(Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

As expected, the Denver Broncos brought in free agent running back Jacob Hester on Monday, presumably signing him to a one-year deal.  The team announced the transaction via press release on Monday afternoon.

Additionally, the team signed fellow running back Jeremiah Johnson back to the practice squad, after releasing him last week. With Willis McGahee on the injured reserve list, Hester now fills Denver’s roster as the 53rd player.

Hester (5-11, 230 lbs.) is a fifth-year running back who spent his first five seasons in San Diego, gaining 182 yards from scrimmage (4.55 yards-per-touch) and scoring two touchdowns in seven games against the Broncos.

Denver has brought in Hester, now the heaviest back on the Broncos’ roster, to add depth to both their backfield and special teams.  While with the Chargers, Hester recorded 12 special teams tackles while also recovering four fumbles (scoring on two of his recoveries).

It remains to be seen what Hester’s role will be on offense, as Knowshon Moreno is clearly the team’s starter moving forward.  Hester will be allowed to practice with the team for the first time on Wednesday.

What are your thoughts on the move?  Do you think Denver’s backfield is headed in the right direction in the absence of McGahee?  Dish out your thoughts in the comments below!

(Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

With five games left to go, the Denver Broncos have a five-game lead in the AFC West.  A win and they’re in.

The Broncos (8-3) can clinch their division this weekend with a victory at home over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5). Alternatively, the Broncos can wrap things up by default if both San Diego (4-7) and Oakland (3-8)  lose this week, eliminating themselves from contention.

Next week, the Chargers will take on the Bengals (6-5) and the Raiders will take on the Browns (3-8).  Denver’s best bet is to earn a victory themselves, rather than count on their divisional rivals to continue stumbling.

The Chargers could finish 8-8, or even one game better.  They have done it before and the Broncos know it.   Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Broncos 17, Chiefs 9 — you know what a victory means, fellas. Give out your BT Game Balls!

RB Knowshon Moreno.

I will be the first one to say (and most obvious), this guy hasn’t had a play of significance since he fumbled back in Week Two. He hasn’t had a decent game since Week Thirteen of 2010 (which just so happened to be against the Kansas City Chiefs), when he ran for 161 yards. It became clear throughout the game with an average of 4.2 yards on 20 carries for 85 yards and four receptions for 26 yards.

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Tight end Jacob Tamme caught a seven-yard touchdown pass on Sunday, his second touchdown reception of the season. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

No matter how ugly it may have looked, the Denver Broncos walked away from Arrowhead Stadium with another win on Sunday, and that’s nothing to scoff at.

The Broncos stayed perfect in division play this season with a 17-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs (1-10) today, improving their record to 8-3 on the season.  Next week, the team will return home to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5), looking for their seventh consecutive win of the season.

Quarterback Peyton Manning was far from perfect on Sunday, going 22-of-37 for 285 yards and 2 touchdowns with 1 interception, but he was able to do enough to help his team come out on top.

Manning benefited from the offense’s ability to stay balanced, as fourth-year running back Knowshon Moreno stepped in the place of injured starter Willis McGahee and gained 111 yards from scrimmage on 24 touches against Kansas City.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Broncos held the Chiefs’ struggling offense to a mere three field goals.  Second-year outside linebacker Von Miller also notched a sack, increasing his season total to 14.

The Broncos offense proved on Sunday afternoon that they can stay balanced even without McGahee, with a 37-to-24 run-to-pass ratio on the afternoon. Expect Moreno to keep his starting job heading into Week 13—he has earned it.

What were your thoughts on the game?  Do you have concerns about this team moving forward?  Or are you confident that they have the pieces to make a run deep into the postseason?  Dish out your thoughts in the comments below!

Fantasy football owners take note:  Knowshon Moreno will start at running back against the Kansas City Chiefs today.

Moreno has been inactive the since Week 2 but was activated—and thrust into the starting lineup—following a injury to Willis McGahee last week.

Sharing the load in the Broncos backfield will be rookie Ronnie Hillman and Lance Ball.

On Wednesday, I declared that Denver’s Von Miller was a more complete player than San Francisco’s Aldon Smith.

Later that evening, a 49ers fan, @CHerrera1106 on Twitter, responded to my proclamation.  Unfortunately, Chris’s mentions remained unnoticed on my Twitter feed until Saturday morning.  Fortunately, I was able to respond to Chris on Saturday evening, starting a humorous conversation.

After the jump, I have compiled our back-and-forth, typo-filled conversation. It’s worth a few moments of your time, if only for a chuckle.

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When voting for the 2012 Pro Bowl, fans can vote for Denver Broncos middle linebacker Keith Brooking twice on the same ballot.

In a possible glitch on NFL.com, the Pro Bowl ballot has Brooking listed both as an ILB—inside linebacker—and OLB—outside linebacker—for the Broncos. Denver’s two other OLBs listed are Von Miller and Wesley Woodyard.

The Broncos were presumably given room to place four linebackers on the ballot, but with just three starters—Brooking, Miller, and Woodyard—Brooking somehow has shown up on the ballot twice.  With fans having the ability to cast an unlimited number of votes, however, being listed twice does not give Brooking much of an advantage in the voting.

A five-time Pro Bowl selection (2001, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05), Brooking is a fifteenth-year veteran who joined the Broncos just before the start of the regular season and has started in eight games on defense, recording 36 tackles.  At age 37, Brooking is the oldest player on Denver’s roster, one year older than wide receiver Brandon Stokley and quarterback Peyton Manning.

Brooking’s fellow linebackers Von Miller and Wesley Woodyard are having phenomenal seasons and have received the most and second-most early Pro Bowl votes among AFC outside linebackers.  Combined, Miller and Woodyard have recorded 133 tackles, 16 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions this season.

Fan voting will remain open until the end of all Week 15 games on Monday, December 17.  The 2012 Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 27, 2013 and televised live on NBC at 5 p.m. MST from Honolulu, Hawaii.

For those who live outside of Colorado and do not have DirecTV, we present this handy-dandy broadcast map, courtesy of the506.com:

Those of you who live in the red areas will receive the Broncos/Chiefs game on your local CBS station this weekend.  Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. (MT) and we’ll have complete coverage of the game here on the blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.  See you at kickoff!

(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

After ranking 23rd overall in 2011, the Denver Broncos offense has turned things around this season.

Last season, the Broncos ranked 25-of-32 among teams in points scored (309) and scored 30 points in a game on just two occasions. Needless to say, the Broncos have made great improvements in 2012.

This season, the Broncos have scored 30 points seven times, winning all seven of those games. Just eleven games into 2012, the Broncos have already scored 301 points, just eight points fewer than their 2011 season total.

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(Images courtesy of US Presswire/Getty Images)

For the first time since October, both cornerback Tracy Porter and offensive guard Chris Kuper could be out on the field on Sunday.

When the Broncos take on the Chiefs this weekend, Porter (illness) and Kuper (ankle) should be able to play.

Both players fully participated in practice throughout week and Porter was cleared to play on Thursday.

“Every prayer you guys sent up for me has been answered everyday.  I thank you [all] for that.  And I will make sure I show you guys my thank you’s,” Porter tweeted earlier in the week.

If Kuper is able to go, he will reclaim his starting right guard position from Manny Ramirez, who has filled in for seven games this season.  Kuper’s return will be welcomed by quarterback Peyton Manning, as Ramirez has allowed a team-high seven sacks this season.

If Porter is able to play, it will likely be in a rotational role, as Chris Harris and Tony Carter have stepped up during his absence.  It will be interesting to see if Porter, now healthy, can reclaim his starting position this season.  We’ll be watching closely—stay tuned.