3 TD performance by Aaron Rodgers.  I hope they don’t get superstitious and decide to wear those 1929 throwback uniforms for the rest of the year.

Vikings 38, Bills 14
After Brett Favre was knocked out with a shoulder injury, Tarvaris Jackson stepped in and quickly threw a pick-six to Bills CB Drayton Florence.  Jackson shook off the mistake, going 15/22 and throwing 2 TD’s to Sidney Rice.  Adrian Peterson added 107 yards and 3 TD’s on the ground in the Vikings’ best performance of the season.

Jaguars 17, Titans 6
Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew ran wild in Music City, putting up a career-high 186 yards, and controlled the clock keeping Titans RB Chris Johnson on the sideline.  Kerry Collins was ineffective at QB as the Titans’ suffered their fifth straight defeat.  The Titans have broken so many hearts in Tennessee, maybe Taylor Swift will write a song about their collapse.

Browns 13, Dolphins 10
The Dolphins are garbage at home.  That’s all I have to say about this game.  Borrring.

Bears 24, Lions 20
Again, the Lions put forth a great effort but just couldn’t quite finish the job.  With the Bears trailing 20-17 Jay Cutler threw to Brandon Manumaleuna for the go-ahead score midway through the 4th quarter, and the Bears held on for the win to stay in first place in the NFC North.

Giants 31, Redskins 7
Giants RB’s Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw combined for 200 yards rushing and scored two TD’s each, leading the Giants to the win and keeping them tied with the Eagles for the NFC East lead.  The Redskins were very much in the Christmas gift-giving spirit, committing six turnovers as their playoff dreams were virtually destroyed.

Saints 34, Bengals 30
For the second week in a row the Saints were nearly upset by one of the NFL’s worst teams, but survived.  Marques Colston caught a 3-yard TD pass from Drew Brees with 31 seconds remaining to give the Saints their fifth straight win… and the Bungles their ninth straight loss.

Raiders 28, Chargers 13
The Raiders played the role of The Grinch in San Diego as they dealt the Chargers a major blow to their postseason chances.  The Raiders gained 251 yards rushing while allowing only 21 yards on the ground to the Bolts, who lost their first December game since 2005.

Seahawks 31, Panthers 14
Marshawn Lynch scored 3 second half touchdowns to lead the Seahawks back from a 14-0 deficit to stay atop the NFC West.  The Panthers suck.  ‘Nuff said.

Rams 19, Cardinals 6
The Arizona offense is sputtering like a Ford Pinto, managing only 224 total yards against St. Louis and resulting in QB Derek Anderson getting benched…again.  RB Steven Jackson ran for 102 yards and a touchdown as the Rams won to remain tied with the Seahawks for the NFC West lead.

Falcons 28, Buccaneers 24
QB Matt Ryan led his sixth game-winning drive this season as the Falcons overcame a 10-point deficit in the 4th quarter to beat the Bucs and maintain the NFC South lead.  Ryan, AKA Matty Ice, is showing signs of greatness.

Cowboys 38, Colts 35 (OT)
Before traveling to New England, Peyton Manning had only thrown four interceptions in nine games.  Since then, he has thrown eleven in the last three games, including four returned for touchdowns.  The Colts defense allowed 217 rushing yards.  Manning threw two more pick-sixes plus another INT in overtime to set-up the Cowboys’ game-winning field goal, dropping the Colts to second place behind the Jaguars and leaving them in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in nine years.

Steelers 13, Ravens 10
This marquee game lived up to its billing.  Another great Steelers/Ravens slugfest in which Ben Roethlisberger’s nose was bent like a boomerang.  Troy Polamalu forced a late fumble by Joe Flacco to set up the game-winning TD for Pittsburgh, putting the Steelers in the lead in the AFC North.

Patriots 45, Jets 3
This marquee game did not live up to its billing.  Tom Brady sliced and diced the Jet defense for 326 yards and 4 TDs,  and Mark Sanchez threw three interceptions against New England’s league-worst pass defense as the Patriots embarrassed the Jets to take over the AFC East lead.  The Patriots and Falcons are tied for the NFL’s best record at 10-2.  Brady vs. Ryan in the Super Bowl?  Sounds pretty sweet to me.

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In Part One of this Season Preview, I predicted the Broncos starting 5-3.

Losses in four of their five close games mucked that up royally…

Denver sucked in the Red Zone at Jacksonville, sucked in the Red Zone versus Indianapolis, and committed Hara-Kiri at the end of the game versus the Jersey Jets.  The Broncos were, however, successful in proving that they could perform at the same level on an International stage by sucking in the Red Zone against San Francisco in London’s Wembley Stadium.

And now for the Broncos’ epic second half comeback to… finish third in the division?

(Not bloody likely.)

2010 First Half of Season Broncos Record: 2-6

Week Ten

Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday, November 14^th @ 2:05pm MST

Kansas City leads the division at 5-3 but will need to beat the Broncos in Denver to hold the top of the trash heap.  Oakland is on a Bye, but at 5-4 and 3-0 in the division the Raiders are the current “favorites” to win the AFC West.

Now, just because the Chiefs have the best view on the compost pile doesn’t mean that they will beat the Broncos at Mile High.  McDaniels & Co are coming off a timely Bye.  Hopefully Big Josh used the free time to pound some sense & discipline into his team, his coaching staff, and most especially himself.  Expect some new offensive wrinkles.

The Denver D will come back healthier with Brian Dawkins returning to shore up the Broncos’ shoddy secondary.  KC’s pass defense is mostly overrated, so Kyle Orton and his cadre of talented wide receivers should carve up the Chiefs to the tune of 300+ yards.

Silly as it sounds, the clumsy 2-6 Broncos will take out a division leader on a crisp autumn Sunday in Denver.

BRONCOS WIN: 3-6

Week Eleven

Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers

Monday, November 22^nd @ 6:30pm MST

Philip Rivers is a very talented quarterback with a winning instinct & a competitive edge that makes him difficult to beat.  That said, Phil is also an incredible jagoff reviled by a majority of the league for his arrogant frat boy demeanor and shmarmy butthole grin.

Unfortunately for the Broncos, that whole ‘winning instinct & competitive edge’ thing will probably be the more relevant fact.  Norv Turner will select healthy receivers from the side of the road at an Escondido Freeway off ramp, and Bitchmade Rivers will still carve up the Broncos for 30+ points.

BRONCOS LOSE: 3-7

Week Twelve

Denver Broncos vs St Louis Rams

Sunday, November 28^th @ 2:15pm MST

In the Rams the Broncos have the perfect foil…

St Louis is an overachiever after three terrible seasons put them at the bottom of the league.  Denver is an underachiever after three terrible seasons knocked them from the NFL’s upper echelon.  Both are struggling to compete in bad divisions.  Both hired new head coaches to stem the bleeding before the 2009 Season.

The plot brings these two teams, one trending up the other trending down, to Mile High Stadium for a Death Match to determine the ultimate fate of their seasons.

The Rams have gotten by so far on a stout run defense and balanced offense.  But the Broncos couldn’t run the ball against a soccer team right now.  In fact their only real strength is their prolific passing game, and the Rams’ corners are imminently exploitable.  Plus, everybody scores on the Denver D so balance is an unnecessary offensive asset.

The Broncos win a thriller that features at least one exciting young quarterback putting on a showcase.  (Do not miss Sam Bradford in his first trip to Denver, otherwise you will have to wait eight years for another chance to see this future All-Pro QB in live action.)

BRONCOS WIN: 4-7

Week Thirteen

Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday, December 5^th @ 11:00pm MST

The Broncos always lose at Arrowhead in December unless the game falls on my birthday (December 6^th.)  It’s a well-noted fact.  Look it up.

On this wind-blown December 5^th morning the Broncos will take the field in Kansas City sure losers.  That afternoon they will walk off the Arrowhead turf surer losers.  The only consolation will be that the Broncos get to go home afterwards while the Chiefs have to stick it out in the grey, dreary, lifeless landscape that is Kansas in the wintertime.

BRONCOS LOSE: 4-8

Week Fourteen

Denver Broncos @ Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, December 12^th @ 2:15pm MST

The Cardinals are pretty bad on both sides of the ball.  But what they lack in defensive competence, they make up in play-making ability.  And their special teams units are second to none right now.

Arizona has scored touchdowns via their Defense/Special Teams in all but three games this season, even going to the house twice against New Orleans & Minnesota.  Not only has that made the Cardinals D/ST fantasy football gold, it has also masked the epic decline of their offense from Kurt Warner & the Unstoppables to Derek Anderson & the Three ‘n Outs.

The Broncos are the better team so they should win this game, but do not be surprised when the score is tight in the fourth quarter and the AZ O has under 200 total yards.

BRONCOS WIN: 5-8

Week Fifteen

Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders

Sunday, December 19^th @ 2:15pm MST

Denver was given the football equivalent of a wedgie highlight reel by the Raiders in Week 7.

That 59-14 crusher was predicated on two matchup facts: 1) Oakland has a very good run game but cannot stop opposing rushing attacks and 2) Denver lacks a rushing attack to take advantage of Oakland’s suspect run defense.

More of the same Week 15 in Oaktown.

BRONCOS LOSE: 5-9

Week Sixteen

Denver Broncos vs Houston Texans

Sunday, December 26^th @ 2:05pm MST

Returning home from three consecutive road games, the Broncos welcome the enigmatic Houston Texans to town.  Former Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak is now head coach in Houston.  Kubiak’s new unit is defensively-challenged, but no doubt The Koob still remembers how to light up the Mile High City with a balanced offensive attack.

Kyle Orton will expose the Texans’ abysmal secondary, but the game will come down to time of possession.  Arian Foster will ensure that Houston wins that battle, rushing for 120+ yards behind a horrifyingly familiar zone-blocking scheme that leaves Broncos fans sucking their thumbs, clutching their blankies, closing their eyes real tight and thinking back on the good ol’ days.

BRONCOS LOSE: 5-10

Week Seventeen

Denver Broncos vs San Diego Chargers

Sunday, January 2^nd @ 2:15pm MST

After another atrociously lame start the Chargers will once again be in position to win the AFC West via the final game of the regular season.

This tired script always ends the same way:

Broncos come in pumped, have one good series, then pooch the rest of the game behind a suddenly transparent secondary and randomly damaging incompetence.

We all know it’s going to happen, so why not take the kids sledding?  Get a tune-up on your car?  Run butt-naked down the 16^th Street Mall disguised as Slick Willy Clinton?  Do anything but watch this game.  No need to torture yourself at the end of an already torturous season.

Besides, we will each need all of our strength & mental fortitude when Josh “Angry Emoticon” McDaniels drafts a quarterback with a top-five pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

BRONCOS LOSE: 5-11

See you next year!!  It can only get better from here, right?  Right!?

Read 2010 Season Preview PART ONE

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By the stats, you would expect to have a better showing on the scoreboard. Kyle Orton scorched the stat sheet with 476 yards, a career high. But almost all those yards came in between the 20s, while the offense fell flat in the red zone, failing to convert 5 times on the day. Combine red zone incompetence with a couple turnovers deep in your own zone, and you have a recipe for a high-powered disaster. Throw in one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game on the other side, and you have an unmitigated assault on your football manhood.

This is what was so confusing on the day – the Broncos did not look like a team that got manhandled. Two receivers had over 100 yards. The vaunted Colts offense stalled several times due to tight coverage and even a little (gasp!) pressure on Manning, resulting in a couple field goals and even a couple punts. So while this game could have easily been out of hand by halftime, the Broncos stayed in it. Here’s where they failed today:

1. The running game. Again. 18 carries for 47 yards. Really? I mean, c’mon. Really? Need I say anything else? A team that throws the ball 57 times and runs it 18 will rarely win.

2. Turnovers. There were only two, but both were disastrous. The first was a muffed punt by Perrish Cox, which only led to a field goal, but you shouldn’t ever play with the kind of fire that results from giving Peyton Manning the ball in the red zone. The second was a Kyle Orton interception. The interception itself was a bit more forgivable – the route was just jumped. But the result was worse – Manning promptly turned it into a touchdown.

3. The red zone offense. Call this part of the running game issue – Denver’s only TD was on a long strike to Lloyd across the middle. Maroney almost had a TD, but the call was reversed because his knee hit before the ball broke the plane of the goal line. The red zone is where a team needs to be able to pound the ball down someone’s throat – at the very least, be able to take the ball in from the 1-yard line. Maroney wasn’t the solution, at least not today – though I will admit I felt better watching Maroney than watching Moreno dance around like a ballerina all afternoon.

This wasn’t a game the Broncos were expected to win, but it was a game they could have won. While it bodes better for the team going forward, it also served to put a giant spotlight on the weaknesses of this team, and in the NFL weaknesses that go unimproved get exploited, quickly and mercilessly. McDaniels is going to have to figure this running game and red zone issue out, because this one-dimensional team is going to have a hard time competing against the quality teams in the league as the season wears on.

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Week One

Denver Broncos @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, September 12^th @ 1:00pm MST

The Jaguars have long been Bronco-bane.  The Brunell-led Jags denied John Elway an early first Super Bowl run that could have been #1 of 3.  And each time Jacksonville comes to Denver they manufacture a gutsy win.

This time a weak-kneed Maurice Jones-Drew is not enough to save the sinking Jaguars’ ship in their own house.  Kyle Orton neatly slices a young, untalented Jacksonville secondary into Jaguar sashimi.  (Great with ginger-miso sauce. Try it!)  David Garrard throws passes to himself in a desperate attempt to find a talented receiver.  And the Broncos win by two touchdowns on the road in Florida for the first time since the Cold War.

BRONCOS WIN 1-0

Week Two

Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, September 19^th @ 2:05pm MST

New Seahawks coach Pete Carroll will carry the hopes of hundreds of thousands of fair-weather Seattle football fans into Denver on a sunny Sunday afternoon.  He will leave those hopes in a messy, grass and tear-stained pile in the darkest corner of the visitors’ locker room on his way out the door.

Seattle football fans will briefly turn their attention to the Mariners, followed by a desperate attempt to woo Kevin Durant and the Thunder back to Seattle, followed by years of virtual silence from the Seattle pro sports scene.

BRONCOS WIN 2-0

Week Three

Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, September 26^th @ 2:15pm MST

Broncos fans will be feeling awfully positive about the 2010 season and a so-far shaky Colts team’s visit to the Mile High City.  That feeling will quickly be replaced by dread and then by abject horror as Peyton Manning exploits the Broncos’ lack of experience at cornerback behind Champ Bailey.

By the end of the day Josh McDaniels will have fired Defensive Coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale over “philosophical differences”, replacing him with a cardboard cutout of Dick Lebeau.  This move will be widely regarded as an upgrade.

BRONCOS LOSE 2-1

Week Four

Denver Broncos @ Tennessee Titans

Sunday, October 3^rd @ 12:00pm MST

Fantasy football owners who picked one of the three top Running Backs in their draft will each have an early-season home game versus the Denver Broncos’ Defense to look forward to.  MJD will have his way with the Donkey D in Week One, the scary-fast Chris Johnson will slash his way to a 200 yard all-purpose day in Week Four, and Ray Rice will have 100 yards receiving out of the backfield in Week Five.

Lost in all of this fantasy madness will be the Titans’ thorough domination of the Broncos in virtually ever phase of a game that serves to remind Broncos fans exactly how far their team is from ‘elite’ status.

BRONCOS LOSE 2-2

Week Five

Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens

Sunday, October 10^th @ 1:00pm MST

As yet another upper-middling offense dices up the Denver D, a great movement will be felt in Broncos Nation.  What begins as a deep-seated rumbling will turn into a bowel-shattering earthquake of pent-up emotions.

“Where’s Doom?” women cry in unison.

“Is Elvis in the building?” sobs a twenty-something through thick orange face paint.

“Can we get a !*#$!% pass rush!?” screams a wore-torn veteran of forty football seasons.

Broncos Nation will have a good cry together.  Contrary to what chick flicks, bad novels, and your mothers always say, nobody will feel any better.

BRONCOS LOSE 2-3

Week Six

New York Jets @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, October 17^th @ 2:05pm MST

In Week Six a Broncos team desperately struggling to keep its head above water will meet a Jets squad that has fallen drastically short of lofty pre-season expectations.  Something has to give.

With the game on the line, Kyle Orton will scan the field for Brandon Marshall.  Realizing he’s in Miami (or jail… the vision is fuzzy), Orton will heave the ball to the southeast with all his might.  Rookie Demaryius Thomas will come down with a circus catch for the deciding touchdown, earning him the nickname “Baby, Baby TO”.  Thankfully, the name will not stick.

BRONCOS WIN 3-3

Week Seven

Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos

Sunday, October 24^th @ 2:05pm MST

Somehow the Broncos will not have played any of their AFC West competition through the first six weeks of the season.  That will change when the Oakland Raiders fly proudly into town on the wings of a one-game winning ‘streak’.

Idiot TV commentators will yammer on endlessly about how star Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha will shut down the Broncos’ offense all game long.  Josh McDaniels will prove them stupid and wrong by running four and five receiver sets all game long… and then throwing to the side of the field populated by lesser DB’s.

The strategy will work so well that Al Davis will spend what’s left of his fortune building a lab dedicated to cloning Asomugha.  Davis will succeed with his insane plan, but will not live to see the now embryonic Asomughas develop beyond their fifth birthday.

BRONCOS WIN 4-3

Week Eight

Denver Broncos @ San Francisco 49ers

(in London)

Sunday, October 31^st @ 5:00pm MST

The 49ers will henceforth have the dubious distinction of being the team that travels the furthest for a ‘home game’.  This NFL record could be broken if San Diego were to make the long trek to London for a ‘home game’.  However, the British (who still believe in fairies) do not believe in the existence of San Diego, and have sworn that they never will.

In one of the tightest games of the season, the Niners will ‘pound the rock’ and the Broncos will ‘air it out’.  British commentators will attempt to convert these terms into ones Londoners can understand by politely announcing that the Broncos are ‘passing air’ and that the 49ers are ‘getting the runs’.  After Denver squeezes out a narrow one in London, poop jokes by commentators will result in stiff fines from the NFL.

BRONCOS WIN 5-3

Week Seven

Denver Broncos @ Denver Broncos

BYE BYE BYE

In an epic Battle for the Ages, the Denver Broncos Offense (represented by Eddie Royal) defeats the Denver Broncos Defense (represented by Robert Ayers) in the Championship Round of a 36-hour bracketed Madden NFL 2011 Tournament.  Coach Josh McDaniels spends the entire tournament alternately yelling tearful encouragement and calling his players a variety of names rooted in types of fecal bacterium.

——————————————————————

Stay tuned for the Denver Broncos Second Half Preview article due for publication on Halloween Day.  Yes, per usual, the 2nd half of the Broncos’ season will be JUST THAT SCARY!!

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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