The Key to Super Bowl XLVIII for the Denver Broncos

Win it NOW!!!

NOW is time to add a 3rd to this trophy case!

The last time the Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl was in Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami against the Atlanta Falcons. In the years since the Broncos have had some good teams and they’ve made the playoffs several times but only have 3 playoffs wins to show for it. One was against the Patriots in 2006, the Steelers in 2012 and the win last week against the Chargers.

The reality is since 1999 the Broncos have had only 3 excellent opportunities to win a Championship.

The first opportunity came in 2006 when Broncos run came to an end by losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. The Broncos lost because they turned the ball over 4 times. All the Broncos lacked were a good QB. Jake Plummer folded up his tent in that game and after it his career was essentially over. By mid season of the 2007 season he lost his job to Jay Cutler.

The next best chance was last year when the Broncos had home field advantage throughout just as they did in the 2006 season. They lost to an inferior team in the Baltimore Ravens in part because of poor pass defense but also because Peyton Manning had 2 critical INT’s. The Broncos O turned the ball over 4 times. Many Broncos Fans seem to forget that part of the game and focus on Rahim Moore’s bad play that gave the Ravens a late TD. You can’t turn the ball over 4 times no matter how good or bad you’re D is and expect to win many games. You can’t expect to win games when the #1 QB in the game can’t make a play at the end of the game and expect to win either.

Without a heroic performance by Trindon Holliday and his 2 kick returns for TD’s the Broncos would have been completely blown out by the Ravens. Manning totally shrank in the cold weather of Denver, it clearly affected his game.

This year is the third great opportunity the Broncos have had to win a SB and just as in the other 2 they have home field throughout. This year the Broncos are a better team offensively than last year but on the Defensive side of the ball the team may be worse.

You can come up with every football clique to describe how the Broncos break through this year. In my opinion if the Broncos are going to beat the New England Patriots this Sunday it has to start with Manning because he’s the leader of the team and was hands down the best player in the NFL during the regular season. He must play well for 60 minutes. No matter how bad the D plays he must be able to overcome it and play his A game. The Broncos also need to slow the game down and run the ball just as much as they pass it and grind down the clock.

If the D can stop the run and force Tom Brady to throw the ball, the Broncos chances of winning increase. If the D doesn’t give up to many big passing plays that would contribute to a win as well. It’s the bend not break style of D that’ll help the Broncos advance. You’d expect Brady to make some plays but if they can limit the big ones the Broncos have a good chance.

Frankly I don’t care how they win the game as long as they win. The last few years have been football hell; the Broncos have blown too many opportunities to win another ring. They can’t blow this one. Manning maybe as one good year left and after that it could be a lifetime my friends before the Broncos have another chance as good as this one to win a Championship.

The time is NOW for Manning and the Denver Broncos

I’ve taking a hiatus from writing about the Broncos the last 3 weeks for several reasons. One was because of the holidays and two because I injured my back at work in November and I can’t set for long periods of time at the computer. And lastly because I knew the Broncos were in the playoffs. Today we know how who they’ll play, the San Diego Chargers. First a few words about Manning and his fantastic regular season performance.

Manning is the MVP of the 2013 Regular Season

Manning has had an astonishing 2 years with the Broncos. This year he racked up 5,477 passing yards, giving him 64, 964 for a career. 55 TD passes in a single season is remarkable benchmark. For a 37 year old QB to play at this high of level is unheard of. I don’t think there is any question that Manning may be the most talented, intelligent and hardest working QB in the history of the sport.

His tireless analysis of film and his 100% commitment to refine and perfect his game on the practice field is legendary. His execution of the hurry up offense, his ability to get rid of the football in less than 3 seconds and his vision down field are second to none. If Manning wasn’t playing QB in the NFL right now he’d have to be considered a great candidate to be an Offensive Coordinator and even a Head Coach for any NFL organization.

Historically Manning isn’t the same QB in the Playoffs

But… as I’ve said numerous times before, Manning has to finish the deal for the Broncos by helping the team win a Super Bowl. All the regular season success, the records, and the MVP awards are impressive but if a Super Bowl isn’t on his resume after having such a notable regular season the shine on his individual accomplishments will lose its luster. The Super Bowl is forever. I don’t care what other Broncos Fans may think of my opinion and I know it’s a team game but if he doesn’t play competently and help the team win it his tenure in Denver has to be considered a heartbreaking disappointment.

Despite Manning’s tremendous achievements this season he does have inadequacies. If you look closer at the 5,477 passing yards most of them have been of the dink and dunk variety, short passes, screen passes and the run after the catch padded that stat.

Manning can still throw a deep ball if he has time and an open Receiver but he doesn’t have the arm strength he once had. If he feels pressure or has to leave the pocket to throw he’s not as consistent a passer short or long.

The other part of his game that still is an uncertainty is his capacity to play in a cold and windy environment. Denver and East Rutherford can be extremely cold places to play football in January and February. In the cold of Denver last year against the Ravens, Manning had 2 Fumbles and 2 Interceptions. The 2^nd INT was a very costly one because it ended any chance of the Broncos winning the game.

Then there is the most significant of Manning’s statistics which is his past performance in playoff games. In his 16 year career Manning’s teams have been to the playoffs 12 times prior to this year and he has a 9-11 record. In 20 playoff appearances Manning has 21 INT’s and 32 TD’s, that’s only a plus 11. His career passing rating in the playoffs is a pedestrian 88.4 which is 10^th all time.

In 2005 and 2006 when he blew out the Jake Plummer led Broncos in the 1^st round of the playoffs both years as a Colt he lost to Brady and the Patriots (the odds on favorite team to face him in the AFC Championship this season) both years ending his Super Bowl run. Manning has 4-10 career record against Brady and 1-2 record against him in the playoffs.

Rivers thus far owns Manning and the Broncos

This weekend the Broncos face the Chargers in the second round of the playoffs. The Chargers have won 5 in a row going in and beat the Broncos AT HOME 27-20 on Dec. 12. Rivers career record against the Broncos is 10-4 and he has a 5-3 record against Manning, and 3 of those losses came last year when Manning became a member of the Broncos.

The Chargers after having a mediocre regular season have all the earmarks of being another team like the Ravens last year that got hot at the end of the season and made an improbable run at the Super Bowl. The big difference between the Ravens and the Chargers is that the Chargers have a much better QB in Rivers.

The time is NOW

Despite the statistical deficit that Manning and the team have against the Chargers NOW is the time to rise up and kill the failures of the past. Manning’s individual 2013 regular season stats will have less meaning if the Broncos are one and done. Manning must play well but it won’t be enough.

The real test in the Chargers game and the playoff games to follow will be if the Broncos Defense can play opportunistic football, tackle and cover better, get pressure on the QB and make plays in the 4^th quarter. The Broncos must be able to run the ball with Moreno and Ball consistently.

The Offensive Line that’s played excellent football this season must protect Manning and his great Receivers must haul in the catchable balls.

I’m convinced that Offense won’t be a problem but if the Broncos have to play a shootout game going into the 4th Q against the Chargers they could be in real trouble. The table is set, the road to the Super Bowl will go through Denver and I can’t wait to see what happens. I pray to the football Gods that Manning can exercise his playoff ghosts and lead the Broncos onto a Championship.

Broncos Defense Not Ready for Primetime

With all anger still simmering at the surface after the Chargers loss last Thursday night I decided to postpone writing about it. I’m sure many Broncos Fans felt the same as I did about the game going in, that another win was imminent.

As we learn every Sunday there are no locks, no gimme’s and that on any given Sunday anything can happen. You never assume anything and you must take them one at a time. You must be able to win the games you’re supposed to win at home late in the season to solidify your position in the playoffs.

Peyton Manning and company were coming off a short week and an impressive win over the Titans last Sunday on a cold day in Denver. He was a completely different QB than the one in the Patriots game a few weeks ago when it was apparent his game and his psyche were on ice.

But from the opening snap of the Chargers game it was obvious they wanted the game far worse than the Broncos did. The Broncos defense and special teams were horrendous. They let Ryan Matthews one of the must inconsistent RB’s in the NFL run wild for 127 yards. The Safety’s and Corners particularly Rookie Kayvon Webster gave up big pass plays to help keep drives alive. The Front 7 of the Broncos did get 2 sacks on Philip Rivers but for most of the game they couldn’t get to him. The tackling by the LB’s at the second level was as bad as you’ll see. Danny Trevathan seemed to be the only player that was willing and able to make some stops.

The first half turned into a field position game and the Broncos started drives inside their own 20 to many times and had too many 3 and outs. Manning was being contested on every passing play and the Broncos running game could never get any traction. Despite the bad start the Broncos made a run in the 4^th Q but came up short.

The worse part of the loss came when Rivers was on the NFL Network after the game talking smack and hamming it up with the panel. You’d think his team had just won the Super Bowl the way he was acting but it was nothing more than an opportunity for him to enjoy the spotlight for 20 minutes because he knows that his team won’t make it to the playoffs. He likely won’t get another nationally televised interview because all he and his team can do now is be a spoiler. I can’t stand Rivers and his appearance after the game on the NFL Network flipped the switch that ignited my mushroom cloud.

Thankfully this Sunday the Broncos got a reprieve as the Dolphins did them a big favor and beat the Patriots. They still hold the #1 seed going into the last 2 games and must hold onto it. After seeing just how bad the D can play against one of the bottom feeder teams of the NFL if the Broncos have to go on the road to face New England my money would be on Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Let’s hope the Broncos can close the deal by beating the Texans and Raiders and securing home field. Wouldn’t it be a disaster if the Broncos tanked and fell into the Wildcard Spot if they lost them both? The Chiefs are not going away and are playing good football right now.

The other hope is that Fox and Del Rio can come up with a better defensive scheme so when the playoffs start Manning won’t have to score 50 points to win a game.   

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Book Review

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Guilt and shame are their own form on justice. I was amazed just how many themes this book covers and Dostoyevsky did it brilliantly. Must read for any lover of classics.

View all my reviews

Manning "Manned Up" as Broncos secure Playoff Spot

With a game time temperature of 18 degrees in Denver yesterday the big question going in was could Peyton Manning break the huge chunk of ice frozen around him regarding his past performances in cold weather games. Instead of using an ice pick to chip away at that criticism he used a massive sledge hammer. He shattered that ice into tiny shards and in the process with the help of his teammates secured a playoff spot.

Matt Prater kicked a 64 FG in the cold to set a new NFL Record.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the first 2 ½ quarters of the game yesterday but when I did drop in during the 3^rd quarter it was very clear that Manning was in complete control of his game. He didn’t look anything like that cold, unconfident and sometimes weak armed old QB in New England a few weeks ago.     

He was in total command, his passes were crisp, on time, he was never sacked and the OL gave him plenty of time to dissect the Titans D. Manning was sensational; he was a remarkable 39 out of 59, for 397 yards, and 4 TDs. After a slow start in the 1^st half he came out in the 2^nd and played as well as he has in any game for the Broncos. Each of the his stud WR’s Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Erick Decker and TE Julius Thomas caught a TD pass. The combination of Knowshon Moreno and Montee Ball had 155 yards on the ground and both of them scored a TD. It was a well executed and balanced approach by the O.

In short “Manning Manned Up” and proved he can be a real warrior in tough weather conditions and he deserves every bit of praise for this win.

That said, I hate to be a broken record again but Manning has been in this position many times in his career. He’s got to be considered maybe the best regular season QB to ever play the game but in the playoffs he still has one of the worst records there is when you stack him up against other NFL QB greats.

They still have to play them one at time and beat the Chargers this week and work towards the next step which is to secure home field throughout the playoffs. The final step will be taking the Broncos to and winning the Super Bowl. When he, with the help of his teammates, can accomplished that feat his legacy will have been a truly amazing one.

Much will depend on how well they play D down the stretch. The Broncos will have to improve defensively, especially in the secondary. As of this week of the 32 teams in the NFL they’re giving up 274.3 passing yards per game which is 29^th in the league. They’re 26^th in the league in points allowed with 26.5 and they’re giving up a total of 374.2 yards per game which 25^th in the league. Their best ranking is against the run, they’re ranked 7^th giving up just 99.8 yards per game. That stat should be taken with a grain of salt because in most games teams have had to play from behind and air it out to keep up with Manning’s O.

Giving up 28 points to a below average team like the Titans at home is not what John Fox had in my mind when he returned to sidelines this week. He more than anyone understands that won’t be good enough come playoff time. At times it's like they relax a little bit because they know Manning is on the bench and they know he can rack up a score in a hurry if they need it. In the NFL you can't take plays off.

The D did have some injuries this week to Rahim Moore, Derek Wolfe, and Kevin Vickerson. Duke Ihenacho, Champ Bailey and Wesley Woodyard (still hurting from his neck injury) played banged up but that’s no excuse. Every team this late in the season has injuries to deal with on both sides of ball and the good team’s find ways to win with their bench.

The next step to a Championship is to beat the Chargers this and move closer to home field throughout. It’s been an amazing season but there’s still work to be done.

U.S. Students Spiral Downward While Political Correctness Climbs Upward

I read this published story from the NBC News website yesterday entitled (US teens lag in global education rankings as Asian countries rise to the top, 12/3/13) and was appalled just how far down the ladder American children are from the rest of the world. Here’s an excerpt:

“Roughly half a million students in 65 nations and educational systems representing 80 percent of the global economy took part in the 2012 edition of  Program for International Student Assessment or PISA, which is coordinated by the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD.

The numbers are even more sobering when compared among only the 34 OECD countries. The United States ranked 26th in math — trailing nations such as the Slovakia, Portugal and Russia. What’s more, American high school students dropped to 21st in science (from 17th in 2009) and slipped to 17th in reading (from 14th in 2009), according to the results.”

I couldn’t help but get irritated by this story then I stumbled onto another story on facebook yesterday. I remember seeing it online a year ago on the www.examiner.com website and it made me ponder after reading the first story. Even if this is a dated and many of you have already heard of it, it is still relevant and systematic of the educational problems in America today and connects with the story above. The title of this story is (Portland school sees racism in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches 9/10/12). Here’s an excerpt:

In an effort to combat perceived discrimination, one Portland school seems to have gone off the deep end by suggesting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches carry racist connotations, Twitchy reported Monday.

 

Verenice Gutierrez

According to the Portland Tribune, Verenice Gutierrez, principal of Harvey Scott K-8 School, "picks up on the subtle language of racism" on a daily basis.

"Take the peanut butter sandwich, a seemingly innocent example a teacher used in a lesson last school year," the Tribune said.

“What about Somali or Hispanic students, who might not eat sandwiches?” Gutierrez asked.”

A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich could or should be considered racist, are you kidding me?

How did she get a job as a Principal? What college did she go to, where did she get a degree, The University of the 3 Stooges, the 1984 Politically Correct Language College? No one denies that racism is still present in our society and we must be sensitive to it but it's the parents job to teach their kids about race not administrative bureaucrats. What about telling kids they can't say sandwich in school because it might be racist, doesn't that violate freedom of speech?

People like Gutierrez are very dangerous and are actually dumbing down our kids with this PC gibberish, advancing racism and divisiveness rather than helping to improve it. Educating children is difficult enough, why would educators waste their valuable time and the kids time with such utter nonsense? Gutierrez and others like her seem to be driven to set up a new politically correct language of which is of their own creation rather than focusing on education.

No wonder American kids are coming out of school 26^th in the world in Math, 17^th in Reading and 21^st in Science according to a statistics of 65 of the world’s top developed economies conducted by the OCED in 2012. The PISA study spells it out in black and white, the US has a second rate educational system which has been true for years now and it has nothing to do with amount of tax payer funding as this survey indicates. In the United States what we have today is clearly a managerial and educational system failure and not a student or financial one.

My take on both stories in total is we need to better educate teachers and administrators and leave the PC Police out it. This among other things, like breaking the teachers unions, changing the tenure system, setting higher educational standards for teachers and eliminating the NEA will help improve the quality of education. Parents have a bigger responsibility in this than anyone and need to take an active role in stressing how important a good education is to their children. 

The responsible is clearly in our hands to change the culture and management that is in charge of bad school districts and what curriculum should be focused on. Wasting the value time of educators and students with sensitivity training is not their responsibility. Speaking of jobs if we keep on the current course the undereducated unskilled students may not end up in the work force at all or worst yet may not have the money to buy racist food like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.