Denver Broncos: Week 15 State of the Franchise

Thanks as always to the Broncos PR department for this portion of the weekly press release. View the full release here (.pdf).

The Denver Broncos (8-5) and Oakland Raiders (4-9) face off for the 99th time in the regular season on Sunday at INVESCO Field at Mile High. Kickoff is set for 2:05 p.m. MST, and the game will be televised on CBS with Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker calling the action.

QUICKLY:

• The Broncos are coming off a 28-16 defeat at Indianapolis, which improved to 13-0 with its win. Denver scored 16 consecutive points and outgained the Colts 272-27 (net yards) during a stretch covering the middle of the second quarter through early in the fourth quarter to trim its deficit to 21-16 late in the game.
• After earning a 23-3 win at Oakland on Sept. 27, the Broncos can sweep their season series with the Raiders for the first time since 2006 and the 15th time in club annals with a victory on Sunday.
• Denver is 15-3 (.833) at home in December since 2000.

OFFENSE:

Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton (L) attempts a pass while Broncos offensive guard Chris Kuper (73) blocks Indianapolis Colts defensive end Robert Mathis during their NFL game in Indianapolis December 13, 2009. (REUTERS photo/Brent Smith)

• WR Brandon Marshall set an NFL record for most receptions in a game with 21 (200 yds., 2 TDs) last week at Indianapolis. Coupled with his 18-catch effort in 2008 vs. San Diego, he owns two of the top four single-game reception totals in NFL history. (Ed. Note: Marshall received the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance).
• With 2,904 passing yards, QB Kyle Orton is 96 yards away from becoming the seventh 3,000-yard quarterback in club history.
• RB Knowshon Moreno leads all NFL rookies in rushing yards (837), yards from scrimmage (946) and 10-yard runs (25). His six games with at least 80 rushing yards tie for the third most in Denver history by a rookie.

DEFENSE:

• The Broncos are the only AFC team and one of two in the NFL (Carolina) to post at least three takeaways in each of the last three weeks.
• OLB/DE Elvis Dumervil leads the NFL with 15 sacks and is looking to become the Broncos’ first-ever league sack champion. He is one sack away from Denver’s record for most sacks in a season (16, Simon Fletcher, 1992).
• S Brian Dawkins, who posted two interceptions last week at Indianapolis, needs eight tackles to record the seventh 100-tackle season of his 14-year NFL career.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

• K Matt Prater has made 11-of-12 field goal attempts since November for a 91.7 percent success rate that ranks fifth in the league during that time.
• Since signing veteran P Mitch Berger on Oct. 26, the Broncos’ net punting average has shown the second-best improvement (+4.8 yds. / 34.5 to 39.3) in the NFL.
• Eight Broncos have registered at least seven stops on coverage units.