• Scouts Inc. looks at the tape, loves on Cutler, and compares him and Clady to greatness.  [ESPN]
• Cutler and Dumervil agree – Clady looks to be special.  [Denver Post]
• Floyd Little and Randy Gradishar are again denied what they so well deserve.  [DPO]
• How to compensate for Brandon Marshall‘s suspension.  [Rocky Mountain News]
• SI’s season preview details the defense.  [Sports Illustrated]
• Brandon Stokley is feeling better in year two.  [Pueblo Chieftain]
• Michael Pittman and Anthony Alridge will carry the load against Arizona.  [Co. Springs Gazette]
• Cardinals QB Kurt Warner will start against the Broncos amidst swirling controversy.  [Arizona Republic]
• Doom talks about his injury and Chad Johnson vs. Michael Phelps.  [DenverBroncos.com]
• Ryan Torain checks in.  [DB.com]

The year was 867 C.E. and Vikings (not those Vikings, easy…) from Sjaelland and Uppsala were heading for Scotland. Aebbe the Younger (now known as St. Aebbe), the Mother Superior, received news of the upcoming raid; she gathered her nuns and quickly informed them that they must immediately disfigure their faces to make themselves unappealing to the Vikings. With this, St. Abbe hoped to preserve their chastity. Aebbe herself cut off her nose along with her upper lip. The nuns followed suit and did the same.

When the Vikings arrived, disgusted by the site of the nuns, they burned the entire building to the ground.

The date was January 20, 2008.

“It hurts…” Philip Rivers said.

“We had a chance. I know that’s no consolation,” said Rivers. “People didn’t think it would be close, but not us. We expected to win.”

He wasn’t talking about his surgically repaired A.C.L., which he had had surgery on the week prior, he was referring to the loss in the San Diego Chargers AFC Championship game to the New England Patriots.

You know the story, Philip Rivers miraculously returns from knee surgery to play in the AFC Championship game with a protective brace. He finished the game with 37 attempts, 19 completions, 211 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. Miraculous indeed.

Quick question, what would he have done, had the Chargers won?

Think his knee was feeling better following the game against the Patriots? Or should he just have taken a backseat and let backup quarterback Billy Volek lead the team, as he’d done the week prior against the Indianapolis Colts. Volek, you will remember took the reigns from the injured Rivers went three for four on passes and ran in for the game winning touchdown.

Enter Shawn Merriman, who despite a torn P.C.L. and L.C.L. in his knee has been cleared by the team to play…

Seriously. Al Wilson, one year removed from a Pro Bowl season, cannot get a look from any team in the NFL and Merriman’s likely to start week one for the Chargers.

This is a win at all costs season for the Chargers, obviously and they themselves know that Merriman isn’t likely to last. Every doctor Merriman has seen recommended surgery. The Chargers realize that they’re putting this man’s career at risk, but don’t stress they’ve just extended his backup Jyles Tucker’s contract. The Chargers signed a man with six games worth of NFL playing time to a five-year deal worth more than 14 million. Six million of it is guaranteed, did I mention he was an undrafted free agent in 2007? Because, he was.

Wow, just wow… This is the organization that regularly employs Philip Rivers, go figure. Being a life-long Broncos fan, I’ve never really had a thing against anybody in the AFC West except for the Chargers. This year, I’m turning it up a notch and this is why. They fired Marty Schottenheimer (spelled it correctly with no spell check thank you) after an incredible season, despite that talent available on the field and now they’re literally placing the livelihood of one of their best defensive players ever on the line. Super Bowl contender indeed, but where is the line drawn?

Cutler and Shanny (Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments.

Yesterday’s winner – mikebirty.

“Psst, LT – let’s keep what happened last night between us….”

Honorable mention – Hercules Rockefeller: “I’m a total d-bag. pass it on.”

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

• Jay Cutler: prime for a “gigantic jump.”  [Fox Sports]
• How much better is the Denver Broncos defense?  [9News]
• Andre Hall is no longer ranked among the roster afterthoughts.  [Rocky Mountain News]
• Nate Webster: the Band-Aid at middle linebacker.  [Denver Post]
• Patrick Ramsey hopes to tough it out and play against Arizona.  [DPO]
• Did this AFC West preview really come from the league’s official site?  [NFL.com]
• The 2nd grade grammar continues as the same author previews the Broncos.  [NFL.com]
• Is an 18-game season coming?  I sure hope so. [DPO]

BLOG BLITZ

• Our pal Stefan Fatsis gives this season preview.  [Deadspin]
• The Annual Super Bowl Buzz Kill focuses on Denver. [The Hater Nation]
• Bill Williamson runs down the AFC West cuts.  [ESPN]
• Nick went 3-for-3 on his WR chopping block prediction.  [Thin Air]
• Guru gives his take on the Webster vs. Niko Koutouvides decision.  [Mile High Report]
• Travis Henry – one passionate Democratic supporter.  [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

Create-a-caption’s are getting their own posts, permanently methinks. I’d like everyone to be able to discuss the blitz itself if they want – i.e., what’s the buzz around the Internet on our Broncos.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall was excused from practice on Tuesday to visit New York for his appeal hearing. Marshall has been suspended 2-3 games by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for violation of the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.

Perhaps most promising to Marshall’s appeal is that Goodell will not be ruling over the decision himself, as originally thought. A group of NFL officials will examine Marshall’s case and make a decision regarding his status.

You all know I how I feel about this – his suspension should be reduced to at most one game, if that. Let’s see what this independent board decides.

Mike Shanahan announced just an hour ago that wide receiver Taylor Jacobs has been released. Also, the Denver Broncos have officially placed rookie defensive tackle Carlton Powell on the reserve/unable to perform list.

Jacobs participated in six games for Denver last season, but was waived early in the off-season. He was then resigned shorty after wide receiver Edell Shepherd was placed on injured reserve (on July 26th, 2008).

These moves bring the Broncos down to 75 players, the Broncos must be down to 53 players by August 30th.

CarolinaGrowl.com is reporting that recently released wide receiver Samie Parker has been signed to the Carolina Panthers.

“He’s a guy who has speed and quickness,” Fox said. “He’s returned the ball before as well as being a receiver. We’ve been a little nicked up at that spot, so we’ll have a little look-see.”

Anemic at the wide receiver position and looking for Parker’s quickness to possibly help out on special teams, it looks as if he will be able to continue his career in Carolina. Fans will remember that the Panthers find themselves in a similar situation to the Denver Broncos, with their number one wide receiver, Steve Smith, suspended for the first two games of the season.

The Denver Broncos face the Carolina Panthers on December 14th, 2008.

Good to see that the former actual fastest man on the Denver Broncos has been scooped up immediately and appears to be heading to a club that could use his talent. Essentially the Broncos and Panthers are swapping receivers; with Keary Colbert (formerly of Carolina) most likely having a similar spot on the depth chart in Denver that Samie Parker will hold in Carolina.

• Two Broncos starters on defense – Elvis and Boss – aren’t sure they’re going to be ready for the Raiders Week One.  [Denver Post]
• Darrell Jackson has been sitting out the past two preseason games, but is looking forward to starting against the Raiders.  [Rocky Mountain News]
• With the starters set, the Broncos are looking beyond the Cardinals this week and forward to the Raiders.  [RMN]
• Samie Parker headlined the cuts yesterday, but Josh Mallard was more surprising to see.  [DPO]
• The rush defense is miles ahead of last year’s unit.  [Longmont Times-Call]
• Will the Broncos’ depth doom them to another playoff-less season?  [Sporting News]
• No official news on the new punter yet – both Kern and Paulescu will get another shot at Arizona.  [LTC]
• Jim Armstrong, you are a wishy-washy man.  Drinking the Kool Aid now because Shawne Merriman could be out?  [DPO]

CREATE-A-CAPTION

Philip Rivers. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Your wittiest, most cleverest captions in the comments… Yesterday’s winner after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of this entry »

The Denver Post’s Jim Armstrong wasn’t jumping the gun at all in his newest blurb. He states that in the event of San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawn Merriman absence, the power could sway in the AFC West. There is no disputing it, Merriman is the Tasmanian devil coming off the edge, but he owes much of his success to the fact that he gets to play the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs twice a year.

Against the Denver Broncos last season he had a total of four tackles in two games, no sacks; compare that to the Chiefs (14 tackles, 4 sacks) and the Raiders (6 tackles, 3.5 sacks) that’s three/fourths of his sack total in 2007 (12.5), teeing off on the struggling Chiefs and Raiders. Not to insult the Chiefs and Raiders, but come on, last season, if it wasn’t Merriman, it would have been whoever was playing outside linebacker. Note to Jim: Merriman sat out against the Detroit Lions, yet the Chargers were still able to win the game 51-14.

But. I liked the idea, who is indespensible? Which player, if absent, changes the outcome of the game, season or playoff picture for an entire division? Quarterbacks are out, anyone who has seen the New England Patriots or Indianapolis Colts this preseason can agree. Except in the AFC West, take away Philip Rivers, San Diego’s still okay, take away JaMarcus Russell and the Raiders are still looking rough this season, the Chiefs… Do they even know who the quarterback is yet? I’m sure they do… Jay Cutler for the Broncos though, yeah, we’d be screwed. So QBs, out.

For the Chargers that player happens to be LaDainian Tomlinson, as seen in the AFC Championship game and the playoff game against the Tennessee Titans; where without him the Chargers were not winning that game. For the Chiefs that player may very well be Larry Johnson; Johnson’s absence last season proved detrimental for the squad. However, there is no guarantee that Johnson will ever be the same. So, let me go with Tony Gonzalez, while giving a nod to the recent exit of Jared Allen and a wink to several promising rookies. The Raiders, well, Justin Griffith, the Raiders aren’t worth much without their running game and Griffith paves the way.

Now, the home team, Denver Broncos, who besides Jay Cutler is indispensable? Chad Mustard, just kidding, though that was true last season for awhile… I want to say Champ Bailey, I want to say Tom Nalen, though just looking at last season, we know that not to be true (yes, we were able to win a couple of games last season). It may be Brandon Marshall, but I’m going to go even sexier and say DJ Williams.

What do you guys think? Am I off my rocker? Someone I missed or do you just want to scream at me?

It looks as if Nate Webster has beaten Niko Koutouvides out at middle linebacker. Coach Mike Shanahan announced just that this afternoon and added:

“It was a very close competition,” Shanahan concluded. “Both guys I look at as starters. Both guys will help as special teams but it was nip and tuck.”

Shanahan went on to say that Koutouvides would play the entire game on Friday versus the Arizona Cardinals; to get a better feel for the defense. Basically answering the question some may be asking, before they were able to ask it. Koutouvides will play backup to Webster because he was not able to gel with the defense just yet.

One area that will immediately improve, due to this “nip and tuck,” as Shanahan refers to it, will be the Denver Broncos special teams. Koutouvides is and always has been a formidable force on kickoff and punt returns. Stopping the run and preventing teams from starting drives on their own 40-45 yard-line was the primary reason the Broncos spent so much bringing in Koutouvides and getting all those rookies during and after the draft.

Nate Webster was second last season for Denver in tackles and 33rd in the AFC with 87 as the Sam linebacker.

From what I saw this seems to be the right move, I’ve explained it before, but Nate Webster seems to just run around busting skulls like a mad man. Where as Niko Koutouvides seemed to play with more finesse, but he got beat… a lot, on passes and that can’t happen.