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  There have been clear skies in Denver for most of the season. (Image courtesy of @Denver_Broncos)

  The Broncos game against the Chiefs this weekend will be broadcast on CBS across most of the country.  [the506.com]

• Weather Forecast for the game on Sunday is sunny with highs in the upper 40s.  [@SportsAuthorityField]

• If quarterback Tim Tebow​ is the most important player for the Broncos’ offense, running back Willis McGahee can’t be far behind on the list.  [Denver Post]

• You can read about my experience in Buffalo last weekend over at the Bronco Planet blog.  [Bronco Planet]

• The Broncos have been in this situation three times since 2008: 8-6 with a win needed to lock up the AFC West.  They finished 8-8 all three times.  This year, Denver is aiming to finish strong.  [Denver Post]

• On Sunday in Denver, two of the AFC’s top rushers — Von Miller and Kansas City’s Tamba Hali — will face off a month before playing as teammates in the NFL’s Annual All-Star Game in January.  [Broncos Zone]

• Here is a handy-dandy chart explaining the Week 17 AFC playoff seeding scenarios.  If the season ended today, the Broncos would play the Steelers in the first round of the playoffs.  [NFL.com]

• If the Broncos win this week against Kansas City, they’ll clinch the AFC West and their first post-season appearance since the 2005 season.  [Fact]

• Dolphins’ Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long has been placed on the team’s injured reserve list with torn right biceps, ending his season.  If Long is not able to play in the Pro Bowl (which is likely), Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady would take his place as a first alternate.  [Washington Post]

Buffalo Bills' Spencer Johnson (91) intercepts a pass by Denver Broncos' Tim Tebow (15) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. Johnson scored a touchdown on the play. The Bills won 40-14. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

Broncos second-year quarterback Tim Tebow had a rough game last Saturday in Buffalo.  In fact, Tebow probably wishes the game had never happened.

According to the NFL statisticians, one of Tebow’s four interceptions on Saturday never happened.  Rather, the play has correctly been ruled a fumble, per Mike Klis of the Denver Post.

Tebow was whacked from behind on the arm by Bills linebacker Chris Kelsay. The ball popped straight in the air and was nabbed by Spencer Larsen (sic) who ran it in for a touchdown.

After further review, the NFL stat men ruled the play should have been ruled a fumble.

When Klis refers to Broncos fullback Spencer Larsen, he was attempting to write Spencer Johnson — it’s a relief that I’m not the only typo-infested writer covering the Broncos.  Tebow now has 12 passing touchdowns on the season against five interceptions and a passer rating of 77.9.

Meanwhile, the Broncos held their last full-padded practice of the regular season on Wednesday.  Safety Brian Dawkins was held out of practice with a lingering neck injury, Quinton Carter fully participated and fellow defensive backs David Bruton and Chris Harris were limited.

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  Pass rushers Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller have combined for 21 sacks this season. (Image courtesy of Rick Wilking/Reuters)

  For the second time in three seasons, a trio of Broncos defensive players are headed to the Pro Bowl. Cornerback Champ Bailey, linebacker Von Miller and defensive end Elvis Dumervil will represent Denver in Hawaii next month.  [MaxDenver]

• Each level of the Broncos defense, which has played a big part in the team’s 7-3 record in its last 10 games, will be represented in Hawaii.  [DenverBroncos.com]

• For the past two and a half seasons, Kyle Orton was the Broncos starting quarterback.  On Sunday, he’ll be on the other side of the sideline.  [CBS Sports]

• Dumervil has been giving Miller advice on playing through a hand injury.  In 2008, a pinkie injury that forced Dumervil to wear a cast on his hand limited him to five sacks that season.  [Denver Post]

• If the Broncos consider themselves a team worthy of making the playoffs, they will have the chance to prove it Sunday when they host the Kansas City Chiefs, writes Mike Rice.  [Team’s Official Blog]

Dumervil will be making his second Pro Bowl appearance. (Via Exposay.com -- Image of Sport / PR Photos)

This January, at least three Denver Broncos will be playing for the AFC in the NFL’s Annual All-Star Game.  The rosters for the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl have been announced and cornerback Champ Bailey, defensive end Elvis Dumervil and outside linebacker Von Miller have been voted in by their fans and peers.

Bailey and Miller will be starters and Dumervil will serve as a “reserve.”  Two years ago, Dumervil recorded the only sack in the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl.  This year, Bailey will be playing in an NFL cornerback record eleventh Pro Bowl, which is tied for the third most all-time by any player.  Miller, a promising rookie, will be making his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Five Broncos have been announced as alternates.  If a player that has been selected to the Pro Bowl cannot play in the game (because he is playing in the Super Bowl, injured or simply chooses not to participate), the first alternate at his respective position will replace him.  If the first alternate cannot play, or if more than one starter at a certain position cannot play in the game, second and third alternates are called upon, and so forth.

Running back Willis McGahee, left tackle Ryan Clady and safety Brian Dawkins are first alternates; quarterback Tim Tebow, punter Britton Colquitt and kicker Matt Prater are second alternates.  Up to eight Broncos could be headed to Honolulu if the right circumstances fall into place. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

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  Miller hasn't recorded a sack since Week 14 of the season. (Image courtesy of Andrew Mason/MaxDenver.com)

  Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller is having a phenomenal season, but since his injury, his production has slipped.  Coach John Fox attributes the slip to the “big cast on his thumb.”  [ESPN]

• That was a relief to me, because I thought when I told Miller to have a good game on Saturday that I had jinxed him or something.  [TwitPic]

• Broncos running back Willis McGahee surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season against the Bills Saturday to become only the second player in league history to hit that benchmark with three different teams.  [First-And-Orange]

• Former Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton (now starting in Kansas City), will return to Denver on Sunday with the Chiefs.  Fox says he is looking at the game as the Broncos vs. Chiefs, not Orton vs. Tebow.  [Denver Post]

• If the season ended today, the Broncos would be the AFC’s 4th seed and play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the Wild Card.  The Broncos can clinch their division this week with a win or an Oakland Raiders loss (let’s hope for both).  [NFL.com]

Had San Diego not let him walk a few years ago, Drew Brees could still be playing in the AFC West. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

Last night on Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees broke Dan Marino‘s NFL passing record of 5,084 yards in a single season — a record which had stood for twenty-seven years.  After a nine-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles in the fourth quarter, Brees hit 5,087 yards on the season.

Brees and Sproles were teammates with the Chargers during the 2005 season, and Sproles was part of a three-headed backfield that included LaDainian Tomlinson, Sproles and Michael Turner.  All three backs have since found homes in new cities.

Contributing to the Jets, Saints and Falcons respectively, Tomlinson, Sproles and Turner have rushed for a combined 1,955 yards and 12 touchdowns this season — totaling 3,230 yards from scrimmage and scoring 20 total touchdowns.

As a team, the Chargers have rushed for 1,713 yards this season and 15 touchdowns.  Backs Ryan Matthews, Mike Tolbert and Jacob Hester have taken the places of Tomlinson, Turner and Sproles, but their productivity has not matched that of their predecessors.

Meanwhile, Brees’ successor in San Diego — Phillip Rivers — is having a poor season, throwing a career-high nineteen interceptions.  Rivers’ team has been eliminated from the playoffs.  Brees’ Saints appear to be one of the only teams capable of taking on the high-powered Packers in the NFC Playoffs, and could be bound for their second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons.

Tim Tebow #15 of the Denver Broncos looks to hand off to Lance Ball #35 at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 24, 2011 in Orchard Park, New York. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Quarterback Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos have thrived on big deficits in the fourth quarter in 2011. Down 14-26 with 12 minutes left in the game, it seemed time for the Mile High Miracle Man to go back to work.

There would be no Tebow/Christmas/Festivus Miracle for the Broncos this time. In fact, things only got worse.

Within minutes, Tebow threw two interceptions that were both returned for touchdowns. Later in the fourth quarter he threw another interception in the end zone, and the Buffalo Bills went on to thump the playoffs-chasing Broncos 40-14 in Week 16 NFL action.

The Broncos’ only impressive offensive drives took place at the beginning of both halves. Tebow and company executed a pair of beautiful touchdown drives in the first and third quarters. Other than that, they were negatively beset by poor blocking, horrendous playcalling, and costly turnovers.

Defensively, the Broncos played perhaps their worst game of the season. C.J. Spiller had a career day against Denver’s supposedly vaunted defense, and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was hardly touched by Denver’s pass rushing specialists. Special teams also had more than its share of struggles — when Bills returner Leodis McKelvin wasn’t running a punt back 80 yards for a touchdown, the Broncos were continually getting called for penalties on their coverage and return units.

For all the team wins the Broncos have enjoyed this season, this was truly a total team loss.

For Broncos fans, this late-season “collapse” feels all too familiar. It was only three years ago, in 2008, that the division-leading 8-6 Broncos played the lowly Bills in the second-to-last week of the season. Those Broncos lost then, too. They also lost the next week — and missed the playoffs. Those were the Broncos last games coached by Mike Shanahan and quarterbacked by Jay Cutler.

The good news is that the Broncos still control their own destiny — win, at home, against the Kansas City Chiefs next week, and they will win the AFC West. B

But after two mistake-filled losses, there are a lot of nervous fans in Broncos country.

All I want for Christmas is the AFC West… come chat about the game here! GO BRONCOS!!

Image courtesy of @D_Brut30 — click twice to view larger.

With two days until Christmas Eve Denver plays the Bills, the Broncos have gotten into the Christmas spirit.  On the flight to Buffalo this afternoon, the offense sported ugly Christmas sweaters, per 850 KOA.

As we all know, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.  For receiver Eric Decker, the best way to spread Christmas cheer is wearing Christmas gear for all to see.

Safety David Bruton topped everyone though by posting an image of several players (seen above to the right), quarterback Brady Quinn and kicker Matt Prater among them.  Per Bruton, the team’s flight is three and a half hours long.  And oh, his tie sings.

Saturday’s game will start at 1 p.m. (ET) and will be broadcast on CBS (map here).  CBS’s No. 1 crew of Jim Nantz (play-by-play) and Phil Simms (color commentary) will call the game.

A Broncos win this weekend plus an Oakland Raiders loss would clinch a playoff spot for the Broncos, and give them their first AFC West crown since the 2005 season.  A Division Title would be an excellent gift for Bronco fans, no doubt.

It’s pretty cool to see the Broncos getting all festive.  My family and I will be spending the weekend in Buffalo and attending the game; have a Merry Christmas, Broncos Country!

Did Sunday’s loss to the Patriots — the Broncos’ first loss since October — knock them out of the Top 10? Let’s find out… let us know where you’d rank the Broncos with a vote in the poll.

ESPN: 11th (9) The Broncos are not on par with the Patriots, but they still rank as the best of the AFC West and a playoff team.

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