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I can't figure the Broncos out at all! The Carolina Panthers made the Broncos look very bad yesterday, so it's hard to judge them totally on that one game.
Even though the Broncos seemed to stop the run effectively in the first half, Steve Smith single-handedly tore up that Bronco secondary. With the lack of a pass rush, that was expected. When a team is up by 10 coming into the second half and your quarterback is getting sacked trying to play catchup, your defense is gonna be on the field a lot and then that team that had two running backs go over 100 yards each last week are gonna start to find some holes and control that game.
As far as San Diego not winning out, why not? All they have to do is win their next two games and have the Broncos lose to the Bills at home.
I like the Texans because of Kubiak. I wish him success.
Synopsis, your Dolphins should win the AFC most improved team award and the Falcons should win the same in the NFC. But if the Broncos somehow find a way to the playoffs and somehow get a game against your Dolphins, I hope the Broncos get Champ Bailey back in there and I hope he brings a stapler with him and staples up Porter's mouth for him and shows him how to play some real defense. The Broncos will not soon forget that last game and there's gonna be some reckoning... Doc Holiday style.
The Broncos beat the Jets in their own crib. The Houston Texans are 6-8, too bad so sad. The Broncos are 3-1 against a very tough NFC South.
The Broncos losing to a very hot Carolina team is not that bothersome. It's when they lose to bad teams in their own weak division is what drives me crazy.
The Broncos are still in the driver seat and control their destiny. They've had a couple of injuries this year in case you haven't heard. I keep having this feeling in back of my mind that they will have a couple of those original starters return for the playoffs.
The Broncos have to earn their way into the playoffs. If they win a game or two to end the season, they're in and they have the same record as the Tennessee Titans, the Pittsburg Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens, the Jets, Dolphins, whoever... that record would be 0-0! The Broncos have won a Super Bowl as a Wild Card team. This thing ain't over by a long shot.
PS: Alanboy, Jesus was born in June or something like that. Merry Christmas. We think about the birth of Christ too and go to a Christmas service... but it's a good time to spend with family and friends too. Oh, and our economy could sure use a boost, so ... you better not shout, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm tellin' you why...
The Broncos will not make it far in the playoffs because they have no running game and a terrible defense, so don't get too exicted about their chances as a wild card.
I can't wait to see what Ryan Torain can do next year. Until then, I'll enjoy watching Jay Cutler and his receivers continue to light up the scoreboard.
Tampa Bay HAS to win this game to stay in NFC wild card hunt with Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Philadelphia. Like the AFC wild card possibilities, the NFC won't have a clear cut wild card choice until all the games are played and it will go down to the tiebreaker system to see who goes in. They will be PUMPED for this game.
San Diego was lucky to beat Kansas City, damn lucky. That was as sorry a finish and a total collapse in that game as I have seen in a long time. And the dominoes are starting to fall. Carl Peterson, the long time K.C Chief GM, resigned yesterday. The Chiefs have already had their housecleaning, going to a youth movement. They and their fans KNOW they are bad. Yet they had that game in the bag and it slipped away from them. And people on this thread are carping how bad the Broncos are!
Last edited by DOUBLE H; 12-16-2008 at 09:05 AM..
Reason: addition
There's no way the Broncos are gonna get the Wild Card. The only way they can get to the playoffs is to win the division due to their record.
I'm not too excited about the Broncos chances even if they do make the playoffs. But if they do, I'll go down with the ship. Shanahan can pull a running back from his you-know what. Look at Hillis. We need a running back with field-replaceable legs.
Only two teams out of the whole 32 are going to the show, so the Broncos will be in good company.
HH, I don't think anybody can say the Broncos are a bad team; just a very inconsistant one. They'll beat one of the elite one week and lose to the Raiders or the Chiefs the next!
The media sure has. Just yesterday on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption they had a 2 minute point/counterpoint analyzing playoff scenarios and Michael Wilbon blurted out that the Broncos "stink, they are just absolutely awful".
Today's 2 minute segue was similar without the off the color remark. It is surprising that Wilbon was carping to that level. Wilbon has said positive things about the Bronco franchise in the past. Tony Kornheiser, on the other hand, well.......
On the program preceding, Around The Horn, over the last few weeks Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe has been critical as well of the AFC West as being totally inferior and in general criticizing the playoff system.
It's not too hard to see why. Big media is east coast. ESPN is Bristol. Without a doubt, the AFC East is a rock solid division and someone is going to be left out of the playoff picture.The Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots are all 9 and 5. Someone won't make it. Throw in Baltimore at 9 and 5 and Indianapolis at 10 and 4. Two clubs won't get in. That's how the system works. Coincidentally, all the clubs are from the east.
In a perfect world, every division in the NFL would have division winners at 12 and 4 or better, and would have a team in every division with a worthy record like 10 and 6 as a wild card entry. But this is how the system is set up. The east coast media needs to get over it. Think the sniveling is bad now, wait till the end of the regular season and the tiebreaker issues kick in to decide who goes and who doesn't.
Last edited by DOUBLE H; 12-16-2008 at 07:12 PM..
Reason: addition
Right, I knew the Broncos wouldn't get in as a wild card, I meant more like as one of the worst division winners in recent memory imo.
Look at it this way; if both the Broncos and Chargers lose next week, the Broncos will clinch the division because the Chargers lost. If the Chargers then beat the Broncos in the last game of the season, the Broncos will win with an 8-8 record. Since the NFL went to a 16-game format in 1978, only one team has won a division with an 8-8 record. Once team did it with an 8-7-1 record as well. So that would basically make them the worst division winner in at least 30 years.
It's a plausible scenario, too, although I do think they can beat the Bills next week. Can being the key word there.
Either way, they'll get smashed in the first round.
And the playoff system is fine. It's the most competitive system in North American sports, of course some good teams are going to get left out.
Sadly, I don't disagree. They don't have the horses this year (pun intended). I agree with the direction they are going though, as far as remaking the club. Too many free agents were busts the last few years (Simeon Rice, Daryl Gardener, Sam Adams, etc.) We just need some defensive help, it'll take time for that to develop. We got real lucky when the free agency kicked in around '96; Romo, Alfred Williams, Neil Smith, Glen Cadrez, Darrien Gordon and others. Those all fell into place in a great way.
Good comments on the scenario, Bob. That's how it most likely will shake out.
What's going on with Shaun Alexander and why aren't the Broncos going after him?
What's going on with Ryan Claddy? is he hurt? If so, Cutler is dead! If so, Jay is gonna know the color of the sky throughout the game, you mark my words. Ryan Claddy should have made it ahead of Marshall.
Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall to the Pro Bowl and that's it. Nobody on defense and nobody on special teams.
All in all, the Broncos defense is pathetic this year and part of the reason for their pathetic record. Turnovers by the offense have hurt them too, but that run defense has just been too pathetic this year; not in the first half, but when it counts, late 3rd quarter and 4th quarter when it counts.
A team can beat the Broncos by going into the 4th quarter with a 3 point lead and the ball. They could kill 14:53 off the clock just running the ball and converting 3rd downs. 3rd and 31, no problem against that Broncos choke defense.
If the Broncos can't run against the Bills Sunday, they lose. It's gonna be cold and you know darn well that Marshall is gonna drop passes and they're gonna know to just cover Marshall and Royal. Cutler is gonna get intercepted and it's not gonna be all his fault. Marshall is afraid of the ball now and he's not running good routes.
Santa, all I want for Christmas is a brand spanking new running back and a brand spanking new fullback for Sunday the 21st, 2008. Thank you. I'll promise to be a good dawg.
Oh, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! =P
Flashforward to HighlandsGal: Could you do us a favor and paint your face blue and red with a white nose so we'll know which one you are?
Last edited by McGowdog; 12-18-2008 at 10:55 AM..
Reason: Thousands of millions of football games ago into the future...
I am going to the Broncos-Bills game Sunday and wearing 10 layers of clothes. It is going to be COLD!!
And sorry McGowdog, Bills fan here Hope they beat the Broncos.....but they haven't played well lately so who knows!!
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Hope they beat the Broncos.....but they haven't played well lately so who knows!!