Random Broncos Thoughts - Game 1 - vs Steelers

Broncos 31 Steelers 19

-That game is going to be hard to beat. Epic start to the season. It's good to be 1-0.

-After a full offseason of people wondering if he still has what it takes, it had to be gratifying to Peyton Manning to prove that while he may be older there is still some hitch in his giddy-up.

-Orange balloons are more fun than they should be.

-It's hard to express just how much I dislike Ben Roethlisberger. I was reading Twitter, and one tweeter described him as a giant jellyfish. Something humongous yet impossible get a firm grasp on. I'll grant you that he's good if you grant me that he's impossibly unlikable.

-Did Steelers fans have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder flashbacks seeing Demaryius Thomas dashing towards the end zone on a long TD?

-Broncos defense failed on eleven of nineteen 3rd downs. Got to get off the field on third down, and the Broncos were struggling WAY too much with that last night. 3rd and 18 shouldn't feel as difficult as the Broncos were making it in the third quarter. The pass defense was covered up by Peyton's mastery and a critical pick six by Tracy Porter, but if they can't get more pressure at critical times, it will cost the Broncos this year.

-Did I mention that Peyton Manning looked okay?

-Huge thanks to my cousin Tawni who surprised me Sunday morning with a call asking if I'd like to go to the game. I had to think about it for about six milliseconds.

-Tailgating with Greek people is an experience. Ouzo shots are dangerous but they do get one loosened up quickly. Oddly I dislike black licorice, yet still enjoy Ouzo. Opa!

-Manning was a surgeon at the line. There are few things more fun than being at the game when Peyton Manning steps to the line, reads the defense, and audibles to the perfect play FOR YOUR TEAM! I can totally get used to this.

-Yes, it is possible to sit BEHIND the jumbotron. I had no idea.

-No, just because you're sitting in literally the last row, it doesn't mean you can't have fun. There are no bad seats, only bad fans.

-That stadium was ORANGE on Sunday night. I've attended Steelers-Broncos games in Denver where it felt like thirty percent of the stands were yellow. The Steelers percentage was miniscule. I was so proud.

-When they announced the attendance, there were only 181 no shows. I can't remember the number ever being that low, and I've been going to games since 1984.

-I can talk a big game about how I was super confident the Broncos would win, but with three minutes to go, I was terrified that the big jellyfish was going to lead Pittsburgh to a 1 point win. Thank God that Tracy Porter ended the drama with minimal distress.

Random Broncos Thoughts - Preseason Game 4 - at Cardinals

"Broncos" 16 "Cardinals" 13 

(The quotation marks are there for a reason.)

Life is too short to watch the final preseason game. Especially when it starts at 9:00 PM. In what is surely a first in my adult life, I went to sleep before a "Broncos game" started. Although, I missed a game that ended on the final play, I regret nothing. Especially since I have a feeling it was just brutal to watch...seeing as it was the final preseason game and it wasn't really the Broncos versus the Cardinals but rather guys in Broncos costumes playing guys in Cardinals costumes. We will resume posting game day articles when they start playing games that matter in a little over a week. Until then, enjoy this picture of a cute puppy who played as many snaps as Peyton Manning did last night.

Random Broncos Thoughts - Preseason Game 3 - vs 49ers

49ers 29 Broncos 24

-This is more like it! Broncos fans couldn't be happier at today's result. Preseason football is a wonky thing. The Broncos left, but because they were up 17-0 when Manning left the game, it feels like a huge win. Who cares how the scrubs fell apart.

-Confession: Seeing as how this is preseason football, I missed the entire first half at a birthday party. I justify this by saying IT'S ONLY PRESEASON!!!

-The Broncos scrubs are very bad. I had the "pleasure" of watching the second half and a 24-10 lead turned into a 24-29 loss. Couple this with a 10-9 lead last week turning into a 30-10 loss against the Seahawks and the guys trying their best to make the Broncos have been outscored 40-0 in the second half of the past two games. I'd say this is cause for concern if 60% of these guys weren't going to be driving cement trucks in three weeks and the other 40% weren't going to be riding the pine in the NFL, but they are.

-Again, it's okay to miss some or all of a preseason game. In fact, it should be encouraged. The fact that the NFL foists this terrible football upon us is a terrible deed which is forgotten every September as the real thing descends upon us and we greedily lap it up and forget our August disgust at paying full price for this exhibition schlock.

-Just one final thing before I go. The Manning stat line. The glorious Manning stat line.

10/12 Passing
122 Yards
10.2 Yards per throw
2 Touchdowns
0 Interceptions
148.6 QB rating

THIS is why we don't miss Tebow!

Broncos Gameday Recap: Game 16 - vs Chargers

Chargers 33 Broncos 28
On a cold, but exciting day of football, Ryan Mathews and the Chargers proved to be just a bit too much for the Broncos to take.

Mercifully, the 2010-11 season comes to an end. A season which saw a wide receiver take his own life, a coach get caught in a videotaping scandal and subsequently get canned and the Broncos fall to their worst record in their 51 year history couldn't end quickly enough. The Broncos will have to start picking up the pieces and try to see if they can rebound and rebuild quickly.

Leading that rebuilding effort will be fan favorite John Elway, who is poised to take a position with Denver that has yet to be officially announced, but is rumored to be something along the lines of VP of football operations. That sound interesting, but just because John was a football god on the field doesn't necessarily mean he has the touch as a personnel guy. Although, much like Tim Tebow, we will hope for the best even though we have little in the way of actual proof in which to believe. Although, for a team that finished 4-12 and has little going for it other than an exciting but crazy raw athlete at quarterback and the number 2 overall pick, hope is a valuable commodity.



Before the rebuilding could begin, this year's version of the Broncos had to cross the finish line, doing so against a Chargers team that is much too talented to be finishing outside of the playoffs. The Chargers used a whole lot of running from rookie halfback Ryan Mathews and a whole lot of bad tackling from the Broncos defense to roll to a 33-28 victory over Denver this afternoon out at Invesco Field. There were nearly 8,000 no shows, but that number could have tripled had Tim Tebow not been getting his third career start. The curiosity factor of seeing Tebow play definitely ramped up interest in the Mile High city.


Tebow rewarded the enthusiasm with a rather uneven effort. I am beginning to think that Tebow is incapable of throwing the ball in a manner that is pleasing to the eye. Dude just throws ugly. Although his passer rating was a lousy 58.2, he wasn't completely terrible overall. The fact is that Tebow is part quarterback, but he's also a good portion of a running back too. The passer part of the equation was rather lackluster today. Tebow made some of the worst throws that I've ever seen tossed by a quarterback in the NFL today, but then he also made some very nice tosses as well. The rookie is quite raw, but what he lacks (severely) in polish, he does tend to make up for in grit and enthusiasm. Yes, he only threw for 205 yards, and missed some receivers so egregiously that one might question whether or not he's good enough to be a passer in the league, and threw for two terrible interceptions; however he also ran for 92 yards and a touchdown, and despite having a somewhat bad day, he still nearly engineered a comeback for Denver.



I think questioning his ability is not out of the question, but it's impossible to deny that the guy is exciting and that he makes things happen. The team rallies around him, and plays hard for him, and he's just so darn earnest about playing football. It's easy to doubt him, but it's hard to not want to see him do well. John Elway's first tough decision will be whether or not it's a wise idea to trust in Tebow as the quarterback of the future, or consider picking up a solid stud quarterback when they are in the unusual and rare position of being able to draft so highly with the second overall pick.

The final game of the year wasn't all about Tim Tebow, though. The defense played Phyllis Rivers tough, although Phyllis was able to throw for 313 yards, he did not look all that amazing throughout the game. It was definitely a down day for the Chargers quarterback. More than making up for that was the aggressive running of Ryan Mathews, as the Chargers back went for 120 yards and three touchdowns.

It was far from a good day for the Broncos defense, but I need to give credit to Andre' Goodman. Dude had a solid day at corner.

After Mathews ran for his third touchdown of the day with less than 8 minutes remaining to put San Diego up 33-14, it appeared all hope was lost. However, a quick Cassius Vaughn kickoff return for a touchdown, and another quick drive from Tebow which ended with Timmy running in for a score of his own, the game tightened up. The Broncos were able to recover an onsides kick with 23 seconds left, and the small crowd that had not left early was rewarded by their dedication by a few Hail Mary attempts that thudded to the ground, and the Broncos falling just shy yet again of a win.

Is this the quarterback of the future, or just another McDaniels misjudgment? Time will tell.

So, the curtain closes on the worst season in Broncos history, and there are more questions than answers. How much of a winning effect can the winningest quarterback in franchise history bring as an executive? How will the Broncos use the highest draft pick they have ever had? (#2 overall) Is Tim Tebow the quarterback of the future? Who will be leading this team next year? Did Eric Studesville show enough in his brief tenure as interim head coach to merit the job permanently? (I say no, by the way.) How quickly can this defense get things turned around? Will Champ Bailey be back? (For his sake, I hope he goes someplace he can win quickly since he is in the twilight of his career, and the Broncos are going to need more than just a little time to get back to being a good squad.) So many questions, and only time can provide the answers. For now, Broncos Nation needs some time to heal. 4-12 is a rough year. Good night, and good luck. Go Broncos!

Broncos Gameday Recap: Game 15 - vs Texans OR How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Tebow

I am going to dismiss breaking down this game in any meaningful way very shortly, so let me first say that if this is the final time we see Champ Bailey in Broncos orange and blue, thanks for the memories, sir. As to a quick recap of non-rookie quarterback news, quickly…the Broncos defense is atrocious, the Texans kicker is deadly accurate from long range, and the Broncos are lucky to have won. However, they did win, and the rest of this “recap” column is going to focus on the only thing that matters in Denver football right now. Tim Tebow.
Immediately upon dismissing Josh McDaniels, Tim Tebow immediately become the only question the Broncos needed to try and get some answers on with what remained of this nightmarish season. Foolishly, Eric Studesville started Kyle Orton in Arizona, and kept him in despite getting rolled. Fortunately he came to his senses, or more likely someone above him stepped in and said, “Let’s see the Florida kid.” And since that disaster in the desert, we’re are beginning to learn a bit about the quarterback McDaniels spent too much to obtain.
He was mostly shackled for the first game and a half, and as a result was largely ineffective, however, with the Broncos down 17-0, and looking very much lackluster…Tebow came alive. The end result was a big comeback win in his home debut, and an adoring crowd screaming his name long after the game ended. (Or so I was told by my brother who attended the game.)
I, myself, was driving down I-70 in Western Kansas the whole game, so I merely listened on the radio. However, I was encouraged by what I heard. A team with nothing to play for rallied for no reason other than pride to give a downtrodden fan base a reason to cheer, and that team was led by a quarterback making his second ever start.
The actual end result of the game was probably more a matter of luck and fortuitous scheduling than it was a result of Tebow bending the game to his will, but allow us to play with the narrative a bit. The Texans are an emotionally brittle group who will likely be looking for a new coach this time next week. They are shell shocked from the myriad of exciting ways they have found to lose close games this year, and if any team is going to fold when the going gets tough on the road, Houston is a prime candidate. Truth be told if not for a lucky bounce at the line of scrimmage causing the ball to soar directly into the waiting arms of Syd’Quan Thompson, effectively ending the game in the Broncos favor, quite likely the Texans would have at worst kicked a field goal as time expired to send Denver to it’s sixth straight loss. This is often a game of crazy bounces, though, and thanks to that happy deflection, the Broncos pulled out a glorious win; one that the Denver fan base has not been treated to very often this season.
So, what to make of Timmy? I am of two minds on this subject, and the two sides are doing battle in my psyche trying to make heads or tails of this young man behind center for my beloved Broncos:
The optimist in me says this is John Elway 2: The Comeback Kid! There was something about the way his personality and enthusiasm took over the game, rallying from three scores down in the second half to generate a win from the ashes of a burned out season. This is a sign of things to come. Timmy will lead us, and we will gladly follow to Super Bowl rings and glory. The man is a leader, and a winner, and despite his awkward throwing motion, he routinely makes things happen when he gets a chance. This is the side of me that wants to run out and purchase a #15 jersey in both orange and navy blue so I can wear one while the other is in the wash.

Then there is the pessimist in me. (Or as he would call himself, “The Realist.”) The NFL has only seen him a handful of times, and defensive coordinators are now in their labs cooking up ways to stop him. Despite positive signs, the fact is that he most definitely has the training wheels on, and the coaches are not ready for him to open things up, because he is not ready himself. Also, most people felt like it was a gigantic reach by Denver to grab Tebow in the first round, and there was likely a reason that was the case. His throwing motion is the polar opposite of textbook, and there are significant and legitimate questions to whether or not he’s going to get himself killed running around as much as he does.
I don’t know what to think. Part of me says the kid is legit, part of me says he’ll never make it. All I know is that when I watch (or listen) to the Broncos on Sunday, they are more interesting with the kid playing quarterback. His stats were decent yesterday. Not great, but very respectable. 16-29 for 308 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception. Add in the 27 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, and that is a pretty good day even before you factor in that he did it in dramatic fashion, engineering a 4th quarter come from behind victory from a 17 point first half deficit.
I enjoy cheering for the kid, and I can’t possibly wish him any more luck than I already am hoping for him. The games are more exciting when he is in, and there is a nervous energy in the air when he walks into the huddle as if the entire city of Denver is a high school girl, and Tebow is the captain of the football team that is showing her some love. There is a giddy love affair in Denver right now with this kid. It is more than slightly irrational, and it may just be puppy love, but the whole city is hoping that it turns into a long and meaningful relationship, and who am I to go against that?
Go Broncos, and Go Tebow! Hopefully, this can be start of a beautiful friendship, if not…we’ll always have the Texans game.

Broncos Gameday Recap: Game 14 - Broncos at Raiders

Raiders 39 Broncos 23

Uncle. Thankfully, the Broncos don't need to face the Raiders again this year. For those not counting at home, with the 39-23 drubbing that Oakland put on Denver yesterday, the Raiders have now hung 98 points on the Broncos this year.

We got to see Tim Tebow, and he looked confidence inspiring. Then you look at his stats, and you realize that no matter how encouraging he might have made you feel, the dude completed only 50% of his passes and for only 138 yards. 8 completions is not going to win very often in the NFL, and it didn't yesterday. Of course, 78 yards rushing helps, too. Tebow did almost as much damage with his legs a including a 40 yard scamper up the middle that was very reminiscent of the form which won him a Heisman at Florida.

Unlike almost every game he played at Florida, though, Tebow's team was less talented than the opponent, and lost. It was an odd feeling watching Tebow, as his truly does carry himself with confidence and yet it's obvious the coaching staff has zero confidence in him. The handcuffs were on, and it was painfully obvious they trust him to do too much. However, when he was allowed to toss the ball, although his delivery looks weird, it looks good in the air. His accuracy was much higher than I was expecting, and after the game, I felt like he might have a shot.

Actually, the game in Oakland was almost exactly what I wanted. Tebow looked good (not great, but good.), the Broncos played tough and hung with Oakland for awhile, and most importantly...they didn't hurt their draft position by winning a meaningless game. It's strange having your team have nothing to play for. As the game is going on, I am cheering for them to win, but as soon as it's over I'm almost relieved they lost.

The fact is, this is a team that was plus two in turnovers, got decent production from a rookie quarterback in his first start, and still lost by sixteen points. The defense looked foolish on several occasions, allowing a fullback to scamper 73 yards on a basic screen play and giving up a 71 yard touchdown on a reverse on the game's first play. The Raiders more than doubled the Broncos total offense, gaining an obscene 502 total yards. (Add that to the 508 from the first game, and the Raiders gained 1010 yards of total offense against the Broncos this season, Egad.) Then, just to make sure the Raiders scored just about every possible way, they got a safety.

So, the Broncos are bringing up the rear of the NFL, as right now, I'm not sure there is anyone they could beat. We could wallow in sadness about it, or believe that there is no way to go but up from here, right? (They can't possibly get WORSE, can they?) The rebuilding may take a few years, or it could take less than that, as this is the NFL and teams do rebound often to get good quickly. For now, let all Broncos fans take comfort in the fact that this particular edition of the Broncos can only shame us two more times before we get an offseason to try and heal a little bit. Have a Merry Christmas, and Go Broncos.

Broncos Gameday Recap: Game 13 - Broncos at Cardinals

Cardinals 43 Broncos 13

It's gotten to the point that kickers are making the Broncos look bad. Jay "Wheels" Feely trots into the end zone in a Cardinals rout of the Broncos.

So, McDaniels is gone, but the horrid stench of his aura is clearly still very much on the team. When a team fires their head coach during mid-season, they can either get a bounce out of it, or become a totally deflated group of players who just don't care. The Vikings and Cowboys got the bounce, it look like the Broncos are deflate city, though. In what may have been the most meaningless regular season game in NFL history, the Broncos acted like they really couldn't be bothered to put on a professional appearance. Seriously, the Broncos were nearly beaten singlehandedly by a kicker. (Nice wheels, by the way, Jay Feely)

Rookie John Skelton out of Fordham acquitted himself well against the porous Broncos defense.

This game felt more like a presason matchup, only there was apparently even less on the line. Adding to the preseason feel, the Cardinals even started John Skelton, a quarterback drafted in the fifth round who began the year as a 4th stringer. Then Skelton outplayed his counterpart Orton. The Broncos came out against a dreadful team in Arizona and got blown out. Kyle Orton, one of the few brights spots of this overmatched and undertalented team, just gave up today. His heart wasn't in it, and neither was his head, and by the end he was just tossing up interceptions on a platter. The final pick which was returned for six had the look of someone who didn't care what happened to the ball he threw. Orton's aim was off, he was out of sync with the new playcaller Mike McCoy, and it just was a terrible day for the Broncos quarterback.

The defense also played terribly, tackling poorly and generally looking completely lost on the field. When you're getting blasted by the Cardinals offense, you're clearly not giving it your best. The Broncos weren't getting beaten by the 1989 49ers out there, this was a team that had not scored a touchdown in 9 quarters before their kicker ran one in against the Broncos.

If a running back blossoms on a 3-13 team, does anyone realize it?

There were two bright spots in a sea of darkness. The first was running back Knowshon Moreno, who is blossoming into a legit NFL back on this team that the world has justly forgotten about. The second is Champ Bailey, the cornerback who is likely playing in his final weeks in Denver. Those two played well, the rest of this disaster played like a team that could not possibly care any less.

Puzzling to me is why the Broncos decided to not play Tim Tebow. The season is over, and they were getting blown out. I would have started him to find out what you have and at least put these final few games to some constructive purpose, but after falling way behind, what would be the shame in putting him in and letting him get a little experience? He really needs to get some playing time in these meaningless final few games, it makes zero sense to not at least let him face a few live rounds of action and see how he responds. Plus, it's about the only card the team can play to keep the fans interested, and there is zero buzz around this city for the Broncos right now. Hopefully they start Tebow next week in Oakland, Seriously, why not at this point?

Thanks for the memories, Champ. You're a class act.

So, the city of Denver is left with a football team that doesn't appear interested in competing, and really...it might be for the best. Losing the remaining games can only help with draft positioning, and really, would anyone in Orange feel better about 6-10 as opposed to 3-13? I'm not used to having a month left in the season and having it not matter at all. Lack of hope is hard to take as a football fan. I'm still a Broncos fan, of course, but let's just say I'm not sticking my chest out about it these days.

Broncos Gameday Recap: Game 12 - Broncos at Chiefs

Chiefs 10 Broncos 6

What a difference three weeks make. When last we saw these two teams on the field they combined to score 78 points in a Broncos runaway win and Todd Haley refused to shake Josh McDaniels hand. On Sunday, the two teams combined for a whopping 16 points, and Todd Haley gave Joshie a big hug.

What a farce. Can you say overcompensating?

Although I really don’t want him as my coach anymore, I will give Josh McDaniels this: He excels and finding new and interesting ways to lose games. This week, rather than his usual successful passing game with no running game and a defense that tries to chase it’s opponents from behind as they routinely break off huge plays, he mixed it up. The defense was stout, the running game excelled, and the Broncos completely failed at passing and scoring. Then, at the end, when a victory was possible, he totally abandoned the tremendous run game and kept Kyle Orton throwing despite the fact that the passing game had proven worthless all day and then punted despite being down only 4 points and needing only a few yards for a first down and there were less than three minutes to go. I guess I have to hand it to him, because he got the ball back with fifteen seconds from his own 8, so his strategy worked gangbusters. Quite the innovator, that McDaniels; Jason Whitlock tweeted out after the game that McDaniels is in totally over his head, and I couldn’t agree more.



In a game that was totally winnable for the Broncos, they refused to open it up and take chances, and the result was a forgettable loss to a team that now holds a two game advantage in the AFC West. (By the way, with the Chiefs…Yes, they will almost certainly win their division barring a complete collapse against an easy schedule, but bet heavily against them in the playoffs. It’s free money) The Broncos loss was not unexpected at this point, they lose almost every week anymore. And it wasn’t even that disappointing, as it’s probably better for the Broncos to get a good draft pick by losing. It was just kind of sad. This season is over, and there isn’t much reason to care for the final quarter of the year.

Anyway, let’s break down the game a tiny bit:

Positives:


Knowshon Moreno: The Georgia product finally lived up to his potential that caused him to be picked in the first round last year. He was punishing opponents and making things happen as he broke big play after big play and also gained the tough yards. The Broncos might have won the game had they stuck with the run game instead of going almost exclusively with the subpar passing game the final few drives. 161 yards on 23 carries is a great day.

Champ Bailey: Dude was a beast making some glorious tackles and plays, and even getting a sack. Makes me sad that this great player is spending his twilight NFL years laboring for such a crappy team.

The Defense: Made a big goal line stand, and held the Chiefs to a miserly 10 points on offense. The Broncos didn’t lose the game on the defensive side of the ball. You hold a team to ten points, you need to win. Especially when you scored 49 points against them the last time you played.

Negatives:

Kyle Orton: Nine completions on twenty-eight attempts. A quarterback rating of 46.3, and an average yards per pass of 4.2. You can’t win with stats like that. Orton has been very good this season, but he looked out of his depth and completely hopeless all day. His accuracy was atrocious, and on top of that, he lost a critical fumble late in the game. Definitely his worst game of the season, and possibly his worst game as a Bronco.

Josh McDaniels: Challenging a 9 yard gain in the first quarter, even if you’re correct, is dumb with the limited nature of the rules instant replay challenges. Then not challenging a potential fumble when your team picks it up and runs it inside the 10 is a big time head-scratcher. But the worst thing he did on the day was punting the ball on 4th and 4 from his own 44 with less than 3 minutes left. You have to go for the 4th down conversion there, you just HAVE to. There isn’t much time left, so even if everything goes perfectly with you punting, you will get the ball back with less than a minute deep in your own territory. The Broncos had 2 timeouts left, so no matter what happened, they needed to stop the Chiefs from getting a first down, and even if the Chiefs stop you and then kick a field goal, you’re still within one score. If you pick up the fourth down, you still have time so that you don’t have to hurry, and you have the ball in a good spot. McDaniels meekly calling for a punt in that scenario was the worst thing he could have done.

Final Thought:

The Chiefs could not be less impressive to me. Todd Haley seems like a rabid dog on the sideline, he’s the kind of coach that I’m certain that NFL refs dread having to work with. He just complains about everything and yells and just gets under your skin. He got under MY skin as I was watching on television, and I didn’t even hear what he was saying. I just dislike that guy, and his fake overcompensating hug of McDaniels was just ridiculous. I don’t care about him offending the honor of McDaniels, as I want that guy ridden out of town on a rail; but just the general douchiness of Haley rubs me the wrong way. Between him in Kansas City and Phil Rivers in San Diego, it’s getting to the point where the least objectionable team in the AFC West to me is the Raiders. Egads.

Just shut it, Todd.

As for the Broncos, I still want them to win games as I watch them, but in retrospect, I’m rather glad they dropped that one. Winning it would have just hurt their draft placement. I feel like the Broncos get one more win. (Next week in Arizona, if you’re curious.) Possibly two if they can overachieve at home the day after Christmas against a lukewarm Houston Texans team, but right now, the best case scenario for the Broncos is a 5-11 season. Hopefully the offseason goes better than this wretched season has. Only a month more, Broncos fans, then we can begin our Fire Joshie vigil! Go Broncos!

Douche.

Broncos Gameday Recap: Game 11 - vs. Rams

Rams 36 Broncos 33

It's pretty much to the point where Broncos fans should be cheering for losses to improve the draft position, isn't it? This season has been a rough one for the Denver faithful, made even harder by the fact that our coach is apparently taking after his mentor's example and running with it. It's bad enough that the organization was fined for illegally taping practices, but if you're going to cheat, shouldn't you at least win?

Enough moaning about the season, in the latest episode of the epic tragedy that is the 2010 Broncos season, the Broncos jumped out to an early lead, then let the Rams go on a rather unsightly 33-3 run before ALMOST coming back. In the end, it was another in a string of numbing losses that are beginning to just bleed together into a splendid tapestry of failure. I mean, when you're giving up 36 points to the mediocre at best Rams offense, you clearly have failed as a franchise.

Even the excitement of a comeback was not to be. Kyle Orton has put up some pretty good numbers this year, but one thing we have really learned about him this season is that when the game is on the line and he has his last opportunity to rally the troups, he will fold like a Texas-hold em player holding a 7 and a 2. Orton is good at garbage time, but he lacks the Elwayness (Yeah, I just made that word up.) to engineer a game winning drive.

Granted, Orton's defense didn't do a whole lot to help him. 36 points?!? To the Rams? I don't feel like breaking this thing down. I was there, and the crowd was dead. It was the most empty that Invesco Field has been for a game since the stadium opened. There is no hope for the Broncos, and the only thing that would energize the fan base at this moment is if Pat Bowlen would cut loose Josh McDaniels. It's dark times for the Broncos fan base, and we're just not happy with the team. Hopefully we can draft well and turn this thing around next year. As for now, Josh McDaniels has really changed the culture in Denver...used to be the Broncos were always competitive, even in their down years. Now we don't have the expectation of even mediocrity, and we're reduced to wondering how high our first pick will be next year. I liked the old culture better, I must say.

A few thoughts about Sunday's game:

Sam Bradford is the real deal. He looked about as composed as I've ever seen a rookie quarterback. I was impressed.

Brian Dawkins is washed up. He likes to flap his arms and gesticulate, and he will occasionally make a big hit, but that doesn't mask the fact that he's getting beaten in coverage, and he's more inclined to try to strip the ball than just make a tackle. Stripping the ball is good, but you really need to make a tackle, Brian.

Knowshon Moreno is improving and is actually starting to like like he may have been a good pick.

Dominating opening drives for the Broncos are not to be believed. For the third straight game, Denver opened the game with an authoritative drive down the field for an easy looking touchdown. Denver's record in those games? 1-2.

Brandon Lloyd is the brightest spot it a somewhat dark season for Denver. He's routinely making amazing catches and has become an elite receiver which no one saw coming, and still am scratching my head at that fact.

Eddie Royal is exciting. Not always in a good way, but the dude makes exciting things happen.

For a split second, the snow was falling, the Broncos had rallied from down 20 to down just 3 points left with the ball and momentum of having just partially blocked a Rams punt, and it felt like it was going to be a special game with a memorable ending. Sadly, it turned out to be another loss that will be quickly forgotten.

Can we never wear those blue pants again? The monochrome look just seems so minor league footballish. Yuck.

I'm not turning in my Broncos fanship, but I must say that this season has not been fun. I find myself wondering how Lions fans do this year after year after year. I have a whole new respect for them. And Mr. Bowlen, if you're reading this. Can we please get a different coach in here, already? I know, we haven't even given him two full years yet, but 5-16 over the last 21 games has not exactly been good times, you know? Oh well, Go Broncos!

Broncos Gameday Recap: Game 10 - Broncos at Chargers

Chargers 35 Broncos 14
Subtle. Stay Classy, San Diego.

I knew that thumping of the Chiefs was a mirage. Welcome back to the crappy Broncos season. After an initial amazing drive where the Broncos marched down the field like a machine, the highlights for Denver were pretty much over. Things were going well for most of the first quarter, but after the Broncos stopped the Chargers where the punting unit came on, Mike Scifres took the long snap and tossed a 28 yard reception to Mike Tolbert to convert a 4th and 14, and the game swung to the home team for good.

Mike Tolbert gashed the Broncos all night to the tune of 111 yards.

I don't really know who you blame this on. The Chargers are just better than the Broncos. The Broncos are bad. They are unable to stop people, they are unable to sustain offensive momentum, and they are just not very talented. Not sure there is much in the way of scheming that can be done to take away the disadvantage of not being as talented as your opponent. This is a bad team, and it's not going to get better for awhile.

They need to draft well and stockpile some talent. I'm not sure that McDaniels is going to be around long enough to see this turn around, and frankly, I'm not sure he should. Between trading away Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Peyton Hillis, Tony Scheffler and Alphonso Smith, and then getting rid of three valuable draft picks for a backup quarterback who has amassed all of 1 career throw to this point, I'm thinking that a rebuilding effort suffers with this kind of personnel decision making.

The Broncos are a big bowl of meh right now. Not much interesting or captivating, nothing to look forward to, and little hope that things are going to turn around soon. Broncos nation needs more signs of hope, and one freak blowout win in the middle of the season isn't enough to make us forget that the team is 3-7 and amongst the dregs of the NFL.

Hey look, there goes another Charger down the field!