Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and rookie linebacker Von Miller have both been nominated for weekly awards on NFL.com.  Miller has been nominated for Rookie of the Week and Tebow has been nominated for the GMC Never Say Never award for their respective performances in Week Seven.

Miller recorded five tackles — two for a loss and one sack — in the Broncos’ 18-15 overtime victory over the Miami Dolphins.  Miller needs every vote he can get because he is up against Dallas’ DeMarco Murray (who rushed for over 250 yards) and Carolina’s Cam Newton (who seems to be a shoe-in for the Rookie of the Year award).

This is the first time this season Miller has been nominated for ROW, despite the fact that he leads all rookies in sacks.  Tebow was nominated for the award several times in 2010, as was Knowshon Moreno in 2009.

Tebow led the Broncos late-game rally over the Dolphins after a lackluster performance in the first 55 minutes of the game.  Erasing a 15-point deficit, Tebow directed two touchdown drives and scored the tying two-point conversion to force overtime. Denver emerged victorious in the extra period, as kicker Matt Prater‘s 52-yard field goal beat the Miami Dolphins, 18-15.

Also up for the GMC award this week are receivers Plaxico Burress and Mike Wallace, of the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers respectively.  Though they played well, it seems unlikely that either receiver will be able to compete with Tebowmania.

You can vote for Miller at NFL.com/Rookies and for Tebow at NFL.com/GMC.

Broncos safety Brian Dawkins strikes fear into offensive players. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

As we all well know, Denver Broncos veteran safety Brian Dawkins likes to impersonate the comic book character Weapon X, the Wolverine, (thank you, Wesley Woodyard).

In the comics, the Wolverine is an indestructible super hero that never backs down.  Dawkins, at age thirty-eight, may have lost a step, but his productivity hasn’t slipped.

Over his past thirty-three games in Denver, Dawkins has recorded 209 tackles, four sacks, 19 passes defended, three interceptions and forced three fumbles.  On Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, Dawkins recorded five tackles and two sacks.  Take it away, Patrick Smyth:

• With his two sacks in Miami, Broncos safety Brian Dawkins joins Tampa Bay’s Ronde Barber as 1-of-2 players in NFL history to have recorded at least 25 sacks and 37 interceptions.

• Dawkins also became oldest defensive back (9th among all players) in NFL history with a multiple-sack game (38 years, 10 days).

Even at the age of 38, Dawkins has been the leader of the Broncos defense since the 2009 season.

It’s impossible to not love Dawkins.  I can’t think of a better guy for the Broncos young safeties to learn under.

When the Denver Broncos return home to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the team will be without starting running back Willis McGahee, who has a fractured hand.

McGahee will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a fractured fourth metacarpal in his right hand, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post.  McGahee would like to be back for the team’s Week Nine game in Oakland against the Raiders, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be back on the field by then.

The Broncos are hoping to have McGahee back in time for the team’s Week Ten match against the Kansas City Chiefs.  While McGahee is out, third year running back Knowshon Moreno will be the starter (fantasy football sleeper alert: If Moreno is available, pick him up).

Third year back Lance Ball should also see an increase in his workload, and it is expected that the team will activate Jeremiah Johnson off of the practice squad.

The team’s rushing attack just took a big hit.  McGahee was on pace to have well over 1,000 rushing yards this season.  Now is the time for Moreno to step up and shine.  Do you think he will? 

Rookie linebacker Von Miller takes down Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore (right) during the Broncos' overtime win on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011. (Photo courtesy of Bill Ingram/The Palm Beach Post)

On Sunday, Broncos rookie linebacker Von Miller became just the tenth rookie in NFL history to record six sacks through six games when he took down Miami’s Matt Moore to force a third and long situation and ultimately a punt.

The game marked Miller’s fifth consecutive game with at least one sack, which is the second-longest streak by a Broncos rookie.  In 1991, linebacker Mike Croel recorded sacks in six consecutive games as a rookie.  Miller is one game away from tying that franchise record.

This week, the Broncos will face the Detroit Lions.  Matthew Stafford, the Lions starting quarterback, has been sacked fourteen times this season.  Stafford left Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons with what appeared to be an ankle/knee injury.  Stafford’s status for Sunday’s game is still to be determined.

Miller leads all rookies in sacks this season and is on pace to record 60 tackles, sixteen sacks and five forced fumbles.  Sixteen sacks would be just one short of the franchise’s single season record of seventeen, which was set by Elvis Dumervil in 2009.

Speaking of the 2009 NFL Sack King, Dumervil has yet to record a sack this season.  To his credit, Dumervil has looked better against the run and owns a handful of quarterback hurries, but it would be nice to see him get a quarterback on the ground.

Dumervil has started four games this season and recorded five tackles.  With the emergence of Miller, perhaps Dumervil will get a shot to record his first sack of 2011 in the coming weeks.  A healthy and productive Dumervil, teamed up with Miller, would give the Broncos a formidable pass rush.

We’re witnessing history unfold.  Miller is going to be the cornerstone of Denver’s defense for years to come.

The Denver Post reports that McGahee had a cast on his hand after the game and is expected to see a hand specialist on Monday. (Photo courtesy of Doug Murray/Reuters)

On Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, Broncos starting running back Willis McGahee suffered a fractured hand.

“Willis McGahee left with a hand fracture,” said coach John Fox following the team’s victory Sunday evening.  McGahee had rushed 18 times for 76 yards before leaving the game.  It is not yet known if his injury will cause him to miss any playing time.

McGahee, before his fumble on Sunday, had been near flawless for the Broncos this season.  Starting in five games, McGahee has rushed 103 times for 460 yards and a touchdown.  McGahee has also caught 11 passes for 49 yards and another score.

If McGahee is not able to play against the Detroit Lions next week, expect third year running back Knowshon Moreno to get the start.  Relieving Moreno would be Lance Ball, who has run with authority when given opportunities this season.  In five games, Ball has rushed 15 times for 54 yards.

Fox will address the media at 12:15 p.m. (MT) this afternoon; any updates on McGahee are expected to come then.

In his last eleven games, Thomas has caught 25 passes for 310 yards and three touchdowns. (Photo courtesy of Eric Lars Bakke/Denver Broncos)

During a team scrimmage at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August of 2010, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow hit receiver and fellow rookie Demaryius Thomas on a beautiful fade route for a touchdown.

Witnessing the event live, I hoped it was a sign of things to come.

Just over a year later, the two former first round draft picks appear to have developed some rhythm.  Tebow targeted Thomas ten times on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, which resulted in three connections for 27 yards and a touchdown.

Many of Tebow’s passes were erratic ones, which partly explains why Thomas was thrown to ten times and only recorded three catches.  However, it was clear Thomas was Tebow’s go-to-guy and his accuracy got better as the game went on.

Thomas is available in 97.3% of Fantasy Football leagues on ESPN.com, and on Sunday scored eight points in standard scoring leagues.  As the season goes, Thomas’ numbers will most likely improve as he remains Tebow’s favorite target.

Thomas would be a nice pickup now if you are looking for a third receiver or if you just want to hold on to him and wait for him to get hot.  When he does get hot, Thomas will become a hot commodity in fantasy leagues.  Now is the time to claim him.

If Thomas can stay healthy, he has loads of potential.  I can see TT to DT becoming a great duo down the road.

Denver Broncos' quarterback Tim Tebow (15) looks on during the first half of their NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Miami, Florida October 23, 2011. (REUTERS/Doug Murray)

What coaches, players, and analysts are saying about Tim Tebow following the Denver Broncos‘ 18-15 comeback win Sunday.

“There’s competitive greatness. Without a doubt, not everybody that plays in this league, or any league has ‘it.’ It’s a great quality to have. We got a guy, No. 7 [John Elway], who I work with every day, he had ‘it.'”
— John Fox, via ESPN

“Down 15 points with all hope heading for the parking lot, what other quarterback in Broncos history could have made us believe the impossible was feasible? Nobody except No. 7.”
— Mark Kizla, The Denver Post

“It’s tough to say, but man, Timmy did a great job. Hopefully the critics will get off him about what he can’t do and talk about the things that he can do, and that’s figure out a way to win the game, no matter what.”
Dolphins center Mike Pouncey, who played with Tebow in Florida.

“To proclaim Tebow a success is to ignore 55 minutes in which he played as badly as Kyle Orton did in getting himself benched as the Broncos’ starting quarterback. … To write off Tebow as a failure is to ignore a five-minute endgame in which he displayed every attribute you can’t adequately judge in a quarterback: leadership, guile, guts, instinct and an innate feel for avoiding contact just long enough to keep alive a play for success.”
— Andrew Mason, MaxDenver.com

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater is held up by teammates after kicking a game winning field goal. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

The Denver Broncos (2-4) on Sunday became the first team since the 1970 NFL merger to win a game after trailing by 15 or more points with less than three minutes remaining when they defeated the Miami Dolphins (0-6) in overtime by a score of 18-to-15.

The game marked Denver’s 400th franchise regular season victory and quarterback Tim Tebow‘s second comeback win.  The Broncos will return home in Week Eight to take on the Detroit Lions (5-2) at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Sunday, October 30th.

Video highlights of the Broncos 18-15 win over the Dolphins can be seen below:

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow celebrates a 2-point conversion during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011, in Miami. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)

It all remarkably came together in the end.

For over three quarters Sunday, there weren’t enough critical phrases or four-letter words in the English language to describe the putridity that was the Denver Broncos offense. Tim Tebow was 3 for 10 passing. The offense was 0 for 9 in third down attempts, and Tebow had been sacked six times. Matt Prater had missed two field goals, and the Broncos were dangerously close to suffering their first shutout loss in nearly two decades.

But then Tebow and company pulled it together. With less than four minutes to play, down 15-0, Tebow took to the air, delivering two touchdown drives off two touchdown passes and forcing overtime. Then, on the third possession of overtime, D.J. Williams‘ strip-sack of Dolphins QB Matt Moore gave Prater an opportunity for 52-yard redemption, which he successfully converted. The Broncos won 18-15.

It was the second win of the Broncos’ 2-4 season, while the Dolphins moved to 0-6.

Did Tebow do enough in the game’s final minutes to give you confidence he should continue to start? What can the Broncos do to make sure they get that level of production from him for four quarters? We have a lot of topics to debate and discuss, Broncos fans, but soak up something we haven’t felt much of in the past two years: a Broncos win.

Tim Tebow make his first start of the 2011 season and will get honored at halftime for it… on the road. The Denver Broncos look for win #2 of the season while the Miami Dolphins search for win #1.

Broncos Inactives: Quarterback Brady Quinn, safety Rafael Bush, fullback Quinn Johnson, guard Manny Ramirez, tackle Tony Hills, tight end Julius Thomas and defensive end Derrick Harvey.

Dolphins Inactives: Safety Reshad Jones, running back Steve Slaton, linebacker Ikaika Alama-Francis, guard/center Ryan Cook, tight end Will Yeatman and defensive end Phillip Merling.

Kickoff is set for 11:00 a.m. MT. I may be running a few minutes late folks (sports bar opens right at kickoff), so bear with me and we’ll be game-blogging.