10 Reject Quarterbacks start while Tebow sets

Orton, Stanton, Sanchez, Bridgewater, Hill, Carr, Bortles, Mallet, Mettenberger and McCown all starting QB's today in the NFL. And yet Tim Tebow doesn't have a job. Are you kidding me?

It's unbelievable that to this day Tebow never got a chance to prove he could be a starting NFL QB.

Tebow is equal to or better than any of these bums starting today. He's got 10 times the heart of any of these rejects and when he played he proved he could win games.

If I was the owner of any of these teams I'd sign him in a heartbeat. I'm still ticked how Tebow got shafted in Denver and I don't give a damn if Broncos Fans don't like what I say. All the talking heads said he wasn't a good enough passer, well that's because the Coaches he played for never gave him enough reps to become one. 

Recently they had a show on the NFL Network called, "The Top 10 QB Teases." Tebow was 6th on the list when he doesn't even belong on it. It was just another opportunity for all of his haters to dog pile on him again.

Tebow was no tease, he took over a crappy Broncos team and led them to a playoff win. And after that he never got a chance to be a full time starter for any team. The Jets were a horrible place to land and Ryan only signed him to motivate Sanchez and we all saw how that worked out.

Tim if you read this I'm so sorry the Broncos let you go and I'm still furious that the NFL blackballed you. You should be starting for one of these teams today. 

When Manning retires I may be able to let part of my grudge go but in my opinion no other player in NFL history deserved a chance to prove himself than you. God Bless you, I respect and admire you and it's a down right dirty shame you're not playing today.

Tebow should not waste away in NYC

Tebow is wasting away with a horrible Jets team.

Tim Tebow says he wants to start or he wants to be traded or released from the Jets and who could blame him. In hindsight Tebow probably wishes he hadn’t went to New York. I’m sure Rex Ryan feels the same way. In all the years I’ve watched NFL games I’ve never seen a single worse performance in a game by a QB than Mark Sanchez in the Titans game.

He made some of the worst throws I’ve ever seen and you might go as far as saying it was the worst performance by any position player in any game in NFL history. Nothing can excuse the dreadful game he played. The irony is as bad as he played he still had a chance to redeem himself and win the game in 4th Q in the final minutes and then fumbled a snap, it wasn’t the best in the world for sure but one he should of handled it.

50 turnovers in 2 years aren’t going to promote job security. IMO his career in NYC is over and if the Jets don’t trade or outright release him at season’s end their making a big mistake. Frauds in the NFL can hide for only so long, The reason the Jets had a good team the last couple of years was because of a good D. When it crashed this season Sanchez was finally exposed.

That said Ryan made a huge mistake by not putting Tebow in the lineup at about Week 5 or 6 after it was apparent that Sanchez’s confidence was completely gone.

IMO Tebow today no matter what haters say about him is better start at QB even with all of his warts than Sanchez or say QB's like Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Ryan Lindey, John Skeleton, Nick Foles, Chad Henne, Christian Ponder, Brandy Quinn, and Matt Cassel. I would argue he’s even a better start than guys like Carson Palmer or Ryan Tannehill.

You can bet your backside many of the teams listed here with these subpar starters at QB would have loved to have Tebow on their team and gladly given him a shot to start, learn and grow on their teams.

I’m convinced that Tebow’s story has yet to be written. Someone someday is going to give him a chance to be a starting QB in the NFL because he’s a winner, a warrior and a team guy through and through.

I’m happy to see the Broncos have what has turned into a great season but the Peyton Manning story has yet to really be written too. Peyton Manning MUST win a Super Bowl in Denver, it’s the only way I’m ever going to say it was the right move to sign him. The Tebow trade and the Manning signing are 2 separate stories but will always be connected and in my mind until Manning wins a Championship for the Broncos nothing is settled.

Good luck Tebow, I’d really like to see the day when you get an honest chance to show what you can do as a starter not just because you’re talented and could help a team win games but because you also earned the right to be one.

Brock Osweiler: The Elway 2.0 Project

Brock Osweiler's great arm and quick release isn't enough.

Instead of posting this as a reply to some of the debate I’ve been in the last 3 days about him, I’ve decided to cram it into a blog. Most probably won’t get through the first paragraph of this rant but I’m going to write it and post it anyway because it’s still bugging the holy hell out of me.

The stuff I read said he made questionable decisions in games and didn't always play smart. The trouble is he doesn’t have a large body of work to even judge if he is football smart. I think the Mark Sanchez example is the perfect one; he only played one college season. He played on a good team in a horrible defensive conference and by draft day he was projected to go in the 1st round then eventually the Hall of Fame.

It took a while but his ass and his game have finally showed itself in living color. He couldn’t beat the lowly Broncos team last year could he? Then what happens… irony of ironies the Jets trade for Tim Tebow, go figure? What does that say about an unproven college QB with a very small sample size of a record? And Sanchez’s resume at first glance makes Osweiler’s look like a chump. I know he’s not a chump I’m just saying.

All the arm strength in the world, all the pretty long balls in the world, all the quick release throws in the world don’t mean squat if that guy isn’t a winner. In clutch time I’d rather have a warrior who wins games ugly than a strong armed QB who loses pretty. The fact is losing is never pretty, it’s always about winning. So it’s extremely infuriating and nonsensical that we traded away a “Project” for another even more unproven “Project” and call that a brilliant personnel move or still dumber building for the “future.”

In this case Elway’s ego took over. He forgot why he signed Peyton Manning apparently. As I’ve said about a dozen times in the last 3 days as I understood it we signed him, paid him the big bucks and gave up cap room money so Manning could come in and win a championship NOW. Manning wasn’t hired to help rebuild the Broncos, it was to win NOW.

The better move in this draft was to sign a player who could contribute immediately with the 2nd round pick for that reason. If Elway thought that Caleb Hanie wasn’t going to cut it I don’t understand why he wasted the time, money and the roster spot when he wasn’t sold on him. Even so the Broncos would have been better off by signing some other cheap experienced free agent QB rather than wasting a pick grooming a 3 year “Project.” Hanie could carry the team for the short term if the worse thing happens to Manning. He isn’t going to be the next big thing we all know that but even he could have carried on for a half season if Manning got hurt. Then the following year the Broncos could have focused solely on getting a replacement either through free agency or the draft.

By the way fans, had we not drafted Osweiler guess what? They’ll be more QB’s available in the draft and free agency next year. Osweiler is not the first nor will he be the last great young “Project” in the history of the game

Regardless, the whole ffing strategy behind signing Manning was to win NOW. Not to sign a guy who’ll set on the bench for 3 years. Yes we need a back up for Manning but we also need every good player we can get that can tackle, cover, block, catch a pass or run well with the ball today not tomorrow. Osweiler does none of that, he detracts from it in fact and in this bid to win a championship NOW if that’s what we want we have to have players on the field that can help us do that NOW!

Running QB's Nothing New in the NFL

Staubach was one of the best in the game.

I was in a debate last night with some Broncos Fans about running QB’s like Tebow. In the discussion I mentioned that Otto Graham, Roger Staubach and Steve Young were great running QB’s. The fact is the list is long and distinguished of the ones’ I left out. Some have not won Super Bowls but many had productive NFL careers. So this idea that a raw unpolished and rough around the edges running QB like Tim Tebow can’t develop his game as a passer is utter nonsense.

We’ll get to that long list of successful running QB’s in a minute.

But first… In Denver Tebow played for 2 Coaches in 2 years and had a total of just 16 regular season starts. That’s only 1 season of actual real game experience. I love how the haters say he was a 2 year Pro and should have had his game up to par and been a successful throwing QB by now.

Really? He didn’t have the opportunity to get reps in during this past training camp because of the lockout. Then when the lockout was over he didn’t get reps before the season started because they gave the job to Orton. This really hurt his chances of running a conventional offense because he didn’t get any practice with the 1st team to grasp it. Had he a full training camp to absorb the playbook who knows how it would have went if he was the starter on opening day?

When he did finally get a chance to start the team was 1-4. Not only that, he played behind a young porous inexperienced offensive line that was one of the worst in the league at pass protection. Given that fact and given that Fox went to a very conservative offensive in which he rarely gave him chances to throw the ball and when he did it was totally obvious to the opposing D’s his chances to complete passes was limited.

When he did throw he was usually under heavy duress, and to many times when he did get the ball to Thomas, Decker or the TE’s they couldn’t hold onto it. Late in the season Thomas showed improvement but to many times he, like the others dropped too many balls and were not getting any separation so Tebow didn’t dare throw. Yes, at times he did miss an open Receiver but not anymore than any young QB pressed into service on want amounted to one the worst offensive teams in the league when he took over.

We all know that Tebow’s mechanics are not the best when it comes to setting himself up to throw a long ball or even a short one at times because of that weird cocking motion he uses. But as the season when on he did improve, he completed some very deep passes in tight coverage that too many forget about. He still needs work in that area but to those who say he can’t be a throwing QB with his style are wrong. Playing a timely game where you make one or 2 good throws that win a game is far more important than stats or style points.

If stats are your measurement of how good a QB can be check this out. In his 4 years at Florida Tebow threw 88 TD’s and had a completion percentage of 66.4. For a primarily running team these are damn good stats.

Stats aside Tebow’s toughness, his stubborn will to win and play until the clock runs out are his greatest intangibles. Not many QB’s have that quality and as you’ll see below just because he can run well doesn’t exclude him as a great player. His passing skills will improve with more playing time just like it has with this group of running QB’s.

Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, Fran Tarkenton, Kordell Stewart, Steve Grogan, Jim Harbaugh, Daunte Culpepper, Doug Flutie, Greg Landry, Bobby Douglass, Steve McNair and here’s one that will amaze some of you younger fans Archie Manning, yes that’s right Peyton’s Dad was a good running QB.

In today’s game you could say Ryan Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rodgers, David Garrard, and Vince Young are on that list with Cam Newton being the best of the lot.

In this year’s draft the Top QB’s that’ll be selected Andrew Luck and RGIII are both good running QB’s.

And of course there’s the great John Elway…

Elway is the greatest quarterback in NFL history…period. Instead of getting to the many reasons why which I’ve done many times for purposes of discussion let’s just stick to the running QB issue.

Elway didn’t just win games with his arm. Throughout his career he was one on the best running and scrambling QB’s to ever play the game. Say what you want about his Super Bowl record (2-4), he was a winner as shown by his former NFL record 148 victories.

Throughout his career, whether it was running for big-yardage as a youngster or displaying grit in a helicopter run and dive in Super Bowl, Elway had the legs to match is rocket arm. He amassed 3,417 rushing yards – ranked 6th all-time for QB’s – and 33 TDs on 774 rushing attempts (2nd only to Cunningham by one carry). Elway also should be remembered for being the best running QB in the postseason as he produced 461 rushing yards and 6 rushing TDs in the playoffs. He also holds the distinction of being the oldest player to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl at age 38 in Super Bowl XXXIII. And his four total rushing touchdowns in Super Bowl games are the most ever by a QB.

So… Given these stats about Elway (Bowlen and Fox in agreement of course) it’s hard for me to understand that he was so willing to dump Tebow out like so much trash. He of all people knows what it’s like to get mauled and hammered by the media for poor play in his 1st and 2nd seasons as Tebow did. I was there I saw all of his early games and remember well how the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain news tore him to shreds after every loss and even after some of the wins.

When comparing Tebow to Elway, Elway’s arm strength was far superior but his accuracy and decision making under pressure was not much better than Tebow early in his career. But Elway had that intangible of which I early spoke. Elway would play a horrible game for 58 minutes and win it in the last 2 either with his arm or his feet. Tebow did the same.

As a Broncos Fan I know I must move on but this debate about Tebow will not stop until Manning wins a SB. This is the price Manning and Elway must face. I wish for a successful outcome but this isn’t going to be a cake walk, it’ll have to be earned and done as a team. Manning can’t do it alone.

I can't believe this actually happened!

I’ve been saying that since 1:30 Pacific Time yesterday and I’m still saying it today but not for the good reasons that some other Broncos Fans might be.

I was wondering what would motivate me to get started writing about this and it hit me. What inspired my blog today was when I heard what one fan repeated more than once in a video blog. He said that all of us in "Tebow Nation" needed to take a chill pill. It’s not fair and utter nonsense to group all of us who respectfully disagreed with the Manning signing into that category when for some of us it's about what the direction and the long term future of the team is going to be, not about Tebow. The “team” I’ll underscore that point, should always be the primary concern.

Dismissing smart fans isn’t right; some think that this was a quick fix and a big gamble to take as I do. Talking about Manning in the past tense is wonderful don't get me wrong. If he plays like he did in the past great but I personally doubt he's going to be the guy "Who'll takes us to the promise land" as many others have mockingly tossed around about Tebow.

Why? Because this is still the same rebuilding team that Tebow labored under, despite the criticism of how he ran the offense. He did an amazing job given he played under a very Conservative HC and OC, a young and inexperienced OL, a group inconsistent WR’s who dropped way to many balls when he did throw it to them, no clutch catching TE and a journeyman at RB who isn’t likely to give us another year like last year with no quality RB to back him up.

This isn’t excusing some of Tebow’s poor play in some of the games but given this set of circumstances and since by all rights it was his Rookie year he did more than a phenomenal job. This in part is why even though he’s still rough around the edges deserved at less one more year to see if he could improve. 

On D we need another Corner, a Safety, better Defensive Linemen and at least one if not 2 LB’s considering DJ’s age and Mays' inconsistent play in the second half of last season. I know Mays just signed a contract, maybe he gets better but he didn’t play well in the second half of the season. He had too many missed tackles and he didn’t always play well against the run or pass maybe some fans hadn’t noticed it but I did.

This is harsh criticism I know, but if you’re completely objective and honest and not being a blind homer Broncos Fan this is the reality. Let’s not forget about these pending suspensions either, what do you think that will do for the Broncos D to start 2012 season?

So now we’ve put all of eggs in Manning’s basket and will have to settle for less than’s or has been’s at the other positions through free agency. The money showered on him limits the amount of money to sign free agents or players from the upcoming draft also and thus affects who we draft. The little bit of breathing room the Broncos had for cap money is all but gone too.

The smart money would have been to go after some of the quality free agents that were available early and maybe look at drafting or trading up or down to get one of the QB’s that wasn’t likely to go early in the draft. Then, if either Tebow or said QB tanked we could look to 2013 to get someone else. At least in this scenario we’ve attempted to fill up some of the other holes on the team.

This Manning situation reminds me somewhat of the Broncos signing of Plummer. Plummer is no Manning we all know that but the same frenzy and impatience to get a QB who was really the only free agent worthy of signing became all consuming even though Plummer’s talent and resume hardly justified it. Why, because there were so few to choose from just like this year. After Manning you’ve got table scraps like Matt Flynn and a failure like David Garrard no wonder the bum rush panic was on. Since the only 2 guys who look to be sure things from the draft are Luck and RG3 the reckless chase for Manning was on.

The money and investment spent on Manning is enormous and I believe we should expect enormous results, like winning a Super Bowl, anything less and this signing was a waste of money and a failure since his window of opportunity is so small. If he’s great as everyone seems to think he is then this isn’t unreasonable to expect.

As always I’m a Broncos Fan first and last and on Sunday I’ll be rooting for Manning and the Broncos to win. If he wins a SB I’ll happily eat crow but in my view the odds are very long indeed of that dream ever happening. Hate me or love me it’s what I see from my armchair. Let’s pray he proves me wrong.

Just say No to the Broncos Manning...Please!!

It’s time to address the unpleasant topic of Peyton Manning again Broncos Fans. I said this over a week ago and I’ll say it again. Signing Manning will be a mistake. After 14 years of football with a bad neck on a way better team than what the Broncos have Manning IS NOT going to be the same QB he was 5 or even 2 years ago.

Can he still play? Yes.

Is his primary reason for continuing to play related to $’s and ego and will he hit the jackpot lotto when he signs? Yes.

Do those 2 reasons trouble you if you’re a Broncos Fan? They do to me.

Will the astronomical price in dollars and cents be worth the gamble? No.

Will he improve a team like the Broncos chances of winning? Maybe.

Will the Broncos be a playoff team or a Super Bowl winning team with him at QB? Maybe the playoffs, but the Super Bowl, highly doubtful.

Will Manning end his career ugly if he goes to a rebuilding team like the Broncos? Odds are very good.

Isn’t it smarter to hold onto the cap money they’d spend on him and use it to look to fill all the other holes on the team with draft picks and good free agents at DB, DL, LB, RB, WR and maybe a TE? A resounding YES!!

The media hype and what I consider the ignorant short sightedness by fans who think this is what the Broncos MUST do are being set up for an epic failure. It’ll set the team back maybe 2 to five years if he tanks and the bankroll he’ll demand locks up cap money later on.

I just think this is a horrible idea even in the short term because Manning while he still has same game left in him can’t possibly at his age and with his chronic injuries carry an average or bad team to a Super Bowl win. It just won’t happen. He was a great QB but his best days are more than likely behind him and I see a horrible scenario in which the Broncos organization and worse yet the fans gets raped and robbed.

Favre was a far better athlete at his age and had a stronger arm than Manning does at this point in his career and look how Favre ended? He was on a far better team than Manning will go to also.

One more thing, this really has nothing to do with Tebow by the way but the long term future of the Broncos. While I’m not sure if he’s capable of taking the team to the next level this is still a bad strategy anyway you look at it. If Tebow lays and egg this season I have no problem looking at other options in 2013. I’m results oriented, if he can’t carry the water then it’s onto a guy who can. I like Tebow the man but winning supersedes his personal magnetism and charm. The team should stick it out one more year with Tebow to see if he pans out and spend their money elsewhere this season.

Today Manning’s supposed to make a decision about where he will go. If it does happen and he signs in Denver as always I’m a Broncos Fan first and last so I’ll root for him to succeed. I’ll root for him because he’s on my team but I won’t be happy about it because I see disastrous results in the long term. Just say NO to the Broncos Manning...please.

The "Stiff Arm" that could...

Greatest stiff arm in Broncos History.

What do I say 2 days later to describe the amazing game the Broncos played against the Steelers on Sunday?

First it would be… The Thomas “Stiff Arm” will go down in Broncos lore as one of the greatest plays ever.

Second would be the obvious…UNBELIEVABLE!!

Then it might be…ABSOLUTELY, UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Then it might be… YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN’ ME? AMAZING!!!

Then… YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! (while jumping up high in the living room air fist pumping the whole time.)

I can honestly say I haven’t screamed and yelled this much since the Broncos beat the Patriots in Denver 27-13 in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game in 2006. Guess what guys? That happens to be our one and only playoff win since the last Super Bowl winning season in 1999.

Still…the intensity of yelling for the game on Sunday was probably at an all-time high considering the circumstances and how everyone had written off the Broncos to lose it. As it turns out this game and the play that won it have to be considered as one of the best ever and certainly the best game ever in the new stadium.

I loved watching Elway get excited on the sidelines after the win and the whole stadium going wild.

So what’s next?

I don’t think it’s impossible for the Broncos to beat the Patriots this week. Here’s what I consider the keys to winning.

ON DEFENSE

First they must completely shut down the Pats running game which they should be able to do. If they can I think it makes it simpler for them to put a better pass rush on Brady.

Then it’s up to the Broncos front 7 seven to get some big time pressure on Brady. I hope they get away from the 3-4 and go with 5 and 6 man fronts sending 6 or 7 guys on every obvious passing play. That means they have to go to tight man to man coverage in the secondary. Hopefully they can cover one on one. I just don’t see the point in playing a deep zone against Brady and only sending 3 guys in to rush him. He’ll just pick us apart. They have to gamble and get pressure on Brady.

ON OFFENSE

Avoid turnovers; the Broncos had 4 in the last meeting. The Broncos must be able to run the ball and control the clock. The Broncos can’t win a shoot out with Brady. That doesn’t mean that McCoy shouldn’t let Tebow have some opportunities on first down to throw down field, they should. But they must control the ball and the clock and give Brady as little time as possible on the field.

If the Broncos get into a 3 and out offense early I think the momentum of the game shifts to the Patriots and as great as the Broncos played Sunday they can’t compete with Brady because he can ring up points quickly. They can’t get down by 2 or 3 TD’s by halftime or it'll be over and besides Brady won’t let up in the second half either.

The game will be won with an aggressive pass rush by the front 7 on Brady and a smart well conceived ball control offense that grinds away time on the clock.

If it’s tough assignment but this team welcomes it and I’m not going to be the guy that says they can’t win this one. Give us another miracle guys. GO BRONCOS!!!

Tebow Hasn't "Progressed" Enough for Doubters

I believe in Tebow.

If you read the media reports or listen to the talking heads on TV they say, “Tebow isn't far enough along yet and should be progressing quicker." Really?

So far his NFL career spans 2 seasons and 14 games, which is not even a full NFL season. If the doubters and haters out there would give him a break, technically he has 2 more games to go to have 16 starts; all of this done with a new coaching staffs this year and no extended reps in training camp. In my opinion that still classifies him as a Rookie.

So what has he done in 14 games?

He was 1-2 last year as a starter, 7-4 this year for an overall record of 8-6. Hmmm… not progressing enough for you?

Okay… So after taking over as starter for a 1-4 team and about as down as you can possibly get, he led the team to a 7-4 record. Not good enough, he should have won more games as a starter right?

He has 6 4th Quarter come from behind wins. Still not enough for all you QB experts?

During one stretch this year he led the Broncos to 3 straight wins over divisional opponents all on the road. Whatever…That doesn’t matter either.

Alright then, he led his team to a playoff berth something that hasn’t happened in 6 years. Yea but the Broncos lost their last 3 games.

Even though the Broncos backed into the playoffs with some bad football the last 3 weeks of the season, “Hey, it’s a whole new season anything can happen right?” Who cares, we’re going to get creamed by the Steelers because Tebow has not “progressed” enough as a passing QB by my standards yet. We need to dump this guy and move on.

It’s amazing how all the talking heads and know-it-all QB experts who wildly supported and defended a certifiable Bum like Orton at the start of the season would then condemn a “Rookie” to the NFL gallows after taking one of the worst teams in the NFL from a year ago even though it wasn’t a thing of beauty to a playoff berth. If he were any other QB, in any other city he’d be one of the biggest stories in the NFL this year. Instead of getting pats on the back all he gets is kicks in the ass in part because he’s a devoted Christian. This just can’t be denied.

All I know is we’re in the playoffs. I know it doesn’t look good against a strong Steelers defensive team. But Hey that’s why you just keep playing hard and maybe the Steelers have a few breakdowns and we could pull off an upset. It is possible right? Wouldn’t that be amazing? If you throw out all the negative aspects of Tebow’s game which there are many and which have been very well documented repeatedly I’m going to ignore it all and just be a fan this week.

I don’t have any idea if Tebow gets any better or “progresses” as an NFL QB. I have no idea if he’s the QBOF, that well be decided later. All I know is TODAY he led my team to a worthy playoff spot and I hope that we beat the Steelers. This Sunday my Fan Faith will be in full force because it’s GAME ON. GO BRONCOS!!!

Broncos Stumble into the Playoffs

McGahee's 145 yards wasn't enough.

It’s sad that the Broncos didn’t close out the season by beating the Chiefs.  Still, despite backing into the playoffs with Tebow playing his worst football game so far THEY DID make it to the playoffs and by the way THEY DID earn it based on a better common record. Tebow was a big part of why they made the playoffs with the help of a much improved D. Despite losing their last 3 games they had a remarkable season with basically the same group of players (with the exception of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil) that they had last year and doubled their win total.

I had my doubts about the game yesterday. IMO it was more about the Broncos D going in than Tebow but I still liked the Broncos chances to win the game because the Chiefs are crappy football team. I can’t explain the win they had over the Packers. Maybe it was just an off day for a coasting Packers team who had nothing to play for and a Chiefs team playing their collective butts off for a new HC so maybe they could retain jobs next season. I just didn’t believe that this win was a paradigm shift that was going to launch the Chiefs into a new millennium of winning football.

So this was why I thought the Broncos would win yesterday despite how horrible Tebow had played, how awful the D and Special Teams has played and how predictable the offensive game plans have been over the previous 2 weeks.

I said before the game with the Chiefs that if the Broncos could play better D, tackle, cover and get pressure on Orton they would win the game. They did that and more held the lousy Orton led offense to 7 points. I also said the Broncos had to be less predictable on offense and throw the ball on 1st and 2nd down. They did that too. The dinged up Willis McGahee deserves some kudos for being a warrior and banging out 145 yards yesterday but even that wasn’t enough.

So what happened?

Tebow had an absolutely horrible game; I believe the worst of his young career. He threw ball to short, he threw them to long, he held onto the ball too long, he should have made a quicker decisions to throw the ball away rather than take sacks.  He threw the ball into good coverage too many times and had an INT; he also had a critical fumble. He had time on several passing plays but either couldn’t find an open Receiver or just didn’t have the confidence enough in his arm to attempt to thread the needle and make tight throws. I noticed on several passing plays he didn’t have his feet in a good position to make throws, he was off balance and leaving his feet when he threw balls on the run.

Tebow’s game clearly showed that he has a very long way to go when it comes to the passing game in many areas.

So you can look at it several different ways. I choose to look at this season as a big improvement and something to build unlike many fans that week to week are on and off the Broncos bandwagon.

So what happens next season?

I think the Broncos have to give Tebow at least the chance at one more season. They’ll need to draft QB in the later rounds or pick up one of the free agents that'll be available. Brady Quinn isn’t going to get it done and should be traded or released. If Tebow still hasn’t improved by mid-season of next year then by all means there will have to be some consideration in having him removed but he certainly has played well enough this season to deserve that much.

The Broncos need DB’s, LB’s, RB’s, WR’s, DL’s and now maybe another Guard since Kuper got hurt. Taking a QB in the first round isn’t going to make the Broncos a playoff team next year so I’d wait until 2013 to consider drafting a QB early if Tebow fails to improve next year.

I’ll be rooting for the Broncos to pull off a big upset next week but I don’t believe they can pull it out beat against the Steelers. Their D will overwhelm Tebow and shut down the running game.  It’s a bonus that the Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall will be out of the game but Ben Roethlisberger

will still be in and he has the skills and experience at QB, with the help of his talented Receivers can beat a team even without a running game. Please…let me be wrong about this, I’d love to be wrong. GO BRONCOS!!

Broncos D is key to Victory Over the Chiefs

McCoy's Offensive is Vanilla 101.

So it’s down to one game, win you’re in lose you’re out. The Broncos Fans should rejoice at the opportunity to even be in a position to earn a playoff spot. No one predicted they’d get this far and certainly no one including me thought after they started with a 1-4  record that they would be in this position. Therefore this season is a total bonus and a gift far too many fans don't seemed to really appreciate. Win or lose this Broncos team has been one of the biggest group of overachievers in franchise history.

The Broncos Defense has been one of the worst in the NFL since 2005 and at the start of season the only significant change to the D was going to be that Elvis Dumervil would be coming back from injury and Von Miller would be starting at LB. So John Fox took a group that was basically the same team as last year and turned them into a better overall unit. During the winning streak the Broncos were hustling, tackling, covering, creating turnovers and pass rushing as well as any D in the league. In the last 2 games that’s not been the case and that’ll have to change even if they’re playing a terrible Chiefs offensive team.

There’s no question that the Broncos got creamed by the Bills last week in all 3 phases of the game, O, D and Special Teams. But the collapse of the D was the most glaring. I just kept waiting for the Broncos to get out of the 3 man fronts and put pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick but it never happened. It was a mirror of the Patriots game the week before where Fox did the same and went into a zone D playing way to deep and allowing big passing plays to start short or down the middle of the field. Granted the Broncos had an injury to Brian Dawkins, 2 Rookies were forced into service in the backfield and Miller was playing with only one hand but they gave way to much respect to the Patriots and Bills Receivers.

Fox seemed to forget what helped win games and that was playing an aggressive D by blitzing and putting pressure on QB’s. It didn’t matter if they lined up in 3 or 4 man fronts they were not getting any QB pressure whatsoever. The other noticeable and ugly part of the game that’s eluded the Broncos D the last 2 games is good tackling by the front 7. Mays and Woodyard hustled and tackled very well during the win streak but in the last 2 weeks they’ve all but disappeared. They and the rest of the team let the Bills run wild with a back up RB playing against them. Since the Broncos DL is really the biggest weakness of the D all season the LB’s and DB’s must tackle at the point of attack again if they hope to stop the Chiefs. I just pray that Fox pulls out all the stops this week and gambles on D because this team can’t win if he doesn’t. 

You could say the same about the Broncos O in the last 2 weeks as well. The conservative approach by Mike McCoy via Fox on O has been an utter disaster the last 2 games. Fox is playing the kind of small ball that only Dan Reeves could be proud of. The only problem is Tebow doesn’t have the experience or skills yet to bring a team from behind like Elway could in the passing game.

At some point he has to let Tebow have some chances to throw on first down early in the game. The run on 1st, run on 2nd and pass on 3rd and long then punt it away on 4th didn’t work against the Pats or the Bills and it won’t against the Chiefs either. There has to be some balance in their strategy because the Broncos are not really fooling anyone and if the running game gets stopped early the Broncos should attempt to air it out.

No one can deny that Tebow had a horrible game last week but the truth is he was put in 3rd and long way to many times and since he as an average to a below average set of Receivers who can’t consistently get separation and have often dropped balls he isn’t going to succeed if he isn’t allowed to have more passing attempts.

That’s the key here… Everyone says Tebow can’t be a passing QB in the NFL but he hasn’t had many attempts to do so and when he has the opposing D’s know it and brought the heat on him. Waiting until the team is down by 2 or 3 TD’s then letting him air it out isn’t going to win many games with this group of WR’s so McCoy must let him throw on 1st and 2nd down in this do or die game.

I know the media has focus on the Kyle Orton angle this week but I think it’s irrelevant to how the game will be played out. Orton isn’t going to be the deciding factor in this one, it’ll be the Broncos D controlling the game, the Broncos O playing with same balance and minimizing turnovers and playing the game to win it not to lose it by Fox that’ll be the difference.

This is a one the Broncos can and should win and I believe they will but if they don’t they have no business being in the playoffs. No matter what the outcome it’s been an amazing season and as a Fan the games on Sunday were fun and exciting to watch again. Next year looks to be much better too. 

Denver Broncos "Opportunistic" D = W's

Wesley Woodyard forces Barber to fumble the game away.

3 days later the first thing that comes to my mind after the Chicago Bears game was how many people call this win just dumb luck. The other comments by Non-Broncos Fans and the NFL Pundits were that Marion Barber LOST the game for the Bears. This just isn’t true at all, while Tebow continues to draw all the media attention the Broncos D has been quietly under the radar playing some of the finest defensive games I’ve seen for 6 years. They WON the game Barber didn’t LOSE it.

What some seem to forget is that while Barber did run the ball out of bounds it was because DJ Williams forced him out of bounds. Now… should Barber of hit the deck a second sooner on that play? Yes, but if you look at the replay he was running full speed trying to run straight up the field near the sidelines and DJ pushed him out. So DJ’s hustle play forced Barber out of bounds, Barber really was in a bad position to be sure but it was a snap play and a snap decision he had to make. DJ, who should be considered one of players of the game, had 9 tackles (led the team) and 2 sacks. But the Barber hustle play alone helped to extend the game. 

What about the fumble in OT? Again…some would say that Barber fumbled the ball but what I would say was Wesley Woodyard made an outstanding defensive play by stripping Barber and causing a turnover.

If this were any other team in the league or any other defense in the league without a guy named Tim Tebow at QB maybe this would be how many might describe what happened in the 4th Q and OT. In my opinion this is what you call playing “Opportunistic” Defense. Good defensive teams create turnovers, good field position and momentum shifts. This is exactly what happened in the Bears game and has manifested itself many times during this current winning streak.

One of the important factors that can’t be overlooked was just how much Von Miller contributed to the game even though he played it with a cast on one hand. How can your teammates not get motivated when they see you flying around the field with one hand disabled and still making tackles and sacks? Miller had 4 tackles and 1 sack and his presence on the field for the Broncos D is directly and equally in proportion to Tebow leading the charge for the O.

The Broncos turnaround is 2 fold. Tebow’s passion and never say die attitude and the Broncos D playing a full 60 minutes of solid football. Tebow’s heroics are well documented but much of the success lies in a Defense that has been an amazing group of overachievers.

This week the Broncos D is going to be the difference again between winning and losing against the Tom Brady aerial show. The Broncos should easily shut down the Patriots running game. So it’s my hope that Fox gambles at every opportunity to get pressure on Brady. If he has to send 6 or 7 guys to get to him on every obvious passing play he must. He’ll have more success doing that than trying to play a conservative zone coverage game against Brady. The only way the Broncos can win this game is by bringing pressure early and often and making Brady earn every passing yard by hurrying him, knocking him down or better yet sacking him as many times as possible.

If Champ and company can keep the clamps on Wesley Welker and Rob Gronkoski, the front 7 get pressure on Brady and keep the game close the Broncos have an excellent chance of winning this game. I don’t see the Broncos O winning a shoot out no matter how horrible the Patriots D is, because Brady wins those every time.   

The best chance the Broncos have to beat the Patriots is by continuing the same formula that has brought them this far. A turnover free time consuming conservative grind it out smash mouth O and a very aggressive “Opportunistic” D will bring it home for the Broncos. I know no one outside of Denver is giving the Broncos a snowball’s chance in hell of winning this one but I see another great game and a W in the win column. You heard it here first. GO BRONCOS!!!

Broncos Fans Celebrate the Day!!

For almost a month and a half, the Broncos have been winning. Some of the games were not a thing of beauty at the time, but are still wins. During that time we’ve been subjected to the ‘so called’ experts and NFL Pundits on the internet, in print, on radio and TV and worst of all, many Broncos Fans. To many Fans had all but given up on the team at game 6 of the NFL Season. It seemed as if everyone had totally dismissed the idea of winning…. not so much with Tebow’s game on the field, but because of a personal hate and grudge for what he is as a man.

Some of these Fans were ready to throw in the towel and do what’s been done for the last 5 years…. look to next year’s draft or for next year’s QB. This year it started after game 5 of the NFL season, with 11, yes 11 games yet to be played.

I guess I’m different. When Tebow started his first game against the Fins I was just a fan, being in the moment, watching a game hoping my team would win one. I didn’t have the TV remote in one hand and my iPhone in the other checking the latest college QB’s statistics from the day before or trying to figure where the Broncos draft position would be if we lost to them.

The height of the insanity came when I saw a post made by a fan on a Bronco’s message board. First and foremost, I have to say this person is one of the best contributors on the board. He’s an intelligent, even handed guy who’s as die-hard as they get. But even he had been driven to think more of next year than the present one. And with his post that calculated what the Broncos losing percentage would be as it related to next year’s draft, I was at a loss for words. I’m sorry, but that just goes beyond anything I could possibly imagine going into week 6 of an NFL Season.

In the beginning I had my doubts about Tebow too. Today (And that’s what really matters) the guy is a real live Clark Kent. As Kent, I’m not sure he’ll ever be a Superman, which is fine with me as long as he continues to improve and more importantly helps the team win. If he succeeds at this feat, I don’t care what he does off the field.

I think the doubters and haters would much rather have a Dark Knight than a Clark Kent. A cerebral Batman type QB that’s a genius on the field and off. Tebow isn’t that complicated, his life is orderly and simple. He puts all of his love and faith in God first, and then loves his family second. His final priority is to be completely devoted to being the best team football player he can be.

Personally I think those are qualities to be admired, not hated. We’ve been subjected to a whole league full of thugs that have committed every terrible vice known to man and call it acceptable. But we somehow can’t seem to accept Tebow? He wears his faith on his sleeve and he comes from a very successful Florida program. That alone sets him up to burned at the stake by a bunch of wolves who hate the idea of a goody two-shoes succeeding at anything, let alone a QB of an NFL team, especially ‘their’ team.

Winning supersedes all ills and winning breed’s confidence. Winning, no matter how so many Broncos Fans would like to apologize for it or say it’s a fluke…is still winning. The wins in week 6 and 8, no matter how ugly they were, will only matter because they bring the Broncos one game closer to winning the AFC West and a playoff berth.

It’s too bad more Fans can’t get used to the idea of winning and having Tebow as their QB of the future. I’m having the time of my life right now. I can’t wait to see the Bear’s game. If the Broncos make the playoffs, win or lose, it’ll go down in Bronco’s lore as one of the greatest seasons ever in my book because so many had written them off, and many of them…. are so called Bronco’s fans.

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. “