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 blue areas will receive the Broncos/Chargers game on your local CBS station this weekend.  Kickoff is scheduled for 2:25 p.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 Jared Wickerham/Getty Image)

Update:  Here is the NFL Films audio of Peyton Manning mic’d up.

With five weeks of voting still to go, the polls indicate that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will be voted into his twelfth Annual All-Star Game appearance by his fans and peers.  Three weeks into fan voting, Manning has received 376,981 votes — more than any other player, according to the team’s official website.

Of course, Manning and the Broncos would prefer to snub the Pro Bowl and prepare for the game one Sunday later — Super Bowl XLVII.  If Denver does not reach the Super Bowl, they’ll likely send a notable number of players to Hawaii.

Sixteen Broncos — including linebackers Von Miller and Wesley Woodyard, who are the No. 1 and No. 2 vote-getters among AFC outside linebackers — rank among the top five vote-getters at their respective positions in the AFC.  Fan voting ends after Week 15 on December 17.

Meanwhile, Manning was mic’d up during Denver’s 36-14 victory over Carolina last week.  Game footage from Sunday has been mashed together with Manning’s wired audio by NFL Films and will air this evening on NFL Network (SoundFX, 8:30 MT), NBC Sports Network (Turning Point, 8 MT) and Showtime (Inside NFL, 7 MT).

Congrats to Manning and all the other Broncos for the much-deserved early Pro Bowl voting recognition.  As for the NFL Films feature, you won’t want to miss it!

(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Just two weeks after being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, rookie safety Duke Ihenacho has been waived, the Broncos announced on Tuesday.

On Monday, suspended linebacker D.J. Williams was cleared to return to the team and the Broncos got a roster exemption, meaning the Broncos would not have to make a corresponding roster move until after their Week 11 match-up against San Diego. The team decided to make a move now, however, with their seventh transaction of the season involving Ihenacho.

An undrafted rookie out of San Jose State, Ihenacho (6-foot, 213 pounds) played in two games this season, recording one special teams tackle. The Broncos may choose to sign him back to the practice squad (for the third time this season) if he clears waivers.

Tough break for Ihenacho, who seems to have been a good sport throughout all of the promoting and demoting this season.

(Photos courtesy of Getty Images)

The Denver Broncos‘ secondary has been without starter Tracy Porter the past four weeks, while Denver’s medical staff evaluates Porter’s seizure-like symptoms.  In Porter’s absence, there has been “next man up” philosophy in Denver.

Second-year defensive back Chris Harris has grown up quickly, going from undrafted a season ago to being named an All-Rookie player to starting across from Champ Bailey this season.  Harris is one of the twenty-one starters that V.P. of Football Operations John Elway has landed since arriving in Denver, as Elway has secured nearly 75% of the Broncos starters since arriving two seasons ago.

Harris, starting in five games, has recorded 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks, defended 6 passes and intercepted two others.  A sure-tackler and play-maker, Harris has the potential to remain a starter cornerback in Denver for years to come.

Meanwhile, another young cornerback, fourth-year defensive back Tony Carter, has also stepped up for Denver.  As a rotational player, Carter has recorded 12 tackles, defended 8 passes and recorded 2 interceptions over the past nine weeks.

“I’m getting more comfortable out there,” Carter told the Denver Post.  The more reps you get, the more comfortable you get.  I’m just able to relax and let the game come to me.  I’ve just been able to make the plays when I have the opportunity.”

Both Carter and Harris have scored this season — Harris scored in Week 6 and Carter has run back both an interceptions and a fumble for touchdowns.  A young, productive duo, Carter and Harris have stepped up, earning their playing time.

Hats off to Harris and Carter, who have both gone from the lowly status of being undrafted to both becoming a key part of Denver’s dominate defense.  It will be interesting to see how quickly, if at all, Porter reclaims a starting position when he returns.  

(AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

On Monday, Broncos Coach John Fox made two positive announcements when meeting with the media at Dove Valley.

First, Fox noted that defensive end Elvis Dumervil, who suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday and had an MRI this morning, did not suffer a tear.  “(The) MRI proved negative. It’s a muscle strain.  So that was good news,” Fox told the team’s official website.

Secondly, Fox announced that ninth-year linebacker D.J. Williams is back from multiple suspensions.  “We get an exemption for D.J. this week.  We’re excited to have him back. He’s a good football player.”  With an exemption, the Broncos will not have to make a corresponding roster move until after Week 11.

Williams will likely play this weekend—in a limited role at the very least—while Dumervil is “day-to-day,” according to Fox. The Broncos’ defense, ranked sixth overall this season, will not have trouble finding a role for Williams, who recorded 90 tackles, 5.0 sacks and three forced fumbles in thirteen games last season.

It’s good to see that Dumervil’s injury was not serious.  Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how quickly Williams returns to Denver’s starting lineup.  He could be inserted as early as this week when the Broncos take on San Diego in Denver.

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

During the Broncos 36-14 win over the Panthers on Sunday, two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Elvis Dumervil suffered a strained left shoulder and left the game.  On Monday morning, Dumervil will have an MRI, according to the Denver Post.

Dumervil said he felt a strain but “nothing popped,” concluding, “it’s hard to pinpoint what happened at what particular time.  We’ll know (Monday) morning and see what happens.”

Before he left Sunday’s game, Dumervil notched his seventh sack of the season, which ties for seventh-best in the NFL and second-best on the team (behind Von Miller‘s 10).  Dumervil’s five forced fumbles this season lead the team and tie for second-best in the NFL.

In Dumervil’s absence, fourth-year defensive end Robert Ayers stepped up, recording five tackles, a sack, and defended two passes.  If Dumervil misses time due to his injury, expect Ayers’ playing time to increase.

We will know more about Dumervil’s status after Coach John Fox meets with the media at 1 p.m. (MT) later today.  Check back for updates on Dumervil’s status throughout the week leading up to Denver’s home match up against San Diego this weekend.

Veteran wide receiver Brandon Stokley caught his fourth touchdown of the year early in the game, helping Denver to a 36-14 victory. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Now that was a team victory.

The Denver Broncos (6-3) defeated the Carolina Panthers (2-7) by a score of 36-14 on Sunday, despite scoring only two offensive touchdowns.

Led by a defensive unit that recorded seven sacks, two interceptions and scored nine points, the Broncos’ offense was merely a compliment to their explosive special teams and defensive performance on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte.   The offense and quarterback Peyton Manning were solid once again, as Manning went 27-of-38 for 301 yards and a score and rookie running back Ronnie Hillman added a five-yard score late in the game.

On the defensive side of the ball, outside linebacker Von Miller led the unit with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, while limiting Carolina quarterback Cam Newton to just seven yards rushing.  As promised, Miller performed Newton’s famed “Superman” celebration after taking down the second-year quarterback behind the line of scrimmage early in the game.

Meanwhile on special teams, kicking specialist Matt Prater and Britton Colquitt contributed by going 2-of-3 on field goal attempts and averaging 46.3 yards per punt, respectively.  Second-year returner Trindon Holliday scored for the second time in two weeks, returning a punt for seventy-six yards for a score in the second quarter, beginning Denver’s thumping of Carolina.

While the game ended positively for Denver, who will take on the 4-4 Chargers at home next week in Denver, the Broncos did have a few alarming moments.  Running back Willis McGahee, who rushed 14 times for 56 yards, fumbled twice, bringing his season total to five, which has to be frustrating for Denver’s coaching staff.  Defensive end Elvis Dumervil also left the game with an apparent shoulder injury and did not return.  While Robert Ayers played well in Dumervil’s absence (three tackles and a sack), Dumervil is not a player Denver’s defense can afford to lose.

It feels great to celebrate a Denver Broncos victory!  Who gets your Game Ball this week?  Let us know in the comments below!

LET’S GO BRONCOS!!!

Broncos coaches John Fox (left) and Mike McCoy (right) are googly over quarterback Peyton Manning (center), who owns more wins than any other active quarterback in the NFL. (Image courtesy of The Globe and Mail)

One man can make a difference.

When it comes to the difference between winning and losing, the Denver Broncos have found their man in quarterback Peyton Manning, who owns the fourth-most regular season wins (146) by a quarterback in NFL history.

During the offseason, much was made about the fact that Denver’s John Fox owned a 38-3 coaching record when teams under his command have scored 26 points a game.  Hoopla abounded in Denver as Manning had averaged 26.7 points per game during his time in Indianapolis, foretelling a successful marriage to come with Fox and the Broncos’ offense.

Manning, not one to disappoint, has been near perfect since arriving in Denver, scoring 26 points in five games, winning all five of them. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Cam Newton and Von Miller were the top two selections of the 2011 NFL Draft, first and second overall, respectively.

Sunday will mark the first time Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and Denver linebacker Von Miller—the top two selections of the 2011 NFL Draft—have faced off in a regular season game.

Both players had remarkable rookie seasons, breaking records and earning All Star recognition.  The duo played against each other for the first time as pros in the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl and Miller notched two sacks (although one of them counted as a rush for loss in the game’s box score stats).

Since meeting in Hawaii, Newton and Miller have gone in two very different directions.  Miller has recorded the second-most sacks in the NFL (9) and has helped Denver to a 5-3 win-loss margin.  Newton, on the other hand, has struggled, throwing eight interceptions and being sacked seventeen times, stumbling to a 2-6 record.

If Miller finds his way to Newton on Sunday in Charlotte, he has a special sack celebration planned — Click here to read the rest of this entry »