(Getty Images)

Congratulations to running back Knowshon Moreno for being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week

Moreno rushed 22 times for 118 yards (an average of 5.4 yards per carry) and added a touchdown against the Ravens on Sunday.  He was also fantastic in pass blocking coverage, completely eliminating the edge rusher time and time again.

Nothing says “take advantage of your last chance” better than winning the Offensive Player of the Week award.  Moreno has now given the front office the opportunity to tell Willis McGahee to take a bit more time in his rehab.

Per the team, the Conference Player of the Week honor is the seventh won by a Bronco this season, which leads all NFL teams.  Moreno is also in the running to win the AFC Ground Player of the Week award on NFL.com.

When it comes to defensive awards, sacks don’t mean everything.  But they don’t hurt, either.

Last season, Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors despite recording fewer sacks (11.5) than San Francisco’s Aldon Smith (14).  This year, the scenario is different.

Miller won as a rookie because Smith was—and in some circles, still is—viewed as a one-trick pony.  His 19.5 sacks through fifteen games, however, are hard to overlook, and he’s added three forced fumbles and an interception to his stat sheet.

Still, with a strong finish in the regular season, Miller could top Smith in votes once again by closing the gap in the sacks category. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

As the chart from NFL.com shows, the Denver Broncos would be the No. 2 seed in the AFC Playoff race if the season ended today.

“Right now, I know we can control our own destiny, but if we don’t play our best game against Cleveland this week, that will be all for naught,” Coach John Fox said on Monday.  “So all our focus will be on the Cleveland Browns, a team that’s won three out of four games, plus-7 in the turnover margin, beat two teams that are in the hunt on the AFC side for the playoffs.”

In Week 16, the Broncos can officially wrap up a first round bye. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

After turning heads—and jumping over them—on Sunday, Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno has been nominated for the Week 15 FedEx Ground Player of the Week award on NFL.com.

Against the Baltimore Ravens, Moreno rushed 22 times for 118 yards and a score.  His competition in the voting this week is Houston’s Arian Foster and Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson—he’s in good company.

“I’ve said it many times, my hat’s off to him,” Coach John Fox said on Monday. “He (has) kept working.  This game’s about getting your opportunity and then taking advantage of it when you get it.  I think he’s done an excellent job.”

Moreno has now rushed for 100-plus yards in consecutive weeks for the first time in his career.  This also marks the second consecutive week Moreno has been nominated for a rushing award on NFL.com.

Over the past two weeks, Moreno has gained 363 yards from scrimmage and has scored twice.  On Sunday, he’ll face a 19th-ranked Cleveland Browns defense that has allowed more than 120 yards on the ground per game this season. Keep on runnin’, Knowshon.

Broncos 34, Ravens 17 – You know what a victory means! Time for BT’s Week 15 Game Balls.

Knowshon Moreno: During this game, I started getting this odd feeling inside of my head. No longer was I expecting and waiting for Moreno to fumble, or have 5 runs in a row produce zero net yards. No, instead, I started wanting to see him run. I wanted to see what was next. I stopped saying “please don’t fumble, please don’t fumble” when he got hit. Yes BroncoTalk faithful, I started trusting Knowshon and started thinking “we NEED him”. Add on top of that a RIDICULOUS hurdle of a Hall of Fame safety in Ed Reed, combined with 118 yards on 22 carries (5.4ypc) and a TD, and stellar pass blocking, and it’s easy to see why Knowshon Moreno receives the first gameball this week.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

On Sunday, Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno carried the ball 22 times against Baltimore, gaining 118 yards on the ground against the Ravens defense.

In addition to his touchdown run, Moreno’s 20-yard run seen below was his most impressive carry of the afternoon

The Broncos went on to defeat the Ravens, 34-17.  Moreno has rushed for 100 plus yards in back-to-back games, marking the first time in his career that he has accomplished such a feat.

If you prefer to watch the video on YouTube, here is a backup link.

Knowshon Moreno hurdles Ed Reed in Baltimore in a 34-17 Broncos win. (Ben Hays/Denver Broncos)

THIS is the statement we needed to make this season! It hardly matters that we allowed a ridiculous garbage time TD (I mean, 4 missed tackles, are you kidding me?), we still put this game away before halftime! Heck, we even had a Brock Osweiler sighting, but more importantly is that the naysayers who claim that the Broncos haven’t beaten anybody have been silenced. Gone are the people who say we don’t have a killer instinct. Done are those who boast that we’re chumps because we struggled against Kansas City. Yes Broncos fans, today, we blew the doors off of the Ravens in Baltimore (a place where the Broncos have never won).

While we’re discussing this glorious victory, how impressed are you with Knowshon Moreno? John Fox said 3 weeks ago that this was Moreno’s last chance; boy has he responded! Moreno with 100+ yards and a TD seems almost “ho hum” these days, doesn’t it? I’m telling you what, Moreno is going to be on this team next year, and if he keeps playing like he has since McGahee went down, he very well might be the starter next year (and for the Super Bowl this year).

What does this victory mean? It means that the Broncos are legit. We completely destroyed a playoff team, and a team that beat the Patriots (a team we lost to). Not only did we beat the Ravens, we embarrassed them at home! We scored in the first half as well as the second half. We shut them down until the fourth quarter, and we refused to be content with just taking a 17-3 lead into the 4^th quarter. This game was what we needed as a team. This game will put every team in the NFL on notice that if you don’t play perfect, you will be embarrassed.

The NFL is on notice; This Broncos team is for real.

Lets have it Broncos fans, give us your reactions to this thorough domination of the once mighty Baltimore Ravens.

(Photo thanks)

Peyton Manning comments to side judge Greg Bradley in the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, in Denver. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Many a fan of the Denver Broncos has nearly rolled their eyes of their collective sockets as third and long has become an obvious running situation for the team this season.

It never fails, 3rd and 11? Run the ball… 3rd and 17? Run the ball… 3rd and 7? Yep, run the ball…

Now, why is that?

The reason could be quite the revelation.

Peyton Manning, ever the chess player, is simply using the opportunity to read the defense…

Now I have been probably amongst the worst of the accusers, labeling it ‘Foxball’, blaming every one from John Fox, to Mike McCoy, to Manning himself. However, with a deeper dive into the numbers, arm chair analysis and a little of the old common sense I have realized that those four yard runs on third and long simply just allow the Sheriff another opportunity to read, memorize and later take advantage of the defense. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

And with this tweet it begins, though Denver Broncos cornerback Tracy Porter has not yet given a follow-up to the tweet to clarify it is very much possible that Porter is referring to tomorrow’s lineup as Denver plays the Baltimore Ravens. Porter has not dressed for a game since Week Five when the Broncos faced the New England Patriots, he was ruled as ill when Denver traveled to San Diego to face the Chargers in a crucial Monday Night Football game in Week Six.

In his absence second-year corners Chris Harris and Tony Carter have stepped up nicely. Prior to the November game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Broncos released more information saying that Porter was experiencing seizure-like symptoms. The corner had a seizure in August, so getting him properly medicated was a major concern.

Porter was named the Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has 21 tackles (16 solo), one interception, one touchdown and six pass defenses in five games on the season. Porter signed a one-year deal with $4 million with Denver, it is only clear that $1 million of that was a signing bonus, it is not clear how much of that contract is guaranteed and how much is tied to escalators.

Last week the Denver Broncos released 2013 Pro Bowl numbers for players on the team whom were placing in the top five of their individual positions. Denver currently employs an astounding fifteen players that are receiving top five votes:

Numbers as of December 13th, 2012 (Courtesy DenverBroncos.com).

Broncos’ quarterback (and NFL MVP candidate) Peyton Manning currently leads the NFL in fan votes for the 2013 Pro Bowl. New England Patriots Tom Brady (another MVP candidate), Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (the final of the top three MVP candidates) and Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers account of the rest of the top five in fan voting. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, Washington Redskins Robert Griffin III, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan are all in the top ten (in that order). Click here to read the rest of this entry »