(Image courtesy of Jeffrey Beall)

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 34-14 win over the New Orleans Saints last week, the NFL informed the team on Wednesday that outside linebacker Wesley Woodyard has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.  Additionally, the offensive line has received the Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award for Week 8.

Against the Saints, Woodyard became just the ninth player since sacks began to be tracked in 1982 to record at least 10 tackles, one sack, one interception and one forced fumble in the same game.  Meanwhile, the offensive line allowed zero sacks and helped running back Willis McGahee rush for 122 yards and a score.

Quarterback Peyton Manning is also in the voting to be named the FedEx Air Player of the Week.  Fans can vote for Manning at NFL.com/FedEx.

On the team’s injury front, the entire roster was on the field for practice Wednesday morning, including cornerback Tracy Porter (illness).  With a Week 9 match against the Bengals on deck, the team is close to full strength.

Congrats to Woodyard and the offensive line for the well-deserved awards. Bring on Cincinnati! 

(Image courtesy of Ron Chenoy/US Presswire)

The Broncos placed middle linebacker Joe Mays on the injured reserve list earlier today.  Taking Mays’ spot on the active roster will be rookie safety Duke Ihenacho, who was activated from the team’s practice squad this afternoon.

Replacing Ihenacho on the practice squad will be cornerback Mario Butler, who has spent time on the Dallas Cowboys‘ practice squad and active roster on-and-off since the beginning of the 2011 season.  Butler (6′-1″, 187 lbs.) played collegiality at Georgia Tech.

Ihenacho (6’, 213 lbs.), a San Jose State University product, joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent following the 2012 NFL Draft.  Bouncing on-and-off of Denver’s practice squad in a similar fashion to Butler’s situation in Dallas, Ihenacho was active for one game earlier in the season.

Ihenacho will likely contribute on special teams if he dresses on game days and Butler will provide the Broncos with more cornerback depth while Tracy Porter regains his health.  

The Denver Broncos have picked up steam at 4-3 after falling only to New England (5-3), Houston (6-1), and Atlanta (7-0) early in the season.  Coming off two convincing victories with a two-game lead in the AFC West race, quarterback Peyton Manning has received much of the credit for Denver’s hot streak.

And while Manning has been in the driver’s seat directing the Broncos’ season, three other lesser-credited players have also played a big role this season.  We’ll take a closer look at the respective season’s those three players are having after the jump.

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We found out on Monday that Denver Broncos middle linebacker Joe Mays would miss the rest of the season due to injury.  On Tuesday, the team officially placed the fifth-year linebacker on the injured reserve list:

Mays had lost his starting MLB job to veteran Keith Brooking earlier in the season but remained a special teams contributor and had played in select defensive schemes since he lost his starting job in Week 5 of the season. Brooking will remain the “MIKE” (MLB), with Von Miller the “SAM” (OLB) and Wesley Woodyard the “WILL” (OLB).

“We’re going to miss Joe,” teammate Woodyard said on Monday. “Things definitely won’t be the same without having him out there, his presence, his leadership and his ability to go out there and make plays.”

Mays has been known throughout his career for dishing out enormous hits.

As of 10:43 a.m. MT, the Broncos have not made a transaction to replace Mays’ absence on the active roster.  Expect a signing or practice squad player to be promoted within the next few days.

We wish Mays the best.  Heal up quickly and get back out there, Mr. Thumper.

Outside linebacker Wesley Woodyard #52 of the Denver Broncos is wrapped up by a New Orleans Saints offensive lineman after intercepting a pass thrown by Drew Brees #9 during a game at Sports Authority Field Field at Mile High on October 28, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

The Denver Broncos routed the New Orleans Saints 34-14 on Sunday Night Football, which means it’s time for the BT Staff to give out Game Balls!!! Who ya got fellas?

Wesley Woodyard

There’s a lot of talk about D.J. Williams right now, with a lot of people ready to give him the axe and some other folks (like me) who think he deserves one more shot. Here’s the thing. Whatever happens with D.J., one thing that he absolutely should not do is replace Woodyard. He is hungry, he is talented, and he is a workhorse. Whatever happens to D.J., Woodyard is currently the best linebacker we have out there, and he deserves a permanent starting role so long as he continues to play at the level he is currently playing.

First, let’s just talk about his stats. Nine solo tackles, four assists, one pick, one sack, one pass defensd, and one fumble forced (which, sadly, the Saints recovered). He was everywhere on the field and he led the team both statistically and in fact. He played smart, he played fast, and he played hard. He covered ends and backs, he blitzed, and he stuffed the run. The closest other defensive player to him, statistically, was Champ Bailey — who Brees was not afraid to challenge, which must have been quite a treat for him — with six tackles. The pick came on a fourth down stop when the game was tied, and was a critical play that helped the Broncos take a commanding lead that they never gave up.

The Broncos defense played a stunning lights out game against one of the most prolific offenses in the league, and Wesley Woodyard is one of the key reasons that team is playing so well. — E. Halsey Miles

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Another week, another award nomination for Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning.  The league announced on Tuesday that Manning, Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford have been nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Week award on NFL.com.

Manning was nominated after having gone 22-0f-30 for 305 yards and 3 scores in Denver’s 34-14 route of New Orleans.  Brady received recognition after going 23-of-35 for 304 yards and 4 scores in New England’s 45-7 route over St. Louis.  Finally, Stafford went 34-0f-49 for 352 yards and 3 scores in Detroit’s narrow 28-24 victory over Seattle in Week 8.

Manning is no stranger to weekly awards.  Peyton has won 22 Player of the Week awards during his career, making that the most received by one player in NFL history.  Per the team, Manning has been named Player of the Week at least once in his career for every week of the sixteen-game schedule saving Week 1 and Week 5.

Voting is open at NFL.com/FedEx: vote early and vote often!

Due to Hurricane Sandy, the NFL announced on Monday that the Week 8 trading deadline will be moved from its originally scheduled Tuesday time frame to 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 1.  The hurricane has caused several East Coast teams—and the NFL’s New York-based league offices—to cancel Monday operations, which would make a Tuesday deadline tricky for a handful of teams.

Per NFL.com, among the players rumored to be mentioned in trade talks this week are Rams running back Steven Jackson, Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams, and Buccaneers running back LeGarrette Blount.  The Denver Broncos may consider adding fourth-year running back Knowshon Moreno to that list.

Moreno, a former first round draft selection, was inherited by the Broncos’ current coaching staff and has battled injuries and lack of production his entire career.  Inactive the past five weeks, Moreno’s chances of seeing the field this season, barring an injury, seem to be slim to none.

With that being the case, the Broncos may seek teams interested in the twenty-five year old, 5′-11″, 200 hundred pound running back.  Owed $1.7 million in 2013 with a club option of retention in 2014, the Broncos have little reason to keep paying Moreno through 2013 in exchange for not dressing on game days.

Finding a trading partner could potentially be tricky for the Broncos, but a handful of teams would likely offer a mid-to-late round conditional draft pick in exchange for Moreno.  Do you think Denver should test the waters and place Moreno on the trading block?  Dish out your thoughts in the comments below!

(Image courtesy of Chris Hall/BroncosTV)

It has most definitely been a rough few weeks for Denver Broncos linebacker Joe Mays. First the NFL stomped him with a $50,000 fine and a one game suspension for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub; then he lost his starting job to Keith Brookings midst reports that plays were not being translated from the coordinator to the huddle.

And now?

Mays suffers a fractured fibula while playing special teams. Mays attained the fracture while blocking for Trindon Holliday on a punt return. The injury Mays suffered seemed to not be a purposeful blow on the behalf of the New Orleans Saints player whom leg whipped him.

Mays had not returned to the starting lineup since his suspension and rookie Danny Trevathan and Nate Irving have filled in well. Look for linebacker Mike Mohamed to be brought up from the practice squad soon.

Ian Henson

Denver Broncos News

• The Denver Broncos waxed the New Orleans Saints, finally topping an offense that spreads teams out.  This Broncos defense is really starting to come into its own. [DenverBroncos.com]
• During the rout, the Broncos as a whole showed poise and discipline, turning in their second complete game of the season thus far.  [BroncoTalk.net & SI.com]
• Peyton Manning and the Broncos are in the drivers seat to capture their second consecutive AFC West Divisional Crown.  [Denver Post]
• The Orange Crush defense is definitely blossoming in front of our very eyes as they completely stymied and shut down the potent Drew Brees passing attack. [Denver Post]
• It looks like all Josh McDaniels needed to do was get one first round pick right. He did that with Demaryius Thomas, who is quickly becoming one of the scariest receiving threats in the entire league. [Denver Post]
• One of the best performances last night came from none other than Wesley Woodyard. He’s always been one of my personal favorites and hopefully he gets to keep his starting job once D.J. Williams returns. [CBS Sports]

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for more Broncos updates throughout the day.

Wide receiver Eric Decker #87 of the Denver Broncos makes a catch for a 13-yard touchdown during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Sports Authority Field Field at Mile High on October 28, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

If this was a preview of January for the Denver Broncos, it’ll be a long, sustained one indeed.

The Broncos dominated the New Orleans Saints Sunday night, in all phases, for four quarters.

The defense was stifling, holding Drew Brees and the Saints to under 200 yards offense until the game was far out of hand late in the fourth quarter. The special teams was clutch, not allowing Darren Sproles to wreak havoc while making key field position plays. The offense, led by Peyton Manning, was dynamic, as Broncos rushers Willis McGahee and Ronnie Hillman combined for over 200 rushing yards and Manning threw three touchdowns. Denver made the Saints look soft as they rolled over New Orleans 34-14 in Week 8 NFL action.

The Broncos improved to 4-3 with the win, taking sole possession of first place in the AFC West as they head to a pair of road games at Cincinnati and at Carolina.