The Best O is a Good D

I always try to write about originally interesting angles and find tweaks in a game that no one else has but it's a difficult challenge. So I’ll try, here’s the spin from my orange and blue hula hoop.

First kudos to Fox, his aggressive pressure defensive has worked very well in the last 4 games. The constant pressure Rivers felt throughout totally took him out of his game. He was sacked 3 times and when he wasn’t being sacked he was chased out of the pocket or forced to throw from it before he wanted to. The Broncos held Rivers to 188 yards, that’s chump change for the Chargers O whose strength is based on airing it out.

Whether the Broncos lined up in a 3/4 or 4/3 or blitzed him they pushed the Chargers offensive line back on their heels on almost every obvious passing play. Just like almost any other QB in the NFL when given time to find a Receiver down field Rivers can tear a team a part. Too many Pundits think he’s one of the elite QB’s in the NFL but he looked pedestrian in this game.

The Broncos game plan was clear, pressure Rivers early and often with 7 or 8 guys in the box and don’t give him time to beat you deep. The unending pressure made the DB’s job that much easier against one of the finest group of Receivers in the game. One big reason for it was the Chargers OL has had a rash of injuries to their starters. So in Rivers defense he didn’t have the kind of protection he might have had otherwise. Still the great QB’s with superior talent can overcome line injuries and with a team effort can still find ways to win games.The pass rush worked well but Ryan Mathews managed to grind out 137 yards for the Chargers. This is a deceptive stat because Mathews had a several big gainers and was held in check for most of the game.

Even though the Chargers had some success running the Broncos solid tackling throughout by all position players was outstanding. They made the stops on 3rd down and more importantly kept them out of the end zone.

Von Miller is to the D what Tim Tebow is to the O. He’s a box of C4 ready to explode on every play and his passion has carried over to the rest of his teammates on D. Miller is going to win the Rookie of the Year it’s just a question of how big.

Willis McGahee had another stellar performance pounding out 117 yards as the Broncos young Offensive Line opened up some nice holes. Every week the OL seems to be playing better and better. They protected Tebow extremely well during critical passing situations when they needed to move the chains.

As for Tebow it was another solid performance executing Fox’s conservative game plan and not making any mistakes or turning the ball over. Each week his passing game improves and will continue to. He made some great throws when he had to and had some very costly drops by Thomas and Royal. His stat sheet isn’t going to win any fantasy football games but his leadership on the field does win real ones.

I’ll take as a QB who throws for under 200 yards and 1 TD and no turnovers and wins over a QB that throws for over 450 with 2 TD’s and 4 INT’s and losses every time. Some fans may not like the small ball but if it’s executed the way the Broncos have in their last 4 wins how can you complain? A win is win is a win.

There’s something very special that is happening with the Broncos with Tebow as the starter. He’s a team player, a never say die warrior, with no ego, willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. His greatest characteristic is that he is a leader and for all the fire he’s taken off the field he’s sure provided a mushroom cloud upon it.

I don’t think it’s entirely impossible for the Broncos to run the table and even beat the Patriots whom I think is the toughest game remaining but for now it’s take them one at a time and knock off the Vikings next week. Man, the orange and blue blood in my veins is pumping my heart like a juggernaut today! GO BRONCOS!!!

Jets Flame Out as Tebow Lights Up

I’m 3 days late to the dance on a blog about the Jets/Broncos game because of my crazy graves schedule so I’ll keep game comments brief and not bore you. Then I’ll deal with what seems to be overshadowing what has been an amazing turnaround for the Broncos.

The D was awesome, they played with passion and aggression,  tremendously good tackling by every position player, good against the run and pass and most important they kept the game close so Tebow could work his magic in the finally minutes of the game.

Some would say it was a bad game to watch because there weren’t many big passing plays but I loved it. It was old time smash mouth football at its finest. I love the Defensive play in the last 3 games. The change in their overall intensity is dramatic. Von Miller is a beast, have you noticed when he makes a good form tackle how quickly the player goes to the ground with his head hitting the turf with an incredible bang like a crash test dummy?

Miller is an incredibly gifted talent with great speed, with an amazing punch during a pass rush and can tackle like no Broncos player I’ve seen in very long time. He still needs to maintain his contain in the running game but each week he’s shown improvement.

With him leading the charge on D and Tebow exhibiting that undying will to win the Broncos will go nowhere but up. You’d think that would be the primary focus by football fans everywhere and especially Broncos Fans since they’ve been winning some very tough games with a total team effort but it’s not always the case

Sadly some real NFL and Broncos Fans choose not to focus on the games themselves, or the great team and individual performances in the last 3 games. Instead far too many people seem to get lost in the off the field actions of Tebow when he openly praises God, thanks him every chance he can get and makes no apology for it. IMO he owes no one an apology and what he has done and continues to do is not harming a soul.

Some people just refuse to believe that he’s a genuinely nice sincere guy and says what he means and means what he says doing it in very classy humble way. It people are offended by what he says and smack down on him because he goes to a knee to pray and give thanks then I believe they’re got way bigger problems to deal with in their own lives and should turn inward and look in the mirror.

The wife and I give thanks everyday when we wake up and before every meal whether we are at home or eating out. We don’t flaunt nor try to shame or embarrass anyone in the process it’s about surrendering to something that is greater than us.

The way I look at it is if someone is taking prayer personal they must take other things personal and therefore have some sort of guilt, shame or confusion about what they believe. I’ve always liked the motto: “What you think of me is none of my business.” It applies here because if you’re worried about me you’ve just gone outside of your own hula-hoop and involved yourself in something that has absolutely nothing to do with you.

I have respect for non-believers; I don't shame any of the friends that I have in my circle right now because they don't believe. I live in one of the most liberal cities in America that supports every liberal cause imaginable, whether it’s gay marriage, drug legalization, going green, socialism or fill in the blank. But when it comes to faith I don’t judge anyone and keep my opinions to myself unless I’m engaged openly and honestly among friends.

On my facebook page I’ll get into politics because that’s something that’s important to openly debate but I never bash on someone who doesn’t believe in what I do from a faith prospective ever because that is the most personal choice of all and it’s the one of the many freedoms which this country was founded upon.

The same should apply to Tebow, whether you believe what he is doing is genuine or not he should have the right to give thanks in any manner he wants. It seems to me the people who are most offended tend to be people who claim to be for free speech become opposed to it as soon as it’s something of which they disagree. Whether you’re Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Agnostic or believe in the Moon Bat God or no God at all hypocrisy is the worst of all wrongs.

Just leave Tebow alone, what he believes is none of my business and is none of yours. If he makes you uncomfortable, then that’s your problem not his.

John Elway's Comments After Chiefs Game

“Tim managed the game very well and made the play to win the game when he had to.

Was an impressive team win for the Broncos and one of Tim's best game.

Tim didn't throw a lot because the game dictated us to run more. The bottom line is Tim and offensive line did what they had to do to get a win,

In the last four games the Broncos have the best rushing offense in the NFL.

Mentioned that the lack of a real off season put a delay on the lines getting in sync. Said the new backs on the team make a difference and of course the added dimension of Tim helps it all work together.

Lance Ball really stepped up and may have earned more playing time.

On potentially trying to win the division: We are trying to do that every week. The coaching staff was game-planning for the Jets game before and even "during" the Chiefs game.

Up to this point in time they are getting to their goal of being competitive offensively and defensively and putting Tim in the best position to be successful as a quarterback that can help the team. It's a process and they are trying to improve. Happy to go from 1-4 to 4-5 but knows there is more help and more growth needed.

Wants to build a program that will sustain itself. When dealing with a young QB and adjust an entire system on the fly, the staff has to tinker in season and its taken some time to start to put together what they needed to but very happy with the process.

On if he can win long term running 80% of your plays: We won like that early in my career. I don't think we'll do that every game, but when it makes sense we will.

On Von Miller: He's playing at a high level, the level we knew he could and expected for the second pick in the draft." Praised Dennis Allen for an awesome game plan and disrupting Cassel in KC. “

Elway & Tebow: A Tale of 2 Games in KC

JOHN ELWAY 1998

 In 1998 the Denver Broncos were facing a very good Kansas City Chiefs team who had home field advantage throughout the playoffs in KC in the second round of the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

The game turned out to be a very tough defensive battle in which Elway went 10 for 19 for 170 yards. One of his pass plays went for 43 yards on a catch and carry so if not for that play Elway would have had just 127 passing yards for the day. You must remember that the Broncos had Ed McCaffrey, Rod Smith and Hall of Fame TE Shannon Sharpe on that team. In this game the leading Receiver was McCaffrey who had 3 catches for 56 yards.     

Terrell Davis was the star of game as he had been all season for the Broncos and ran for 101 yards and 2 TD’s. The final score was 14-10 Broncos and this led them to a Super Bowl winning season and only the 2nd Wildcard team in NFL history to accomplish such a feat.

TIM TEBOW 2011

Today in a game that couldn’t come close to matching neither the importance nor the talent level on both teams a similar scenario did unfold.

Tebow was a measly 2 for 8 for 69 yards. One pass completion was to Matt Willis for 13 yards the other a 56 yard pass to Eric Decker for a TD. Tebow had 9 rushes for 43 yards and 1 Rushing TD. Final score 17-10 Broncos.

Here's 3 stats about Tebow that'll get little ink but should. He's been sacked 14 times behind the 2nd youngest Offensive Line in the NFL and only has 1 Interception and 1 Fumble lost in the 4 games he’s started this season. 2 TO’s in 4 games is an incredible stat given the constant pressure he’s been under in the pocket and with all the rushing attempts he’s had thus far this season.

While it’s complete insanity to compare Tebow to Elway from a skills prospective the one important similarity here is that both QB’s didn’t play great games nor put up great stats but still lead their respective teams to victories.

Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno were both out of the game in the 1st quarter. So Lance Ball was pushed into service and had 30 carries for 96 yards. It wasn’t like Tebow had a solid running game to back him up in this one but it was enough with the help of a great defensive game plan.

The Defensive effort by the Broncos was the best of the season. Von Miller, Elvis Dumervil and company shut down the run and harassed Matt Cassel from the opening snap on. The only negative aspect of their performance was the 2 drops by DB’s that should have been easy INT’s. Given that the Broncos no matter what set of players they’ve had on past or current rosters have had a hell of a time beating the Chiefs at Arrowhead. It’s no small feat to beat the Chiefs at home no matter who they've have had on their team or who lined up for the Broncos.

I don’t know about you but winning is the only thing that matters, the only thing. When the 2011 season is over Owners, Coaches, Players and NFL Pundits are not going to look back at losses where the losing team or QB put up fantastic stats and lost. The only stat that matters is the win/loss stat and this one belongs in the W column and was rightfully deserved since it was another team win.

One finally irony to me is that all the NFL Talking Heads had the Eagles in the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season. Today with Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin and a good TE in Brent Celek the Eagles lost to a Cardinals team with John Skeleton at QB, Beanie Wells at RB and of course the only great player on their offense Larry Fitzgerald at WR. The Cardinals have one of the worst defensive units in the NFL. So I don’t care if WR DeSean Jackson was in the lineup or not for the Eagles, this is game were they have no excuses because this is one they should have easily won.

The Broncos and Tebow are 4-5 and one game out of first place in the AFC West. The Eagles with what appears on the paper as a way better set of players on the offensive side of the ball are 3-6, 3 games out of 1st in the NFC East and tied for last with the Redskins.

I’ll take the ugly win all day long, over being an Eagles Fan that's for sure. I’m proud to be a Broncos Fan today and even more proud of the Broncos for winning a tough game on the road that many didn’t expect them to win.

Joe Paterno is no innocent party to Abused Children

Joe Paterno may have a way out on the PA child molestation reporting law as it is written but his troubles are far from over. In my opinion he still had a legal and moral obligation to do the right thing for the children’s sake in this case and he clearly didn’t do that. For that what every comes down on his head he fully deserves because if I were the parents of one of these children and I found out the most powerful man at Penn State had purposely minimized this incident to protect his friend, I would want just a big of piece of his hide as the perpetrator of these heinous crimes.

As a result of his neglect a serial sexual predator of children was allowed to be free another 9 years if this is when Paterno actually first found out about Jerry Sandusky. I’m not sure I buy it because molesters like Sandusky never stop and you can bet he abused other children before the 2002 case came to light.

The PA law on reporting child abuse is somewhat vague. At the very least Paterno could be charged with Obstruction of Justice and possibly perjury charges. He most certainly will face civil litigation from the victims’ families. So he may have dodged the reporting laws but he’s far from being absolved of any wrong doing.

Here’s part of the story about the coverup as reported by the Sports Illustrated Article:

“Under Pennsylvania's Child Protective Services Law, certain individuals, including teachers and school administrators, have a legal obligation to immediately report suspected child abuse to child protective services or law enforcement, or to a "person in charge" (supervisor), who must then report the alleged abuse to the authorities. The reporting must be honest. When in writing, the reporting must also include known information about the nature and extent of the suspected abuse, along with other material details.

Within one day of learning from McQueary of the alleged abuse, Paterno notified Curley, his boss. By doing so, Paterno satisfied an obligation to immediately report to a person in charge.

On the other hand, one could read the Child Protective Services Law to classify Paterno as himself a person in charge of McQueary and as one who had a subsequent obligation to report to the authorities. Still, Curley's status as Paterno's boss likely insulates Paterno from liability, at least for failing to notify child protective services or law enforcement.

Paterno may have nonetheless violated the Child Protective Services Law by failing to tell Curley the specific story as told by McQueary and by failing to provide known information about the nature and extent of the suspected abuse. As discussed above, if McQueary's testimony is true, Paterno appeared to downplay the severity of the incident while speaking with Curley. His portrayal seemed incomplete, if not outright disingenuous. Also, while Paterno made his initial report of the suspected child abuse to Curley by phone, any written communications would have required the known information.

In Paterno's defense, law enforcement authorities have indicated that, in their current view, while Paterno appeared to do the bare minimum, he technically satisfied his legal obligations under the Child Protective Services Law. Whether that viewpoint proves sustainable could depend on the development of new and more incriminating facts and public pressure.” 

The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 by Robert Middlekauff: Book Review

The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763-1789 by Robert Middlekauff

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It was a book with a massive amount of information to grasp and remember but since I love history I gave it my best and thoroughly enjoyed it. So I’m a nerd and a geek when it comes to history, sue me. This audiobook was over 26 hours long but it’s one of the best books I’ve found that really examines in detail the politics, the battles and the personalities of the American Revolution. I found this brief review sums it up better than I could.

There's really almost nothing to criticize in "The Glorious Cause." It is, in nearly every respect, an outstanding work of history. It's comprehensive in its scope; thorough in its approach; obviously very well researched; with careful, thoughtful, and incisive historical analysis. Middlekauff's descriptions of Revolutionary War battles are first-rate. The author completely captures the flavor of eighteenth century warfare in general and of the battles of the American Revolution in particular. When I finished reading "The Glorious Cause," I felt as if I had actually been there at some of the great battles of the war.

View all my reviews

Focus Today On Winning, Not Surrendering to get a High Draft Pick

Prepare yourselves for an angry rant Broncos Fans. I read a post on the Broncos Message Board The Orange Mane that lit me up tonight.

First off I’m happy to not be a part of the herd of some Broncos Fans who pretend and believe they know more about football, QB's, Coaches, the NFL Draft or who will and who won't be the next big college studs in next year’s draft. I don’t claim to be some genius guru either but I like to deal in the now and what’s possible today. I don’t write off a season with 9 games to go and only being 2 games out of the AFC West lead as some fans have lowered themselves too.

The most brainless discussions  I’ve seen so far this season are the ones that are related to the idea that the Broncos should lose games and roll over which really took fire after game 6 of this season thus to be in a better position to draft or make a big trade for Luck.

It was and still is insanity that these Luck scenarios always revolve around losing or rolling over when there’s still a lot of football to be played.

The Luck hype is so overblown, personally the day that Luck puts on an NFL uniform since it’s very unlikely the Broncos have a shot at him, I’ll be one of the people who’ll root to see him fail. There is no way possible this kid will live up to the unbelievable hype that’s been laid upon him. He’s a good QB but he’s no better than say somebody like Romo, Ryan, Sanchez, Flacco or even Kolb. One Broncos Fan post I read on a message board wondered if Luck was worth 3 #1 picks. Are you kidding me?

Putting Tebow aside for a moment, as dire as the situation appears at present the Broncos are only 2 games out of first place in the AFC West. God forbid the Broncos might actually beat the Raiders this Sunday, use it as a spring board then pull together as a team, then put more wins together and make a run. Is it likely? Maybe not but as a Broncos Fan I focus on the possibility that it could happen,

No... instead let’s focus on what we don’t have and keep rolling out the Luck scenarios, or next year’s other draft prospects because it’s far more interesting than the 9 games still left to play this season.

Oh…excuse I need to be thinking about losses and losing percentages for next year to see what draft position we get in next year’s draft then I’d be a forward thinking smart Broncos Fan right?

I doubt very seriously EFX are thinking about losing games or losing percentages right now. I’d have to believe they’re doing everything possible to focus on the Raiders game. After the Broncos are eliminated from the playoffs then it makes sense to think about next year but not right now.

The Broncos need to win this game, after that they focus on the next one but not before. I say I’m all in with the Broncos for this game and this game only and I hope the team believes the same. The whole Broncos organization must focus today on winning, not surrendering to an unknown tomorrow.