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The Denver Broncos (6-3) and San Diego Chargers (6-3) will meet for the 100th time on Sunday with the winner moving into sole possession of first place in the AFC West. Kickoff at INVESCO Field at Mile High is set for 2:15 p.m. MST.

QUICKLY:

• The Broncos, who are looking to snap a three-game losing streak, defeated San Diego 34-23 on Monday Night Football on Oct. 19. Facing a Chargers team that has won its last four games, Denver aims for its first season sweep of its series with San Diego since 2005.
• Sunday’s game vs. San Diego marks the first time Denver has played a team 100 times in the regular season. The only team the Broncos have faced 100 times including playoffs is Oakland (98 reg. / 2 post.).

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Chris Simms #2 of the Denver Broncos looks for a receiver against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 15, 2009 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Broncos 27-17. (Larry French/Getty Images)

Broncos 17 – Redskins 27.  Who ya got, gentlemen?

Dud: Chris Simms. The Broncos could very well be 7-2 had Kyle Orton not been absent from the second half with an ankle injury. Simms looked like a rookie out on the field, completing only several passes for miniscule yardage. Broncos fans better pray that Orton is able to compete at home against San Diego next week if they want to have a shot at making the post-season. Clearly, the Broncos under the guidance of Simms won’t have a shot at those aspirations. – Christopher D. Hart

Stud: Kyle Orton. Strange as this might sound, Kyle’s injury (and the rough outing Chris Simms had yesterday) made KO look like a franchise QB. I mean, we all know he probably blew a blood vessel throwing those deep balls to #15, but he made the right reads and put the ball where it was catchable. Most of the whining this week will be about Simms, which I think is unfair — he didn’t call the plays that put his rusty arm on display and Simms was also playing from behind as our defense wasn’t able to shut down the second half like we did during our first six games. But regardless of the belly-aching over Simms preformance, the clear winner in Sunday’s loss is Kyle Orton’s reputation as a starting QB. – Jonathan Douglas Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• Running against the nickel has the Broncos defense floundered.  [Denver Post]
• Jeff Legwold suggests Peyton Hillis is “going to have to push harder and not let the frustration get to him” in practice to see the field Sundays.  Do it, Peyton.  [DPO]
• McDaniels‘ message is simple: Just do it.  Better.  [NFL.com]
  
• John Elway expected more from backup Chris Simms.  [CBS4 Denver]
• Age and experience could stem the losing tide.  [DPO]
• A pair of new media writers have grown tired of the dismal fan displays.  [IN Denver Times, NFL.com]
  
• Former Chiefs RB Larry Johnson signs with the Bengals.  [Yahoo! Sports]
  

Brandon Marshall #15 of the Denver Broncos speaks with head coach Josh McDaniels during a time out during the game against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 15, 2009 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Broncos 27-17. (Larry French/Getty Images)

Quotes from Head Coach Josh McDaniels the day after the Denver Broncos‘ 27-17 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Opening comments

“As I said yesterday, if you go on the road or at home, for that matter, and don’t play a four-quarter game and certainly don’t play nearly as well as you need to play to be competitive in every area, you’re going to find it hard to win. Yesterday, that was really the case, and looking at the film, it shows us clearly what we failed to do and what we need to do a lot better going forward to get this corrected.”

On a specific area that the Broncos need to improve on from Sunday’s game at Washington

“There are a lot of things, not one thing.”

On QB Kyle Orton’s status

“He is questionable for this week. We’re not sure exactly how that’s going to go. We’re going to see how he progresses during the course of the next few days.”

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NFL.com’s Michael Lombardi is reporting that Kyle Orton will tough out his ankle injury and play Sunday.  Officially, Josh McDaniels wouldn’t commit either way and stated that the Broncos quarterback is questionable for Sunday.

Lombardi is a solid analyst, so I’m going to assume his news-breaking skills are top-notch as well.  Hopefully Orton doesn’t just play, but picks up right where he left off: tossing 70-yard bombs to Brandon Marshall.

Broncos’ Orton will play despite ankle injury [NFL.com]
Kyle Orton’s status is uncertain [BroncoTalk]

Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels (C) talks to his starting quarterback Kyle Orton (L) and back up quarterback Chris Simms (R) in the first half of their NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Maryland November 15, 2009. Orton did not play in the second half of the game, which the Redskins' won in an upset victory over Denver. (REUTERS/Gary Cameron)

With the division lead at stake, will the Denver Broncos have their starting quarterback?

Kyle Orton was seen both on and off crutches after Sunday’s loss to the Washington Redskins, fittingly mirroring the uncertainty surrounding his injured ankle that the Broncos face as they prepare for the 6-3 San Diego Chargers.

On Monday, Head Coach Josh McDaniels wouldn’t rule Orton out, but couldn’t commit to playing him, either.

“Not sure exactly how it’s going to go,” McDaniels said. “We’re going to see how he progresses over the course of the next few days.”

Backup Chris Simms will get the start if Orton can’t go.  McDaniels ruled right tackle Ryan Harris out for the third straight game.

“We’ll have to see if and when Kyle is ready to go – whether it’s Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or not at all – we’re going to have to see how it goes,” McDaniels said. “He’s definitely not out for the game. We’re hopeful he can be ready to go.”

McDaniels: Orton is “questionable” [Colorado Springs Gazette]

• Both offensively and defensively, the Broncos are losing the battle at the point of attack. [Denver Post]
• The defense didn’t allow a team to rush for 100 yards before the bye.  Since, opponents have tallied 125, 173, and 174 on the ground.  [Colorado Springs Gazette]
• Points allowed went from 11.0 ppg to 31, 28, and 27.  [DPO]
• While Chris Simms played poorly, he should do better given a week of practice reps.  [DPO]
• Which is just what might happen, since Kyle Orton‘s status is uncertain.  [DPO]
• And a lot of fans find solace in blaming Woody Paige, who is coincidentally silent this Monday.  [Horvil Tiki]

Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton is tackled by Washington Redskins defensive tackle Kedric Golston and defensive end Brian Orakpo during the second quarter of the NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The Denver Broncos‘ third loss didn’t come against an AFC powerhouse, and it didn’t come against a team renowned for its dominating physical style. But the manner in which they lost was the same.

In the second half, the Broncos were out-executed defensively while being wholly ineffective offensively, and the Broncos dropped to 6-3 after their 24-17 loss to the Washington Redskins Sunday.

Quarterback Kyle Orton‘s injury to end the first half was largely the difference, as Denver’s starting quarterback went 11/18 for 193 yards and two touchdowns while backup Chris Simms went 3/13 for 13 yards and one interception. The Broncos were shutout in the second half.

This one’s tough to swallow. Can the Broncos bounce back from this? Keep it clean and dish it out in the comments.

@
Broncos (6-2) at Redskins (2-6)
Monday, November 9, 2009
FedEx Field
11:00 a.m. MT
GameBlog starts at 10:45 a.m.

Welcome one and all to another edition of the BT GameBlog! Everything you need to know before the game, and the best in-game commentary you’ll find anywhere on the Web. Be sure to join us!

The Denver Broncos, who are 6-2 at the halfway point of the season for the third time in the last five years, begin the second part of their 2009 campaign on the road Sunday against the Washington Redskins. Kickoff at FedEx Field is set for 1 p.m. EST.

The GameBlog

RULES: Keep it clean, don’t insult each other, insulting Dan Snyder for being a shell of an owner is fine.

Warmup youtube, inactives, weather, coverage after the jump! Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Quarterback Jason Campbell #17 of the Washington Redskins rushes upfield against the Atlanta Falcons at Georgia Dome on November 8, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Denver Broncos can beat the Washington Redskins.

Some are already marking this week’s game in the win column, but here are a few reasons why the Broncos shouldn’t take this week against the Redskins lightly:

• The Broncos are coming off a short week (and physical match).
• They’re traveling to the east coast.
• It’s an early game.
• The Redskins have the top-ranked pass defense in the league.

Finally, and most importantly, the Redskins don’t look like a 2-6 team. Last week they got off to a slow start against the Atlanta Falcons but put together several good drives to pull within one score late in the game. Jason Campbell played very well, making plays with both his arm and his feet, and the defense got after Falcons QB Matt Ryan. Click here to read the rest of this entry »