New England Patriots running back Laurence Maroney (L) rushes after taking a handoff from quarterback Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of their NFL football game against the New York Jets in Foxborough, Massachusetts November 22, 2009. (REUTERS/Adam Hunger)

Correll Buckhalter‘s disappointing output as backup running back in the Broncos‘ season opener in Jacksonville (six carries, 15 yards, 2.5 avg. with a fumble) has apparently spurned a reaction from Head Coach Josh McDaniels.

The Denver Broncos on Tuesday traded for running back Laurence Maroney from the New England Patriots, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

Per Schefter, the Broncos send the Patriots their 2011 fourth round draft pick. The Broncos receive Maroney and the Patriots’ sixth round draft pick in return.

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Jacksonville Jaguars' Mercedes Lewis (89) runs a pass in scoring the first touchdown of their NFL football game against the Denver Broncos in Jacksonville, Florida September 12, 2010. (REUTERS photo/Daron Dean)

There was a myriad of misfires on Denver‘s part in their 17-24 loss to the Jaguars Sunday, but none were as egregious as the Broncos’ lining up only 10 players on defense in the red zone midway through the third quarter. Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard easily hit tight end Mercedes Lewis for a 10-yard touchdown, and the Jaguars went on to win the game.

With the defensive captain, defensive coaches in the booth overhead, and the defensive coordinator and head coach on the sideline all responsible for making sure the right players are in the right formation on every play, how in the world did this type of gaffe occur?

Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post breaks it down.

• Inside linebacker Mario Haggan left the field after the first-down play (a run by Jaguars star Maurice Jones-Drew), and headed to the sideline to talk to trainer Steve Antonopulos.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel (7) shakes hands with San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) after an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 13, 2010, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs won the game 21-14. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

If you’re new to BroncoTalk, this is a weekly segment where we let you, the commenter, flex your comedy muscles by captioning the photo above. Previous winners are announced after the jump. No, there is no prize. Yes, we accept bribes. Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Tim Tebow ran twice for two yards in his NFL debut in Jacksonville (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

• Josh McDaniels said his plan for Tim Tebow won’t change much from Week One.
• NFL coaches revealed that if/when they saw Tebow on the field, they’d play the run.
• In reality, Tebow’s appearances Sunday didn’t really affect anything.
• McDaniels admitted they’re a work in progress, but all in all, McDaniels was pleased by first-time OL starters J.D. Walton, Zane Beadles, and Stanley Daniels.
• In particular, Brandon Lloyd said the play of Walton was “very impressive.”
• They’ll need to protect Kyle Orton better as the season goes on.
• Demaryius Thomas isn’t sure about his status for Week Two.
• McDaniels’ message to his team: let’s move on.
• Three Jaguars newcomers played big roles in the team’s win over Denver.
• Jarvis Green is visiting with the Browns.
• San Diego September choke jobs are nothing new.
• But the presence of their #1 wide receiver may have prevented last night’s upset.
• The Jets‘ offense looked historically bad in their 10-9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Wallace Gilberry (92), linebacker Tamba Hali (91) and defensive end Glenn Dorsey (72) during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 13, 2010, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

As Week One in the NFL came to a close, it’s the Kansas City Chiefs — owners of a combined 10-38 record over the past three seasons — who stood alone atop the AFC West.

They arrived there in dramatic fashion.

Four stops inside the six-yard line with less than a minute to play sealed the Chiefs’ 21-14 win over the San Diego Chargers Monday night, highlighted by Jamaal Charles‘ 56-yard touchdown run and Dexter McCluster‘s franchise record 94-yard punt return.

As Philip Rivers drove his Chargers to what looked to be the game-tying touchdown, one got the sense that this was the same old Chiefs team collapsing in the last minute.  But Kansas City held its ground, turning the early tide in this 2010 division race.

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Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen once dubbed Mike Shanahan his "coach for life." Now he's playing for a different team. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Once upon a time — 2008 — the Mike Shanahan-led Denver Broncos were 8-5, boasted Pro Bowlers Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, and were apparently playoff-bound. The future was bright. Then, in three horrific weeks, the wheels fell off. Shanahan was fired. Cutler was traded. And Marshall pretended to be a punter.

For better or worse, this series of posts is intended to keep tabs on those who, at the time, looked to be key cogs in the Broncos’ future. Our goal isn’t to stir the pot; it’s to assess these franchise-shaking moves week-to-week in 2010 as objectively as possible, draw some conclusions, then let you draw your own. This is a look at a Broncos team in an alternate reality — The Alt Broncos.

Mike Shanahan
Record: 1-0
Streak: Won 1
Stat Line: Offense: 250 ypg. Defense: 380 ypg

The Washington Redskins won Sunday night, but how much of the credit can one really give to Shanahan? His offense netted only 250 yards and six points, the remaining seven coming off Jim Haslett‘s defense’s fumble return for a touchdown to end the first half. Of course, Shanahan deserves some credit for selecting his defensive coordinator in the first place — a sentence once thought unutterable around these parts.

Reality Check: Josh McDaniels — McDaniels is 0-1 on the season following his club’s up-and-down affair at Jacksonville. The Broncos offense played better than the Redskins’ this weekend — both coaches’ strong points — but that wasn’t reflected well enough in the scoreboard, or the record books. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Dan Reeves and John Elway led the Broncos to three Super Bowls before things fell apart in the early 1990's.

Randy Gradishar‘s ticket into the Pro Football Hall of Fame became a lot harder to punch a few years ago, when the former Denver Broncos linebacker’s candidacy expired as a modern candidate and he was shuffled into the senior pool.

Only two senior candidates are nominated each year. This year, Gradishar wasn’t one of them.

Six former Broncos were nominated, however, including Dan Reeves, who coached the Broncos from 1981-1992. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

When the Broncos win, the BT staff gives out game balls… when they lose, as they did Sunday to the Jaguars, we cry ourselves to sleep. And we highlight the good and the bad in our weekly Studs and Duds.

Stud: Brandon Lloyd

Lloyd! Couldn’t get enough of the number one Denver Broncos wide receiver. Brandon Lloyd looked great, hauling in five catches for 117 yards, and almost made Denver fans wonder, “Bey-Bey who?” Where are they going to fit all these guys? Lloyd was handpicked by Kyle Orton and signed by Denver to give Orton some familiarity. He emerged last season in the final two games and has been golden every since. -Ian Henson Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• Tim Tebow was a ‘non factor’ in the game against the Jaguars. Thanks caption obvious. [Reuters]
• Vegas is already favoring Seattle for next week. [AC]
• Bill Williamson gives his brief synopsis on what the Broncos need to do from here. [ESPN]
• Michael Roberts of Westworld sure doesn’t seem happy about the Bronco’s performance Sunday. [Westword]
• Brandon Lloyd stepped up big and some people just can’t believe it. [RotoWorld]
• Speaking of Lloyd, his big performances caused Jack Del Rio to bench corner Derek Cox. [Jacksonville.com]
• Jason Cole thinks Kyle Orton‘s performance yesterday is making a cause for Tim Tebow to start. (FYI, I don’t like Jason Cole’s work and this article is my least favorite out of all of them.) [Yahoo! Sports]

Outside the Broncos

• At least Denver wasn’t victimized like the Lions were (The person who wrote that rule needs to be shot immediately). [NFL Fanhouse]
• Jason Campbell wasn’t the fix after all. [ESPN]
• Peyton Manning may have had a career day on Sunday, but so did Arian Foster, and that’s all that mattered. [Indy Star]

Denver Broncos running back Correll Buckhalter (28) fumbles the ball as he is hit by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Daryl Smith, left, and linebacker Kirk Morrison, right, during the first half an NFL football game in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

From start to finish, the Denver Broncos‘ 2010 season opener will be remembered as a game marred by miscues.

In the end, the mounting mistakes proved too much for McDaniels‘ men to overcome.

It began in the first half, when the Broncos twice drove down the length of the field only to fall short due to costly mistakes. Zane Beadles‘ untimely holding penalty ended the Broncos’ first scoring opportunity, while Correll Buckhalter‘s fumble netted the Broncos 0 points after an 80-yard drive.  And while the defense held the Jacksonville Jaguars to no points through the first 29 minutes, it was only when they goofed, putting 10 men on the field with 0:58 left in the first half, that Jacksonville capitalized and scored the games’ first touchdown.

Had the Broncos corrected these mistakes, they might have come away with a victory today. But even a 33-minute lightning delay before the start of the fourth quarter couldn’t fix what ailed Denver, who continued their sloppy play through their last heartbreaking offensive snap, and the Jaguars (1-0) defeated the Broncos (0-1) 24-17 at EverBank Field. Click here to read the rest of this entry »