News and notes from the Denver Broncos‘ weekly press release. View the full release here (.pdf).

The Denver Broncos (8-4) travel to Indianapolis this week to face a Colts squad that is 12-0 this year and has won its last 21 regular-season games to tie for the longest such streak in NFL history. Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday is set for 1 p.m. EST, and the game will be televised on CBS with Dick Enberg and Dan Fouts calling the action.

QUICKLY:

• Denver has won its last two games, including a 44-13 win at Kansas City last week, and has not trailed in either of those contests to mark the first time the club has accomplished that feat in three seasons.
• This week’s game features the most combined wins (20) by two rookie head coaches in NFL history with Josh McDaniels guiding Denver to eight victories and Jim Caldwell leading Indianapolis to 12 wins.

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Whether the Denver Broncos make the playoffs or not, starting right tackle Ryan Harris won’t be available.

The Denver Post reports that Harris is done for the season after he aggravated the left toe dislocation Sunday he originally suffered over a month ago in Baltimore. Harris started all 16 games in 2008 and the first seven games this season.

Tyler Polumbus will continue to start in Harris’ place.

Polumbus was sketchy at first, but he has played much better of late. While Harris’ loss is a big blow, the Broncos are fortunate to have a capable backup to take his place.

Whether Polumbus is a playoff-capable backup, though, remains to be seen.

RT Harris done for season [All Things Broncos]

Broncos 44 – Chiefs 13. Alright, gentlemen, who ya got?!

Josh McDaniels. Can Josh McDaniels get a mother-******* game ball here? The Broncos were on the brink of total collapse, on the cusp of the franchise’s worst losing streak in 20 years. Instead, they delivered the biggest win in Arrowhead history. They had lost four straight games by an average of 20 points, but McDaniels and the Broncos bounced back with two victories by an average of 25. That’s coaching. – Kyle

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Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ryan Clady has been selected as part of the inaugural USA Football/NFLPA “All-Fundamentals” Team. The 26-man roster “honors the NFL’s most fundamentally-sound players who also commit themselves to service in their communities.”

Clady is one of the NFL’s best, and the honor is well deserved. Congrats to Sweet Feet for the recognition. Full press release after the jump.

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Correll Buckhalter #28 of the Denver Broncos is tackled by Travis Daniels #34 of the Kansas City Chiefs on December 6, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 44-13. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

After combining for 199 yards and two touchdowns on the ground Sunday in Kansas City, the Denver Broncos‘ dynamic backfield combo were both nominated for Week 13 awards.

Correll Buckhalter, who rushed 12 times for 113 yards, has been nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week award. His 9.4-yard rushing average led the NFL in Week 13, and his single-game total of six rushes of 10 yards or more is the highest such mark this season. Vote for Buckhalter here.

Knowshon Moreno, who rushed 21 times for 86 yards and two touchdowns, has been nominated for the Pepsie Rookie of the Week award. Moreno, the 12th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, has won the award three times already this season, including last week for his performance against the Giants. Moreno’s 18-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was the longest rushing touchdown by any player in Week 13. Vote for Moreno here.

Moreno, with 774 rushing yards, is now on track for 1,032 this season, while Buckhalter (563) needs 24 rushing yards against the Colts to set a new career high in that area. The Broncos’ ground game is alive and kicking.

• The Broncos would like to play spoiler to Indy’s record breaking season.  [Sports Illustrated]
• Why the Broncos are built to upset the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.  [Broncos Zone]
• Just how do you beat Peyton Manning?  Running the ball with time of possession doesn’t work, blitzing doesn’t work.  What does work?  [Denver Post]
• Sounds like McDaniels knew how to fluster Matt Cassel this past weekend.  [CS Gazette]
• Manning will be a lot harder for the secondary to lock down than Cassel.  [Denver Post]
• “The Linchpin”  A great article on Spencer Larsen and what it takes to play fullback.  [Longmont Times]
• Mike Klis discusses the the presence of veteran leadership in his latest mailbag.  [Denver Post]
• The Broncos would play the Patriots if the playoffs were to start today.  [ESPN NFL Nation]
• The league should’ve flexed this Sunday’s game to NBC Sunday Night Football.  [Denver Post]
• Coach McDaniels was pleased with the team overall in Kansas City.  [CS Gazette]
• Some cool little KC game factoids from the stable.  [Broncos Stable]
• Who gets the rock, waiting on Ryan Harris, and Berger helps Prater in the briefs.  [Denver Post]
• Another salute to the barrel man.  [AV Club – Boulder/Denver]
• Either the Chiefs were really bad on 3rd down or the Broncos defense was really good.  [Arrowhead Pride]
• The life of an NFL scout chasing down the next big star.  [Asylum]

Head Coach Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos celebrates with his players after a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 6, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs 44-13. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Opening statement

“After evaluating the film, we certainly did some things that we identified as keys for us to win the game yesterday. I think it started with our performance in the kicking game. We knew that that had been a strength of Kansas City’s, and we felt like we really challenged them in every phase of our special teams. (WR) Eddie (Royal) did a nice job returning the football. He handled every ball against a punter (Dustin Colquitt) who certainly has given returners some fits. Credit him for doing that. There were a few that were over his head, and he went back and got them and had a big day returning the football. (K Matt) Prater kicked the ball well. (ILB/FB) Spencer Larsen had four tackles (on special teams). All in all, we just really handled the kicking game well.

Opening statement continued

“Defensively, obviously, any time that you force turnovers and you can turn them into points, that’s a huge help on the road. We did a nice job of creating some three-and-outs, which I know a lot of the time the offense gets credit for time of possession, but when the defense forces 10 three-and-outs or better, that certainly lends itself to the offense having the ball for a long time. The defense certainly gave it back to the offense yesterday. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Quarterback Matt Cassel #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs is sacked by Elvis Dumervil #92 of the Denver Broncos during the game on December 6, 2009 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

It was third and nine in the second quarter, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel was just trying to make a play.

Unfortunately for Cassel, Denver Broncos outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil was right there waiting. Cassel rolled right and, with nowhere to throw, found himself where so many other quarterbacks have already wound up this season: squarely in the sights of 2009’s best pass rusher. Dumervil nabbed the first-year Chief for a three-yard loss and an NFL-best 15th sack on the season.

And Dumervil got that much closer to making history. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• Defying the Arrowhead Hex is no easy task, ask Pittsburgh.  [CS Gazette]
• The Broncos rolled to an easy victory in KC yesterday.  [Longmont Times]
• Something is off in New England.  Oh that’s right, they miss Josh McDaniels!  [In Denver Times]
• Denver controls their own destiny down the stretch, looking towards the playoffs.  [Denver Post]
• Tight End Richard Quinn made his first stand out play in foiling Kansas City’s fake punt attempt.  [CS Gazette]
• There was no stopping Correll Buckhalter yesterday, that’s for sure.  [Denver Post]
• Tamba Hali was the one bright spot for the Chiefs, channeling Derrick Thomas on the day he was honored.  [Kansas City Star]
• Matt Cassel completely tanked in front of his old coach and mentor.  [ESPN NFL Nation]
• Josh McDaniels was the pick of the litter when it came to head coaching candidates.  [Denver Post] Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Postgame quotes following the Broncos‘ 44-13 win in Kansas City Sunday.

Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton (L) hands off to running back Knowshon Moreno during the second half of the Broncos win over the Kansas City Chiefs in their NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri December 6, 2009. (REUTERS/Dave Kaup)

DENVER BRONCOS HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS

Opening Statement: “I am really proud of the effort from our team today. We talked a lot about how difficult it was to come in here and get wins this late in the season in Kansas City. It was a big division game for us and I thought our team prepared hard and was familiar with the opponent. We played with a lot of energy today and we knew that we would be the only ones to bring it today from our side and I thought we were really into the game and executed early and continued to stay with it for 60 minutes. I am happy to get a victory.”

Can you talk about the play made on the fake punt? “They went to a gadget-type formation and I know that there was a guy leaking out the other way and they had an opportunity to get that ball out there but TE Richard (Quinn) made a heck of a play. I don’t know what happens if the ball gets thrown but it probably wouldn’t have been too good for us. Whenever you break the formation and have a gadget-type play, we were prepared and we split out with them but you are never sure who they are trying to pick for or who they are trying to spring free. That was a big play in the game because we obviously took possession of the football in their territory.” Click here to read the rest of this entry »