Early Thoughts on the Denver Broncos’ Home Opener Against Cleveland

Pending the results of a defensive struggle between the Chargers and Raiders (laughs out loud) the Denver Broncos (1-0) will return home to face the Cleveland Browns (0-1) tied for second in the NFL in defense.

Yes everyone, you read that right: Defense.

Inversely, Cleveland comes to the Mile High City tied for third worst in the NFL in scoring defense after surrendering 34 points to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, 21 of which came on rushing touchdowns by Mr. All Day himself, Adrian Peterson.

The Broncos are in need of an offensive explosion, or maybe just a little pop after Sunday’s performance in which the Broncos were only able to obtain 10 first downs.

Against the Browns, the Broncos are facing a seemingly improved pass defense and a run defense that, well, was flat out embarrassed by Minnesota.

After two runs by Correll Buckhalter went for first downs against Cincinnati, it seems crucial that the Broncos blueprint their offensive attack for Sunday with running plays.  Despite a rocky finish to the game in terms of carrying the ball, the Broncos handed the ball off to their two primary ball carriers a total of 16 times, which is unacceptable.

The inability to effectively run the ball was the demise of the Broncos’ passing game, which actually made a lot of good plays throughout the course of their first contest, namely a clutch play by Kyle Orton to roll out and hit Daniel Graham on a long pass play.

The Broncos are going to have their hands full with the likes of Brady Quinn, Braylon Edwards, and Jamal Lewis, and their defensive plan should be centered around flustering Quinn early.  Jamal Lewis is not the same player he was five or six years ago, and it is apparent that the most improved aspect of Denver’s defense is against the run.

If the Broncos can pressure Quinn, they will force him into bad throws and their defensive backfield will take advantage.  Denver has the clear advantage in receiver/defensive backs matching up, and the Cleveland tight ends are mediocre at best.

It seemed as though Denver was using five linebackers in passing situations at times against the Bengals, and I expect to see a lot of the same on Sunday.  Wesley Woodyard did an excellent job playing a hybrid linebacker/safety role, and ended up with an interception on a tipped pass.

Essentially, these are just my random thoughts heading into the Broncos’ week two matchup, but I think some of these are key aspects:

1. It is fine if Orton manages the game, but he needs to orchestrate longer drives.
2. The running game needs to get going, and early.
3. Pressure Quinn early, force turnovers/punts.
4. Take advantage of youthful secondary.

After a miracle victory in week one, the Broncos head into their first home game of the 2009 campaign full steam ahead with confidence and need to ensure that this high is not short lived.

The cohesiveness of this offense depends largely on the production that is/was/will be expected of the wide receivers and tight ends of Denver.  For so long, the Broncos have established a solid running game to set up the pass, but it seemed like they were trying to rely on Kyle Orton’s arm too much.  

Yet another intriguing matchup, and one that the Broncos cannot overlook.  Cleveland and their fans are looking for redemption in week two, and the Broncos cannot let the Browns catch them riding a high.

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Denver’s Unlikely Win Raises More Questions Than It Answers

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you saw what happened yesterday in the waning moments of the Denver Broncos-Cincinnati Bengals game.

Even if you didn’t see it, you probably heard the call from Gus Johnson while you were in the kitchen making that bologna sandwich thinking all hope for a win was lost.

And, while the Denver Broncos snuck out of Paul Brown stadium with a W, there are more questions surrounding this team now than there were 48 hours ago.

The Broncos came into this season with a lot of questions surrounding their team—not only from a personnel standpoint, but also from a coaching and management standpoint as well, especially concerning the offseason moves made by the new regime.

And, while some would tell you that with this win, they’ve hushed critics or answered these questions, I’d say this: Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. 

Yes, they’re 1-0. Good for them. 

But, don’t forget what it took to get that win—an answered prayer to the football gods from someone who’s clearly been living right. Who that was, we’ll never know. But, it worked. 

The Broncos face one of the toughest schedules in the league this season and anything more than four or five wins will be surprising, especially if we continue to see offensive play like what we saw on Sunday against the Bengals. 

The Broncos offense was stagnant throughout the entire game, and looked almost lost at times.   

Their running game was below average, putting up a whopping 75 yards on 20 carries from five different ball carriers (Orton included).  Their passing game was lackluster, and aside from the 87 yard TD pass…err…deflected reception, Orton was 16-for-27 with 156 yards passing. 

Really, with the exception of the defense, there wasn’t much to be happy about watching that game if you’re a Broncos fan.

The questions being asked at Dove Valley right now are completely warranted at this point, and they require answers. Serious, honest answers that likely won’t be given from McDaniels considering his tight lipped, Belichick-esque approach to running a football team. 

It seems as though the paradigm has shifted in Denver. All through camp and the preseason, the bulk of the questions were aimed at Mike Nolan and his defense, with an exception being given to McDaniels’ offense. 

After their performance against the Bengals, Nolan’s defensive unit seems to have answered a great deal of the questions, while the offense begs more. 

We knew coming in that there were questions about Kyle Orton and whether or not he could run McDaniels’ complex, high octane offense, and how he would fit into that system. 

McDaniels answered that in the preseason by saying, “Kyle Orton will fit well in this system because he can manage the game.” 

Well, he did that in week one, and without a brilliant stroke of luck, he wouldn’t have done much against one of the defenses ranked among the worst in the league.  Now that question becomes: How good really is McDaniels’ offense without star players? 

Without Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Tom Brady, how good is it?

I’d like to state for the record that I like Kyle Orton, and I think (provided the offense get’s on track) that his numbers this season, will virtually mirror Jay Cutler’s in Chicago.  Neither of them project to be stellar this season, but both should be good.

Here in Denver, you’re also already hearing people chirp about McDaniels’ ability to effectively game-plan against someone, and his ability to recognize weaknesses and take advantage of them. 

Were there moments play calls should have been a little different? Sure. That said, I thought for his first go round, McDaniels did a fine job, especially knowing the challenge rules and having time added back on to the clock, which allowed the most improbable play of the season to happen.

But, the execution, or lack thereof, from the offense has to be a source of concern for McDaniels and the rest of the Broncos organization. 

Denver hired McDaniels, who’s billing was that of an “Offensive Mastermind” to make the Broncos an offensive powerhouse, and that’s where Bowlen went wrong.  The offense was already a powerhouse (Top 5 last season), it was the D that needed help. 

Alas, it is what it is, as Todd Bertuzzi would say.

Bottom line is this:

It was an ugly game, and the Broncos got an ugly win. I’m sure that McDaniels and the rest of the franchise understands that with the foes coming up on the schedule—N.Y. Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the AFC West matchups—there’s no room for poor play like what we saw against Cincinnati.

At this point, everything in Bronco Country is good, the offensive issues will be brushed under the rug for another time, and the defense will be placed upon their pedestal for the week until the first let down comes. 

Then these questions will all come back to the surface, and let’s hope that McDaniels will have an answer.

 

 

 

 

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Broncos 12, Bengals 7: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Still in a state of disbelief after yesterday’s loss to the Denver Broncos, I am going to attempt to compile a list of positives and negatives regarding the Cincinnati Bengals’ opening game. So, here it is: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

The Good

I was very impressed with the Bengals’ defense. The attitude and intensity that Mike Zimmer has them playing with is something we haven’t seen in Cincinnati for some time. Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga are the type of players that opposing offenses fear.

It was nice to see Carson Palmer on the field. When given the opportunity to throw the ball downfield, he did so with authority. Palmer is so effective when he throws the ball past the first-down marker.

The scoring drive at the end of the game was magnificent. He ended up with two interceptions, but one was a tipped ball and the other was the Hail Mary at the end of the game.

Many people, including myself, have been talking about a rejuvenated Chad Ochocinco. We saw it yesterday with some nice grabs and yardage after the catch.

 

The Bad

With apologies to Bengals fans who have already heard this broken record, I will say again that offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski is horrible.

Why does he continue to handcuff his quarterback?

Trying to be a running team and having Palmer throw the ball from sideline to sideline is an absolute joke. Chris Henry was thrown to twice.

The Bengals rushed for 86 yards. Palmer was sacked three times. The offensive line must improve. A lot.

Laveranues Coles was brought in to replace the sure-handed T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Coles was the opposite of what fans often got from Houshmandzadeh, dropping two passes and managing just one catch for 11 yards.

 

The Ugly

The Bengals were ready to take the lead, when long snapper Brad St. Louis snapped the ball past the holder and eliminated Shayne Graham’s field goal opportunity.

Brandon Stokley’s touchdown at the end of the game was a fluke, but where was Roy Williams? Why wasn’t he at the Cincinnati 40-yard line making sure nobody got by him?

I am sure there is some explanation to this picture from the Cincinnati Enquirer. Why are the Bengals’ cheerleaders cheering as Stokley runs for a touchdown?

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Josh McDaniels 1 Jay Cutler 0

Yes, it was just one game. And yes, Josh McDaniels’ team played the Cincinnati Bungels while Jay Cutler played the much-improved Green Bay Packers. But, the standings in the newspapers will still have one win next to the Denver Broncos and one loss next to the Chicago Bears.

 

Much hype and publicity went into Jay Cutler’s first game as a Bear (mostly generated by him). The media dubbed him as the greatest quarterback to wear a Bears uniform since Jim McMahon, and already people are bringing up “first time” stats, as in this is the first time a Bears quarterback made the Pro Bowl since (blank) and the first time a Bears quarterback threw for 300 yards since (blank).

 

Instead, Jay Cutler showed not only his ineffectiveness by throwing four interceptions, but also his immaturity whenever a defender would merely touch him he would shove him back.

 

People seem to forget that although Cutler has put up good numbers, he has never led his team to a winning record, let alone a playoff appearance. So when push comes to shove, and it will with him literally, he might put up the points, but won’t be able to lead the final drive.

 

It got to the point where Al Michaels reported that a Bears fan in attendance wearing a Jay Cutler jersey had turned the shirt backwards.

 

Now everybody has a bad game every once in awhile. But some of them have the personality to make you forget about them and wait to see what they can do next week. Cutler definitely does not have one of those.

 

Meanwhile, Kyle Orton, supposedly the Achilles heel to the team, but one who has actually led a team to the playoffs, led his team on a game winning last minute drive.

 

Now maybe Orton will be someone who holds the team back…but not yesterday.

And yes, Cutler would’ve beaten the Bungels had he been in a Denver uniform…but he wasn’t.

 

On the Bears first possession, it seemed Cutler might be colorblind since it seemed he was just throwing the ball right to the Packers defense. The first two were dropped, but not the third pass thrown in a row in the direction of a Green Bay player.

 

The Bears defense kept them in the game and the team found itself up by two points (thanks to a safety on a sack) in the final minutes. But after an Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass to put them ahead, it was down to Jay Cutler to show just how great he was and how wrong Josh McDaniels was…unfortunately the wrong thing about hype is you start mentioning it before the person actually accomplishes it.

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Denver Broncos Miracle Grab: A Bungle in the Jungle

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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives the following definition for the word “bungle”.

bun-gle

Etymoloy: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic banga to hammer (1549 AD)

Intransive verb:  to act or work clumsily and awkwardly

 

Sunday’s game in Cincinnati brought to mind two quotes, and Brandon Stokley provided the inspiration for a third.  Still, there were more that reinforced some of the oddity that has been brewing of late in the Denver Broncos camp.  As the Broncos kicked off their 50th season of professional football, they ended their first game with a memorable play.   

The play brought about an evocation of thoughts and attitudes both past and present.

“The (Denver Broncos) were who we thought they were!  And we let ‘em off the hook!”– Denny Green

“You gotta make those miracles happen on your own.” – John Keyworth, Denver Broncos 1977

“We needed a miracle.”  –  Brandon Stokley, Denver Broncos 2009

 

OK, so Denny Green was nowhere to be found, but his famous sports quote truly fit the mood and the mindset of what the Bengals faithful must have been thinking and feeling.  Critics of the Broncos organization may have had takes of a similar ilk, only now they have been put on hold.

Some bungling irony came across in a bungling way in Bengaltown—Cincy, USA on Sunday’s early autumn day.  The Denver Broncos had a miracle finish when they had to have it.

Considering how much controversy has surrounded the franchise since Mike Shanahan was dismissed at the end of last season.  This was just what the franchise needed to start believing in themselves and all of their offseason maneuvering. 

Give the triple covered Brandon Marshall credit; he took one for the team unexpectedly as Kyle Orton did his best to force a ball into tight coverage. 

To his credit, Orton’s courage or poor decision making was rewarded, as he never looked for another receiver in telegraphing his passing intentions.  Brandon Marshall was, for all intents and purposes, mugged on the play and became the sacrificial lamb that sprung an answer to the prayers of the Broncos faithful.

Cincinnati Bengals corner Leon Hall had a great jump on the ball Kyle Orton threw towards Brandon Marshall, only to make the dubious deflection instead of an interception.  On the play, both of the Bengal starting safeties eliminated Brandon Marshall with a big hit during the tipped ball that sprang Brandon Stokley’s 87-yard miracle touchdown scamper in the waning seconds.

The thing about minor miracles is that they bring hope in something greater than the moment, as amazing as it might be.  The hope being that something greater is possible at some point down the road.

That is really the reason coaches preach playing through the whistle on all levels of football, because you never know what might happen.

Since 1977, the Denver Broncos have been among the league’s most winning franchises.  It was that year when all this irony and miracle talk began.  The Denver Broncos were a struggling football franchise for the first 17 seasons of their existence.  They then hired a former New England Patriots coach to be the headmaster in Denver. 

Robert “Red” Miller would eventually land in the Super Bowl in his first year with the team.  Red helped to shape the original Orange Crush into becoming the league’s most dominant defense that year.  Red brought the Denver Broncos into respectability where they were once a laughing stock.  From that time on, the Broncos have always been respected league wide.

Ironically enough, Josh McDaniels had appeared to be taking the franchise into greater respectability by being aggressive in the free agent market shortly after he arrived in Denver from New England. 

Then things changed and appeared to go into a near immediate nose dive by trading the franchise quarterback Jay Cutler away to the Chicago Bears.  At that moment, it appeared as though the Broncos had gone from respectability back into being a laughing stock overnight.

It was almost as if the previous thirty years never happened.

To celebrate as much, the NFL decided to go old school on the Broncos and the old AFL teams by forcing them back into wearing their hideous Copper Bowl reject jerseys the team wore in their first two seasons for two games this season. 

The originals jerseys were so bad there was a public burning of the old duds.  Fans will now be able to soon see the Broncos retroactive laughingstock wear, vertical striped socks and all. 

Just what the Broncos franchise needed, more laughter heard around the league.

The Broncos reinforced the dubious inclinations in the preseason by posting a 1-3 mark, including a loss to Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears.

It’s all fairly interesting and somewhat ironic when you think about it.

The Broncos have now had two head coaches that have come to Denver from the New England Patriots.

Both of them won their season openers and both were low scoring affairs.

Red Miller’s Broncos beat the then St. Louis Cardinals 7-0 in his first game at old Mile High Stadium.

Josh McDaniel’s defense was up to the task against Carson Palmer and the Bengals for 55 of the games 60 minutes.  They had been pitching a shutout until the Bengals’ last minute drive nearly cost the Broncos the game. 

No worries.  Following the play of the day in the NFL, the Broncos literally pulled victory out of the air of certain defeat and ignited the reason to believe in themselves for the rest of the season.  This all happened almost for spite and despite all the lack of head sense in the offseason.

Back in 1977, the Denver Broncos were so weak offensively they had to have their defense create opportunities for them to win and control games.

In the 2009 season opener, the Denver Broncos defense showed the promise most national prognosticators overlooked.  To the defense’s credit, they took Carson Palmer and the Bengals out of their rhythm, time and time again, while causing problems over and over again.

Ironically enough, with how great the defense showed all game, the offense was predictably not as potent with Kyle Orton battling his recently dislocated index finger.  Regardless of the net results, Orton had a respectable day on the stat sheet going 17 for 28 and 243 yards with one miracle touchdown throw.

Make no mistake about it, the Broncos would have lost to a stronger opponent, and even the Cincinnati Bengals if not for the miracle grab on the run.  It truly was a minor miracle Brandon Stokley was able to pull off.

Almost just as surprising was how No. 14 had the presence of mind to take more time off the clock. With only seconds remaining, Stokley tight-roped horizontally next to the goal line to milk the clock for all the amazing touchdown play was worth, leaving the Bengal crowd silent in disarray. 

For now, the Broncos can start dreaming of even greater things this season, all because of this one play that suddenly kept the critics of Josh McDaniels at bay for at least another week or two.

The Broncos’ organization has been thrown under the bus in the offseason for a number of personnel and public relations debacles this season.  So maybe there are no happier fans of Brandon Marhsall’s and Brandon Stokley’s at the moment than owner Pat Bowlen and Broncos executive Joe Ellis.

It might be time to resume those contract discussions with the Brandon’s and their agents sooner than later.

At the end of the day, this is professional football, so credit the team for showing up.  Brandon Marshall brought his professional game, and was heavily involved in the Broncos most unlikely miracle to fuel the fire.  Brandon Stokley showed his value by hustling and staying heads-up until the play was done.

Don’t over look this defensive effort either as the Broncos would have been out of this game early if they did not bring it in force.

The Broncos pressured and forced an otherwise sharp Carson Palmer into rushing his passes eventually leading to two costly interceptions.  The Bengals’ offensive line yielded three sacks, as Palmer was harassed all game long with multiple pressure packages from the Broncos.

With as much drama as this franchise has been through this offseason, the fans and franchise alike should hearken back to a simpler time when winning was usually out of the question. 

Who knows how good this Broncos team will actually be this season?  This is the NFL, it should be a fun time for the fans, and they should revel in their team pulling off a miracle win on the road.

With shades of irony back 30 years in time there is the memory of signs and banners that used to be carted around the stadium to charge the fans.

Some of those large banners in the stands back in 1977 read something like:

“You Gotta Believe!”  and “Believe In Miracles!”

And then there was the classic banner with the win and loss tally.

“We Believe! 1-0”

Ironically enough, Champ Bailey when interviewed at the end of the game in the visitor’s locker room stated “You gotta believe in what you’re doing.”

“Now that’s bungle in the Jungle, Yeah that’s alright by me!” – Jethro Tull

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Broncos 12, Bengals 7: Denver Broncos Defense Leads Way in Crazy Win

The Denver Broncos are 1-0.

How sweet does that sound Broncos fans?

After the longest verbal beating I can remember, the Denver Broncos proved their skeptics wrong on Sunday, and they did it with an unexpected strength: their defense.

In fact, the Broncos’ defense was so on point that the home team Bengals only reached the red zone twice in the entire game, and did not score a point for 59 minutes, 19 seconds (as Henry Gula earlier pointed out).

The new-look Broncos defense forced three turnovers, seven punts, and sacked Carson Palmer three times.  Steelers fans and Giants fans may laugh that the Broncos are proud of those statistics, but one must realize that this kind of defensive performance is not commonplace for the Broncos over the last three years.

In addition to the great play of the defense, the Broncos had stellar play from their special teams, namely Matt Prater who made both of his field goals from 48 and 50 yards.

The low spot of the game for the Broncos was the abysmal play of their offense, which was only able to get 10 first downs the entire game.

While those who did not watch the game will blame the ineptitude of the offense on quarterback Kyle Orton, anyone who actually saw the game knows that the offensive struggles came from an inability to effectively run the ball and a large amount of dropped passes.

This was a very boring game to watch until the last two drives of the game if you were an unbiased third party. Neither team scored a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter, but the scoring was totally worth the wait.

After a long drive by the Bengals culminated in a one yard touchdown run by Cedric Benson, the Broncos defied incredible odds.

Trailing 7-6, the game clock read 0:20 and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels realized that the time remaining should be nearly doubled because of a failed challenge attempt by the Bengals with 41 seconds remaining. The ensuing touchdown play only took three seconds off the clock, and McDaniels’ pleading paid off.

The game clock was reset to 0:38 and that proved to be absolutely crucial for the Broncos.

After a pass by Orton that was nearly intercepted by Jonathan Joseph, he heaved up a pass to Brandon Marshall that was tipped in the air by Leon Hall and subsequently caught by fellow Bronco Brandon Stokley who ran 87 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

The game-winning drive took 27 seconds off the clock, so it was huge that Denver got the clock reset to 0:38 before the game resumed.

A crazy finish, and one for the ages to be sure.  Broncos fans will remember this one for a long time, and unfortunately, so will Bengals fans. 

Kyle Orton did about as expected with his stat line which saw him complete 17-of-28 passes for 243 yards, a touchdown, a 100.7 QB rating, and most importantly:  no interceptions.

Orton effectively managed the game, and the Broncos did not make any mistakes, and it is even more impressive that he did it all with a dislocated pointer finger on his throwing hand.

The Broncos were absolutely shut down in the running game, partly because they did not run it very much, and had a lot of trouble with dropped passes.  In fact, every Broncos receiver had a dropped pass today except for Daniel Graham.

Defensively, there is a lot to talk about for the Broncos. 

The team finished the game with three sacks from Andra Davis, Mario Haggan, and Darrell Reid, all of whom are from the linebacker position.

Denver also forced three turnovers, two interceptions from Wesley Woodyard and Tony Scheffler, and a botched field goal attempt by Cincinnati.

This game has to be looked at as somewhat of a reality check for the Broncos who will host Cleveland in week two. They did some great things defensively, but the defense can only hold so much weight on its shoulders. Eventually, the offense is going to need to be able to score points on a more consistent basis, and eventually means by next week. 

Cincinnati’s defense looked vastly improved from what we have seen in recent years, and they were very stingy against the pass. Their defensive backfield is very solid, and they were able to get three sacks on one of the best pass protecting defensive lines in the NFL.

Granted, Kyle Orton’s indecision and inability to get rid of the ball at times were the cause of those sacks, it is still an impressive feat by the Bengals.

A lot of the offensive struggles can be attributed to a pure lack of chemistry, as the team welcomed for the first time at the same time a group that included Knowshon Moreno, Brandon Marshall, and Russ Hochstein as irregulars.

The Broncos should come out more aggressive offensively against the Browns next week who were absolutely crushed by the Minnesota Vikings 34-20. Adrian Peterson had his way with the Cleveland run defense, and the Broncos need to take advantage with their new group of backs.

This was one of the best finishes to a game the NFL will see all season long, and it helps that the Broncos got win number one off their chests, and if the defense continues to play like they did today, there will be many more wins to come. 

It also helps that the only people who thought Denver would win this game were fans of the team, and even some of them were skeptical because of the loss of quarterback Jay Cutler.

By the way, Cutler threw four interceptions in his Chicago Bears debut against Green Bay, and the Bears lost 21-15. I know it is only the first game of the season, but Kyle Orton and the Broncos are heading home winners, and the Bears are staring Pittsburgh in the face at 0-1.

Somewhere Josh McDaniels is smiling, and he should be.

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Improbable 87-Yard Touchdown Lifts Broncos To Victory

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Josh McDaniels has a new claim to fame. He has one of the most unbelievable victories as a first-time head coach in the history of sports.

With all the change the Denver Broncos have undergone this offseason, the most important part of Bronco football decided to stay in town. Mile High Magic showed up in full force when the Broncos defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 12-7 on Sunday.  

Perhaps just waiting for the right time to strike, the magic kicked in exactly when Denver needed it. With 11 seconds left and Bronco hopes of a victory seemingly lost, Brandon Stokley took a pass deflected by Leon Hall 87 yards for the win.

While the final score may indicate a classic defensive struggle, it was offensive futility that kept points off the board. Kyle Orton and Carson Palmer played much better than statistics indicate, as many of their good throws resulted in dropped passes. Only three total drives went for more than 40 yards, and these drives accounted for 16 of the 19 points scored.

On the other side of the ball, new safeties Brian Dawkins and Roy Williams led their teams in tackles with 11 and nine, respectively.

Rookie’s Alphonso Smith and Rey Maualuga shined in their NFL debuts, making clutch stops just beyond the line of scrimmage.

The defensive player of the game, though, was Denver’s Andra Davis, who swarmed ball carriers all day, recording three tackles for a loss.

Denver started the game with a dismal offensive effort, running only 17 plays on their first five drives, four of which were three-and-outs. When the Broncos were in scoring position, Matt Prater connected on field goals of 48 and 50 yards to give Denver a slight lead.

The one score advantage would prove to be too little for the Broncos, as the Bengals pulled ahead late on an 11 play, 91 yard drive.

The kind of drive that collectively demoralizes fans and players of the team that just lost the lead. The kind of drive that would have started a new era in Denver on a very sour note.

And then it happened. The kind of play that reminds football fans why they love the game. The kind of play that can, if only for a moment, allow Broncos fans and players to have a laugh and go absolutely nuts. Comic relief courtesy of Mile High Magic.

 

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Broncos-Bengals: Denver’s Defense Shines and Stokley Saves the Day

The Denver Broncos entered their week one game against the Cincinnati Bengals trying to leave a tumultuous offseason behind. They absolutely succeeded.

With what seemed like the world (minus their fans) hoping to see them be blown out, the Broncos stepped up and delivered for their fans. 

The analysts said that the Broncos defense was still terrible, and would be “lit up” by Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco, and the rest of the Bengals offense.

Cincinnati did not score a point for the first 59 minutes and 19 seconds of the game.

The defensive line that “did not do nearly enough to improve itself over the offseason” racked up three sacks of Palmer, all by new acquisitions.

Andra Davis, Darrell Reid, and defensive captain Mario Haggan all got to Palmer.

Champ Bailey showed that he is still the best cornerback in the NFL, holding Ochocinco to 89 yards on 5 catches, and putting himself in position to perfectly read a route and tip a pass that would be intercepted by linebacker Wesley Woodyard.

Not surprisingly, Brian Dawkins led the defense with seven tackles and four assists.

The Broncos’ unit held the Bengals to only 86 yards rushing, and stepped up on third down, as Cincinnati converted only five of 15 opportunities.

In the first quarter, in a stunning repeat of the snowy game in Denver two years ago, the Cincinnati holder missed a snap on what would have been an easy field goal. The ball bounced to midfield where it was recovered by the Broncos.

As good as the Denver defense looked, the offense was equally mediocre. Kyle Orton did not complete a pass until there was 1:20 left in the first quarter, when he completed a short pass to Brandon Marshall.

The Broncos were forced to punt eight times, and the offense was not very efficient.

Orton showed flashes of brilliance, including a perfect 21-yard strike to Jabar Gaffney who was wide open. Orton finished the day 17/28 for 243 yards, one touchdown, and most importantly, no interceptions.

The rushing duties were split by Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno, with each player getting eight touches. Buckhalter led the team with 46 yards rushing.

Kicker Matt Prater turned in a stellar performance, hitting big field goals from 48 and 50 yards out with perfect accuracy.

The real drama came half way through the final quarter. Denver led 6-0, and was forced to punt the ball away with 6:29 left in the game.

The defense, which had held fast all afternoon, was finally overpowered as the Bengals put up an impressive 11-play, 90-yard drive to score on a Cedric Benson run with just 41 seconds left to play.

Down by one point, backed up to their own 13 yard line, things did not look good for the Broncos.

But, after holding the lead all afternoon, this team was not about to be let down in the final minute.

Orton attempted a pass to Marshall, who could not make the catch. On the next play, with just 28 seconds left, Orton attempted another deep pass to Marshall, but it was tipped high in the air by cornerback Leon Hall.

That is when something truly magical happened.

Veteran slot receiver Brandon Stokely was in perfect position to catch the ball as it came down. With no defenders around him, he did, and took off down the field.

Stokely sprinted 87 yards all the way to the Cincinnati “inch” line and tiptoed along in an effort to “waste” as much time off the clock as possible before stepping into the endzone to the elation of Broncos fans everywhere.

The two-point conversion attempt failed, however with only five seconds remaining, Carson Palmer had no choice but to throw a desperation pass that was intercepted by tight end Tony Scheffler, of all people, to end the game. 

The Denver Broncos return home 1-0, with rookie head coach Josh McDaniels kicking off his tenure with the team on a very high note.

The Broncos can use this energy to prepare themselves for their home opener against the Cleveland Browns next Sunday.

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Denver vs Cincinnati: Has The Kyle Orton Experiment Already Paid Off?

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Week one of the NFL is a precarious week.

After seven months without NFL games, yet plenty of speculation, fans and media readily derive and predicate the veracity of their preseason predictions from week one of the NFL.

I, for one, had claimed that Kyle Orton is a good game manager, but would not have much to manage because the Denver defense would cause the offense to play from behind.

Defensively, Denver “bent but did not break,” and benefited from miscues by Cincinnati’s offense. For one, it was the return of Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco and quarterback Carson Palmer with a revamped offensive line. 

Offensively, Denver receiver Brandon Stokley brought home a last-minute touchdown to upset the Bengals at home.

Nevertheless, Denver’s offense had more than meets the eye; not just a timely touchdown that could be written off as luck. The much questioned Kyle Orton turned in an overall efficient game, even if his one touchdown pass wasn’t “manufactured,” to borrow a term common to baseball analysis.

Orton however, did “manufacture” enough offense to sustain Denver drives, which is important because it kept Cincinnati’s offense on the sidelines. Of the 10 first downs by Denver, seven resulted from Orton passes. He completed roughly 60 percent of his passes with a virtually non-existent running game.

The fact that Denver won on a lucky strike does not represent the whole picture. Orton had to play efficiently in order for that lucky strike to make the difference.

It’s also important to note that Cincinnati’s defense went underrated in 2008, and that much of Cincinnati’s struggles last season resulted from key injuries to Ochocinco and Palmer. Orton did not cut Cincy’s defense like a hot knife through butter.  In fact, Cincinnati played a fair game defensively, but paid for miscues. Yes, all it takes is one, but it is important to note that the mistakes were exceptions and not the rule.

The verdict:

Denver earned an ugly win. A win is a win, but the question is whether that win will translate into future ones. I still think Denver is in for a long year, but will show signs of life.

Denver has also started hot the past few seasons, but collapsed by midseason, which could again be the case.

I think Orton has showed that he can replace Jay Cutler in the Josh McDaniels system that successfully employed some of the unorthodoxy common to the Patriots system. The Broncos still have work to do with their defense that will probably require different players.

The belief in the offseason has been that McDaniels would be a massive flop. This game may have been an ugly win, but once you consider that many wondered about the future of McDaniels even before his first game as coach, it is a true win for him.

Cincinnati will likely start the first half of the season slow and finish strong, likely between seven and nine wins. There is still a lot of football to be played.

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Denver Broncos: The Most Unreal Lucky Play In Their History

I can’t believe what I just saw, the most unreal play in the history of the Denver Broncos. I just got through watching a very bad game between the Bengals and Broncos, not only was it bad, but the ending was pure BS.

I don’t even know what to say about that, so I will let you Broncos fans enjoy your 12-7 win over the Bengals, I’m sure you guys are going crazy right now, but wow, I still can’t believe what I saw.

I bet the Bengals fans that went to the game are pissed off, I’m not even a Bengals fan and I’m pissed off, the damn Bengals suck, they had no right to win that game and the ending proved why.

It just goes to show you how much emotion is put into these games, one second you are on top of the world happy, then the next you are sad and mad aka a Bengal fan.

 

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