Lloyd has made all of the tough catches for the Broncos, but doesn't seem to have great rhythm with quarterback Tim Tebow. He's also come across as a diva receiver at times. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

The NFL’s trade deadline is next Tuesday.  Let the rumors begin!

Earlier today, Kyle noted in the daily links that the Broncos may try to deal linebacker D.J. Williams and wide receiver Brandon Lloyd on the trading block.  Late this afternoon, Mike Klis of the Denver Post reported that Lloyd is in fact on the trading block.

Per Klis, there are three or four teams that are currently interested in Lloyd, the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers among them (I can just imagine Cam Newton having Steve Smith and Lloyd as his two main receivers!).  Getting value for Lloyd now would be a good move for the Broncos, as he will be a free agent after this season.

The Broncos are reportedly looking for a 3rd-4th round draft selection in exchange for Lloyd, which could help them in rebuilding their defensive unit.  Lloyd will probably be asking for more money than the Broncos are willing to give him next offseason, so it’s not surprising that the team is shopping him.

As Klis pointed out, the Broncos will also have receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eddie Royal back from injury following the bye, solidifying Denver’s receiving corps with Eric Decker‘s emergence.  With quarterback Tim Tebow under center, the Broncos will also have a run oriented offense, one which will have no need for a high-paid receiver that gets disgruntled when not receiving the ball.

Personally, I think the Broncos should make this happen.  Lloyd is 30 years old and has only one notable season in nine years — his value will never be as high as it is now.  Rather than letting him walk next offseason, why not get another draft selection for him now?

Game	Pick

Brief Reasoning’s

Minnesota at New Orleans

Brett Favre may be ready to shake the demons of the cajun crew, but that doesn’t mean they’ll let him.  New Orleans defense is too stingy, and their offense is too explosive for Minnesota to overcome.

Score: Saints 38, Vikings 27

Cleveland at Tampa Bay

This game is really happening. This may be a trick and we could be in for a Cleveland vs. Detroit style match-up. However, I don’t think this will be the case. Josh Freeman wasn’t too bad in the preseason, Mike Williams looks like he could be a stud, and Cadillac Williams is back. Also I don’t think Jake Delhomme will be too much for even the mediocre Tampa defense to handle.

Score: Bucs 21, Browns 10

Buffalo at Miami

If C.J. Spiller can get any help whatsoever, the Bills just might not be the worst team in the NFL this year. I don’t think he has it in him (yet) to beat the Dolphins with a solo effort. It will be painful to see Brandon Marshall blast through the Bill’s secondary. Jarius Byrd can’t be there to stop him every time.

Score: Dolphins 27, Bills 7

Cincinnati at New England

This is going to be a good game. It will be interesting to see how Wes Welker does coming back from his injury. Welker’s performance could very well be what creates a win for New England. The Patriots will have to stop the dynamic Bengal run offense if they have any chance of winning this one though. I would say home field advantage is a big deal here, but away games are nothing to the Bengals.

Score: Cincinnati 27, New England 24

Indianapolis at Houston

The Houston Texans have only beaten the Colts one time in their existence as an NFL franchise. As of Sunday night, I think they’ll claim their second victory. The Texans will start out hot and fire up the scoreboard, and it will be Peyton Manning‘s job to keep his team in the game. The Texans are too well built, and if they can execute well at the end of games this year, they might see their first playoff appearance as well.

Score: Texans 37, Colts 34

Denver at Jacksonville

Welcome home Tim Tebow, and thanks for the home field advantage. Wayne Weaver owner of the Jaguars will see millions of Dollars in jersey sales and enthusiastic fans that could have gone his team’s way instead of major reach Tyson Alualu. Denver’s big job here is to stop Maurice Jones-Drew. David Garrard has been playing terribly ever since he signed his new contract, and the secondary is well stacked. Denver’s offensive line should look amazing in pass protection seeing how Elvis Dumervil had more sacks than the Jaguars had all together last year. Jack Del Rio is a great coach when it comes to the X’s and O’s so he will keep it a close game.

Score: Broncos 27, Jaguars 20

Atlanta at Pittsburgh

Dennis Dixon. Enough said. The Steelers are not a bad team, but Dennis Dixon is a bad quarterback who could easily lose the game against a good Falcon team. The Falcons are weak in run coverage so expect Dixon to scramble a lot. What will be interesting here is to see if Matt Ryan can recover from a sophomore slump.

Score: Falcons 21, Steelers 14

Oakland at Tennessee

I for one am sick of hearing how the Raiders can take the AFC West this year. Jason Campbell was a timid and indecisive quarterback in Washington D.C., how does that change with location? Tennessee’s offense is stacked with playmakers. Vince Young and Chris Johnson will eat Oakland’s defense up for an absurd amount of yards.

Score: Titans 28, Raiders 14

Carolina at New York (Giants)

The Panther’s might be a good team this year, but it will be hard to beat the Giant’s in their new stadium. Eli Manning doesn’t need to do it all by himself, he has Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs help out. The Giants will have to worry about containing the Panther’s dynamic run game and Steve Smith.

Score: Giants 27, Panthers 24

Detroit at Chicago

The shocker of the weekend. The Lions will leave Soldier field with a win. I really like how Jim Schwartz retooled the defensive line this offseason. Jay Cutler will have no time to throw behind that atrocious offensive line. Matt Stafford now has a great running back in Jahvid Best to take some of the load off. The Lions just may finish 3rd in the NFC North this year.

Score: Lions 21, Bears 14

That’s it for now, check back over the weekend of my late game predictions

Elvis Dumervil celebrates a sack of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in 2009. (Steve Nehf, The Denver Post)

Just some quick quotes from around the web.

ESPN

Matt Williamson and Denver’s drafting policies

“I like how Denver has found ways to acquire picks, and it’s a good way of building a great foundation,” said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. “I’m just not sold on the players they have taken.”

Tim Tebow on signing his autograph

“I always think of that before I get frustrated or before I want to stop. I think, ‘You know what, if this is going to make an impact on this kid or give this kid a smile or inspire him or do something positive in his life, then it’s worth it.’ That kind of takes the frustration and the edge away.”

SI

Mike Beacom on Demaryius Thomas‘ potential

If he lacks respect, at least the 6-foot-3, 224-pound Georgia Tech standout will have opportunity. The Broncos are in the market for a new No. 1 wide receiver, and most believe the team will try to thrust that role on Thomas as soon as he appears ready to handle it.

Yahoo Sports

Doug Farrar on Tim Tebow’s rookie role

“Like Vick back then, Tebow has a lot to learn before he can make any wanes as a pure quarterback. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t help the Broncos in the short term, and that may have been what McDaniels was thinking then he took Tebow higher in the NFL draft (25th overall pick) than most people expected.”

“If people can pick their NFL team based on their favorite college player moving there, they probably were not NFL fans. I don’t understand how you can not be an NFL fan when there are three NFL teams in Florida… if you can jump on the Broncos bandwagon because of Tebow, you might have jumped on the Gators bandwagon because of Tebow too. In that case, you are not a fan. Just someone passing through.”

“I’m not disappointed in a guy being in a doughnut shop when they’ve got maple bars like Top Pot has,” Pete Carroll said. “However, under the circumstances I think they were closed or they were trying to close or something like that. So that’s definitely one. We talked about it, addressed it and he’s most remorseful about it and all that.”

“All you have to do is look for good guys with productive college careers within positions of need from the ACC or SEC. I used this approach last draft and I predicted Thomas and Tebow, but just not in the right round. I even was expecting Eric Olsen due to his size, good nature, and Notre Dame connection.”

Denver Broncos Official Site

Chris Baker on his rookie year

“It was tough,” Baker said. “I thought I played well enough in the preseason to play a lot more during the season, but you just take it and use it as a redshirt year. I learned a lot more than I would’ve been able to learn if I was out there playing as much.”

Kenny McKinley on his sophomore season

“I’m a little more comfortable,” he said. “I’m kind of getting a little more of the offense under my belt, knowing a little more after a whole year into the league. You learn more and get bigger and stronger. I just feel like I’m ready to go out there and compete for a job this year.”

1.  New Orleans Saints (4-0)

The defense has arrived.  Darren Sharper showed Mark Sanchez what it’s really like to be a rookie. I bet Matt Stafford was probably thinking “How does it feel Mark!?!”

Glaring Stat: Drew Brees has done practically nothing not breaking 200 yards passing or thrown a touchdown in the last two wins.

2.  New York Giants (4-0) 

They’re not number one because of their sickly opponents. The Giants are praying that Eli Manning is alright. However I think David Carr/anyone will be fine against the Raiders. Steve Smith is looking at a Pro Bowl where Steve Smith is not. Everyone knows which one I’m talking about too.

Glaring Stat: The New York passing defense has allowed only 115 yards a game and their opponents average passer rating is 57.5.

3.  Minnesota Vikings (4-0)

Brett Favre Brett Favre Brett Favre revenge revenge beaten all teams in the NFL, Brett Favre Brett Favre. You’re welcome, I just recapped ESPN this week for you.

Yes, Brett Favre abused a very good secondary Monday night. Of course that happened, the man lives for the drama. Who Favre should thank is the Vikings defensive line and the Packers offensive line. I feel terrible for Aaron Rodgers the man has two seconds tops in the pocket. Right now the Vikings are sure contenders for the NFC North, which is good in terms of Denver’s draft pick.

Glaring Stat: The Vikings’ defensive line sacked Aaron Rodgers eight times last night.

4.  Indianapolis Colts (4-0)

Who are these scrubs Peyton Manning is throwing to? Pierre Garcon? Without Manning I’m sure the Colts would not be 4-0, possibly not even 2-2. Their defense still concerns me, once they play a better offensive team we’ll get a better feel.

Glaring Stat: The T.O.P is still very bad at 27:21.

5. San Fransisco 49ers (3-1)

That is how you beat a crappy team, especially one in your division. Today I read a stat that amuses me very much. The Steelers kicker Jeff Reed has out scored the Rams offense 25-24 this year. Not to take away from San Fran’s dominating win, they scored on both sides of the ball. Shaun Hill, a.k.a. Kyle Orton 2.0, did well game managing and not turning over the ball. What is also impressive is that superstar Frank Gore was still not in and Glenn ‘You suck, now go get me a’ Coffee averaged a whopping 3.1 yards a carry.

I really mean it when I say Patrick Willis will kill a man during a game before his career is over.

Glaring Stat: Mike Singletary cured cancer by making Chuck Norris cry.

6. Denver Broncos (4-0)

I remember before the season started talking about how insane the Giant’s pass rush was going to be. Well it is, however I would have never imaged that the Broncos’ pass rush is currently better. If it wasn’t for the Packers’ pathetic excuse for an offensive line Denver would be first in the NFL for sacks at 15. The Vikings doubled their season total last night to get to 16.

Speaking of pass rush, Denver is going to need to make the best of every drop of it against the Patriots. Tom Brady obviously doesn’t like to be touched, so the defense needs to disrupt his menstrual cycle rhythm. What is the interesting match up is Josh McDaniels versus Tom Brady. McDaniels knows how Brady operates and he needs to use that to his advantage.

Glaring Stat: Denver has six interceptions on the season — each pick by a different player.

7.  New York Jets (3-1)

Yes they did get embarrassed by the Saints, but the Saints are well… the Saints. I still believe the Jets are number one in the AFC East at the moment. It is theirs to loose though. Mark Sanchez and the Jets should rebound from that ass-whomping just fine.

Glaring Stat: The Jets had 14 first downs against the Saints but only two trips to the red zone. Probably due to their third down efficiency 3/12 (25%).

8. New England Patriots (3-1)

Tom Brady is a pansy. It’s not that the call was made, it was that he squealed like a clubbed baby seal.  New England would be rated higher if it wasn’t for those controversial calls and Mark Clayton’s huge drop. Analysts say Denver has something to prove, but I believe New England does. This isn’t the same New England of the past right now, they need to beat Denver at home to prove they are.

Glaring Stat: Tom Brady wore pink not knowing it was for breast cancer.

9. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

Just like I had some words for Brady I also have some words for some members of the Raven’s defense. Ray Lewis is one hypocritical son of a gun. He whines about Brady’s whining. What is even more pathetic about that is that Ray ‘knifestab’ Lewis is one of the most loudmouth players in the league. Such as like last year with the Santonio Holmes questionable touchdown. I don’t care what you think, really, same goes for you Terrell Suggs. His comment about the league turning into two hand touch is atrocious. I don’t care how right he is, act like a real man not like a child put in timeout. Make it to the playoffs and prove it again there if you’re lucky enough. What you guys should be complaining about is Mark Clayton’s drop.

Glaring Stat: Former Bronco Trevor Pyrce is in his 13th season, but the man has 3 sacks on the year.

10. Chicago Bears (3-1)

No bias or anything but I wish this team was lower, much lower.  Also if I hear one more time that Jay Cutler pulled a John Elway, I’m gonna Ray Lewis someone. It was not a Super Bowl!

In all seriousness the Bears could seriously contend for a playoff spot this year. Jay Cutler has recovered from his week one debacle by not trying to win the game on his own. The Chicago defense is playing will without Brian Urlacher but their depth is still very poor. If a player such as Adewale Ogunleye gets hurt they’d be in some real trouble.

Glaring Stat: Matt Forte more than doubled his season rushing total against Detroit. Before he had 95 yards on the year, he had 121 on Sunday.

San Fran above Denver again? Like I said last week, San Fran forces you to pass on them and right now Kyle Orton isn’t ready to win games himself… yet… hopefully.

Top 5 spot for Denver in Associated Content’s Zac Wassink’s rankings.

Coach of the Week

Josh McDaniels – Josh McDaniels has officially pimp slapped the mainstream media. If McDaniels’ only remaining wins are against the Chiefs twice, the Redskins, and the Raiders, he’ll go 8-8. Meaning he’ll still have never had a loosing season, and he’d have more more than double of the games most analysts picked. If McDaniels manages to beat the Chargers and a couple teams besides that Denver could be looking at 10-6 or 11-5.

Rookie of the Week

Mohamed Massaquoi – After only have two receptions all year, he grabbed eight receptions for 148 yards.

Offensive Player of the Week

Brett Favre – Sigh… it pains me, but it’s true. Anytime you’ve finally beaten every team in the NFL and debacle your old team in the same game you deserve a little credit.

Defensive Player of the Week

Darren Sharper and Jared Allen – Sharper proved to everyone this week that age means nothing to him. Allen proved that you need to triple team him or he’ll do his sweaty rock star fist pump sack celebration every time.

Rookie of the Year Watch

1. Mark Sanchez – You’ll have more games like that in your career Sanchez, get used to it.

2. Percy Harvin – Last night I think it was John Gruden who said “Percy Harvin likes to hit a guy.” I flashed back to high school when he actually did so in basketball game thus forfeiting his athletic eligibility for the rest of the year. This guy is a playmaker though, he’ll have many more touch downs before the year is over.

3. Knowshon Moreno – He’s getting better and better every week. Moreno is great at every facet of the game, may it be rushing, catching, or blocking. He leads all rookies in rush yards as well.

4. Johnny Knox – His return was amazing, also against a terrible special teams unit, but amazing nonetheless. If Knox stays healthy expect more plays like that out of the speedster.

5. Matt Stafford – This really depends on how healthy is right now. Stafford has been the architect  several 70+ yard drives, including a 99 yard drive to win the Lion’s first game since 2007.

Defensive Player of the Year Watch

1. Elvis Dumervil – I may be a little biased with this pick but I don’t care. Right I believe he deserves it more than any other defensive player out there.

2. Antwan Odom – Last year not many people knew his name and now coaches plan games around him.

3. Darren Sharper – Already five picks on the year? Two more to the house and he ties Hall of Famer Rod Woodson’s record.

4. Darrelle Revis – Darrelle Revis continues to shut down everyone he goes against.

Offensive Player of the Year Watch

1. Peyton Manning – I know it sounds extremely cliche but look at what he’s working with. Manning usually has little to no time with the ball and he scores touchdowns with rookies like Pierre Garcon and Donald Brown. Keep in mind that Manning also has a new coach in Jim Caldwell and at the age of 34 he still hasn’t lost a step.

2. Eli Manning – All offseason analysts questioned the Giant’s passing offense and none of them out there would have guessed the passing offense would trump the run game. Yes the defense is good, but they’re also banged up missing Tuck, Phillips, and Canty. Just like his older brother Eli has turned wideouts like Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Niks into stars.

3. Drew Brees – He hasn’t done much in the last two games, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Don’t think before the year is over he won’t have another multiple touchdown 500+ yard game.

4. Joe Flacco – Without Flacco the offense would struggle to put up 14 points (see the Kyle Boller and Steve McNair years). Had  Mark Clayton not dropped that pass Baltimore could be 4-0 right now.

5. Adrian Peterson – Starting to slip a little, but I don’t think that will last for long.

Coach of the Year Watch

1. Josh McDaniels (4-0) – Seriously, Josh McDaniels doesn’t care what you think. McDaniels was left with a bad hand defensively and now look at it. Obviously Mike Nolan has a huge part in it, but you’d be hard pressed to prove to me that Steve Spagnuolo would have coached a team that has allowed only 26 points so far, tallied 15 sacks, 8 forced fumbles, and 6 interceptions (all by different players).

2. Sean Payton (4 -0) – Offense and defense, you can thank this man. Payton pulled in Darren Sharper as well as defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

3. Mike Singletary (3-1) – Possibly one of the scariest head coaches ever. The man made his own mountain just to put his players in pain. This year they’re playing tougher and better than ever. Singletary didn’t have much going for him in terms of players and now San Fran looks like they could take the division. Who needs Michael Crabtree anyways?

4. Rex Ryan (3-1) – Rex dropped hard in my rankings only because I really think all of the above coaches deserve it more. Unless Rex sweeps the NFC East en route to the home field advantage for the playoffs.

What do you think Nation? Any more deserving teams in the Tentative Ten? Air it out!

1. New York Giants

What a defensive line. Chris Canty is injured too. Losing Justin Tuck for the game definitely hurt them but he’ll be back.  The secondary is much better than I thought it would be at four picks so far, Cory Webster is doing great especially while Aaron Ross is hurt. Safety Kenny Phillips is really blossoming as well. Their Blitzing will kill them at times causing them to give up big plays. Their defense is such an anomaly, stout at times but they tend to give up the big play allowing 6.7 yards a rush.

Eli Manning is looking like his brother with the help of the young Mario Manningham and the emerging Steve Smith. They’re passing attack should be even more dangerous when Hakeem Nicks returns. The running game is still there, Brandon Jacobs will eat your family and Ahmad Bradshaw is a great change of pace back. The offense rules that clock averaging 35:28 minutes for T.O.P. The key to this Giants team is let the other team shoot itself in the thigh foot instead of your own. Manning is consistent and the defense has already scored two defensive touchdowns.

Glaring Stat: Everyone was questioning the Giant’s passing personnel while hailing the running game at beginning of the season. Now they average 8.7 yards a pass and only 3.5 yards a rush.

2. New Orleans Saints

Two words, Drew Brees. Wow. If I was a young quarterback in the league (hell, any QB in the league) I would worship study his film last season and this one as well. Brees is averaging 9.8 yards a pass, that is amazing. Brees will also benefit by having Mike Bell (remember him?) run the ball effectively and Reggie Bush is an expensive great change of pace back.

The defense has played well.  The run defense has been very good, this is because most teams are relying on the pass in an attempt to catch up. However their pass defense has stood on it’s on two feet allowing 6.7 yards a pass and nabbing six interceptions. Keep your eye on Malcolm Jenkins, he is a beast of a special teams player.

Glaring Stat: New Orleans has completed 15/26 (57.7%) of their third downs while their opponents have completed 10/30 (30%).

3. Baltimore Ravens

Offense and defense now? The offense ranks second in points and third and yards (that’s what consistency is 2008 Broncos). The defense isn’t as dominant as it has in the past, playing in two straight shootouts in a row. Though Ray Lewis still knows how to kill a man, just ask Darren Sproles. Their run defense is still performing at an elite level only allowing 82 yards, averaging 2.2 yards a carry in their first two games. LaDanian Tomlinson looked like someone ate his lunch on the sideline. However, the secondary has allowed 580 yards through the air, averaging 8.9 yards a pass.

Joe Flacco is quickly becoming the face of the franchise and Willis McGahee might just have a career year. Ray Rice is really disappointing all of his fantasy owners, but Baltimore ranks fourth in rushing yards.

Glaring Stat: The Ravens have completed 14/28 (50%) of their third down, while their opponents have only completed 9/16 (34.6%). This mainly due to Kansas completing 2/10 third downs.

4. Falcons

Matt Ryan is looking amazing, and now he has Roddy White, Michael Turner, and Tony Gonzalez. I know every AFC ‘Wester’ outside of the Chiefs are happy that he’s gone. John Abraham is providing a great pass rush helping the team tally five sacks already, but the loss of rookie DL Peria Jerry will hurt their depth on the line. Linebacker Mike Peterson has forced a fumble in each game played.

Glaring Stat: The stat that rears its ugly head is that the defense has allowed 240 rushing yards already for an average of 5.1 yards a carry. Back to the drawing board Mike Smith.

5. Minnesota Vikings

Adrian Peterson has put his name for MVP consideration. Brett Favre doesn’t really have to do all that much out there now but when he does Percy Harvin makes it easier. If it wasn’t for Peterson the offense would struggle beyond belief seeing how they’ve only converted eight first downs.

The defense is playing at an extremely effective level. The have a great turnover differential of +4, being three picks and a fumble forced by Jared Allen.

Glaring Stat: Extremely balanced team offensively and defensively. Offense averages 5.4 yards a carry, defense allows 4.o, offense averages 5.6 yards a pass, defense allows 5.5 yards a pass.

6. New York Jets

The defense is the glue that holds this team together. Mark Sanchez is turning into a fine young quarterback but should be thankful for running backs like Thomas Jones and Leon Washington. The offense isn’t anything special but it gets the job done and at an average of 33:58 of T.O.P they give the defense enough rest keep performing.

Glaring Stat: The Jets have gotten to the quarterback two times so far. Expect this to change when Calvin Pace comes back from his suspension.

7. Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning hasn’t lost a step,  Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark have already had huge games which have ensured Indianapolis the win. The running game is very lack luster, they need Donald Brown to earn his keep. This T.O.P game they’ve been playing is amazing… amazing that they’re 2-0 at 24:24 minutes average a game. Peyton can’t continue to pull miracles, the run game needs to be established.

Dwight Freeney (two of the team’s three sacks) is still a monster at the pass rush which really helps their secondary. The main problem with the defense is that they can’t keep the offense off the field past third down. If they don’t step it up on third down then the offense can’t do what it does best… let Peyton Manning throw the ball.

Glaring Stat: The Colts defense has not earned their keep on third down, allowing 21/36 (58.3%) conversions.

8. San Fransisco 49ers

Mike Singletary seems to know what he’s doing. Singletary is also a very scary man, making Vernon Davis and Michael ‘I’m so greedy’ Crabtree cry. It’s as if the players their hearts out because they know the fury that awaits them on the sideline. When Frank Gore is healthy he is one of the best running backs in the league and he will make Shaun Hill’s life a whole lot easier.

The defense is the heart of the team. Patrick Willis just hurts people, plain and simple. Their run defense is one of the best only allowing 106 yards so far. If the 49ers continue playing with this tenacity then they will stomp all over their division and in turn put Singletary as a strong candidate for coach of the year.

Glaring Stat: Patrick Willis says “Get off the field!” If you’ve played the 49ers this season then third down usually means your time is up. Only eight times has the defense allowed a third down conversion 8/28 (28.5%). The percentage as low as it is isn’t even the impressive part. Yes the Ravens have only allowed nine but out of 16, not 28.

What the 49ers don’t have that the Ravens do is an offense. The 49ers offense will put the defense back on the field but then three plays later the offense is right back out for another chance. Due to the defense the T.O.P is 33:04 minutes average a game.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

Their defense really struggled without Troy Polamalu, if he’s not out there they don’t have a chance at make a deep post season run. Fortunately for them he should be out in a few weeks. I don’t like ranking a team higher than a team that just beat them but Jeff Reid really screwed the pooch for the Steelers.

It’s obvious that Ben Roethlisberger has no time in the pocket. I wasn’t really expecting the Steelers to draft an offensive linemen for him due to being last in the first round, and the fact that they nearly always take the best possible player regardless of the position. Unless Big Ben starts getting adequate protection upfront I don’t expect seeing the Steelers come February again. Also, expect to see Willie Parker released at the end of the season, he is way to expensive to keep when Rashard Mendenhall is starting to become effective.

Glaring Stat: The Steelers are usually a team that is on the positive side of the turnover differential but without Polamalu they stand at negative three.

10. Dallas Cowboys

So what if they lost to the Giants? It was a very close and amazing game. Tony Romo struggled but it just gives more reason why he’s not one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. The main problem with this team is the coaching, Wade Phillips is highly incompetent and is wasting the fresh talent on the team. Example one,  Felix Jones. Jones was one of the three backs out of Arkansas last year and probably the best. If it wasn’t for an injury he would of had a much more explosive year than he already did. If I was Wade I would try as hard as I can to get the ball in his hands in any way possible.

What the hell is wrong with the defense? Is Wade aware that he has the best 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL on his team? DeMarcus Ware has yet to register a sack after a 20 sack year. They lost Chris Canty but Igor Olshansky is just as efficient. I don’t expect Dallas to stay up in the top 10 for long. Wade will mess this up and Jerry Jones will send him off at the end of the season. Expect Mike Shanahan to get a call shortly after that happens.

Glaring Stat: Not only has DeMarcus Ware not registered a sack, no one on the entire defense has either.

San Fran above Steelers? 2-0 vs. 1-1. Like I said without Troy Polamalu  the Steelers secondary would have a hard team containing a beast like Vernon Davis and ‘Mr. Consistency’ Issac Bruce. Right now I believe that would be a great game to watch.

Where’s Denver?

15-18. Denver Broncos

If I had to put a number on it I’d say anywhere between 15-18. There are a lot of naysayers out there but the next two games are vital for the team’s confidence going into that brutal stretch. The defense is starting to build and it needs to continue. Moving Elvis Dumervil around was a genius idea by Mike Nolan or whoever instituted it. Nolan has been called a creative defensive coordinator, he needs to keep that up to succeed.

The key to the offense is the Correll Buckhaulter and Knowshon Moreno tandem. If Kyle Orton plays like he did in the last half of the Browns game and keeps minimizing turnovers it could go a long way in having improving the lack luster T.O.P which is averages 29:38 over the past two games. The AFC West is Denver’s to loose, let’s just Josh McDaniels knows what he’s doing.

Glaring Stat: Third down isn’t scary anymore! Denver has only allowed 8/29 conversions (27.5%). Also Denver has been great against the run allowing 2.9 yards a carry.

What do you think Nation? Any more deserving teams in the Tentative Ten? Air it out!

Donte Winter lays Laveranues Colees out during a play in the first quarter of the Buffalo Bills/New York Jets game (Ray Stubblebine- Reuters)

Week 16, while week 15 didn’t turn out quite like the Broncos had hoped, it didn’t turn out at all like the Buffalo Bills would have liked. They’re knocked out- like Denver, if they were to lose their next two and the San Diego Chargers were to win their next two. They’re playing like a team full of Girl Scouts suffering from the recession- vindictive, their only goal in life, at this point, is to make sure that the Denver Broncos do not make the playoffs. Keep in mind that they nearly beat Broncos in the first game last season. There are more than a few things worth mentioning: the Bills starting quarterback J.P. Losman is now their third-string quarterback, after throwing three interceptions against the New York Jets the team feels that Losman should be negated to third-string duty. Quarterback Trent Edwards will most likely get the start against Denver, even though he was listed as, ‘Limited Participation,’ in the Wednesday practice.

MATCH UPS:

Marshawn Lynch vs. Denver Front Four/Middle Three – Lynch took little time introducing himself to the NFL last season while playing in week one against the Broncos. Wouldn’t expect this game to be any different, Denver hasn’t really been able to stop anyone for an entire game this season. Denver had a lot of success running the quote, unquote 4-4 defense last week (save one giant run up the right side, yep, that right side). Marquand Manuel got caught way out of position or that big run would have been relatively harmless. I don’t know if we see Wesley Woodyard at safety again though, this week. It might help, but Lynch has already topped the 1,000-yard mark and looks to continue carrying the team on his back against Denver.

Lee Evans vs. Josh Bell – At this point, you’d probably think that Dre Bly would be covering Evans, but last week against the Carolina Panthers, Bell matched up with Steve Smith an awful lot. So I’m guessing that it will be more of the same with the Bills. Possibly, because Bly is particular to covering a certain side, the offense knows this and sticks their best receiver on the other side when Champ Bailey’s not around (and I’m not falling for him playing again, until the playoffs). So here we have Evans, only a few yards shy of 1,000 and an undrafted rookie in Bell. “I like this kid,” and he will do well against Evans, but with the Bills only playing spoiler at this point, Bell will need to be a spoiler himself and ekeep Evans from hitting the milli mark.

Terrence McGee vs. Brandon Marshall/Eddie Royal – The Bills defense hasn’t been the best team, but McGee has been the shining star that has kept them from being the worst team. Like the Bills, McGee isn’t the best in the league, but he’s the best on the team and he’ll be the one chasing around Marshall as he hopefully gets over doing his Braylon Edwards impression and gets back on track to nabbing 100-balls this season. Marshall only needs 11-receptions in the final two games to hit 100, what I’m more interested in though is the old Marshall… Remember last season, Marshall would just toss him the ball and the yards aftere catch would just come rolling in? The longest pass Marshall has caught this season is 47-yards. Young Royal has a shot at catching a thousand yards this season (he’s sitting at 847 right now).

Paul Posluszny vs. Denver’s rushing backfield- Marshawn Lynch wasn’t the only Bill to debut against the Broncos last season, “Poz” busted into the league last season against Denver with ten tackles. Named the starting middle linebacker just one week before the 2007 season, had an incredible go and then went down in week three against the Patriots for the rest of thee season. This season he’s picked up right where he left off and has 96 going into this game. Hopefully he can add ten or so more to that, as that means that Denver will be averaging five-years plus.

KEYS:

(AP Photo)

The Bills special teams plays for keeps-
The Bills special teams is no joke and they can kill a team. Similar to the late season game to the Chicago Bears in 2007, that killed the Broncos playoff hopes, here comes the Bills. There hasn’t been much talk this week about the Bills special teams, they are monstrous though and they will kill the Broncos like it’s 2007 if they go unchecked.

Keep it down Cutler-
Every player on the Bills defense is liable to catch an interception, as New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre found out the hard way last Sunday. However, the team is also ranked 23rd in the league in pass defense, it’s time for Cutler to turn on the invincible juice and let ‘er fly.

Eddie Royal’s gotta step it up-
Fact is the Broncos drafted Royal over DeSean Jackson because they thought that Royal would be a better threat at punt/kick returns. Royal surprised everyone- during training camp, preseason and then into the regular season- as a receiver. Yes, he’s still a rookie, but he’s also a player that’s nearly sixteen games into his career, there are hopefully many more, but to get past seventeen games this season Royal’s got to kick it up a notch as a returner and receiver… Especially as a returner.

What do you think Nation? What else should we be looking into this game? Worried about Buffalo, going to have your eyes glued on the San Diego/Tampa game?

Oh! And episode two of the Broncos Nation Podcast is up, Asian Orange and I had a blast this week, we went a little long, but if you have a chance check it out. There’s some answers to the Mike Shanahan article in there (towards the end) and whether or not Jay Cutler deserves MVP mentions. It’s also available on iTunes, if you want to just add it onto your iPod. Lots of love everyone and thanks for checking out the show! Hopefully one of these weeks we can sync schedules with a certain writer here and have him join us.

Stream the new podcast here:

Steve Smith single-handedly destroyed the Denver Broncos. (Photo courtesy Getty Images).

Going into the game not knowing whether or not they had clinched the AFC West did not turn out to matter for the Denver Broncos. It wasn’t Smash and Dash so much as just smash. A Champ Bailey-less Broncos proved that for every two-steps forward, there may be three steps back. With the return of D.J. Williams Denver’s defense still couldn’t promote much of a pass rush on an underwhelming Carolina Panthers passing attack.

Carolina’s wide receiver Steve Smith went on to catch 165-yards on nine receptions for one touchdown. Covered predominantly by Dre Bly, Smith proved that Denver was miles from home. With no pass-rush, Carolina’s Jake Delhomme dictated the game as Denver defense handed yet another mediocre quarterback a career game.

Late, during garbage time the Broncos did seem to develop a running game, trading hand-offs between P.J. Pope (seven runs for 51-yards) and Tatum Bell (seven runs for 43-yards), but it was too little, too late. Jay Cutler finished atrociously, coming off of his Player of the Week performance against Kansas City to finish 21/33 for 172-yards one touchdown and one interception. Brandon Marshall wasn’t much help with five catches for 48-yards despite 14 targets.

During the game the San Diego Chargers went on to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. With the Denver loss to Carolina the Broncos must win against the Buffalo Bills next Sunday to win the division.

DeAngelo Williams leaves Ronde Barber eating turf on Monday Night Football.

Week 15, the Denver Broncos (the third-best team in the AFC), on the cusp of a playoff berth, face the second-best team in the NFC; the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, who had a narrow win over the San Diego Chargers in Week One a blow out loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a slaying defeat over the Oakland Raiders and a major defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons played a game against the Buccaneers that got ugly as they turned up the notch late in the fourth quarter Monday night.

A lethal DeAngelo Williams/Jonathan Stewart/Steve Smith combo turned out to be too much for the Bucs as the Panthers claimed the number two spot in the NFC Playoff Picture.

The thing that I’ve learned about the Carolina Panthers, as I’ve scouted them over the last fifteen-weeks is that they aren’t quite the defense that you’d expect. However, where they suffer worst is at rushing defense- the Broncos aren’t expected to have much of a rushing offense to put up against their 19th ranked defense come Sunday.

There are quite a few interesting match-ups this Sunday including:

• Julius Peppers vs. Ryan Clady
  Clady has given up .5 sacks to the best of the best this season and just after the Pro Bowl voting is turned in he will face one of the best pass rushers the NFC has to offer. If Clady can hold Peppers to nil, then Clady can fore-go an All-Pro season and simply be content with the fact that he faced the best that the NFL had to offer and shut them all down.
• Steve Smith vs. Champ Bailey
  It concerns me to see Bailey match against Smith, merely for the fact that I’d like to see Bailey as part of the Broncos plans for the post-season. Bailey has a history of getting injured while shutting down the best-of- the-best as far as NFL receivers go. However, I’d love, love, love to see a Bailey interception before the post-season begins.
• Jay Cutler vs. the Carolina secondary/Defensive rush
  The Carolina secondary isn’t the greatest in the NFL, but the team as a whole is the second greatest team the NFC currently has to offer. With the playoffs coming up very soon, it’ll be nice to receive a reality check and see how Cutler can stay composed against one of the best pass rushes in the NFL.
• DeAngelo Williams/Jonathen Stewart vs. D.J. Williams, Nate Webster and Jamie Winborn (or Wesley Woodyard)
  There are few one-two combos better than the Williams/Stewart in the NFL. Who knows, the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to defeat Denver this season… Williams, Webster and Winborn are Denver’s starting linebacking corps going into the playoffs- they won’t face a better duo than they will here at Carolina.
• Muhsin Muhammad vs. Dre Bly
  Is Bly legit? Is Denver going to go with the one-on-one that I’ve been begging for in their secondary- allowing Bailey and Bly to go man-up on their receivers and following the rest up with the new Tampa-2? Bly holds the key here, he can get in Muhammad’s head early and often.

Here are the keys for Denver (after the jump):

Focused on Football? Carolina Panthers Steve Smith and Will Smith at the "Seven Pounds" premiere.

Shut off the right side
Denver must be able to cap-off the right side- the Panthers make their huge runs off their right side and the Broncos give up huge running plays on defense on that same right side. Jarvis Moss has been seen on this side as is the strong side linebacker who most likely will be a combination of Jamie Winborn and (possibly) Wesley Woodyard.

Shut off the edges all together
If Denver can seal off the edges the Panthers will be screwed, they only have huge rushes off the edges. Forced to run inside, they’ll take their chances dealing with that kamikaze Nate Webster who’s looking to fly solo on playing time (with Mario Haggan & Spencer Larsen out with an injuries). Also in the middle is the rookie Josh Barrett, who is scheduled to only improve at safety.

Carolina’s defense is Denver’s with better players
Denver can anticipate the same formations that they saw against themselves in training camp. The bunched linebackers, the Tampa-2, the Panthers won’t play anything different. They’ve got a bruiser in Julius Peppers though and he’s not likely to be impressed with rookie phenom Ryan Clady.

Carolina’s the It team; Denver’s got nothing to lose
When the Panther’s beat the Buccaneers, I felt like calling my friends in Tampa and letting them know, don’t worry, we’ve got the next one. Even amongst their own fans the Broncos don’t get the respect that they deserve- Cutler this season has had a game where he has thrown for more yards (447) than John Elway ever did in his career. He’s also, as I predicted in July, on par to have a better season than Elway ever had.  The Broncos offense is one of the best and most potent offenses that I’ve ever seen fielded in Denver and there’s not a single reason to think that they don’t stand a chance against Carolina.

Kyle said it very well yesterday; when I began drafting this scouting report, I could see this is a game very similar to the game against the New York Jets, a team coming off a big win and not focusing on the task at hand. The Carolina Panthers have never beat the Denver Broncos, but just because the media is over looking the game, that doesn’t mean the Panthers aren’t. Since the Broncos beat the San Diego Chargers in Week 2 and then the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, this game against the Panthers has been the remaining statement game for the Broncos. The cards just weigh more now.

If you haven’t already, check out last week’s podcast (featuring myself and BCMB’s AsianOrange) below and check back Monday for the new Broncos Nation Podcast. We may even be able to squeeze in a special guest this week, who knows.

Bordem at its finest. Source: Static.Flickr.com

Every mid-week several fans of the Bronco Nation find themselves aching for some news. Have you ever opened up your browser and wanted something to surf but you’ve already read every word NFL.com, Bronco Talk, Mile High Report, ESPN, Walter Football, and Pro Football Talk has had to say? And all you want to hear is how awesome Wesley Woodyard is for an undrafted rookie and that Denver deserves to be higher in the power rankings than they currently are. I know this pain, for I feel it too.

So here this article is… a beacon of hope in the midst of the old, stale, used up, non-Denver biased ones. For here you will find praises sung of glorious men such as Brandon Marshall and Ryan Clady. Also you’ll read the criticism of derelicts such as Al Davis. Including Walter Football’s extremely awesome mock draft.

If you’re in the midst of class, work, or just plain bored inside this article is a checklist of things for you to do to pass the time. The feedback you submit won’t go unread or unappreciated like those other websites leave you feeling. Here Bronco fans you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.

God bless the Internet and God bless the Broncos!

The Checklist Begins

1. Stop! Vote for Ryan Clady! Then Vote for Cutler!

Seriously! Cutler has the chance to win back to back Fed Ex Air Player of the Week awards. Ryan Clady has the chance to be the fourth Bronco andthe second Bronco rookie in a row to win the Diet Pepsi Rookie of the Week award. You can vote over and over again, it’s the beauty and the beast of NFL.com.

Many Denver fans are sick and tired of the media covering the mainstream teams (i.e. Jets, Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Cowboys). If Cutler and Clady win these awards we don’t give them any other chance but to discuss their greatness. They even make a sweet video of the winner and then talk about how awesome they are for about 15-30 seconds before predicting that Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco will be next rookie of the week.

2. Gearing Up for Carolina

Playing Carolina scares me, mainly because we just need this one more game. DeAngelo Williams (Dash) and Jonathon Stewart (Smash) also give me another reason. Both of these Carolina backs rushed for 186 and 115 respectively and with two TDs a piece on Tampa Bay’s monster D. We really need to step up our run game this week because that wasn’t the first time both of those backs went for over 100 a piece in one game.

Dash Williams has rushed for over 100 yards in his last 5 of 6 games, averaging 5.4 yards a carry, and has scored a touchdown in his last six games totaling 11 during that streak.

Smash Stewart is almost equally as impressive with 699 yards averaging 4.9 yards a carry in his ongoing rookie season. This upcoming Sunday Denver needs to be prepared for this deadly tandem. 

Let us not forget though that we also held Michael Turner to under 100 yards and won considerably with Thomas Jones running free totaling 138 yards averaging 8.4 yards on only 16 carries.

If D.J. Williams is able to come back this game the Denver defense is extremely fortunate. Don’t get me wrong I love Wesley Woodyard but I this is one daunting task for a rookie. However, Kyle has proposed an alternative that is quite interesting… putting D.J. in the middle and keeping Woodyard at weakside. I am pretty sick of Nate Webster and would love some change because we’ll need a run stuffer at MIKE and a quick SAM and WILL, especially if we want to contain the Carolina run game.

Champ Bailey’s presence will definitely be needed (but when isn’t it?) to contain the explosive Steve Smith. Smith is coming off a three game streak of 168, 105, and 117 yards against Atlanta, Green Bay, and Tampa Bay respectively and he is averaging 17.6 yards a catch. In case you also forgot Smith was suspended for the first 2 games of the season and still has 1,075 yards in 11 games. We all praise Brandon Marshall for going over 1,000 yards already even though he missed week one, but it’s crazy to think that Smith did more in one fewer game. Josh Bell has been amazing fill in for an undrafted rookie but he’s too young and inexperienced to take on Steve Smith.

3. Laugh at Vic Carucci’s Power Rankings

If you have a strong disdain for the mainstream media then Vic Carucci of NFL.com posted Week 14 power rankings that won’t help you think happy thoughts anytime soon. Even though the Broncos have beaten numbers 5, 6, 10, and11 they still do not crack the top 12. I can understand due to the tipsy-turveyseason. What I cannot understand is why the Dallas Cowboys are ranked at four, the Steelers at two instead of the Titans, and the Cardinals at eight. It helps me sleep better at night if I think the reason why mainstream writers like Carucci make choices like this is because they are afraid of venturing out on risky decisions, so they stay safe with the popular teams they know.

What can you really expect from Mr. Carucci? After all he is the same man who wrote the article Super Bowl prediction: Five reasons why Patriots will win, with my favorite part being:

I expect the Patriots to write the final chapter of this incredible season with a blowout win. Final score: Pats 42, Giants 10.

Man… sometimes I wonder how much these guys actually get paid to spew out junk like that.

4. Visit Walter Football’s Mock Draft

Is it ever too soon to look at a mock draft? Naaahhhh! This one addresses our need in the middle by hypothetically selecting James Laurinaitis from Ohio State. If you have ever seen an Ohio State game you’ll know that this man is a beast, if not click on his name and you’ll see his highlights. This mock draft even contains a second round as well as a third. In those rounds they have us take a defensive tackle and linebacker respectively. Also, for all of you who love to laugh at loony old Al Davis this mock draft does a great job making fun of him. Just take a gander at what he says about him for the Raider picks.

“Meanwhile, we all know that Taylor Mays is going to run a sick 40. One can only imagine Undead Al’s thought process upon seeing this:

“Wow, that large kid just ran a 4.39! He’s going to be the greatest player of all time even though I don’t know his name! I must draft him, but first I must take some virgin blood to extend my lifespan and then forge some documents so I can fire my coach without paying him!”

Hey, don’t question the scouting methods of the Undead. “

5. Jay Culter and Mike Shanahan on LiveWire

It’s no secret that Shanahan has grown quite fond of number six. NFL.com posted a great video that shows the importance Shanahan’s relationship with his quarterback.

6. Bronco Players Dominating the League in Stats

It’s been quite some time since a Bronco fan could go to NFL.com and look at the season leaders and find more than one Bronco dominating their category.

1. Jay Cutler: 3,679 passing yds - 3rd in NFL and 1st in AFC
2. Brandon Marshall: 1,033 receiving yds – 7th in NFL and 2nd in AFC
3. Eddie Royal: 799 receiving yds, 69 receptions, 5 receiving TDs - 1st Rookies
4. Denver Passing: 280.5 yds p/gm – 3rd in NFL and 1st in AFC
5. Denver Total Offense: 393.5 yds p/gm – 2nd in NFL and 1st in AFC

The fight for the AFC is still up in the air regardless of what the mainstream media says. Therefore you can’t count Denver out because they have the number one QB, offense, passing game, rookie WR, and 2nd best WR in the AFC. Denver needs to pull a 2006 Super Bowl winning Colts and hope their defensive steps up at the right time. Hmmm… that sounds like a good idea for another article… stay tuned.

Denver fans, I hope all of this have quenched your thirst of Denver knowledge… stay stuned for a future articles including the 08 Broncos vs. 06 Colts and Weekly Mayhem.