Have you ever heard him in an interview, or do you know anything about the person he is?

Rivers is immature? That’s as far from accurate as you can get. Swing and a miss, Bronco_Fan_Tom.

outside of his exchanges with Cutler. Frankly, I’m not proud of either player there. I can’t see Fouts or Elway, or for that matter Orton, getting themselves caught up in anything like that. But I’ll chalk it up to both players being young and competitive. Either way it’s not an issue anymore.

We sacrificed our “Franchise baby” to the GODS OF THE WIND, and recieved in return:
A Kick A$$ football TEAM.

Thank you, oh Windy GOD!!

is requir to work for new enland

When you want to sell your soul to the devil. You play the raiders and talk to Al Davis.

Wait, so you guys didn’t sell your soul to the crypt keeper in week one????

Wow, hmmmmmmmm, um…….. well, I don’t wanna say that it’s “devastating” that you didn’t sell your soul to the devil………. but its certainly not going to look good on your resume……….

I’ll say this, Sproles should be feared because he has had huge games against the Broncos in all phases. Sproles returned a kickoff against the Broncos last year and is a huge threat in an area the Broncos has struggled with this season – the screen game.

The biggest struggle with the Chargers offense, so far, is the O-Line. I think that has affected Sproles, LT and even Rivers, more than anything else.

sproles is definitely not an every down back…if LT is healthy and the defense makes enough plays to allow for a run game to develop on offense, then i think the overall run production is gonna see a big increase, whether by committee or singular efforts…if the running game is effective then you really need to worry, because that opens up all types of opportunity for the screen game and throws to the flat…either LT or Sproles in space is scary for any defense to deal with…it should be a good game

Peyton has made some early mental errors, and has been in the “dog house”. He will get it together soon, and get his touches…most likely to pound the ball in the short yardage situations, against San Diego’s porous D-Line.

He is very effective, but a couple of errors (including an intimely fumble) have bumped him down the list. Denver has solid depth at HB. (Hillis is played more as a HB than FB. Denver rarely uses a FB anymore).

Hillis is really struggling. He had a great Training Camp but some mental errors, some fumbles, and the emergence of Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno have really chewed into his playing time.

I though Hillis would be a weapon in thois offense, in a Chris Cooley, H-Back type of way. That hasn’t materialized so far but I still have hope.

but mostly he will come from the right DE position, which in our 3-4 is actually OLB

The Broncos have done a good job moving Doom around to get the favorable matchup. Credit the Patriots and Tom Brady for getting the ball out quickly. The Broncos were only able to get to Brady once, but that one play resulted in a turnover.

Rivers is similar – he is good at seeing the blitz – so the Broncos may have a hard time getting to him as well.

Please enlighten me on your plan to score 31 on a Defense that has allowed just over 40 points in 5 GAMES…10 to Dallas, and 17 (shutout 2nd half) against Mr. Brady and the spectacular Patriots?

NOT A PRAYER, my friend.

Allowing major props to Rivers and the long ball…

DENVER: 24
SAN DIEGO: 14

BOOK IT!!

The Lions were “due” for about 9 games last year.

looks like you’ll do really well then…Fantsay-wise.

Actual game, though….not so much.

I’m trying to understand your reasoning here, WARDANE33.

“The Chargers are due.” Lots of teams are due but that doesn’t mean they win.

“Denver is over rated.” Maybe, but if they are, it would be the first time this year. Everybody, and I mean everybody has been picking against the Broncos since January.

“It’s the NFL.” Yes, and any team can lose to any other. I imagine the reverse is also true.

“The Broncos have played over their heads,” Perhaps. How so? Who are these players and why shouldn’t they continue to do so?

“SD hasn’t had any trouble putting up points.” I’ll take your word on that, but they may have had a little trouble putting up enough points. And remember, Denver is a top two defense. That may make it a little harder.

“Denver is due to have a bad game.” See above.

“[The Broncos] are coming off an emotional win over the Pat’s.” That is true and it does worry me. On the other hand I’ve never seen anyone better than Josh McDaniels at getting through all that emotional baggage and getting his team prepared. Granted, he is new at this.

I would think the desperate need for a victory would be a stronger argument for a Chargers win.

This team wont have a bad game…..they are too mentally tough and focused. Thats why we as fans on MHR were so confident when everyone wrote us off. We know what we have got!

Who thought that at this point in the season we’d be talking about the Chargers as a ‘trap game’ for the Broncos?

Since you are a Steelers Fan, you really don’t have a pony in this show, but I like your
pre-emptive style to check out the team you are worried about most …
We’ll see you in three weeks 11/09/09.

DENVER: 20
PITTSBURGH: 9

the weak schedule is what it is, a weak schedule.

to keep the smack talk out of it. Feel free to e-mail me any questions and I will be happy to answer – milehighreport@gmail.com

this session is as weak as the Broncos schedule so far…

Rhetort:_________________________________

I’d say the great majority of SD fans are glad we kept Rivers instead of Brees, some fans took longer than others to come to that conclusion however.

We have a good solid defense that does some different things. However, the Patriots put up 17 points and I think with their explosive offense SD can put up 20+. So while I don’t think the Defense will keep up it’s current pace the Defense will also help us win more games than lose them for us like last year. Top 5, I don’t know but this is a good, well-coached aggressive defense.

I think we’ll finish the season as a middle of the pack defense statistically. Which is infinitely better than the previous years. We’ve obviously benefited from playing the raiders and browns, but I think the defense is legit. They are a disciplined, hard-hitting defense with moderate talent and excellent leadership.

Top-5, Top-10, honestly it really doesn’t matter to me. I do believe that the Broncos defense is for real. Five games, no matter who the opponents are, is enough of a sample size to determine that. Beyond that, the stats that matter – Yards per carry allowed, 3rd Down Conversion Allowed, Points allowed – all have the Broncos at or very near the top.

This one stat is the most impressive – this season, the Broncos have allowed opponents to convert just 2/31 3rd Downs in the 2nd Half. To go further, the Broncos have not allowed a 2nd Half 3rd Down Conversion in 3 Weeks! The Cowboys were 0/7, the Patriots were 0/7. That shows the coaching staff is making solid adjustments, something that was sorely lacking in the past.

Wrong and wrong. :)

You can’t mess with brown and yellow. There’s no way.

(And I apologize for the MHR inside joke)

Chargers beat Broncos… Lock it!!!

Just because I think the SD Baby Blues are one of the coolest jerseys ever.

As to the other comment… Come on, Bolts from the Blue… you’re better than that!

Seriously, that kind of hollow comment belongs on espn or the comments section of dailies.

SBNation has a higher standard—-

I don’t want to know that the Chargers will beat the Broncos… You’re a Chargers fan and I expect you to believe that. Tell us why. Even Cleveland bloggers could articulate why the Browns would beat the Broncos.

“Rivers will hit the open receivers deep that Brady and Romo missed.” is an excellent point.

I think the secondary is holding up well. I know a lot of people are writing them off because they are all over 30, but what they lack in flat out speed, they make up for in wisdom and experience.

Offensively, Denver’s Achilles heel is the short running attack. 3rd/4th and short is absolutely killing them right now. Converting the short yardage and extending the drives is the biggest issue right now, by far.

Two terrible penalties kept the patriots drive alive last week. A neutral zone infraction and a running into the punter. So, the defense stepped up and got the three and outs each time and then they punted a third time. Alphonso Smith and Eddie Royal just about ran into each other when they both tried to catch the ball.

The punt returns are terrible. We are getting no blocking on special teams.

Simply put, the broncos can be had on special teams.

I’m still not confident in the Broncos LBs pass coverage skills. I’m a little concerned about what Gates might be able to do to us. Also, we’ve been very weak covering screens and flat routes. Also, not many teams have tried to run wide on us and I think we may be susceptible to it. Even though our defense is fast, I think they’re may be focused on stopping runs up the middle and leaving the sidelines vulnerable.

the longer a pass play takes to develop, the more exposed our coverage LBs become, and if the offensive uglies can get up the field, our LBs become useless…I would rate them about 78% as effective at their drop responsibilities as the most exemplary 3-4 backers out there, so they can still get it done, just not consistently.

Having said that, Nolan and Mcdaniels do a fantastic job of not putting the LBs into too many coverage responsibilities, through substitution packages with our nickle guys like Alphonso Smith and Jack Williams. We haven’t faced a good group of TEs yet, but we have played against several lone TEs that were solid. Usually dawkins gets coverage responsibilities, along with LB Wesley Woodyard in a common substitution package. Woodyard is fast, a hard hitter, a good tackler, and despite his somewhat slight size, has the strength to battle with TEs if it comes to that.

By keeping the front seven in a mostly aggressive mode, Nolan tries to force quicker decisions, which leaves our secondary iin a position to make most of the stops int he passing game, and they have proven to be up to the task, especially Renaldo hill and Dawkins. You may remember our failed “McCree” experiment, so it is no wonder that Denver fans are as excited by our safety play as they have been since Lynch, and to some extent, since the Atwater/Smith days. Dawkin’s game is unreal, and all i can do is shake my head in awe watching him play. His biggest asset he brings to the table is forcing teams to work hard for every point. Long pass plays always have him behind them for the stop, long screens always see him cleaning up the mess, even if it is twenty yards downfield. and once the field shrinks int he redzone? Gaining yards is like pulling teeth so far. Teams can and do score aginst the Broncos, but nothing comes very easy. I fully expect Rivers to be looking to complete some deep passes, but I seriously doubt that we will see any footraces to the endzone…our DBs will be back and waiting all game if need be, even if Denver gains a lead. If your running game doesn’t force us to cheat up a little, the SD offense could likely run into the same problems that all the other offenses have that the Broncos have faced: takes too many plays to score, and every snap raises the possibility of the front seven forcing a turnover.

The secondary has been solid. Champ is Champ, Andre Goodman has been a huge upgrade on the other side. At safety, the combination of Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill might be the best the Broncos have had in 15 or 20 years. They have had a lot to do with the improved play of the Front 7.

Great point about the Broncos slow starts. They do. I think that is because Josh McDaniels likes to evaluate what the opponent is trying to do before adjusting. I’m not saying he doesn’t want to score or get out to a fast start, but like you said, it seemed Shanny always wanted to go for the kill shot early – with McDaniels it is about winning 4 quarters, not 1 or 2.

In terms of other areas, Special Teams has been a concern. The Broncos are also struggling with their short-yardage running game.

Turns out Al Davis’ butt.

To say the Broncos collapsed in 2008 is actually a slap in the face to the Chargers. They had as much to do with it, and they earned the division.

As for luck – What I like to say is this – “Luck is Opportunity + Preparation”. If you are talking about the Bengals game, sure it was a fortunate bounce, but what if Brandon Stokley isn’t where he is supposed to be? What if he had quit on the play when it wasn;t thrown to him? What if the Safety(Roy Williams) STAYS where he is supposed to be – with Stokley? Fortunate, yes, but it’s funny that those types of bounces always happen to good teams…

Brian’s around. Just not as much as he once was.

But I have too many balls in the air lately.

I have to admit, I had the Broncos pegged for a rebuild year and didn’t like their direction at all pre-season. Should be a great game.

Run defense turnaround: the 3-4 is a terrific formation, and the transformation has paid huge dividends, but when it comes to specifically stopping the run, nothing is more significant for the Broncos than the roster turnover we experienced on defense in the LBs and secondary. Out are the chronic whiffers like Nate Webster and Jamie Winborn (who combined to lead the league in unnecesary celebrations and lost helmets), and in are solid tacklers Andra Davis and Mario Haggan. Out are chronically out of place safeties Marlon McCree and Marquand Manuel, in are excellent Dawkins and Renaldo Hill. Schematically, the 3-4 adds an appreciable layer to those roster upgrades, most notably the versatility of the front seven formation wise, and the use of undersized passrushers like Dumervil who can be much more easily substituted in a 3-4 as opposed to the 4-3, but nothing is as significant as who Denver got rid of, and who they replaced them with. They don’t have to be household names to fit together and stay at home where they are needed, and it has been a great lesson in fan humility. One last relevant aside is that our first round rookie Robert Ayers is a significant contributor to our rush defenses, due to his use as a sort of ‘specialist’: he always gets strange, underrated assignments that appear to be key int he rest of the line executing their assignments. More study is necessary to pin it down, but he is definitely contributing.

Orton’s glove: The Patriots’s game was an instance of Orton throwing much more than he has in the past four games, so that expalins the stats, but from firsthand observation, he looks utterly different throwing without the glove. he refused to credit it for any of his mistakes earlier in the season, but after the Pats game, the relief in his comments about the glove were obvious: he was very glad to finally have it off. He will be more accuarte without I believe, but having it off doesn’t mean that he will have the same kind of statistical showing he did in week 5. there are just too many factors that go into that.

Thanks for the ?? Kwon. Thanks to Styg for the answers. He is my right-hand man over at MHR and can answer just as good, if not better, than me.

I’ll add just a couple tid-bits to his answer.

Like Styg says, the 3-4 has been a huge help for the Broncos. They are much more aggressive as well. Way to often last year it seemed the defense sat back and reacted to the offense. Now the defense is attacking and dictating. Big difference. I will also say that tacking is A LOT better, as is gap responsibility.

The glove was my big indicator. Perhaps some was physical, some mental. The truth is, Orton had a gruesome injry that affected his ability ot throw the ball. Now that he is healed, we all saw how he can deliver the football. The arm is plenty strong and the accuracy is there(73% last week)

Scary Chargers: easily the Vj/Rivers connection. I don’t expect too many points to come off of the connection, but I can see Rivers tallying yards, and from there anything could happen. our safeties will be back…way back, but this is a risk taking defense, and very aggressive. Rivers will have opportunities to go long when we blitz,a nd then it comes down to mano y mano defense with either Champ or Goodman. i’d say that is 50/50, leaning in the Charger’s favor ever so slightly. What makes it scary is that even with a lead, Denver won’t be able to be aggressive and put the game away, so if the VJ/Rivers connection is alive and well, the game will still be a game in the 4th quarter.

O and D strength for Denver: I’ll say it is their ability to adjust. After halftime, they have been simply lethal, outscoring opponents 59-7 and outgaining them 1158-501yds.

Styg is right on with the first part of your question so I will attack the second part…

The Broncos win if they follow the same ‘recipe’ they have used the first 5 weeks. Force teams to go the long way to score. Avoid turnovers, take advantage of any mistakes the opponent makes. This week, specifically, the Broncos need to stem the tide early. Monday Night Football, on the road, the stadium is going to be jumping. The Broncos can’t let the Chargers get rolling.

The Chargers will win if they can get the running game going. The key for any team against any defense is to be able to stay balanced. The Chargers also have an advantage on Special Teams.

Teams have had their shots downfield on us. Some they have converted, some they haven’t. Whether this is more or less than most teams face, or most teams complete, I can’t say. What I do know is that converting SOME of them hasn’t been enough for teams to win. One great thing I have enjoyed about the Broncos this year is that even when they face adversity, they keep playing instead of folding, and as a result, long plays aren’t necessarily a death knell.

There have been maybe 1 or 2 plays in every game where it looks like if the opponent had converted they would have hurt us. Bad. But so far that hasn’t happened, through five games, and I’m a firm believer that there are reasons for that. Maybe the QB was inaccurate to begin with, or maybe the scheme called for pressure that caused uncharacteristic inaccuracy. Bottom line is that teams have needed to capitalize on ALL of their opportunities to possibly beat Denver, and so far, that just hasn’t happened.

Presumably, it could though.

i swear denver will give me a heartattick

however the refs told him it would be his last challenge, so if he didn’t want to use his last challenge, its hard to believe that he just forgot or ignored them. For some reason he wanted those three yards. Perhaps they were important for setting up the following play or something, or perhaps there was a misunderstanding. He called his first cahllenge of the half to gain some time for the defense to prepare themselves before going out on the field, so he may have had underlying reasons for the second one as well.

All in all I don’t know that a great case could be made for the value of challenge flags, but then I am someone who disagrees vehemently with the replay system, so I’m probably not the best person to debate the topic with…

While 3 yards may not seem like much, the difference between 3rd and 6 and 3rd and 9 is pretty significant. It also gave the Broncos a chance to regroup. It also pushed the Patriots back further, making a possible field goal even farther.

That said, I am a HUGE believer that it is foolish to coach a game based on what MIGHT happen. Football is a game of right now – whether it is using a challenge or calling a timeout – football games are decided by one or two plays and each play is too important to take chances.

i was p o i was 3 yards just 3 yards

but we take heart in the win against the Patriots. A lot of things that have never happened before, or that happen with exceptional rarity were pulled off in that game. Most strikingly, somehow we lost the turnover battle and were behind by two scores, yet still managed to tie and then win in overtime against a team that even when it struggles is a serious battle.

This team has to feel that if they can do that, they can do anything, and i feel the same way.

Last year, the fans were worried. About everything. This year we are just excited.

(Maybe ALL was an overstatement….oakland and KC don’t really seem that scary. but stranger things have happened.)

I had the Broncos going 11-5 this year so I had a few more concerns. I wanted the Broncos to split with the Chargers, and I had games in Baltimore, in Indy, in Philly and home games against the Giants and Steelers as tough battles.

I also think theEagles, Giants, Colts, and BAL games could be tough. I feel better about going against the Steelers (we should take apart a weak O-line), and BAL has some cracks.

Frankly, I think Denver’s toughest match-up is against the Saints.

i am sared of k c dont know why arrowhead give me nightmarms

so he can certainly say that he has “been there.” I will say that he had a broken finger throughout last year that never really healed, so that kept him off the radar by preventing him form using his signature technique: the bull rush.

DOOM is unique in his metrics: he is 5-11, but has a wingspan of 6-3 to 6-5 (reports vary…but they agree it is unusally long). Length and leverage. the result is a guy that connects first with the blocker, is lower than the blocker,a nd has surprising agility to push under and around the blocker. As a speed rusher-only last year he was utterly ineffective. he relies on setting up the bull rush, and almost all of his sacks have come on some variation of a power rush.

Additionally, the scheme results in more single battles for him on the outside, and he freely switches ends in the 3-4. He also has a lot more help on the line than he has ever had, and, of course, Wayne Nunnely is coaching him up. I’m sure Nunnely has increased DOOM’s awareness of the game and of himself, but it isn’t the kind of thing that shows up in the highlight reels. Maybe Nunnely will open up about DOOM the way he ahs with Ayers to give us some more insight.

Sorry, I know you guys are waiting for John and I’m sure he’ll have something to say about this question but this one really shocked me and I feel compelled to respond.

Brandon Marshall is not even close to being one of the worst human beings in the NFL. Immature? Yes, I can understand the rest of the league and their fans saying that. Embarrassing? I’m sure even he is embarrassed by the way he acted toward the end of the preseason. But one of the worst human beings in the NFL? No. No way. Uh uh.

Now, as to whether or not we can seperate his personal life from his professional life when we watch him play, that’s a good question. I can’t answer for any of the other fans but I can give you my answer. My wife and I have eleven kids, yes you read right, eleven. I think one of the things almost every parent learns is that none of them are angels. But I think having eleven teaches you something else. Each child has his or her own distinct personality. Some of them are “easy” to raise and some of them are “difficult”, but every one of them is a human being. That means that even the easiest have some ugly issues and even the most difficult have a lot of redeming qualities. But we love them all, warts and all.

And though you might not expect it, I wouldn’t put Marshall anywhere near the most difficult category. He’s done some really bone head things and he’s embarrassed himself and us and I’ve been very angry at him. But on the other hand, he’s also got a big, big heart. You should see some of the stuff he does for kids in Denver. As a matter of fact, those kids may have been the deciding factor in what I am hoping is his turn around. He has said he really took a close look at himself when he realized what kind of behavior he was modeling for those kids. He’s said he wants to change that and I believe him.

Now maybe I’m a sentimental old fool, but there are worse sins. And maybe, no probably, he’ll end up doing some more bone headed things in his life. But I really do believe he’s turned a corner. So, when I see him out on the field and making a good play, or even a bad play, I feel proud. I’m not just talking about how he plays when I say he’s really come a long way and I think the sky’s the limit.

Sorry, I completely disagree with that. Marshall has made some mistakes, and he has paid for them, but there are plenty of human beings that are worse playing the NFL right now.

Marshall is young and largely immature. He is, at long last, starting to get it, however. What he needed more than anything was tough love. Josh McDaniels is gave that to him and he is responding.

I agree with Trinidad Jack’s response that Brandon seems to be a man of extremes. Certainly the number of run-ins with the law and domestic abuse allegations are unacceptable in my opinion; however, he also does seem to have a genuinely big heart in other matters (even when trying to look beyond the PR spin from Marshall and the Bronco’s camp).

I would be lying if I said it didn’t bother me at all. I am a HUGE fan of Brandon Marshall the football player. The only reason that I don’t own a #15 jersey is because of all the other stuff.

i respect u opinton and u are right on some lever i mean beating up woman alledary is wrong on so many levers but i can separate the two

There is holding on every play.

we think James Harrison gets held on every play. we lead the leauge on our QB being sacked the last few years, we better hold some more or Ben is going to go out on a stretcher again.

Looks like most of these exchanges are pretty amicable.

Only teams in the division that are competitive right now.

Andra is a big surprise…I thought he looked pretty mediocre in the preseason, but he has really stepped it up in the regular season. Check his stats…he’s getting tackles, forcing fumbles…he is a very good ILB.

Dumerville does drop into coverage from time to time and everyone has been surprised with how well he is adjusting to it. He doesn’t always look like an all-pro coverage LB, but he is absolutely NOT a liability in coverage so far.

Ayers is a rookie. He hasn’t played into a starting role yet for sure, but they use him situationally and he makes his plays when he is in the game. I really think it is a case of taking time to develop a rookie into the system…he is going to be a starter for us and until then, he is an exceptional rotational LB / DE.

Yes I do…and the cool thing is that the defense will keep people on their toes for the most part because you can really see that they game-plan according to the opponent. Example: Weeks 1 – 4 blitzes were mixed in much more than week 5 vs NE. I do expect some more points to be scored against us as the season goes on, but they will be hard-earned points, not the gimmies we were handing out last year.

No comment on Bennett…but I wouldn’t give AJ that much credit. ;P

I anticipate a statistical regression from the defense simply from playing better offensive teams. I think the unit will actually continue to improve as a whole. One thing that has struck me is how much better the defense is in the second half than the first. That indicates to me that Nolan is doing an excellent job at making the appropriate halftime adjustments. I still have a hard time believing it myself…but I think this defense is legit.

37 carries – 237 yards
8 catches – 96 yards

Buckhalter was leading the team in big plays. He was probably our biggest threat and that is saying something.

but for added emphasis I’ll repeat that Buckhalter has been pretty awesome.

He’s easily been our most explosive back so far. I do think that he might play against SD…he was questionable up until a day or two before the NE game. While we may have picked up a “bejeezus amount of halfbacks” in the offseason, most of them have since been sent packing at our depth at the position is actually pretty thin.

Some people may take that as smack-talkish, but I think it is valid given our past and the “new regime” at Denver.

If the Chargers crush the Broncos, we will be taking a long hard look at why. Part of me would be worried a little. So far this team looks like a team that is always going to be in the game. Blow-outs shouldn’t happen for 2 reasons: Ball-control offense and a solid aggressive defense.

If the Chargers win close, it doesn’t make a difference of my opinion of our team…we’d still be 5 – 1 and looking strong.

I think TO is a very good player and respect his ability, but I just don’t want to bring him into a crowded recieving corps and hope he DOESN’T complain about the number of balls thrown his way. We’ve got Jackson (#1), Chambers (on the way out, believe it), Naanee (can’t get on the field but talented), Malcom Floyd (6’5" and victimizes opposing CBs) and Kassim Osgood (also 6’5" but only sees about 15 offensive plays per season). Plus you have Gates and Sproles soaking up additional touches.

Almost the same deal with Shanahan. Good coach, but he had the benefit of excellent coordinators and John Elway for much of his career— and his ego would clash with AJ Smith’s, big-time.

TO looks done, and is a locker room cancer to boot. Chambers is gone after this season as his contract expires, and seems to have lost a step. I think the Bolts are stacked with Naanee, Floyd and VJ as long as they can keep them all. I’m still ok with Norv, but if we had to switch I’d rather go Cowher or somebody with a reputation for defense.

1. No way AJ allows someone with the reputation of being verbose into the locker room. He’s always been about having guys with character, and people who will not question the front office. Also, as DaBolts said, we’re pretty stacked at Receiver as it is.

2. I’m torn between the option of having Shanny as HC. Granted, he’s a great coach and something tells me he’d love to play the Broncos twice a year, but I doubt he’d go to a division rival.