• John Elway thinks other teams may follow Baltimore‘s blueprint.  [CBS4 Denver]
• The Broncos have not scored — not a touchdown, not a field goal — on their opening offensive drive yet this season.  [Denver Post]
• Usually a 23-point victory comes with a fantasy stud, but not Sunday.  [Broncos Stable]
• The Ravens simply carried a bigger stick. [Drew Litton]
• The mood on Monday was noticeably more somber.  [Colorado Springs Gazette]
• The special teams on Sunday noticeably slower.  [CSG]
• Tyler Polumbus will be tasked with facing the reigning Defensive MVP early and often.  [DPO]
• 2004 NFL draft storylines collide when Philip Rivers faces Eli Manning Sunday.  [San Diego Union Tribune]
• Decades-long Broncos stadium manager Gail Stuckey has passed away.  [DPO]

The San Diego Chargers have released long time NFL wideout Chris Chambers this afternoon.  Originally a member of the Miami Dolphins, the Chargers aquired the receiver in a trade for a second round pick back in 2007.  The roster move was made based off of the progress of Malcolm Floyd who has moved into the #2 receiving spot.  Floyd has been seen by many NFL speculators as making great strides of late and was deserving of the promotion.  So why the release?  San Diego needs the roster spot to sign a linebacker to replace the injured Tim Dobbins.  The empty #3 spot is expected to be filled by either Legedu Naanee or Buster Davis.

Steeler safety Ryan Clark almost lost more than the game last time Pittsburgh played in the mile high city, he almost lost his life.  Clark has a sickle cell disease that attacked his gall bladder and spleen back in 2007 due to complications from playing in the altitude and both organs had to be removed.  Many players on the Steelers’ roster have sickle cell traits, along with many players in Broncos team history, but never has a player run into this type of serious complication.  Clark’s doctors surmise that it’s due to a combination of the sickle cell and a past medical condition.  After having his season ended that night, Clark lost 30 pounds in recovery.

Now he has to decide if he feels comfortable enough with his situation to play Monday night.  His doctors have cleared him to dress but cannot promise him that the symptoms will not return with the addition of  physical activity.  The safety will travel with the team to Denver, and make a decision whether to play or not leading up to the game.  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Quotes from Josh McDaniels‘ Monday press conference, as provided by the Broncos‘ PR staff.

HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS

Opening remarks

“As we said yesterday, we felt after the game they (Ravens) were coached better, played better, (were) more physical (and) played faster basically in every area of the game. We certainly didn’t do nearly enough in any phase to win the game. It is a hard lesson to learn. We have got a week now to get ready for Pittsburgh and try to make a lot of progress and improve significantly off of this game yesterday.”  Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Denver Broncos starting right tackle Ryan Harris, who suffered an injury during Sunday’s 30-7 loss to Baltimore, has already been ruled out for next Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Head Coach Josh McDaniels informed the media today.

“He will not play this week,” McDaniels said.

The latest from the Denver Post is that Harris likely won’t be playing for a few weeks. Harris suffered two dislocated toes and was seen wearing a large splint, boot and crutches after the game.

Tyler Polumbus will likely start in Harris’ place.

Pass protection was an issue, if not THE issue, in Sunday’s loss to Baltimore, and the Steelers can get after the quarterback as well. Polumbus better be ready.

Head coach John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens speaks with head coach Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium on November 1, 2009 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

Sunday post-game quotes from the Denver Broncos‘ 30-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Thanks as always to the Denver and Baltimore PR departments.

DENVER BRONCOS

Head Coach Josh McDaniels

(opening statement) “Let me start by saying Baltimore did a nice job today. [They] deserve a lot of credit. We were out-coached, out-played, basically, in every phase. Coach [John] Harbaugh did a nice job, obviously, of getting their team ready to go. Anytime you go on the road against a good football team and you don’t bring your ‘A’ game, this is what can happen to you. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us here, a lot of improving to do – which we knew we had to do anyway. This is the easiest way to see it come true.” Click here to read the rest of this entry »

• The Ravens put themselves back into the AFC North conversation, while the Broncos need to bounce back to keep the Chargers out of theirs.  [ProFootballTalk]
• Josh McDaniels and Kyle Orton gave Baltimore credit for getting pressure and playing their safeties deep.  [Denver Post]
• Woody Paige was plainly disgusted with the effort, as was I.  This looked like those other Broncos.  [DPO]
• Mark Kiszla says the conservative offense has got to go.  [DPO]
• Elsewhere in the West, San Diego handled Oakland while Kansas City had a bye.  [ESPN]
• Shawne Merriman tallied his first sack in 22 months.  [San Diego Union Tribune]

Denver Broncos defensive end Kenny Peterson, right, stretches to block Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco's pass during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Well, that will end any talk of an undefeated season.

The 6-1 Denver Broncos‘ toughest game of 2009 came at the hands of a desperate Baltimore Ravens (4-3) squad that might have saved their season with the win. After six straight victories, Josh McDaniels and company will have to learn how to deal with a new kind of feeling: a loss.

This loss was no fluke, either. The Ravens came out of their bye looking much more like the team that advanced to the AFC Championship Game last year than the team that had dropped three straight. The Broncos were out-pushed, out-hustled, and out-smarted through four quarters in a game in which they never held a lead.

Kyle Orton, who had been masterful in fourth quarters this season, was quieted to barely surpassing 100 passing yards late in the fourth during the Broncos’ final drive (when Denver was down by 23). This against the Ravens’ 23rd-ranked pass defense, which had had trouble in coverage and pressure all season.

The Ravens had none of those troubles today. They hustled Orton, handled receivers, and dominated at the line of scrimmage. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

at
Broncos (6-0) at Ravens (3-3)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
M&T Bank Stadium
11:00 a.m. MT
GameBlog starts at 10:45

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 (6-0) and Baltimore Ravens (3-3) both return from their bye weeks on Sunday when they face off against each other at M&T Bank Stadium at 1 p.m. EST.

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