Players and coaches wouldn't have to defend quarterback Kyle Orton if he would start playing better. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Three years ago, Pat Bowlen, the owner of our beloved Denver Broncos, fired former Head Coach Mike Shanahan to jump start the franchise in another direction. The club has certainly headed in another direction: straight down.

Since Josh McDaniels — another now former head coach — started out 6-0 in 2009, the Broncos have gone 6-20, fielded one of the worst defenses in the league and have had no rushing attack. All hope is not lost, however. Per Patrick Smyth:

A Week one loss doesn’t define a year; Fox’s Panthers also lost 23-20 in 2005 at home vs. a division rival and went on to go 11-5 and played for the NFC title.

Fox and the Broncos believe they can still salvage this season.  It’s high time they started walking the talk. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The Denver Broncos‘ notoriously thin depth is already being tested.

Missing from practice Wednesday were defensive end Elvis Dumervil, cornerback Champ Bailey, linebacker D.J. Williams, defensive tackle Marcus Thomas, defensive tackle Ty Warren, wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, and running back Knowshon Moreno, the Denver Post reports. All eight missed at least some of Monday’s game with ailments.

If you made a list of Top 10 players on the roster, at least four of them would fall in it. Hopefully some of them are just getting a Wednesday breather, otherwise things could go from bad to worse in Broncos country real fast.

• John Fox won’t even address media questions about starting Tim Tebow. [NFL.com]
• But NFL.com panelists will. [NFL.com]
• So will ESPN. [ESPN]
• So will Woody Paige. [Denver Post]
• But the Broncos have more problems than Kyle Orton. [Denver Post]
• Seriously – enough for two articles. [Denver Post]
• Bengals starting QB Andy Dalton could be ready to play vs. Denver this week. [First and Orange]

Perusing the Interwebz for water cooler fodder. (Number in parenthesis represents previous ranking).

ESPN: 28th (27)
Nothing worse than losing a wrestling match with the rival Raiders. Turnovers were no way to start.

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Darren McFadden #20 of the Oakland Raiders is tackled by Champ Bailey #24 of the Denver Broncos at the one yard line after rushing for 47 yards to set up a fourth quarter touchdown at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on September 12, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 23-20. (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Broncos Six-Pack is a new weekly segment discussing six things we learned the day after the game. I hope you enjoy.

1. Giving credit where it’s due

This is a tough pill to swallow, Denver Broncos fans, but the Oakland Raiders are just better. Their defensive line outperformed the Broncos’ offensive line, sacking Kyle Orton five times and only allowing 38 rushing yards. The Raiders’ offensive line outmanned the Broncos’ defensive line, opening up 190 yards worth of rushing holes. In the most crucial plays, Michael Bush and Darren McFadden were able to run for double-digit yards.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• Kizla says Kyle Orton has already lost his credibility with bored fans. [Denver Post]
• Mason notes that a change at quarterback won’t fix the myriad other problems the Broncos faced. [Max Denver]
• Elvis Dumervil, Brandon Lloyd, Champ Bailey, and Knowshon Moreno were all hurt.  [Max Denver]
• Orton and Dumervil say they aren’t satisfied. [First and Orange]
• Same old problems – can’t run, can’t stop the run — doomed Denver. [Denver Post]
• The Raiders‘ legs — running backs’ and kickers’ — made the difference. [USA Today]
• Game highlights courtesy the mothership. [NFL.com]
• San Francisco Chronicle columnist lauds the Raiders’ audacity. [SF Chronicle]

Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton (L) is pressured by Oakland Raiders Kamerion Wimbley during their NFL football game in Denver, Colorado September 12, 2011. (REUTERS/Mark Leffingwell)

In the end, an NFL-record-tying 63-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski was all that separated the winners from the losers. But that won’t be how this game is remembered by Denver Broncos fans.

Opportunity after red zone opportunity was blown by the Broncos and quarterback Kyle Orton. Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden rushed 22 times for 150 yards, and a flurry of penalties (10 for 91 yards by the Broncos) doomed Denver to a 20-23 final score.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

For what it’s worth, we’re hearing reports of Tim Tebow running routes in pregame warm-ups. Could mean nothing, but it could be a sign of that oft-discussed transition to an H-back role. Enjoy the game everyone! GO BRONCOS!

Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. MT
BT GameBlog: 7:45 p.m. MT
Television: National, ESPN
Announcers: Brad Nessler, Trent Dilfer

Orange Out — The Broncos encourage all fans in attendance to wear orange and show up early. The fans will participate in the singing of the National Anthem, and the Broncos want the crowd to be loud from those hard-to-reach high notes till the final whistle blows. Brandon Lloyd is even calling season-ticket holders with the heads up.

Game Breakdowns — Pro Football Focus notes that the tallest task will be on the Broncos’ linebackers. The Contra Costa Times talks about the Raiders‘ speed. The AP gives a general preview full of quotes and notes from last year. And we give our scouting report on the Raiders, noting that Kyle Orton is going to have to stand firm under pressure.

Inactives — DEN – DT Thomas, WR Thomas, DT Warren, LB Williams, OL Hills, OL Ramirez, DE Harvey
OAK – Murphy, Mitchell, Davis II, Campbell, Hagan, Ausberry, Boss

Live Blog — We’re striving to improve our gameday coverage and welcome you to check out what we hope is our best live blog yet tonight! More polls, media, and reader interaction.

And if you need a reason to get pumped for the game, Samuel L. Jackson is here to help you out.