The Anticipation Builds and The Broncos Welcome Home Coach Fox

It looks as though injured Kansas City Chief Linebacker Tamba Hali will be making an appearance in Sunday’s game after all. Hali was blocked by San Diego’s D.J. Fluker, which caused his foot to get stuck in the ground and rolling his ankle in the process. Hali was forced to leave the game early in the second quarter with the Chiefs in the lead - 7-3. At the time Hali wasn’t even able to walk despite the medical trainers "magic", even after his ankle was taped, Hali was not able to push off to finish the game. KC’s coach Andy Reid said Hali has a “good chance” of playing on Sunday. Hali did not participate in practice on Wednesday, though he did join in on the walk through session the Chiefs held before practice. With KC’s other injured star Linebacker Justin Houston out on Sunday how effective will Hali be? Frank Zombo will take Houston’s place on Sunday, and if Hali is unable to play or has to make an early exit then Desmond Moses will come in, as was the case in last Sunday’s game against the Chargers. As for Hali he has every intention of meeting up with Our Denver Broncos, and getting his shot at Peyton. On Sunday moments after Houston was injured Hali joined him in the training room both watching the remainder of the game together, "We could tell that we were needed in the game with our experience and how much we're hungry to get to the quarterback and just knowing what to do out there.” Hali was quoted as saying. Hali is now in his eighth season and has missed only 2 games in his career, in 2008 spraining the same ankle against New Orleans, and the 2012 season opener for violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

As for Justin Houston the results of his MRI revealed the existence of sprained ligaments and torn muscles in the elbow, it is being reported he will not need surgery; however he will miss up to 3 weeks. With Houston’s other “half” suffering a slight ankle sprain this duo will not be hassling Manning on Sunday, and it leaves the Chiefs in a exposed place at securing the top spot for the AFC divisional win.
 

Currently Denver and Kansas City have a 9-2 record and will be competing for first place in the AFC West. Coach Reid announced that defensive tackle Mike DeVito would hopefully be returning this Sunday after missing last week's game with a knee injury. In addition right tackle Eric Fisher and right guard Jon Asamoah could be back after dealing with shoulder injuries. It sounds to me as if there are a lot of maybe’s for Sunday’s rematch.

Wednesday’ practice for the Denver Broncos held some frustrations, for one Peyton Manning did not participate in practice for the 3rd consecutive Wednesday. Knowing Manning and his passion for perfection it won't be that way going forward (or long), he is missing Wednesdays practices per Head Athletic Trainer Steve Antonopulos and the other coaches orders. Among the other players that did not practice were cornerback Omar Bolden, tight end Joel Dreessen, running back Knowshon Moreno and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

Cornerback Champ Bailey, tight end Julius Thomas and cornerback Kayvon Webster were all listed as limited practice. And then the major blow of Kevin Vickerson being placed on the injured reserved, Vickerson is not expected to return this season. 

Defensive tackle Terrance Knighton recognized that losing Vickerson to injured reserve is 'a major blow,' but Knighton expects to step his game up even further to make up for Vickerson’s absence. On Wednesday morning the Broncos signed defensive tackle Sione Fue to fill Vickerson’s spot on the roster. As a veteran Knighton understands his role, but at the same time believes that other teams will block him differently now. He expressed his faith in Mitch Unrein and Sly Williams to make the plays needed to keep the momentum up and of defensive caption Wes Woodyard to keep all the boys in line. This could also mean a lot of moving around in the defensive side of the game. Vickerson’s absence increases the workload, and while Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson play the inside we may see them in Vickerson’s role and also to relief Knighton. Another vital impact to consider is whoever does fill Vickerson’s role needs to be able to keep opponents from prioritizing Knighton. Let’s face it, losing Vickerson is a hit, and we cannot meet the expense of another injury to our defensive tackles.

Champ Bailey also spoke of this return this week; he has been on limited practices since November 13 and missed the first game against KC, and also New England. Bailey has voiced his frustrations about the healing process and as a 15 year veteran to the game he understands the feeling of wanting to be out there and wanting to help, yet knowing he has to be at 100% to be productive to the game.

 Playing in less than 2 games this season, Bailey is ready to travel to Arrowhead and stated that as long as nothing goes wrong he plans on playing this Sunday. Champ we hope to see you on the field!

This Sunday December 1, will mark the 2nd time we play the Chiefs in three weeks. KC is coming off losing 2 games in a row and our loss to the Patriots gives this game the promise of revenge on the KC side and a rebound for us. Arrowhead stadium is one of the loudest and antagonistic stadiums in the NFL, and preparation began two weeks ago for the first loss the Broncos handed the Chiefs, and now it starts all over again. The Broncos know that just because we beat them once there is no room for comfort. Manning revealed the team would be studying the game film from their game two weeks ago as well as their game against the Chargers. Regardless of who is out and who is in, the diversity of the game and the team is there. Both Von Miller and interim head coach Jack Del-Rio acknowledged that winning will be tough and they are not taking anything for granted. The Broncos haven’t played a team twice this quickly since the 2004 season when they played the Colts in the last week of the regular season and then meeting again seven days later in a Wild Card playoff game at Indianapolis. The team has been preparing for the hostile environment of Arrowhead stadium in addition to prepping for what promises to be a game full of agendas.

Now more than ever do Peyton Manning and the Broncos have something to prove, a shadow to move out of. After the devastating loss in New England Denver’s ability to get things taken care of under pressure and in big games will be in doubt, some even say that coming away with the AFC West lead will not erase that shadow. Of course if you follow football, you know that games like this happen and we can’t win them all. Nonetheless, the talk is still going strong about our 24-0 lead at halftime and surrendering 31 consecutive points in the 3rd quarter and eventually losing in OT because Tony Carter was in the wrong place at the wrong time (but truthfully the loss is not Carters Fault). The fact is going forward the Broncos have to show up for all four quarters, we have a phenomenal team and should finish as such. As we head into Chiefs territory this weekend, last week’s loss will be fresh in the minds of all our players and securing the AFC West lead is crucial. In a media interview Head Coach Andy Reid made it clear that they will be taking advantage of our loss and will be putting more pressure in Manning, however only half of the dynamic duo may show up for the game. As for myself, my motto has and always will be “Keep the Faith”.

For a little something to be thankful for, Head Coach John Fox is back in Denver, no word on when he will resume his full time coaching duties. As for today let’s be thankful for the health and safe return of John Fox and thankful for our players health and safety. Most importantly all of our friends, family and those we hold close.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

~ K@tes

Injury Impacts Going into Arrowhead

Broncos Injury Watch

Several players left New England in worse shape than they arrived in, concerning not only the coaches, but also the fans. After all next week we are off to Arrowhead Stadium to play the KC Chiefs again and the last thing we need is our preeminent players out. As it turns out Interim Head Coach Jack Del Rio has some positive news to report on the injuries some of our players took in last night’s game. Running Back Knowshon Moreno is being listed with a bruised ankle, which transpired late in overtime after Moreno set his career highs with 37 attempts and 224 yards on the day. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injury was to his shoulder on the final play of the first half. He was initially likely to return to the game, however it was later announced he would be out for the remainder of the game. As of right now both players are listed as day to day.

Speaking Monday morning Del Rio stated that both the injuries that Moreno and Rodgers-Cromartie suffered against New England would not put them out of warrant for a prolonged period of time. Del Rio did not give any details on Rodgers-Cromartie return but said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Moreno back at practice by the weeks end.

Del Rio also added some positive updates in regards to cornerback Champ Bailey and tight end Julius Thomas, both were listed as questionable for Sundays game and neither suited up to play against New England. Making the decision that both were questionable all week, Del Rio and the others felt it was in the best interest to keep them rested for one more week. Personally I think it was a good call, we have made it thus far through the season without Champ Bailey (I know it’s hard to hear, but he just isn’t recovering like he has in the past). Julius Thomas on the other hand is 2nd among the NFL tight ends in touchdown reception, currently at 10; his yards are at 590 and Y/G 59.0. In addition to Wes Welker, Eric Decker and Knowshon Moreno, Demaryius Thomas is one of our key weapons in Peyton Manning’s offence and having him healthy and ready for the KC game on Sunday is crucial. Del Rio felt confident that both Bailey and Thomas would be back for the trip to Arrowhead stadium. Just released 

early Tuesday morning the news is not as optimistic for defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson (who was waiting on test results), ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter has reported that Vickerson has dislocated his hip and will be out at least six weeks, most likely the rest of the season. Vickerson injured his hip in OT and at this time he is not expected to undergo surgery. Vickerson has started in all 11 games this season with 18 tackles and his first 1st sack of the season was Sunday night against Tom Brady.

KC Injury Watch

On the flip side it looks as if KC star pass-rusher Justin Houston will  likely miss Sunday's 2nd showdown due to his right injured elbow, in which he dislocated in last week’s loss against the San Diego Chargers, team and league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Houston was scheduled to have an MRI on Monday, but due to swelling in his elbow the MRI has been postponed. His MRI was finally completed on Tuesday. 

The Chiefs, who we now once again hold the same 9-2 record with, could also be without their other star. Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Tamba Hali may miss our big rematch this Sunday December 1st. According to Andy Reid the Chiefs coach, Hali suffered a slight ankle sprain against San Diego, and he may have to sit this game out.

Both Houston and Hali went to the Pro Bowl last season and between the two have 20 sacks this season. But the pass-rushing dynamic duo whose main goal was to take out Peyton Manning two weeks ago failed to even get near him and our Broncos handed the

Chiefs their first loss of the season. 

Frank Zombo and Dezman Moses took over for Houston and Hali in KC’s second loss against the chargers. It is assumed that is who will play this Sunday.

When Houston appeared in the Chiefs locker room on Monday, his arm was tightly bound and in a sling, he was also instructed not to say anything. This looms as KC gets ready to face Denver for the second time and after losing 2 games straight.

With the dynamic duo out against our offence, can we hold KC at Arrowhead? We know Vickerson will not be with us, but Del Rio is confident that Champ Bailey will be back and Von Miller is making his comeback. We need to keep Manning protected and make sure our offence stays on top. Will this be a challenging game? Absolutely, but we CAN go home with a win. So I will be keeping an eye on that injury report for both teams and here we go into week 13!

As for the Patriots game, it’s over, it stung, and now we have new challenges we need to prepare for. We still have the playoffs, which I am sure we will meet Brady again.

Standings for the Denver Broncos from nfl.com as of 11/26/2013
Division AFC West #1
Conference #1
League #2 (behind Seattle)

More to come, Happy Thanksgiving! 

~ K@tes

The 4th Quarter's Defining Image, Manning Down

Tonight as the two minute warning hit, the Broncos still in possession of the ball and up by eight points, we all stopped breathing for a minute as San Diego's Corey Liuget went below the knees and took Peyton Manning down. Manning having just completed a 9 yard pass to Demaryius Thomas was struggling to get up. If your heart didn't drop, and think, or scream GET UP, GET UP, I am not sure if you realize how serious this could be. The clock stopped, a time out was called and the medical personal ran out onto the field to check the damage on our QB. Just to clarify in the NFL rule book, Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 (e) A rushing defender is prohibited from forcibly hitting in the knee area or below a passer who has one or both feet on the ground, even if the initial contact is above the knee. However in note 2 it also states: It is not a foul if the defender swipes, wraps, or grabs a passer in the knee area or below in an attempt to tackle him. 

So the question was it legal? No penalty was called and it seems as if the refs went with the exception. I personally disagree.

 

If you have been following the Broncos this year, Manning has been on the injury report since week 7, and a lot of speculation went around as he and several other players were given a day off in week eight before our match-up with the Redskins. Much of the attention went to Manning missing practice for the first time since becoming the Broncos star QB, both Coach Fox and Manning stating ankle problems as the reason for the day off. Coming off the BYE, Manning stated he was feeling better, but as he was sacked twice in the lower area in tonight’s game, the much needed rest on his ankles may not be enough. Monday Manning will go in for his second MRI in as little as three weeks. With the big game against KC next week and an excellent shot at a Super Bowl win, the team, fans and Manning are hoping for nothing but a normal MRI.

So what does this mean for next week? It’s the game we have been waiting for all season, the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. We will host the Chiefs at home and Manning is not looking to miss out on this game. Feeling sore, and right now our superstar QB has no intentions of being sidelined. Thinking positive and looking at this from an outside perspective, Manning stayed in the game, he is a fighter. After all he endured throughout his surgeries and has come through superseding his previous MVP years, proves he is a fighter. After the take down Manning did what needed to be done, he got that 1st down, keeping focus on the game and not his pain. That 1st down gave us our eighth win, ending the game at 28-20 and moving our record to 8-1.

As week 11 begins and news about the injuries from tonight game and the MRI results on Manning are released, Broncos fans - Keep the Faith! One thing going forward Manning needs to be better protected, in the last 3 games Manning took some hard sacks, no excuses he is our QB and his protection needs to be tightened up. We need Manning and our weapons healthy; the next 3 games (KC, NE, and KC) are important games and will challenge us at every level.

So for tonight, here’s to a win, a healthy report for our players and the game of the season next week! Keep that Mile High Pride shinning fellow Bronco Fans!



K@tes

As we Head into Day 2 of Week 10, and John Moffitt Offers Some Insight

According to USA Today one of the first decisions interim coach Jack Del Rio made was to keep a hands off approach with Peyton Manning. As Sunday approaches and the first game against the Chargers without head coach John Fox, Del Rio's main role with Denver’s No. 1-ranked offense will come on game days, taking over the big-picture as decision-maker. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase will make the play calls, and Manning will work his magic with his changes at the line of scrimmage. For now Del Rio will take charge on timeouts and replay challenges and whether to punt on a fourth-and-1. Some minor changes Del Rio did put in place were more communication between himself, Manning and Gase. According to Manning there are specific situations the offence will need to be ready for, of course no further comments or insight were offered up.
As for John Moffitt, it appears he walked because he lost the love for the game, and didn't want to risk his health further. Understandable, yet interesting as he lost his starting spot with the Seattle Seahawks, and has played in only two games with the Broncos since signing a four year contract in August. While leaving the NFL and fans wondering in disbelief as to the sudden reasons he walked away, Moffitt just thinks it’s “madness to risk your body, risk your well-being and risk your happiness for money”, talking to the AP in a phone interview from Seattle. While Moffitt admits at one time he did care about Super Bowls, he didn't want to go with the Broncos or any team for that matter. Playing in great stadiums and against great players was enough. Clearly stating he respected the game and the players and it was not personal towards his teammates, his health was not worth the risk, despite the fact he never actually had a history of concussions. He however is still concerned about all the blows and hits he took in practice and games. As for now it looks as if Moffitt is looking into radio and podcasts where he can speak his mind and share his opinions on everything from philosophy to politics, but is planning on steering clear from sports. When asked if he had regrets, his response was no, although he wished it had worked out in Seattle. Perhaps if Seattle had kept him, the Super Bowl may have been a little more important to him. As I shared my thoughts on this in a post, if his heart is not in the game he really is better off not playing, Fellow Bronco fans lets show some Bronco pride and wish him well. But I am going to say it ~ he was a Hawk at heart . . .

As for Champ, his “re-aggravation” of his ankle is becoming more of a problem than a “minor” setback, playing in only two games this season as of Wednesday he is still listed as DNP (did not participate in practice). Most likely Champ will not play this Sunday against the Chargers, but Denver is hoping for a November 17 return when we play the Kansas City Chiefs. Chris Harris has been filling in and if I might say doing a good job, targeted seven times by the Redskins while allowing only 2 completed passes. We have played without Bailey for most of the season and if Harris can continue at this level of play, well let’s leave that discussion open for now. As for the Hillman/Anderson starting lineup, no word has been released yet. It is worth a mention that our passing defense went from 32nd to 30th in one game against the Redskins. Currently Hillman is showing active on the roster for week 10 as is Anderson. Personally I would like to see more from Anderson. But that is above me and will be left up to Del Rio, another decision in his first game as interim head coach. 

As we head into the 2nd day of practice in preparing for the Chargers game, three of our starters were listed as DNP on Wednesday ~ Champ Bailey (foot), Duke Ihenacho (ankle) and Wes Welker (ankle). Joel Dreessen, Orlando Franklin, Manny Ramirez and Julius Thomas all were on LP (limited participation in practice) on Wednesday; nevertheless team spirits were up and the Broncos have a strong family-like culture to help them weather any storm. With head Coach Fox still in recovery and the walking out of John Moffitt the team is ready to get back to business on their 2nd day back. 

Coach Fox is still on everyone’s mind of course, with Manning commenting that it will be a team effort to make up for his absence. But the game must go on, and so it will this Sunday at 2:25 pm MST (4:25 pm EST, 3:25 pm CST, and 1:25 pm PST). As for John Moffitt ~ wishing you all the luck in your future endeavors. Happy Thursday!

~ K@tes

Walking into Week 10, Minus 1

As week 9 in the NFL came to a close, and a much needed break for the Broncos, the week did not pass without changes and some bad news from the home front. John Fox, Denver’s head coach was rushed to the hospital on Saturday November 2, after feeling light-headed while playing golf. The following Monday Fox underwent a successful aortic valve replacement surgery. The verdict is still out on how long Fox will be sidelined, according to Dr. Eric Skipper, the Medical Director of Adult Cardiac Surgery at the Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute (Dr. Skipper was not a part of the team who performed the surgery), the general recommendation for recovery can be up to 10 weeks. Including easing back into normal activates and especially heavy lifting. 10 weeks is a long time, especially in the middle of football season and with the Broncos 7-1 record no time was wasted in advancing Jack Del Rio to the interim head coach, who will also continue his duties as the defensive coordinator.

The question lingers, what will change? Not a lot according to many players on the team. While some teams may be thrown for a loop losing their head coach in the middle of the season, the Broncos are as prepared as possible to cope with the absence of their head coach. Of course many of the players will also have to step up, including leader Peyton Manning, who’s famous for coaching on the field as it is. Many of the other players have stepped forward as well, according to Terrance Knighton (defensive tackle) stating that there is more urgency now to not allow the season to end as it did last year, although Fox will not be there, Del Rio has no intentions of replacing him and to reinforce his message – We are not coming up short this year.

As week 10 opened and the week 10 NFL power rankings were released, we have once again gripped the top spot, and although the Kansas City Chiefs remain undefeated I think it is pretty clear that many still believe we are the team to beat and the Chiefs are not the best team in the NFL (we are ranked 3rd according to NFL.com). The battle between US and the Chiefs has drawn so much attention that our game in week 11 was moved from 2:05 MST to the Sunday Night Football spot. And the following week we are up in the Sunday Night prime-time schedule again against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The move in week 11 was a smart one, it will give the Broncos their spot to take the Chiefs head on and show that we are the strongest team in the AFC West and League. Week 11 can’t come soon enough.

As we approach the game this Sunday – remember the San Diego Chargers? I know I am looking forward to KC too (I thought we were playing them this weekend!) one week at a time :). Let’s compare what we are up against. Firstly, taking a look at our offense this season, well it has been epic, as in NFL EPIC! Currently we rank first in yards per game (466.4), passing yards per game (358.5) and points per game (42.9). I am also going to throw this out there (because I can), our 42.9 average is 12.9 points higher than the Chicago Bears who has the second highest scoring offense in the league, and they are putting up 30 points per game. Not only do we have some incredible weapons including Eric Decker, Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas and Knowshon Moreno (to name a few),we have “The Sheriff” as they are calling him. Peyton Manning is first in passer rating (119.4), yards (2,919), touchdowns (29) and completions (237) and second incompletion percentage (71.2) and average yards per pass (8.77). And while it is true that the chargers QB Phillip Rivers has the highest completion percentage of any QB at 72.2 percent, their offence still is nowhere near ours. Rivers currently ranks third in passer rating (106.5), fourth in touchdowns (19) and average yards per pass (8.38), and is tied for fifth in completions (213).

As for the defense sadly the Chargers franchise-record of 12 straight quarters without permitting a touchdown came to an end last week against Washington, allowing four touchdowns in the red zone. They also scored their first defensive touchdown of the season off of a ricocheted pass in the end zone. Players to watch on the Chargers side, Eric Weddle who is leading the team with 62 tackles, and both Jarret Johnson and Corey Liuget both with 3 sacks each. In comparison the Broncos possess a resourceful defense leading the NFL with 13 interceptions. Danny Trevathan and Chris Harris Jr. each hold the team with three picks individually. Trevathan is also Denver’s front runner defense in tackles with 59, not far behind is Duke Ihenacho’s 50 tackles. To top that off former Charger Shaun Phillips has 6.5 of the team’s 22 sacks. Trends are leading towards the Broncos for Sunday’s game, as the Broncos have a 9-3 record in their last 12 divisional road games, whereas the Chargers are 1-5 in the last 6 divisional home games.

Our biggest disadvantage is Head Coach Mike McCoy, Denver’s former offensive coordinator. McCoy played a key role in attaining the talent that is now playing on the roster. He has studied our offensive players and instituted game plans around our strengths and weaknesses. I would say this gives him an exclusive perception on attacking our offense. McCoy also has knowledge on key players such as Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Julius Thomas allowing him to provide his team with an understanding on how to handle these dangerous play-makers in remote match-ups. However the most dangerous knowledge McCoy perhaps, possesses is his relationship with Manning. McCoy knows all about Manning's restrictions as a passer, including his arm strength, velocity and touch on vertical throws. Looking back at losses in the last two years harassing Manning seems to be the key to rattling the Broncos; I have to ask would McCoy advise his defensive coaches to target a specific lineman too beat Manning, taking him down? And this point there is no doubt in my mind he will and is. McCoy could in reality be the one to lead the Chargers' defenders on how to play and possibly beat “The Sheriff”; after all he overhauled the offense to suit Manning’s game while in Denver. No doubt the Broncos have anticipated this and will adjust the game in their favor. After all as much as McCoy may be a disadvantage, he could also be just as much of an advantage, relationships run two ways so I am confident we have his weaknesses in mind as well.

As for the Broncos going 8-1, I am confident. This will be a challenging game and just the kind of warm up we need before we play KC in week 11. After a week off and some adjustments I think we are going into week 10 as a stronger team. I know that our players will be there winning for Coach Fox! This one's for you!


Always ~

K@tes