Injury report – Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs – Sunday, September 28, 2008.

The Broncos brought WR Darrell Jackson in with the hopes that he’d become the #2 wide receiver they needed after the departure of Javon Walker. Injury, however, has kept him off the field since his solid, but overshadowed Week One debut. He’ll miss Sunday’s trip to Arrowhead as well, missing his third consecutive week.

DT Josh Shaw, along with rookie RB Ryan Torain, are listed as Out on the injury report below. DT Dewayne Robertson didn’t practice Wednesday, practiced fully on Thursday, and was limited Friday and is listed as Questionable. There are six other players listed as Probable.

The Chiefs are relatively healthier, although being without your starting quarterback is never a good way to start the season. Brodie Croyle is out, along with LB Donnie Edwards and CB Patrick Surtain.

Full injury report after the jump. Click here to read the rest of this entry »

We’ve added a new main poll to the sidebar and would love to hear what you folks think. After a surprise 3-0 start, when do the Broncos lose their first game of the year?

We’re just taking a look up to the bye week, as the schedule looks a bit more intense after Sunday’s visit to always-difficult Arrowhead.  In Weeks Five and Six we have back-to-back home games vs. Florida teams (Tampa Bay and Jacksonville), then the Matt Cassell-led Patriots come to town.

Or, if you think we’ll remain undefeated through the bye week, you can make your mark there, too.  As always we invite you guys to discuss right here in the comments.  I’ll start.

The Chiefs are a fierce rival with their backs against a wall.  They will give us their all, but even then I don’t see a loss coming Sunday.  Tampa will try to unleash Brian Griese on us, but I think we’ll escape there with a win.  I see Jacksonville coming as our first loss of the year – the defensive line disrupts the o-line a bit, the running game doesn’t quite get going (it rarely does against JAC), and they’re one of the few teams with the tools to disrupt our passing game.  I’m not overlooking New England, either – 5-2 seems possible to me.

But 5-2 is great!  Bring it on!

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Shanahan challenges the ruling on the field. (Getty Images)

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments.

Yesterday’s winner – Patrick:

With this handshake the first annual no offense convention commences….

The very last comment from yesterday took home the gold. It’s never too late to get your captions in!

Remember to leave your caption for the top photo. Happy captioning!

• Brandon Marshall is keeping his nose clean, but getting his cleats dirty.  [ESPN]
• Lucky that Martin Gramatica missed the kick?  Marshall invites you to do the math.  [BroncoTalk]
• Earlier in the year, no on was certain Marshall would see the field at all.  [Denver Post]
• Herm Edwards on the Broncos: “They developed a quarterback.  How about that?”  [Rocky Mountain News]
• Jamie Winborn doesn’t let circumstance get in the way.  [RMN]
• The Three Amigos – rushers, that is – have no problem sharing the ball.  [Boulder Daily Camera]
• Confidence in Cutler?  Or course.  But this offense’s explosion is all about the offensive line.  [CBS4]
• Our youngest star (Eddie Royal) on our oldest star (Tom Nalen): “He’s funny.  He’s a different guy.  He’s always cracking jokes.”  [CBS4]

Just a bit late, but as promised here is the Brandon Marshall press conference transcript:

On QB Jay Cutler’s play

“We have been getting a lot of questions about Jay lately. He is the man. Jay is a guy that is frivolous and he is going to go out there and make as many plays as he can. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like he even cares about the outcome, and that is the type of guy I want to take in my fox hole.”

On his numbers

“That is what I work hard for. I want to be the guy not just in a single game but throughout my whole career. That is what we work hard for, and all we can do is continue to push and remember that every Sunday could be any given Sunday in this league.”

On having Cutler as his quarterback and how the feed off of each other

“I talked to Rod Smith yesterday, and he just wanted to remind me what a good situation I am in. He said that he probably caught passes from 14 different quarterbacks. He told me that if everything continued to go well, Jay could end up being the guy from my whole career. I can’t ask for a better opportunity. If you look at Cris Carter, the things he did put him close to Jerry (Rice). If he had a quarterback, all of us sitting here probably can name one quarterback he had…Warren Moon? I am in a good situation.”

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Getting back to the hugely successful column that friends and family alike have come together to enjoy, here is the world renowned Page Six: Denver Broncos Week Four Edition.

First of all, being as self-congratulatory as we are, we’d like to point out that the Keary Colbert/Clifford Russell situation was brought to you over a month ago by us and thank you… 

Here’s what I’ve got for you this week:

• Anyone remember the Al Wilson situation, prior to leaving Denver? Well, apply that the the Tom Nalen situation, were doctors telling him that he’s good to go, when he was no where near good to go?
   
• Michael Pittman would literally take a bullet for Mike Shanahan, the man is ecstatic to be on the third leg of his career in Denver. 
   
• Denver had a literal uneventful off-season, as far as free agency went (yes they picked up Boss Bailey and Casey Wiegmann). This was to clear dead money, for next season. In 2009, look for Denver to heavily target a well known interior defensive lineman. Yes, Dewayne Robertson is here, but the man is a man, not an island. 
   
• The Kansas City Chiefs were sniffing around Denver’s practice squad, Darrell Hackney ultimately ended up staying in Denver though. However, as a member of Denver’s practice squad, he can leave for K.C. at will- should they change their mind.
   
• Not even Page Six material, but there is well qualified speak that Jay Cutler could, “Aw shucks,” himself to league MVP.  
   
• Denver sniffed around a recently released St. Louis Rams cornerback (who would have filled in perfectly as a nickel, if he were not facing possible suspension). 
   
• If fired, Oakland Raiders‘ head coach Lane Kiffin could end up in Denver… Just saying, “Then again he may or he may not,” says Emmit Smith (kidding). 
   
• A recently released Denver player may have received the boot, for being unwilling to play injured. It’s either 100% or 0% with the Broncos, there is no in between. 
   
• Mike Shanahan’s obviously not happy with the special teams play. Just check the last few people that have been signed to the roster. 

Raiders coach Lane Kiffin and Chiefs coach Herm Edwards (REUTERS Photo)

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments.

Yesterday’s winner – DaveMoore:

That Gramatica kick is coming right at me!

Remember to leave your caption for the top photo. Happy captioning!

• Josh Shaw is out for Sunday, and Dewayne Robertson is a bit sore.  [Denver Post]
• No panicking, though – the Broncos just played two incredible offenses.  [Rocky Mountain News]
• Like myself, Cutler scoffs at the idea that the Broncos are ‘lucky’ to be 3-0.  [DPO]
• Matt Prater and Jason Elam – identity theft culprit and victim; text messaging buddies.  [DPO]
• Both the Chiefs and Broncos got younger – the Broncos just don’t suck.  [RMN]
• Shannon Sharpe likes the look of these Broncos (but would still take the ’97-’98 offense).  [RMN]
• LT Ryan Clady gets some much, much-deserved love.  [Football Outsiders]

Here’s a transcript from this morning’s press conference with Jay Cutler & Mike Shanahan. Brandon Marshall will meet with the media tomorrow at noon.

Head Coach Mike Shanahan

On playing the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium

“You can look at our history that shows how tough those games have been. We haven’t faired very well. Our football team is well aware of what it is like to play at Arrowhead. Hopefully we are ready for it.”

On placing C Tom Nalen on injured reserve

“It is always hard to lose a great player and a great leader. I’ve been with Tommy right from the start, and he is everything you look for in a person and in a player. It is tough to see a guy like that be injured like he has and go through the rehab he has gone through. If there is anybody that can play with pain, it is him. When he can’t play you know it is very serious.”

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever had to choose between scratching chalkboards or a root canal? The Chiefs’ quarterback situation is sort of like that.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a mess. Their coach claims that their 0-3 start is Part One of a grand rebuilding mode, and he’s announced that they’ll be starting a new quarterback under center for the fourth consecutive week. Damon Huard gets the nod, and he’ll start against a Denver Broncos squad that’s undefeated and hungry for their first consecutive win in Arrowhead in 29 years.

Last week’s starter, Tyler Thigpen… well, let’s just call him “ineffective” and leave it at that. Regular starter (if you can call him that) Brodie Croyle has been sidelined with a separated shoulder he suffered in Week One vs. New England, hoping to return in time for the Chiefs’ matchup against also-undefeated Tennessee in mid-October. As a matter of fact, Huard is the only quarterback on the Chiefs’ roster who has actually won a game!

Meanwhile, the Broncos employ Jay Cutler at quarterback, an early frontrunner in League MVP conversation. To say this should be a slaughter is an understatement. The Chiefs have scored 32 points total this year. The Broncos are averaging 38 points per game.

No matter who’s behind center – ‘Tweedle Dee,’ ‘Tweedle Dumb,’ or ‘Tweedle Dammit-I’m-Injured-Again’ – the Chiefs won’t get far this season playing musical chairs with three ineffective quarterbacks. They certainly won’t beat the Broncos without a whole lot of magic in Arrowhead.