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

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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.

 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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.

 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Four Questions for the Denver Broncos

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As we prepare for Sunday’s season opener there are questions we need answered. The answer to these questions will have a major impact on how the Broncos season progresses.

 

Run Defense

The Broncos failure to stop the run over the past few seasons raised the ire of Broncos’ fans and ultimately led to the firing of Mike Shanahan. If the Broncos have not resolved this issue it will be very difficult to improve on last season’s 8-8 record.

The preseason results were encouraging. The Broncos’ run defense showed signs of improvement but it was preseason. The Broncos need to show they can shut down a rushing attack.  Cincinnati are not known as a great running team. If Cedric Benson hangs 100 yards on the Broncos’ defense it will be a sign that the Broncos still have problems in this area.

 

Pass Rush

Over the past few years Denver’s pass rush has been suspect at best. The lack of a consistent pass rush led to the Broncos’ performing poorly on third down.  Broncos’ fans watched helplessly as our team forced the opposing team into a third and long, only to see our secondary be exposed by a lack of pass rush. Our secondary looks to be greatly improved, but no secondary can hold up for the amount of time our defensive line gave opposing quarterbacks last year.

This is another area that the Broncos showed great promise of improvement in the preseason. Elvis Dumervil looked like a beast. If this carries over to the regular season the Broncos will be in great shape. We still need Jarvis Moss and rookie Robert Ayers to step up.

 

Kyle Orton

No one expects Kyle Orton to be a great quarterback. He does not need to be.  What he needs to be is serviceable. Manage the game, limit turnovers, and make an occasional great pass. It’s that simple.

The preseason provided mixed results. While showing great promise at times, there were also some very scary moments for Broncos’ fans. It is preseason and we have to remember the purpose of the preseason is to work out these issues. If we see the Orton that makes accurate, crisp passes; the Broncos will be fine. If we see the Orton that locks onto a receiver or throws left handed interceptions; Broncos’ fans could be in for a long season.

 

Josh McDaniels

Over the past 14 years in Denver, quality coaching was never an issue. The Broncos under Shanahan were rarely out-coached and rarely out of any game. A bad first half led to the adjustments that would lead the Broncos back into the game. Shanahan, I believe, is one of the greatest in-game coaches in history.

I have no doubt that the Broncos have not opened the entire play book in the preseason. I also think McDaniels will be a good coach and have his team prepared. Making in-game adjustments is my concern. This is what separates good coaches from great ones. I don’t believe Broncos’ fans appreciate this quality enough.

Many of the above questions will be answered this week. Some answers may take several games to be answered but these are the issues that will ultimately determine the Broncos’ fate.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Gamble Payoff Now or Later: Broncos Versus Bengal Game Plan Insight

Bowlen’s Big Gamble

The biggest social and professional gamble in Denver history takes its first test Sunday against an improved Cincinnati Bengal team. Owner Pat Bowlen rolled the dice hard during the offseason—I will spare everyone the sordid details, we’re tired of them by now—and we all get to see whether or not the benefits will be realized sooner rather than later.

The Broncos have improved themselves this year at every position except QB. Despite a slow start in the preseason, they appear ready to play. Even the Bronco nursery seems to be empty now, with Brandon Marshall finally acting like a professional and not throwing his toys for everyone to see. I’m sure he’s not any happier, but at least he is keeping it to himself now and practiced well enough to play Sunday.

Both Denver and Cincinnati are hard to predict as both teams can be very good or very bad, often within the same game. The early advantage is for the Bengals, as this is a home game for them and that means a three-point advantage (if you listen to the Vegas line setters). Against a visiting team with 26 new players and a new coaching staff, that is probably more like a four to five-point advantage before even looking at the match-ups.

Fortunately for the Broncos, they match up very well against Cincinnati on both offense and defense, and should win the game if they do not turn the ball over and the special teams keep the field position in the Broncos’ favor.

 

Denver Offense vs. Cincinnati Defense

The Cincinnati defense is built to play in the AFC North, with the DL and LBs built to stuff the run. The secondary is above average at the corners, but the safeties are below average against the pass and just serviceable against the run. The lack of good coverage LBs and safeties is in Denver’s favor with their three and four WR sets and agile TEs.

Even though the Cincinnati defense is built to stop the run, they aren’t very good at it. The Broncos running game could see a lot of success, especially between the tackles, if the passing game is successful and the defense starts to play soft.

The game plan on offense will be similar to what we’ve seen in the preseason with a lot of short passes, screens, and formations run to allow Kyle Orton to make quick reads and pick up chunks of yardage without having to throw deep. I will be very surprised to see the run featured in this game in the first half, although we’ll see it a lot if they get a lead.

Advantage: Denver Offense

 

Denver Defense vs. Cincinnati Offense

The Cincinnati offensive line is not very good, and their running game is based around re-tread Cedric Benson, so the improved Denver DL and LBs should have a fairly easy time stopping them jere. The minute I say that, though, I have Corey Dillon flashbacks and start to sweat—but I’ll stick with that viewpoint and say Cincinnati will not run on the Broncos.

The strength of the Cincinnati offense is their passing game, with the hardly mobile—and often brittle-Carson Palmer leading the way with a trio of very good WRs that allow him to use both short possession and deep passes. What Cincinnati doesn’t do a lot of is run screens to their RBs or feature their TEs as often as they should. This could take some of the pressure off of the Denver LBs, and allow them to run nickel and dime packages on most downs.

The secondary is a strength for the Denver defense, and they’ll need many of their new faces including Alphonso Smith, Darcel McBath, and David Bruton to play well with Wesley Woodyard coming in often to take away the underneath stuff.

The key for Denver is to put enough pressure on Palmer and keep the passing game off-balance and out of the end zone.  The Bengals are too good on offense to shut down completely, but they do struggle in the red zone. With a good pass rush and efficient secondary work, they should be held under two touchdowns. The Broncos must tackle well and minimize the YAC damage that the Bengal WRs are capable of bringing.

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will be dialing up blitzes from just about every angle in this game to keep Palmer off-balance and allow the secondary to play more aggressively than they have in the past.

Advantage: Denver Defense

 

Game Prediction

 

The Broncos win if…..

…they hold Cincinnati under 20 pts on offense.

…they do not turn the ball over more than once.

…the special teams win the battle of field position.

…the pass rush gets decent pressure, and the secondary plays aggressively and tackles well.

 

The Broncos lose if….

…they do not stop the Bengal running game.

…the blitz doesn’t result in pressure and leaves them short in coverage.

…they do not score TDs in the red zone. They cannot win the game with FGs.

Final Score Prediction: Broncos 24, Bengals 13

A win here brings the team back home next week against a very weak Cleveland Browns team, and gives them hope for a 4-0 or 3-1 start. A loss would be devastating, but hopefully the weak opening day record of years past is with Shanahan playing golf and won’t be anywhere near Ohio tomorrow.

Round one of the “The Gamble” will leave Bowlen and Bronco nation smiling.

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Broncos-Bengals Preview: Keys to Victory For Denver

The Denver Broncos will kick off their 2009 season at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio on Sunday, and the anticipation for Broncos fans is arguably at an all-time high.

Aside from the highly anticipated debut of quarterback John Elway, the season debut of head coach Josh McDaniels and his revamped Broncos squad is going to be one of the most talked about Denver debuts in a long time.

Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco has already made things interesting by Tweeting he would “embarrass” the Broncos and star cornerback Champ Bailey.

The last time Denver played Cincinnati was on a cold day in 2006 when the Bengals bobbled a snap on the potential game-tying extra point, and the Broncos held on to a close 24-23 victory.

Denver has won 10 of its last 12 meetings with the Bengals, and is dominating the overall series between the two teams with a record of 16-8.

With all of the negative publicity surrounding the Broncos heading into this season, how can they make their way to the winner’s circle on Sunday afternoon?

 

Key Matchups

• Broncos front seven vs. Bengals offensive line:  Let’s face it:  The Bengals’ offensive line is horrible, and the Broncos’ defensive front seven has been among the worst in the NFL over the last two years.  The Bengals have not proven to be able to protect their franchise quarterback the last couple of years either, so Denver’s improved front seven should take advantage of this matchup. Outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil has really excelled as a pass rusher in his new role, and the Denver defensive line looks vastly improved.  Cincinnati has really bulked up on their frontline, but first round draft pick Andre Smith is not going to be playing.  This is an area the Broncos need to really take advantage.
• Bengals receivers vs. Broncos defensive backs:  The Bengals suffered a huge loss this offseason when T.J. Houshmandzadeh left for Seattle, but they were able to replace him with veteran Laveranues Coles and some developmental prospects taken in the 2008 draft.  Their trio of Chad Ochocinco, Coles, and Chris Henry is among the best in the NFL, but Denver’s defensive backfield is greatly improved from 2008.  The Broncos added safeties Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill, Darcel McBath, and David Bruton, and cornerbacks Andre’ Goodman and Alphonso Smith.  The Broncos have some favorable matchups with Bailey on Ochocinco, Goodman on Coles, and the only question will be who covers the 6’4″ Chris Henry.  The Broncos could choose to match him up with David Bruton, a bigger safety, but the safe bet is on Smith.  This will be a fun matchup to watch, providing the Broncos can put adequate pressure on Carson Palmer.
• Broncos’ run offense vs. Bengals’ run defense:  This could be the absolute biggest and most crucial matchup of this game.  If the Broncos can control the line of scrimmage and run the ball with consistency, they could potentially dominate this contest.  The Bengals’ run defense has not been known to be elite over the last couple of years, and the Broncos’ offensive line is among the best in the NFL.  Rookie tailback Knowshon Moreno is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, but is expected to play.  Correll Buckhalter is set to start anyway, and the Broncos also have Peyton Hillis to take some carries.

This game, unlike most Broncos contests from 2008, does not appear poised to be decided by the big play.  The Broncos are going to have to rely on a steady dose of intermediate passes and a solid running game to beat the Bengals offensively, and they are going to have to be aggressive on defense.

Denver’s cornerbacks are good enough to the point where they can take risks in coverage against Cincinnati’s deep receiving core.

One question surrounding the Broncos was regarding the coverage skills of their linebackers, which will not be tested too much by Cincinnati, who lacks a serious threat at the tight end position.

Even though the Bengals do not appear to pose a serious threat to the AFC in 2009, this is an absolutely huge game for the Broncos.  They need to get off to a good start to the season to take advantage of a relatively weak part of a difficult schedule.

 

Injury Report

Cincinnati

OUT:  CB David Jones, OT Andre Smith

QST:  OT Scott Kooistra

PRB:  WR Chris Henry, S Roy Williams, QB Carson Palmer

 

Denver

OUT:  S Josh Barrett, DL Le Kevin Smith

QST:  WR Jabar Gaffney, QB Chris Simms, G Chris Kuper, RB Knowshon Moreno

PRB:  S Brian Dawkins, QB Kyle Orton

 

Line:  Cincinnati by five

 

Team Comparisons

QB:  Bengals

RB:  Broncos

WR:  Broncos

TE:  Broncos

OL:  Broncos

DL:  Push

LB:  Broncos

DB:  Broncos

ST:  Broncos

Coaching:  Bengals

Advantage:  Broncos

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Week One Gameplan: Broncos Vs. Bengals

Even though this week’s game is in a city that is on the complete opposite end of the state and a four hour drive away from his hometown of Canton, Coach McDaniels gets to open up the season in his home state of Ohio.

They are pretty much known more for the television show “WKRP in Cincinnati” than for good football over the years.  The only notable player to ever wear a Bengals Uniform was Boomer Esiason who led Cincinnati to two Super Bowl losses to the 49ers in the 80’s.

The Bengals have gotten better over the past few years under the tutelage of Coach Marvin Lewis, yet they remain consistently inconsistent from year to year.

The Bengals followed up their 7-9 2007 record by finishing third in the AFC North in 2008 with a record of 4-11-1.  Nonetheless Cincinnati is not a team that you want to look past on your schedule. 

They are using the sting of their embarrassing showing last season to fuel their intensity this year.  The Bengals are a team of bad intentions who are much better than last year’s record shows and they need to be taken seriously.

 

The Bengals Offense

The Bengals are loaded at the offensive skilled positions. 

 

Quarterback  No. 9 Carson Palmer

He has a great arm and is a seasoned quarterback in the NFL.  He can be very dangerous if he has time to throw the football. 

 

Wide Receivers

No. 85 Chad OchoCinco 6’1” 192lbs

No. 85 is very talented.  Unfortunately his play has dropped off the past few years.   Whether it is double teams, chemistry, age or maybe he is just not that good, Mr. eight–five is known more for his antics on and off the field than for his play on it. 

 

No. 11 Laveranues Coles 5’11” 200lbs

Coles chose to sign with Cinci in the offseason and will fill the position opposite OchoCinco left vacant by T.J. Who’syourmama?’s departure. 

Coles has also had an inconsistent career in the NFL as a No. 1 receiver, but now that he is playing second fiddle to “the Chad” (who was once considered elite), he may see the kind of touches that Houshmandzadeh built his career on the past few years.

 

No. 15 Chris Henry 6’4” 200lbs

Henry has had a troubled career in the NFL.  He has shown flashes of great ability but has gotten in his own way by getting in trouble with the law.  Bengals fans are hoping he has turned over a new leaf this season. 

Henry turned it on in the preseason, racking up 14 catches for 224 yards and four touchdowns in four games.  This could mean he is poised to have an amazing year coming out of the slot.

 

Running Back

No. 32 Cedric Benson

Benson was supposed to be the reincarnation of Ricky Williams (the Ricky before he decided to retire from football at the height of his career so he could go smoke pot full-time). 

Unfortunately for Benson, he struggled more than he succeeded thus far in his career.  He may be finally putting things together in Cinci, but still, no one is expecting anything spectacular from him.

 

Denver’s Defensive Strategy

Cincinnati has a potent aerial arsenal at their disposal, with a capable running complement, but the Bengals do not have a very good offensive line.  Andre Smith was supposed to help make them better, but a holdout followed by a foot fracture has kept him from making any impact on the Bengals line.

Therefore the key for Denver to be successful against this passing attack will be putting pressure on the quarterback.

All three of Cinci’s receivers are known for their speed, not their route running.  So the trick is not to get beat deep.  The best way to do this is with pressure.  It takes time for receivers to get down the field no matter how fast they are. 

Palmer is a pocket passer with limited mobility and is fresh off an elbow injury last year.  If Denver can stay in Palmer’s face all day long the Bengals won’t have time to throw the deep ball. 

The beautiful thing about the 3-4 defense is that you can bring pressure from anywhere.

I look for the Denver’s front seven all to get involved in creating pressure.  D-line, outside, and inside backers should all keep the pressure coming from different places all day long. 

Champ, Goodman, Smith, Hill, and Dawkins should be able to keep OchoCinco, Coles, and Henry from getting open down field and snatch up any errant throws that come their way.

Denver’s front seven will also need to keep Cinci honest in the running game, but again Cinci’s weak O-line creates the opportunity for Denver to shut Benson down as well. 

The Bengals really don’t get too creative in their running plays and Denver will mostly see them try to pound the ball up the middle more than attempting to finesse run to the outside.

Denver has a chance to come out and make a statement defensively in this first game.  Not giving Palmer anytime to set up, make his reads, and throw the ball will go a long way to Denver getting a W this Sunday.  (Forcing a couple turnovers wouldn’t hurt either.)

 

The Bengals Defense

Cincinnati has quietly been putting together a very solid defense under Marvin Lewis.  They have yet to become one of the most feared in the league but they have been consistently getting better under his guidance. 

The Bengals run a 4-3 defense starting up front with Robert Geathers, Domata Peko, Tank Johnson, and Antwaan Odom.  These guys are big and tough will make plays on you if you’re not careful.  They also drafted rush specialist Michael Johnson out of Georgia Tech who could cause some trouble of his own on passing downs.

Dhani Jones, Rey Mauluga, and Keith Rivers make up a young but talented line-backing core for Cincinnati.  Mauluga may not start, but should at least see some time.  A top prospect who fell to Cinci in the second round, Maualuga is known to be a devastating hitter. 

Keith Rivers was a top prospect last year who would have challenged Jerod Mayo for defensive rookie of the year had he not broken his jaw in week seven. 

Cinci’s secondary got stronger with the addition of Roy Williams in the offseason.  If he can return to the form he once played with in Dallas a few years ago, this move could be huge for the Bengals. 

Leon Hall and Jonathon Joseph have developed into a pair of very good corners as well.  They will keep most offenses honest all over the field, but could be susceptible to the deep ball at times.  The Bengals do not have any notable depth to speak of beyond these two starters in the secondary.  

 

Denver’s Offensive Strategy

Denver should just play their game against Cincinnati.  McDaniel’s offense should work against anybody, with screen passes to receivers and running backs, and short passes with a healthy portion of run set up by the pass. 

Hopefully Knowshon Moreno will be mostly-to-fully ready for the game.  He only had a few runs in preseason, but they were enough to show everyone that he will be a force to be reckoned with this year.   I don’t believe the Bronco’s depth chart; I think we will see him out there on the field quite often. 

Denver also may have their full complement of receivers including perhaps Brandon Marshall.

McDaniels’ system is all about game management.  If Orton is careful with the football and does not take any chances then the Broncos should be able to systematically move the ball down the field very well. 

Denver’s offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, and seldom gives up a sack.  I saw Orton having happy feat in the pocket too many times in the preseason.  Orton needs to learn to trust in his offensive line and be comfortable in the pocket knowing he has time, then just make the smart throw with the football.

If Marshall does indeed take the field then all bets are off.  Cincinnati’s biggest weakness is in their secondary, and Marshall should draw a double team.  That should leave things open for Royal, Gaffney, and Stokley to get open. 

McDaniels needs a win to satiate the critics out there who are already calling for his job, and the Bengals are looking to set the tone for the rest of their season.

As long as Denver protects the football and doesn’t give the game away with penalties and turnovers I think Denver has a very good shot at taking down the Bengals in week one.  Both teams will be hungry, and both teams will be looking to make a statement in this first game. 

Call me a homer if you want but I give Denver the edge in this game because of Cincinnati’s weak offensive line. 

My prediction: Denver wins 23- 17.

 

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