Broncos-Chargers: Denver Gets Charged in Dumping of the San Diego Super-Chokers

In a throwback game to celebrate the roots of the AFL, the NFL couldn’t have asked for much better to celebrate the occasion.  These two cities, along with their football teams, have come a long way since their humble beginnings back in the old American Football League. 

While both these teams share similar histories, their look and their viability in today’s NFL couldn’t be more polar opposites.

In the old AFL, San Diego did win one championship.  Since then, they have only made Super Bowl appearances and have fallen short in delivering on old promises.

Denver won two AFL championships, only it was with the Denver Dynamite and the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League.

The Broncos’ franchise, however, has appeared in six final dances and is a two-time Super Bowl Champion that currently appears to be returning to their old championship form.

The Denver Broncos are six and “Oh My!”

Just admit it; no one had the Broncos undefeated after this stage of the season, and that includes you.

The Broncos are doing their yeomen’s work with definition, meaning, attitude, purpose, and good old fashioned hard working football to match their throwback jerseys.

The Broncos, like their vertical striped piping are on their way up while making more believers week by week!

So to think this team could be 12-0 when they face the currently 6-0 Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 13 isn’t so far fetched anymore.

 

 

Sticking to the Script

The Broncos did not start with a bowl of dust and a hearty “Hi-Ho Silver!” but they did come to play in San Diego.

The Broncos forced the Chargers to punt early on after snuffing their first drive.

Then Broncos won the battle of field position briefly as they could not muster a drive worthy of a score.

 

San Diego Gets Mission Focused Early

Following a punt by the Broncos the Chargers showed their shockingly brilliant powers.

Phillip Rivers connects with Malcolm Floyd for 18 yards and a first down from the six.

On 3rd-and-9 Rivers hits Floyd on a slant for 21 yards another first down against an all out blitz.

Then Rivers chest passes the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson who rambled for 25 yards and another first down.

Rivers then again hit Floyd for 13 yards and another San Diego first down.

LT then rambled from the backfield for 13 yards and yet another first down.

The Chargers were hotter than those bolts of lightning on their throwback helmets.  Denver was in a bad way as well on the drive that consumed a majority of the first quarter.  The Broncos also feared a loss of their spark on defense as Brian Dawkins left during the drive with a possible pulled hamstring.

As brilliant as the drive was for the powder blue SoCalers, it came to an end just as fast at the Broncos two yard line.

The Chargers had to settle for three points instead of the touchdown their offense deserved most of the drive.

 

Eddie Royal’s Special Treatment

On Denver radio they call him Eddie Roy~Al with Cheese .

In San Diego, they called him, but he never returned their calls because he was gone; and by the way the Chargers are still trying to reach him.

On the Denver sideline they called him by one word:

Money!

Eddie Royal is in a Denver Taco Bell commercial for a promo that gives fans the “Royal Treatment” with free tacos if the Broncos score two or more touchdowns.

This week’s promo truly is the Royal Treatment as he delivered with two touchdowns on special teams during the Monday night affair.

In one play, Eddie Royal attained what San Diego worked so hard for in their opening drive but could not, that being the end zone.  Royal returned San Diego’s ensuing kickoff 93 yards for the Broncos first touchdown and a shocking first-quarter lead.

For a guy that wound up with zero catches on the night at his usual receiver position, he proved to be the game’s difference maker.

Royal followed up his kick return for a touchdown with a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown later on in the second quarter.

 

Chargers Still Determined

Following Eddie Royals kickoff return for a touchdown San Diego started their next drive like they had the previous one.

The Chargers gashed the Broncos for big yardage going 74 yards in eight plays and cashing in this time with a touchdown to Northern Colorado phenomenon Vincent Jackson.  Rivers connected near the backline with Jackson on a deep crossing route from the three yard line. 

On the drive, Philip Rivers was perfectly hot, going five-for-five and picking up 63 yards to regain the lead 10-7 against Denver’s stalwart defense.

At the 1:20 mark of the second quarter the Chargers completed the hat trick of special teams’ touchdowns with a punt return for a score of their own.

Not to be outdone, Darrin Sproles returned his punt 77 yards to put the Chargers back on top before the half at 20-17 and solidifying this as an AFL throwback game.

 

Tony Schefflers Magic

It’s been said the Broncos throwback uniforms makes them look prime for some sort of Busker Fest where jugglers and magicians alike prove their skills before an open audience.

Tony Scheffler looked the part of the showman with his 19-yard touchdown grab from Kyle Orton while walking the tightrope on his circus catch.

The catch put Denver up by a single point at 24-23 late in the third quarter.

 

Denver ’s ‘For Real Defense’ Rears It’s Ugly Head

On third and three near midfield Elvis Dumervil hit Phillip Rivers and causes a fumble that eventually led to another Broncos field goal to push the margin to four points.

Denver’s defense combined with the offense to salt away the game.

The defense kept the pressure on the Chargers offense and would not allow them to get anything significant as they attained three sacks in five plays at one point. 

Champ Bailey and DJ Williams put the hurt on Malcolm Floyd on a fourth and eight at the Broncos 38 yard marker.

The Broncos then went 62 yards in five plays with one more magic trick being pulled off by Tony Scheffler down to the Chargers eight.

The final part of this masterpiece was a five yard pass to Brandon Stokley for six.  On a play that was reviewed and very close, the ball never crossed the goal-line plane, however, Stokley toe tapped the goal line for the touchdown.

The Broncos left feeling super charged with the final score.

 

Denver Broncos   34

Super Chokers     23 

With the win the Broncos are three and a half games up on their nearest division rival San Diego and now own a tie breaker against them with ten games to go in the regular season.

These Broncos appear to be playoff bound!

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Broncos-Chargers: Denver Gets Charged in Dumping of the San Diego Super-Chokers

In a throwback game to celebrate the roots of the AFL, the NFL couldn’t have asked for much better to celebrate the occasion.  These two cities, along with their football teams, have come a long way since their humble beginnings back in the old American Football League. 

While both these teams share similar histories, their look and their viability in today’s NFL couldn’t be more polar opposites.

In the old AFL, San Diego did win one championship.  Since then, they have only made Super Bowl appearances and have fallen short in delivering on old promises.

Denver won two AFL championships, only it was with the Denver Dynamite and the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League.

The Broncos’ franchise, however, has appeared in six final dances and is a two-time Super Bowl Champion that currently appears to be returning to their old championship form.

The Denver Broncos are six and “Oh My!”

Just admit it; no one had the Broncos undefeated after this stage of the season, and that includes you.

The Broncos are doing their yeomen’s work with definition, meaning, attitude, purpose, and good old fashioned hard working football to match their throwback jerseys.

The Broncos, like their vertical striped piping are on their way up while making more believers week by week!

So to think this team could be 12-0 when they face the currently 6-0 Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 13 isn’t so far fetched anymore.

 

 

Sticking to the Script

The Broncos did not start with a bowl of dust and a hearty “Hi-Ho Silver!” but they did come to play in San Diego.

The Broncos forced the Chargers to punt early on after snuffing their first drive.

Then Broncos won the battle of field position briefly as they could not muster a drive worthy of a score.

 

San Diego Gets Mission Focused Early

Following a punt by the Broncos the Chargers showed their shockingly brilliant powers.

Phillip Rivers connects with Malcolm Floyd for 18 yards and a first down from the six.

On 3rd-and-9 Rivers hits Floyd on a slant for 21 yards another first down against an all out blitz.

Then Rivers chest passes the ball to LaDainian Tomlinson who rambled for 25 yards and another first down.

Rivers then again hit Floyd for 13 yards and another San Diego first down.

LT then rambled from the backfield for 13 yards and yet another first down.

The Chargers were hotter than those bolts of lightning on their throwback helmets.  Denver was in a bad way as well on the drive that consumed a majority of the first quarter.  The Broncos also feared a loss of their spark on defense as Brian Dawkins left during the drive with a possible pulled hamstring.

As brilliant as the drive was for the powder blue SoCalers, it came to an end just as fast at the Broncos two yard line.

The Chargers had to settle for three points instead of the touchdown their offense deserved most of the drive.

 

Eddie Royal’s Special Treatment

On Denver radio they call him Eddie Roy~Al with Cheese .

In San Diego, they called him, but he never returned their calls because he was gone; and by the way the Chargers are still trying to reach him.

On the Denver sideline they called him by one word:

Money!

Eddie Royal is in a Denver Taco Bell commercial for a promo that gives fans the “Royal Treatment” with free tacos if the Broncos score two or more touchdowns.

This week’s promo truly is the Royal Treatment as he delivered with two touchdowns on special teams during the Monday night affair.

In one play, Eddie Royal attained what San Diego worked so hard for in their opening drive but could not, that being the end zone.  Royal returned San Diego’s ensuing kickoff 93 yards for the Broncos first touchdown and a shocking first-quarter lead.

For a guy that wound up with zero catches on the night at his usual receiver position, he proved to be the game’s difference maker.

Royal followed up his kick return for a touchdown with a 71-yard punt return for a touchdown later on in the second quarter.

 

Chargers Still Determined

Following Eddie Royals kickoff return for a touchdown San Diego started their next drive like they had the previous one.

The Chargers gashed the Broncos for big yardage going 74 yards in eight plays and cashing in this time with a touchdown to Northern Colorado phenomenon Vincent Jackson.  Rivers connected near the backline with Jackson on a deep crossing route from the three yard line. 

On the drive, Philip Rivers was perfectly hot, going five-for-five and picking up 63 yards to regain the lead 10-7 against Denver’s stalwart defense.

At the 1:20 mark of the second quarter the Chargers completed the hat trick of special teams’ touchdowns with a punt return for a score of their own.

Not to be outdone, Darrin Sproles returned his punt 77 yards to put the Chargers back on top before the half at 20-17 and solidifying this as an AFL throwback game.

 

Tony Schefflers Magic

It’s been said the Broncos throwback uniforms makes them look prime for some sort of Busker Fest where jugglers and magicians alike prove their skills before an open audience.

Tony Scheffler looked the part of the showman with his 19-yard touchdown grab from Kyle Orton while walking the tightrope on his circus catch.

The catch put Denver up by a single point at 24-23 late in the third quarter.

 

Denver ’s ‘For Real Defense’ Rears It’s Ugly Head

On third and three near midfield Elvis Dumervil hit Phillip Rivers and causes a fumble that eventually led to another Broncos field goal to push the margin to four points.

Denver’s defense combined with the offense to salt away the game.

The defense kept the pressure on the Chargers offense and would not allow them to get anything significant as they attained three sacks in five plays at one point. 

Champ Bailey and DJ Williams put the hurt on Malcolm Floyd on a fourth and eight at the Broncos 38 yard marker.

The Broncos then went 62 yards in five plays with one more magic trick being pulled off by Tony Scheffler down to the Chargers eight.

The final part of this masterpiece was a five yard pass to Brandon Stokley for six.  On a play that was reviewed and very close, the ball never crossed the goal-line plane, however, Stokley toe tapped the goal line for the touchdown.

The Broncos left feeling super charged with the final score.

 

Denver Broncos   34

Super Chokers     23 

With the win the Broncos are three and a half games up on their nearest division rival San Diego and now own a tie breaker against them with ten games to go in the regular season.

These Broncos appear to be playoff bound!

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Denver Broncos Thump San Diego Chargers, Take Reigns of AFC West at 6-0

All you can really say is WOW!!

 

The Denver Broncos are 6-0 for the first time since 1998 and we all know the outcome of that perfect start.

 

The air in Denver is much sweeter today than it was just seven short weeks ago when everyone including the staunchest Bronco fans had already called the season, the new coaching staff, and the once weak defense a failure.

 

This win puts the Broncos not only in a giant lead for the AFC West crown but also among the few elite and unbeaten teams in the NFL.

 

Monday nights game started off in classic Broncos vs. Chargers fashion with the teams trading blows, in fact the Chargers lead at the half 20-17.

 

The first half was about big plays, the Broncos wide receiver returned not one but two punts for touchdowns making him only the 10th player in NFL history to accomplish such a feat the Broncos won by 11 points so there is your big time player of the game.

 

After half the Broncos laid it out for the football world to see, this team is the real deal and defense is the way they get it done.

 

The amazing and growing list of statistics the Broncos defense continues to drop jaws around the game.

 

The Broncos held the Chargers to only three second half points, the Broncos have outscored opponents 76-10 in the second half.

 

Linebacker Elvis Dumervil now leads the NFL with 10 sacks, enough said there.

 

The Broncos in have not allowed a second half third down conversion over a MONTH, that’s right you just read that no second half third down conversions in over a moth giving in only 21 out of 78 attempts.

 

Then as if the bone crushing defense wasn’t enough Bronco QB Kyle Orton played a flawless game going 20-of-29 with 229 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, tucked inside of those stats was a great fourth quarter performance with Orton going 11-of-15  for 146yards and those two touchdowns.

 

With this win the Broncos take a commanding 3.5 game lead over the Chargers and look to be running away with the AFC West, if the Broncos can continue this dominance through the toughest part of their schedule following the bye week the Broncos could be the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl.

 

We will have to wait and see but for now the Broncos appear to be the story of the season.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Power Rankings Week Seven: Setting the Records Straight

By this point, you should all know how I feel about NFL Power Rankings–they are ridiculous. However, last week was a pretty good success, and some good conversation was generated. It was another great week in the NFL this week, so here is my second set of Power Rankings for this NFL season. Here is how I base my rankings: 1. Record/Win Percentage (6-0>5-0, 5-1>4-1, etc.) I truly feel this to be an important factor when “ranking” then NFL teams. Winning is the most critical aspect to this league, as if that isn’t obvious, and teams who win more should be ranked higher. 2. Opponents beaten (win percentage) Teams will be ranked higher based on their beaten opponents’ win percentage and overall record. 3. Head to head If teams have the same record, regardless of opponents’ win percentage or record, the winning team in a head-to-head matchup is favored in this system. 4. Opinion If all of the other factors are equal between teams, then I base it off of my opinion. This has yet to happen. Enjoy!

Begin Slideshow

NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Setting the Records Straight

By this point, you should all know how I feel about NFL Power Rankings–they are ridiculous. However, last week was a pretty good success, and some good conversation was generated. It was another great week in the NFL this week, so here is my second set of Power Rankings for this NFL season. Here is how I base my rankings: 1. Record/Win Percentage (6-0>5-0, 5-1>4-1, etc.) I truly feel this to be an important factor when “ranking” then NFL teams. Winning is the most critical aspect to this league, as if that isn’t obvious, and teams who win more should be ranked higher. 2. Opponents beaten (win percentage) Teams will be ranked higher based on their beaten opponents’ win percentage and overall record. 3. Head to head If teams have the same record, regardless of opponents’ win percentage or record, the winning team in a head-to-head matchup is favored in this system. 4. Opinion If all of the other factors are equal between teams, then I base it off of my opinion. This has yet to happen. Enjoy!

Begin Slideshow

Broncos 34, Chargers 23: Unbeaten Denver Looks Royal in AFC West Clash

There simply are not enough game balls to go around. 

The Denver Broncos are off to a 6-0 start after going on the road and defeating the San Diego Chargers 34-23 in a prime time matchup on Monday Night Football.

The Broncos made a huge statement with this win, putting on their most complete performance of the season so far in front of a national audience as they increased their lead in the AFC West to an outstanding 3.5 games.

Enough is enough of this “surprising” tag that has been attached to the Broncos; they are absolutely for real and are playing their best ball this decade.

Monday night’s game went as a lot of Bronco fans expected, as the Chargers were forced into a one-dimensional offense and their inability to run the ball really cost them in the end.

 

Game Recap

First Quarter

After a 92 yard San Diego drive resulted in a short Nate Kaeding field goal, Eddie Royal ignited some fireworks at Qualcomm Stadium.  Royal took the ensuing kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown to give the Broncos a 7-3 lead.

That lead would be short lived as Philip Rivers and the Chargers drove the ball right back down the field again, finishing a 74 yard drive with a three yard touchdown pass from Rivers to wide receiver Vincent Jackson, putting the score at 10-7 in favor of the home team.

Second Quarter

After a long 13 play drive ended in a Matt Prater field goal to start the scoring in the third quarter, the Broncos tied the game at 10 points apiece.

Following the field goal, the Broncos forced the Chargers into a three-and-out, and the Mike Scifres punt was taken 71 yards to the house by Eddie Royal, becoming the first player since Devin Hester in 2007 to return both a kickoff and a punt for a touchdown in the same game.

The Broncos, now nourishing a 17-10 lead, were able to stop the Chargers short of a touchdown on their next drive, and San Diego settled for another Nate Kaeding field goal, this one from 44 yards out.

Denver’s following drive was pitiful, and they were forced into a three-and-out.  Bronco punter Brett Kern made the decision to punt the ball to Darren Sproles, which is never a great idea.  Sproles took the punt all the way to the end zone, giving the Chargers huge momentum heading into halftime with a 20-17 lead.

Third Quarter

Another Nate Kaeding field goal gave the Chargers a six point lead, but the Broncos answered right back.

Following the field goal, Kyle Orton hooked up with Tony Scheffler on a beautiful 19 yard touchdown pass that capped off a nine play, 77 yard drive to give the Broncos the lead for good.

Fourth Quarter

Following an Elvis Dumervil forced fumble that was recovered by Vonnie Holliday, the Broncos had probably the shortest 10 play drive in the league so far this year, going 36 yards in ten plays.  That drive was capped off by a Matt Prater field goal to give the Broncos a 27-23 lead.

Late in the fourth, Orton and the Broncos were on their most important drive of the night and set up for their most important third down conversion of the night, a third-and-goal from five yards out. 

Kyle Orton dropped back to pass and hit Brandon Stokley right at the goal line for a touchdown that put the game out of reach for the San Diego Chargers.

 

Random Game Thoughts

In the intro, I said there were not enough game balls to go around, but having given it some thought, the game ball has to go to Eddie Royal.  The Broncos may not have won without Royal’s two return touchdowns, and neither would my little brother in fantasy.

Royal’s special teams performance was absolutely phenomenal, and he set a Denver Broncos record for return yardage in a game with 230.

Now to those who also deserved a game ball.

Tony Scheffler had his best game as a professional in my opinion.  I’m sure the stat line (six catches, 101 yards, TD) are not the most staggering for his career, but he played extremely well and was the Broncos’ biggest difference maker offensively.

The offensive line was outstanding for the Broncos.  The Chargers had one sack on the night, and it came as Larry English was being pancaked by Ryan Clady.  The only suspect area for this unit was in the running game, where the Broncos were slow to get it going at times.

Denver’s third down defense was at its best on Monday night, holding the Chargers to only two conversions on 11 attempts on the night.  The Broncos gave up a few screen passes in the first half, but in the end, their defense did exactly what I thought they would, and they put the heat on Philip Rivers.

Elvis Dumervil led the Denver defense tonight, recording two sacks and a forced fumble of Philip Rivers.  As a unit, the Broncos had five sacks and were seemingly in Philip Rivers’ face the entire second half.

Switching back to the offensive side of the ball, how good has Kyle Orton been for the Broncos so far this season?  After his performance tonight, he has thrown for 1,465 yards, nine touchdowns, one fluke pick, and he has a rating of 100.1.

Orton is truly playing MVP caliber football through six games this season, and is running Josh McDaniels’ offense better than anybody expected.  His efficiency in the red zone and accuracy have been crucial to the Broncos’ success this season. 

Orton improved to 27-12 as a starting quarterback in this league, and many, including myself, feel he has played at a Pro Bowl level so far this season.

Clearly, this Denver Broncos coaching staff has this team in a good place.  They didn’t listen to the nay-sayers prior to this season (so they claim), but they sure are shutting them up so far. 

Mike Nolan has devised excellent defensive game-plans, and this Broncos team has allowed a league-best 10 points in the second half of football games so far this year.  Through six games, that is absolutely outstanding and the main reason the Broncos have been able to start this season unblemished.

Josh McDaniels has done a superb job of preparing his offensive game plan and planning to his player’s biggest strengths. 

The Broncos are a very efficient team, and if they can continue to play ball like this, they are going to be tough to beat.

The main deficiency for the Broncos tonight was the running game, which actually was not as bad as I thought.  They were still able to gain over 100 yards on the ground, but it seemed at times that they could go nowhere. 

Correll Buckhalter was back for the first time in two weeks, and it appeared as though Knowshon Moreno was primed for a big game going up against a run defense that ranked 27th in the NFL heading into this matchup.

San Diego was able to bottle Moreno up for most of the game and hold him to just over 40 yards rushing. 

 

Final Thoughts

The Broncos could not have scripted a better way to head into their bye week.

They are 6-0 for the first time since Elway lined up under center, and they have been quite a story thus far. The most impressive part?  They are doing it with defense, something nobody anticipated.

Now, the offense is starting to really click, and the Broncos are looking like a more complete team with every game they play.

Still, this team knows it has a lot to improve upon, and they have a lot of time to prepare for their road matchup with the Baltimore Ravens in Week Eight.

The Ravens, like the Chargers, have an explosive passing offense but an even more dangerous running game with Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, and LeRon McClain. 

Denver is sure to have its hands full, but for now, 6-0 feels great, and this team deserves every bit of it.  Enjoy Broncos fans, your team has joined the NFL’s elite this season, even when nobody thought they could do it.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Exorcism: Denver Broncos Bust Ghosts of 2008 in 34-23 Win

The last time the Denver Broncos visited Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, they were on the receiving end of a 52-21 beatdown by the Chargers that cost them the division title and coach Mike Shanahan his job.  It was a defeat that would haunt the Broncos into the 2009 campaign.

Not anymore.

Fittingly, the specter of the Broncos’ epic 2008 collapse disappeared permanently on October 19, a little less than two weeks before Halloween.  If this Broncos team decided to dress up for their last game before October 31, they had to have all dressed as the Ghostbusters after exorcising their demons in their 34-23 dismantling of the San Diego Chargers to move to 6-0 and take a three and half game lead in the AFC West.

This win is even bigger than the win over the Patriots for many reasons, but the fact that this win formally shuts the book on 2008 is huge for this team and its fans. While many of the players on this Broncos team weren’t with the organization last year, they still felt the sting of the collapse when they arrived into town from the people who were there.

The Broncos needed this game to move forward and say that what happened last season will not happen again. They needed to make a statement.  So who were they going to call?

Eddie Royal.

From the moment Royal returned the ensuing kickoff after San Diego scored the first points, notice was served to the Chargers and the rest of the NFL that the Broncos have moved on and refuse to look back.  They were going forward, and they are determined that what happened in 2008 never happens again.

The Broncos also busted the ghost of their former starting quarterback who threw two interceptions to one touchdown in the blowout at San Diego last season.  This season, his successor who has thrown one interception (and on a desperation heave to boot) in six games threw two touchdowns to zero interceptions.

While the specter of John Elway will always hover above Kyle Orton and future Broncos quarterbacks, Orton has done his share to put skeptical Broncos fans at ease after the trade of Jay Cutler created a division amongst the fan base.

If there was any remaining doubt after the first five games, there can be no more now. The Broncos are well positioned to make the playoffs for the first time sine the 2005 season. The multiple critics and skeptics that wondered if Josh McDaniels would hang on to his job for for more than one season have been silenced.

The Denver Broncos, picked by many to win five games this season, have eclipsed that mark by one and show no signs of stopping now.

After all, this Broncos team ain’t afraid of no ghosts.

 

Follow Kris Burke on Twitter @KBurke02

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Exorcism: Denver Broncos Bust Ghosts of 2008 in 34-23 Win

The last time the Denver Broncos visited Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, they were on the receiving end of a 52-21 beatdown by the Chargers that cost them the division title and coach Mike Shanahan his job.  It was a defeat that would haunt the Broncos into the 2009 campaign.

Not anymore.

Fittingly, the specter of the Broncos’ epic 2008 collapse disappeared permanently on October 19, a little less than two weeks before Halloween.  If this Broncos team decided to dress up for their last game before October 31, they had to have all dressed as the Ghostbusters after exorcising their demons in their 34-23 dismantling of the San Diego Chargers to move to 6-0 and take a three and half game lead in the AFC West.

This win is even bigger than the win over the Patriots for many reasons, but the fact that this win formally shuts the book on 2008 is huge for this team and its fans. While many of the players on this Broncos team weren’t with the organization last year, they still felt the sting of the collapse when they arrived into town from the people who were there.

The Broncos needed this game to move forward and say that what happened last season will not happen again. They needed to make a statement.  So who were they going to call?

Eddie Royal.

From the moment Royal returned the ensuing kickoff after San Diego scored the first points, notice was served to the Chargers and the rest of the NFL that the Broncos have moved on and refuse to look back.  They were going forward, and they are determined that what happened in 2008 never happens again.

The Broncos also busted the ghost of their former starting quarterback who threw two interceptions to one touchdown in the blowout at San Diego last season.  This season, his successor who has thrown one interception (and on a desperation heave to boot) in six games threw two touchdowns to zero interceptions.

While the specter of John Elway will always hover above Kyle Orton and future Broncos quarterbacks, Orton has done his share to put skeptical Broncos fans at ease after the trade of Jay Cutler created a division amongst the fan base.

If there was any remaining doubt after the first five games, there can be no more now. The Broncos are well positioned to make the playoffs for the first time sine the 2005 season. The multiple critics and skeptics that wondered if Josh McDaniels would hang on to his job for for more than one season have been silenced.

The Denver Broncos, picked by many to win five games this season, have eclipsed that mark by one and show no signs of stopping now.

After all, this Broncos team ain’t afraid of no ghosts.

 

Follow Kris Burke on Twitter @KBurke02

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

What Can Lovie Smith Have Been Thinking to Give Up Kyle Orton?

One year removed from his days with the Chicago Bears, where he was seen as worse than the infamous Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton has begun this season with a start that he may have never thought he had in him.

I realize it is only six games into the season, but the change Orton has had is not just improvement, it is a complete and utter turn around.

Last season, Orton appeared in 15 games and threw 12 interceptions, the season prior he only appeared in three games, and still threw for two interceptions. Then, in his worst season of all, four years ago, Orton threw 13 interceptions in 15 games and had a measly 59.7 passer rating in those appearances.

Now in his first six games, Orton has thrown for nine touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating is over 100 on the year in his six starts.

Surely, his numbers could go downhill as the season progresses, but the fact that Orton has been able to consistently put up these solid numbers as well as that the Denver Broncos are a rejuvenated football team behind the play of rookies such as Knowshon Moreno, a defense featuring eight new starters, and a new head coach Josh McDaniels.

Sure, the Broncos traded away potential superstar QB Jay Cutler, for a barely NFL-proved QB, but it seems like it is paying off.

Not only did they get a more consistent Kyle Orton, but they also received two first round draft picks and a third round draft pick, to add even more to the talented roster.

While Lovie Smith may be happy with Jay Cutler and the new offensive look the Bears have, you have to wonder about Orton. Is the dramatic change because of McDaniels coaching as opposed to Smith? Did Orton just become a better player? Are the Broncos simply a better suited team for Orton?

Obviously, it would appear that the answer to all of these questions is yes, even though it’s a little too early to tell.

But, I’m sure McDaniels is thrilled.

This article was first featured on http://thesportsage.blogspot.com/ .

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

What Can Lovie Smith Have Been Thinking to Give Up Kyle Orton?

One year removed from his days with the Chicago Bears, where he was seen as worse than the infamous Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton has begun this season with a start that he may have never thought he had in him.

I realize it is only six games into the season, but the change Orton has had is not just improvement, it is a complete and utter turn around.

Last season, Orton appeared in 15 games and threw 12 interceptions, the season prior he only appeared in three games, and still threw for two interceptions. Then, in his worst season of all, four years ago, Orton threw 13 interceptions in 15 games and had a measly 59.7 passer rating in those appearances.

Now in his first six games, Orton has thrown for nine touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating is over 100 on the year in his six starts.

Surely, his numbers could go downhill as the season progresses, but the fact that Orton has been able to consistently put up these solid numbers as well as that the Denver Broncos are a rejuvenated football team behind the play of rookies such as Knowshon Moreno, a defense featuring eight new starters, and a new head coach Josh McDaniels.

Sure, the Broncos traded away potential superstar QB Jay Cutler, for a barely NFL-proved QB, but it seems like it is paying off.

Not only did they get a more consistent Kyle Orton, but they also received two first round draft picks and a third round draft pick, to add even more to the talented roster.

While Lovie Smith may be happy with Jay Cutler and the new offensive look the Bears have, you have to wonder about Orton. Is the dramatic change because of McDaniels coaching as opposed to Smith? Did Orton just become a better player? Are the Broncos simply a better suited team for Orton?

Obviously, it would appear that the answer to all of these questions is yes, even though it’s a little too early to tell.

But, I’m sure McDaniels is thrilled.

This article was first featured on http://thesportsage.blogspot.com/ .

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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