Passing Judgment: Broncos 17 - Chiefs 10

Runningback Knowshon Moreno
hurdling Brandon Flowers
before tearing his ACL (Denver Broncos)

Bad news: the Broncos placed third-year runningback Knowshon Moreno on Injured Reserve, ending his season.

Moreno, who usually has his best games against the Chiefs (also at the Chiefs), was well on his way to another one with 52 yards on four carries before going down with with what turned out to be a torn ACL.

Such has been the theme for Moreno in his three seasons with the Broncos. Oft-injured and unable to make the most of his opportunities, Moreno will have surgery to repair the torn ligament.

As a Georgia student (soon to be alumnus), I hope this isn't the end of Moreno's time as a Bronco. I hope he has a swift and successful recovery. Perhaps Willis McGahee can give him some advice and hope as far as recovering from a season ending, career threatening injury.

On to the good news.

Passing Judgement: Good Guys 38 - Raiders 24

Who says the NFL is a passing league?

The Broncos went into O.co Coliseum the Black Hole Sunday and beat the Raiders at their game, by pounding the rock.

Pounding may not be  the right word, trickeration might be. The Broncos did most of their damage with a heavy dose of read-option, an offensive scheme more commonly found in college football. Pro offenses generally stay away from all forms of option offense because it leaves the team's most important position—quarterback—at risk.

Denver finished the game with 299 yards rushing. With some offensive creativity, the Broncos have figured out a run game, led by 30-year-old Willis McGahee. McGahee has 623 yards rushing on the season, averaging 5.1 yards a carry.

Finally! The Broncos can run again.

Running wild, the Denver Tebows have struggled passing the ball. Tebow is 45 of 97 passing for 536 yards and 6 touchdowns, with only 1 interception. That said, Tebow has shown some improvement from his erratic start against Miami. Only 6 of 16 passing through the first half of Sundays game, Tebow was 4 of 5 in the third quarter and didn't attempt a pass in the final quarter.

It's fair to say the Broncos caught the Raiders by surprise with the read-option attack. This weekend's game against the Cheifs and future weeks will show whether the Broncos can sustain an offense based on the read-option.

Personally, I like it. I'm glad the coaching staff is letting Tebow get comfortable in running an offense similar to what he ran at some podunk college that won't be named on this blog. I hope they can sustain it long enough to help Tebow progress and be comfortable running an NFL offense.

Throwing the ball, Tebow did show—I thought—some improvement. Both of his touchdown passes were accurately, well-timed throws. The pass to Eddie Royal was my favorite. Tebow did a good job of moving in the pocket, setting his feet and finding a wide open receiver with a nice pass (compared to some of his frantic wobblers).

I hope passes like these are the trend going forward. Maybe it's starting to click for Tebow, maybe not. Stay tuned to find out. He has to continue to be accurate in order to have a chance to remain the starter beyond this season.

Passing Judgement: Broncos 18 - Miami 15

Wow.

The first 55 minutes of the game was the worst Broncos performance I have ever seen. The last 5 minutes and overtime? Ridiculously magnificent is probably the best way to describe it.

By now you've probably heard that the Broncos became the first team to overcome a 15 point deficit with only 3 minutes remaining. Quarterback Tim Tebow looked absolutely awful for the vast majority of the game. He must just live to be down two touchdowns with only a few minutes left.

Lloyd Traded to St. Louis

The Broncos brass pulled the trigger on the recently rumored trade of pro-bowl wideout Brandon Lloyd. This afternoon Lloyd was dealt to St. Louis for what will be a 5th round pick in the 2012 draft. Officially, it's a conditional 6th round pick, but will be a 5th as long as Lloyd catches 30 or more passes the rest of the season.

Although I was surprised when it was rumored and then confirmed that the Broncos were shopping Lloyd, I think it's a good move for the future which is all Denver is playing for at this point. A free agent at the end of the year, Lloyd would have entered free agency due to the youth Denver has at the position, so I like the move to get value for a player that would have left the team anyway.

San Francisco and Carolina were the teams supposedly interested in Lloyd along with St. Louis but the Rams got the deal done with, I imagine, immense begging support from Rams offensive coordinator and former Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, who was responsible for bringing Lloyd to Denver. Lloyd lead the league in receiving yards last season while earning a pro-bowl appearance in McDaniels' offensive system.

Call it wishful thinking, but maybe the Lloyd trade speaks to the coaches beliefs about Demaryius Thomas' health. Today was only his third practice since last season, but the former first round pick has elite size and speed. IF he can stay healthy, Denver's offense won't miss a beat at the receiver position and Thomas could be the best deep-threat, red-zone target Tim Tebow could hope for.

Tebow, Thomas, and wideout Eric Decker were all drafted last season to be, what Denver fans hope will be, the offensive nucleus for the foreseeable future. With Lloyd now in St. Louis, the future is now. We'll learn a lot about Thomas and Tebow. If they can't get it done it won't be because they didn't work at it. Decker has already solidified himself in the starting lineup and shown he can play this game.

We'll also learn a lot about Josh McDaniels. Will Lloyd help his league-worst (scoring) offense? More importantly (to me), did he draft some talent at the skill positions or are these guys the latest additions to the laundry list of mistakes McDaniels made as head coach of the Broncos?

Passing Judgement: Starting Tim Tebow Edition

John Fox informed the team this morning that Tim Tebow will start the Broncos' next game against the Miami Dolphins on Oct. 23.

I'm pretty sure fans in Denver would have burnt the city to the ground if Fox instead informed the team this morning that Orton was still his quarterback or gives them the best chance to win. Tebow, however ugly his statistics are to this point, puts the team in a position to win.

In my last post, I outlined why Fox needed to stick with Tebow going forward. Because this is the Fox administration's first year in Denver, nobody will hold him accountable for what Tebow does on the field. The current regime inherited Tebow, and the Broncos are in a state of flux/rebuilding anyway.

If Tebow makes the most of this opportunity and gets at least a few wins under his belt while gaining the game experience he needs, the team could have its quarterback. If not, Denver will be in position to draft Andrew Luck, Landry Jones, or one of the other signal callers entering the draft in April.

Starting Tebow is the right move. He's the only quarterback the Broncos are scheduled to pay next year, and he's mostly an unknown commodity at the NFL level. Give him a chance to learn and get better. If it doesn't pay off, move on with someone else next year.

As for me, I think it'll work out.

Adjust your clocks to Tebow Standard Time

I didn't think John Fox had it in him. Lo, and behold! Tim Tebow cometh.

In maybe his worst half of football since coming to Denver, Kyle Orton went 6 for 13 passing for 34 yards and a pick (his signature move this season) and was benched after halftime in favor of Tebow. 

I thought that Fox's stubbornness confidence in Orton meant that Tebow wouldn't see any playing time unless Orton got hurt at some point this season. That was the only way he got playing time last season. Truth is, Kyle Orton is not the same guy without Josh McDaniels. Fine by me, but not helping Orton's case for that long term deal he thinks he's entitled to when he hits the free agent market this upcoming offseason.

Orton has eight turnovers in just four and a half games. Most of these turnovers have come at the worst possible time (as you can read in previous blogs). With a 6-22 record in his last 28 starts, I was under the impression that Orton would have to sustain some type of injury in order for someone else to get a shot. Why else would a quarterback with that record continue to play?

Stats are for Losers

Kyle Orton did throw for over 300 yards Monday night. See what I mean?

Denver fans have grown accustomed to seeing Orton put up respectable numbers in losses. Now 11-18 as Denver's starting quarterback, I'm not impressed with any numbers Orton puts up.

I must be alone. In the limited analysis of the Broncos Raiders game from Monday, which Denver lost 23-20, commentators are very quick to jump on the fact that Orton did in fact throw for more than 300 yards. It's also well documented that he was on pace to throw for almost 5000 yards last season before slowing down and then sitting the last 3 games. Oh, and he was 3-10.

Passing Judgement: Raiders 23 - Broncos 20

I hate the Raiders. I hate losing to them in Denver (in the orange jerseys) even more!

That's what happened tonight. The Broncos, though improved, still have a long way to go before returning to prominence.

Quarterback Conundrum

Conundrum. Definition: a confusing and difficult problem or question.

In Denver, the Broncos question and problem is who will start at quarterback this season. Will it be Kyle Orton, master of garbage time stats? Or will it be the hyped and determined yet unpredictable and unproven Tim Tebow?

Sure, Kyle Orton threw for over 3,600 yards in 13 games. And yeah, he's thrown 41 touchdowns the last two seasons to only 21 interceptions since coming to Denver. Pretty good on paper.

Good to Be Back

"Football is back," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in his statement announcing the end of the four-and-a-half month NFL lockout.

Hallelujah!

Football is back, in full force too. We've already got undrafted free agents signing with teams. Veteran unrestricted free agents can negotiate with teams but cannot sign until Friday at 6pm at the earliest. In addition, training camps will start opening up tomorrow and will be open for all teams by Sunday.

Now, football is back. We're all undefeated and the excitement of free agency and training camp can carry us fans into what should be an exciting season--especially since it's happening.

Now we won't miss out on the Cinderalla stories, fantasy football, Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil suplexing Phillip Rivers, and Jay Cutler getting his just desserts at Mile High (see: Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil). It's all going to be awesome! Glad to have the NFL back in my life.

"Game on" as Tim Tebow tweeted when the lockout was lifted.

Go Broncos!

Wake Me When It's Over

As the weekend begins, the NFL lockout continues, as it has since March 11th. The only difference this weekend is that 31 of 32 NFL ownership groups approved a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that would last through 2020. The only roadblock now, is player approval.

The same players who say the want to play football. Yes, those are the one's who are dragging the League, and every NFL fan into this hellish limbo.

According to reports made by ESPN and NFL Network staffs, if the players approved of the deal Thursday, as they were believed to do (but did not) NFL teams would open their doors Saturday (see: tomorrow). Teams would have been able to sign their own free agents, draft picks, and college free agents as early as Sunday, with training camp and free agency starting Wednesday.

In a perfect world, the players would have already approved the CBA the owners approved Thursday. Doors would open tomorrow, and the free agent frenzy would start with the college kids early, and everybody else midweek.

Nope.

Now we wait. Before the players can approve the new CBA, the major outlets are reporting that the NFL Players Association must re-certify blah blah blah. Plenty, more knowledgeable people have written ad nauseum about the recertification process so if it piques your fancy, go read up.

I hope that the players aren't just waiting around until it's their idea. The time is now. All they have to do is approve the new CBA, and get back to business before both sides lose huge money.

It's been a long process, and I don't mean for my disillusionment to imply that they've been bickering over nothing or that it's not been a serious deal. Ownership and players both have their interests that they want to preserve in their working relationship together. For the past 2 or 3 weeks the story has been: the sides are getting closer, a new deal is only a few days away.

Right now, a few days is too long. Free agency, training camp, everything else can still start in the coming week. However, the players have to get their act together and pass it--soon. Stay tuned.

First Round NFL Draft Thoughts, Round 2 primer

Last night was the craziest first round of the NFL Draft that I can remember. I'll talk about the Broncos pick of Von Miller, what I hope they'll do tonight, and other surprising / good picks from the first round.

With the second overall pick, the Broncos decided to take Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller, as was rumored they would Wednesday. Reports have said that Miller topped the Broncos draft board as well as a handful of other teams' boards. In addition to Miller, the Broncos will also have 2009 sack champion Elvis Dumervil back which should significantly improve the pass rush and put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Definitely something needed when it seemed like every quarterback the Broncos faced last year had whole minutes to decide where to throw.

I like the pick and I think as long as the Broncos can add a force at defensive tackle tonight, they should be in good shape. Miller will have immediate impact stepping in at strongside linebacker in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's 4-3 scheme. Popular sentiment seems to be that Dumervil and Miller will be the bookend defensive ends on passing situations. The increased pass rush should also mask the deficiencies of the Broncos' aging secondary.

FIRST ROUND SURPRISES

The Atlanta Falcons pulled off a massive jump into the top 10 (No. 6) to select Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones. I like the pick and should make the combination of quarterback Matt Ryan, runningback Michael Turner, tight end Tony Gonzalez, and receivers Roddy White and Jones a lethal foe to any opposing defenses. Yeah they gave a lot to get Jones, but they had to. They're a good team without many holes. They can still get a quality defender in the third round tonight.

There was a run on quarterbacks in the top 12 picks. As suspected, the Carolina Panthers took Cam Newton with the first overall pick. Next, surprisingly was the Tennessee Titans selecting Washington QB Jake Locker with the eighth pick above Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded with Washington to select Gabbert with the 10th pick. Florida State QB Christian Ponder was the fourth and final QB taken last night. The Minnesota Vikings couldn't move back in the draft but stayed at 12 and decided to take Ponder. I have no idea how these moves will work for each team, but I do think Gabbert is in the best situation. He can redshirt, get acclimated and take over in a year or two. We'll see how the rest pan out.

After the run on quarterbacks, the Detroit Lions must have jumped for joy to have Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley on the board, whom they selected at 13. The combination of Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh will terrorize the NFC--especially the NFC North--for the better part of a decade. May also accumulate a lot of fines.

DENVER'S DAY TWO

The Broncos have picks 36, 46, and 67 in rounds two and three tonight. I expect they may try to move down from one or both of the second round picks (36 and 46) in order to accumulate additional picks, especially in rounds four and five, where they currently have no picks.

For now, I'll assume that they stay where they're at. I think they should stay at 36 and take defensive tackle Marvin Austin from North Carolina. He didn't play last year due to NCAA sanctions but he'd be a great quality pick at that spot. He would be a huge upgrade to a position that is essentially vacant. Austin would take the pressure off of Dumervil and Miller and allow them to obliterate opposing quarterbacks. Also, he would improve Denver's porous run defense. They have to be able to stop the run, especially when they play the Cheifs and Raiders twice a year.

At 46, there are two options I'm hopeful for. I hope that Notre Dame tight end Kyle Rudolph will fall to the Broncos. Besides some offseason injury concerns, he'd be able to step in and contribute right away. The Broncos need a tight end with last offseason's departure of Tony Scheffler, and this offseason's dismissal of Daniel Graham. Perhaps they could get better value later but Rudolph is the top tight end in the class and would have immediate impact.

Scenario two is that UCLA safety Rahim Moore would fall to Denver. The Broncos aging secondary is in need of some youth and Moore is scouted as the best safety in the draft.

Head Coach John Fox said the Broncos would take the best player available going forward and wouldn't reach based on need. Hopefully they don't do anything too cute but also fill some needs, on defense especially.

Tonight's goal: get at least three prospects who can start. At least two on defense, please.

Draft Eve: The Draft McDaniels Built

Only 19 and a half hours until the draft! Aside from all the lockout-injunction-litigation chaos, this is the only football action that's happened since the Super Bowl in February.

Thanks to one Josh McDaniels, the Broncos have the No. 2 pick and four picks in the first 67. (On a semi-related note, Peyton Hillis will adorn the cover of Madden '12). The luxury of the 2nd pick is that only one player is unavailable. Unfortunately, that one player gone could be the one Denver needs most. 

Mock drafts all over the internet have Carolina selecting Auburn quarterback, Cam Newton. I'd love for this to happen because all defensive prospects would be available for the Broncos, who had the worst overall defense last year. Not sure if I buy it. 

Yeah, Newton is electric on the football field. He's big, fast, and can throw the football. The only problem is he had one year of success in a major college conference. Sure, he won the Heisman and a national championship, but threw less than 300 passes at Auburn. Add that to the fact that Carolina drafted Jimmy Clausen with their first pick last year (their first pick was in the second round) and it just seems to me that they would look elsewhere. 

I have hoped and prayed that Carolina will draft Newton but we'll know for sure shortly after 8pm Thursday night. My hope is that the Panthers take anyone who's not Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. The guy is a huge physical specimen who would instantly upgrade the interior of the John Fox/Dennis Allen 4-3 front in Denver. 

The Broncos need Dareus to stop the run. Something they couldn't do very much of last year. When you play the Chiefs and the Raiders twice a year (top 2 running teams in the NFL last season), you need to be able to stop the run. That, and the best way to build a defense is from the inside out. I say if Dareus is there, they've got to take him. 

WHAT IF PANTHERS TAKE DAREUS...

This would be my worst nightmare but I know deep down that this is probably the pick they should make. I just want Dareus in Denver to take the pressure off of Dumervil who's coming off injury and the other scrubs on defense (excluding Champ Bailey, Brian Dawkins). Let's suppose the Panthers take Dareus, where do the Broncos go from there?

My gut reaction would be go get LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson. The guy is a freak athlete and the Denver Post has reported Fox's praise for Peterson in comparison with Hall-of-Famer Rod Woodson, who Fox coached in Pittsburgh. He's serve as the eventual replacement of Champ Bailey and the combination of the two would be hellish to opposing quarterbacks. 

Today offered a new development. The web was all atwitter (on Twitter mostly) with predictions of the Broncos taking Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller. 

This is a pick that's grown on me over the course of the day but it just doesn't seem like as much of a sure thing as Dareus or Peterson. Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr.--both of ESPN--have said that Miller would be best suited for outisde linebacker in a 3-4 defense. The Broncos are switching from the 3-4 to the 4-3. 

Speculation says that Miller could still fit and contribute. Kiper, and NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock both have the Broncos selecting Miller in their latest mock drafts published hours ago. Kiper is hit or miss for me but I trust Mayock's judgement. Both cited depth at the defensive tackle position in this draft as the reason the Broncos would go for Miller and would select a DT with at least one of their second round picks. 

Elway said earlier this week that the Broncos first four picks must produce starters, especially on the defensive side of the ball. This time tomorrow, we'll have at least one defensive starter. Check back to see my thoughts on the selection. Go Broncos!