Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall took a moment on Monday to explain the two-point conversion.

“Broncos right smash Z,” was the call Marshall noted.

A play in which Marshall is the fourth option. Marshall went on to explain that the first option was Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, a running back and then Marshall. He told listeners that you, “Never know who Jay [Cutler’s] going to throw it to.”

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Before we put the whole San Diego Chargers game behind us completely and take a deep dig into the New Orleans Saints files, here are the daily links. Wanted to apologize for the excessive Chargers/Denver Broncos links, but people are still talking and people are still reading.

Denver Broncos:

• Mike Shanahan: An American Hero. [Salon]
• The Broncos bandwagon doesn’t want you. [OS]
• NBC’s thankful that the Denver Broncos didn’t go into overtime. [Watchdog]
• Sports Illustrated’s Peter King calls Shanahan after the game, Shanahan wants to know how the Indianapolis Colts won. [MMQB]
• New York Times says, “Shanahan Shows the Way — Go For It.” [NYT]
• Kim at Predominantly Orange says that there’s a fine line between genius and insanity. [PO]
• Sporting News– Marshall, Cutler make a big statment. [SN]
• Michael Pittman fitting right in with Denver. [Longmont Times]
• Shanahan’s fearless playcalling has the Broncos flying high. [NFL]

AFC West:

• San Diego’s “Woe is us,” act, wearing thin. [Fox]
• Leave it to the East Coast media, Chargers need to stop crying about officiating. [NJ.com]
• Philip Rivers is his own biggest critic. [SoS]
• Sunday’s game was the worst in Kansas City Chiefs’ history. [MVN]
• Sports Illustrated’s Mike Lombardi points out that the Chiefs have lost their last 11 games. [SI.com]
• Sticking with Kansas City, Larry Johnson feels as if he’s being phased out of the offense. [PittLive]
• Antonio Cromartie would just prefer that you not throw his way Mr. Cutler. [Fanhouse]
• Sign on San Diego admits that reply wouldn’t have helped in the first quarter. [SoS]
• Lane Kiffin talks about his future (video). [NFL]

NFL:

• The AFC is a hot mess right now. [Fanhouse]

As many of our readers are aware, I’m a huge fan a fellow NFL blog Kissing Suzy Kolber.  Mainly for their quality content like this, this and this.  So imagine my surprise when I was able to snag a few extra minutes at work this morning to browse through my interweb favorites (Broncotalk first of course) and stumble upon this little blog post.

First thought: lol, 666 made with Cutler jerseys, good one.

Second thought: Hey, that section looks kind of familiar.  I know where that is, that’s my section!  (please try to hold the lol, nosebleed comments to a minimum)

Third thought: Well, if that’s there, and my seats are th…….   HOLY #%@&  What the hell is my fat noggin doing on Kissing Suzy Kolber!?!  Orange doesn’t make your head look smaller by the way.

You’re pry thinking yeah, you got on a screen cap, big deal.  I agree with that actually but it plays off really surreal when you read certain things on the internet everyday and all of sudden you show up one randomly.  So yes, that’s me in the Cutler jersey sadly not making up the jinx creating 666 of section 509.  But still cool nonetheless.

Yes, Marshall caught this one, too. (Getty Images)

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall‘s offseason goal of 140 catches in 2008 was well documented, as was the prohibitive difficulty of the task. Only Colts WR Marvin Harrison has had more in a single season. Marshall would have to average 8.75 catches per game to reach his goal, given a full-16 game slate. With a one-game suspension to add to the task, it looked all but impossible.

A 39-38 thrilling victory over the Chargers later, and Marshall’s goal doesn’t just look attainable – it looks eclipse-able. Marshall set a Broncos franchise record with 18 receptions Sunday, gaining 166 yards and one TD along with countless first downs. His day left him tied for second in NFL history in single game receptions. With one game, he’s already back on pace to set the record (something we will officially be calling Marshall Watch all season long).

If his two game average in receptions equals the past two games (really one game), he’ll reach his goal and break the record with 144 receptions. If it’s anywhere in between his one- and two-game averages, he’ll smash it.

Let’s look at some other Broncos stat projections:

Jay Cutler has completed 52 passes (2nd in NFL) out of 74 attempts for 650 yards (1st in NFL). He has six touchdowns (T-1st in NFL) and one interception for a QB Rating of 118.6. If those numbers hold up all year, Cutler will finish with 5200 yards, 48 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Those are mind-blowing numbers. I’ll be the first to admit that that’s just a very early and inaccurate look at what they will be come Week 17, but they’re fun to look at nonetheless.

Go to more projections »

HEAD COACH MIKE SHANAHAN

On if anyone called him and asked him why he went for two against the Chargers
“Not really. I am pretty happy we made it though.”

On if he was planning on attempting the two-point conversion ahead of time
“We talked about it when we got the ball. I told these guys to get ready for it because if we score a touchdown, we are going for two. I just wanted to get it into the back of their mind. You can always back off of it if you want but I wanted them to be ready. If we scored, to go for two.”

On attempting the two-point conversion to win the game
“As I said before, you kind of have a gut feeling. We have a lot of confidence in our offense, offensive line, your receivers getting open and just coming into an important game. We only got about six plays in the third quarter and we had a bunch of plays in the fourth quarter that got our momentum going. I thought that with the coin flip, it was worth taking the chance.”

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Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is a notorious work-a-holic, rumored to research opponents weeks, if not months ahead of time. Instead of covering the entire NFL, what we at The Denver Bronco Talk Blog are doing is covering the NFL that you should care about. Every opponent the Denver Broncos face this season will get full weekly coverage from the first Sunday until the Broncos play them. As fans you will be able to focus on which player/team did what from week-to-week. Heck, you might even look better than Shanahan when the Broncos face off against a team that you’ve been scouting for the last six weeks.

Week 2 San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers‘ offense was intense, but not until the second-half. Philip Rivers leads the NFL in passing yards going into the Monday night game– if that means anything. Not proof enough? Keep reading… Rivers picked Denver’s nickle back Karl Paymah apart. The Broncos also stayed true to team history, allowing another backup Chargers’ running back to have a career game. The Chargers were often mentioned amongst the possible AFC Super Bowl contenders in preseason. Not today though, today was that given Sunday for the Denver Broncos.

Week 3 New Orleans Saints
News broke just before the game that the Saints had extended head coach Sean Payton‘s contract (by five years). It was also reported early on Sunday that there were some tough decisions made this past off-season on the fate of Deuce McAllister. The Saints didn’t quite look like the offensive juggernaut that they were in week one, that isn’t to say that the Washington Redskins‘ defense shut them out completely. However, the Saints’ first touchdown came off field position provided by a botched punt return by Antwaan Randle El, giving New Orleans the ball on the one-yard line. The Saints’ offense folded under the pressure of the Redskins’ onslaught. It is worth mentioning that the Saints were playing without three key players and they lost corner Aaron Glenn in the third quarter. Where the Broncos should anticipate trouble is with Reggie Bush, not for his offensive abilities, but for his special teams abilities.

Much, much more analysis will be available to fans throughout the week, right here on Bronco Talk.

Week 4 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Backup quarterback Damon Huard came in to replace the injured Brodie Croyle, then Tyler Thigpen came in to relieve Huard, then wide receiver Marques Hagans came in to relieve Thigpen, going one of one for five yards. After that the Chiefs seemed to simply tread water, with Thigpen back at the helm. By no means did the Oakland Raiders look impressive, going into the third quarter JaMarcus Russell was three of 14 for 30 yards. Then mid-third quarter, the Raiders seemed to hit the nitro button, Darren McFadden launched into the century mark, yardage wise, in two well timed runs. Kansas City’s young defense looks anemic and they’re not to get much better by week 4.

Week 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Backup quarterback (and former Denver Bronco) Brian Griese started in place of the (possibly) injured Jeff Garcia, amongst rumors that the Buccaneers had offered Garcia to the San Francisco 49ers. It’s an educated guess, but my best guess is that Griese will most likely face off against his mentor Mike Shanahan in week five. Griese was very unspectacular at quarterback, finishing with 160-yards on 18 passes and 31 attempts. It was Tampa Bay’s fierce defense that ultimately led them to the win over the one-game wonder Atlanta Falcons. Buccaneers defensive end Gaines Adams became Falcons’ rookie quarterback Matt Ryan’s personal nightmare. Defense won this game for Tampa, not offense, though Earnest Graham deserves the game ball for his 68-yard touchdown, late in the 4th quarter.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

Getty Images

Broncos 39, Charger 38. This longtime-vanilla rivalry has turned spicy, bitter, and downright vile in the span of two division games. Last December, San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers jawed at Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler on Monday Night Football in a much-YouTube’d display of immaturity. In yesterday’s September Week Two showdown, things got even nastier, with the stakes higher and Chargers fans crying foul at referee Ed Hochuli and his controversial judgment.

I’ve gotten emails from Chargers fans, and some from Broncos fans, declaring that the Chargers were robbed. Broncos fans even “feel bad” for winning this game. You’re entitled to your opinion, but let’s separate those from facts right here and now. The bottom line is plain and simple. The Broncos and Chargers are the two best teams in the AFC West. Hold your head up high, Denver – on Sunday, regardless of who “was robbed,” the better team came out with a ‘W.’ Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The fumble that was called an incomplete but ruled a fumble. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

San Diego Chargers fans feel they have something to complain about after yesterday’s wild 39-38 Broncos victory. The referee of the game, Ed Hochuli, took the time to explain to the fans exactly what went down as Denver Broncos QB Jay Cutler dropped back to pass with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. Take it away, Ed…

Statement on play
“The ruling on the field was that it was an incomplete pass. We went to replay; it should have been ruled fumble. By rule, by the instant replay rules, on that particular play where there’s a pass/fumble, a quarterback pass/fumble the rules do not permit you to give the ball to the other team. All we can do to fix it is put the ball at the spot that it hit the ground, which is why we moved it back to the 10-yard line and the down counts and it becomes third down.”

No change of possession by rule?
“No change of possession, by rule, yes, by rule.”

Is replay the issue in that case?
“Because on replay when we reverse it like that, when we reverse it on a quarterback pass/fumble play your whistle has been blown as soon as the ball comes out, before it’s recovered, so it’s really not even a whistle issue. It’s the rule, that in instant replay, the only thing we can do is put the ball at the spot that it hit the ground and count the down. The rules of instant replay do not permit that you award the ball to the other team.”

All in all, the blown call doesn’t matter. The Chargers were almost gifted a win by the Broncos offense that their defense didn’t earn. The better team won Sunday.

Thanks to the Broncos PR Staff and Jeff Legwold of the Rocky Mountain News.

At the end of the day, the Denver Broncos sit at 2-0. The San Diego Chargers, 0-2.

The wild, high-scoring event was bookended by controversy in the first and fourth quarters. Did Champ Bailey strip the ball early, setting up a Broncos 7-0 lead? Did Jay Cutler fumble, and should the Chargers have recovered?

Had either call gone the other way, the game would have almost certainly ended differently. The Broncos took advantage of some good luck and now sit atop the AFC West!

Cutler looked amazing again in all but two plays – two plays that nearly cost the Broncos the game. His interception in the 4th quarter gave San Diego its one and only lead. The aforementioned fumble would have sealed a Chargers victory had the referee not blown his whistle, declaring the play dead.

Brandon Marshall – what can you say? He set a Denver Broncos franchise record for receptions in a single game. What an honor, and what a way to repeatedly move the chains.

Tony Scheffler had 2 amazing touchdown receptions. That-a-baby Scheff!

And Eddie Royal… Super Eddie Royal… catching the game-winning touchdown and 2-point conversion.

This one will go far to continue to brew a growing rivalry between the Chargers and Broncos. The rematch later in the year will be very, very nasty.

What did you think of the calls by the refs? Did the Broncos deserve to win?
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vs.
Broncos (1-0) vs. Chargers (0-1)
INVESCO Field at Mile High
Sun, Sep 14, 2008
2:15 PM MDT CBS

LIVE BLOG starts 1:45 PM
Preview | Scouting Report | Predictions
Injury Report | Weather

Your Pre-Game Question of the Week: What do you wear for gameday? A jersey? A lucky sock? A barrel? Dish it out in the comments before the live blog starts!

Stay tuned for the full list of inactives as soon as we get our hands on ’em. Live blog starts half an hour before kickoff! Feel free to join me at the Rocky Mountain News’ Broncos chat starting an hour before.