Broncos 21, Steelers 7

My worst fear for this game has not (yet) materialized. The fans have been completely demoralized by the last 3 games, and I was worried the team might have caught some of this.

Clearly, they have not.

The game started out ugly. Sauerbrun is kicking terribly, and gave the Steelers great field position. And they came down the field and it looked like the D was going exactly as I had feared.

But the offense got out there. It was cool, calm and collected. And it scored.

But Jamie Winborn got that special teams hit, and bam, the defense suddenly looked like it knew how to play. And the intensity went way, way up, and has stayed up all the way to the half.

Two picks and a fumble returned for a touchdown. Roethlisberger is finding Ward in the open when we can’t get him; we’re not perfect, but we’re doing well against a good team.

One thing I’m noticing: Madden keeps calling our defense a Tampa 2. But everything I’ve read and seen says that we’re not supposed to be playing a tampa 2. This is supposed to be more man coverage. That means there’s been some major changes to the scheme. That’s very interesting, and I’m curious what the experts are going to say about this after the game.

Share your thoughts here!

I won’t be able to live-post this game, but I wanted to give you all a place to make comments on the game as we go. I’ll be checking in as the game goings on!

Enjoy!

In this article on Sportsnet, it apears as though there is a rumor going around the league that several regular season games might be played in Canada next year. One of the teams mentioned is the Denver Broncos.

There has been a widespread rumour that the NFL will award the game to Edmonton and will feature the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos, whose owner, Pat Bowlen, is an Edmonton native.

Source: Sportsnet

I’d be floored if we won this game. Leveled. I just don’t see it in the cards. The Steelers are too talented on defense and are too solid on offense. Ben Roethlisberger isn’t making the mistakes he made last year. I was watching AFC Playbook on the NFL Network, and the hosts were showing a lot of love for the Steelers defense. And why not? They’re the #1 scoring defense in the league for good reason. They’re physical, smart, fast… they’re firing on all cylinders.

In contrast, we’re a mess. Pending suspensions. 3-game losing streak. Worst home loss in decades. We’re missing our biggest playmaker on offense, and we might be missing our defensive MVP too. Not to mention that Javon and Champ were the reasons we beat the Steelers last year.

The thought of losing doesn’t bother me that much. The thought of getting destroyed, or not playing our best, does.  Sure, there’s a huge difference between 2-4 and 3-3, and a win would get this team going in the right direction. But so would putting out a better product on the field than they have lately. The team has been getting worse instead of better on defense – take a look at the points and yards allowed, week after week:

Last game may have been better against the run, but it was our worst defensive performance to date overall. At home, against our biggest division rival this year. Maybe throwing every single guy we can up front to stop the run isn’t the answer. We give up too much in return.

I want to see improvement in the defense. I don’t want to see Willie Parker going for 7 yards every run like Joseph Addai was. I don’t want to see screen passes going for 30 yards like Antonio Gates and Ladainian Tomlinson were, either. I’d like to see us hold the Steelers under 28 points, and under 300 yards. That’s not great, but I’d be happy with that.

I also want to see this offense explode. No Walker hurts us. But I’d like to see Tony Scheffler become the X-factor he was at the end of last year. No one gains 100 yards on the Steelers, but I’d like to see Henry and Young roll for over 70 each. I’m hoping for an interception-free day from Cutler, if only to ease the critics a bit.

I want to see the Broncos take care of themselves first. Desperation games always seem like trap games to me – if a team is too focused on the “big picture” of the season, they’re not going to execute the details the way they should. If I were a coach in that locker room, I would say this: Don’t worry about the record, guys. Don’t worry about the win at the end of the day. Just focus. Play after play, execute it to the best of your ability. And take it one play at a time.

If we do that, and take care of ourselves before worrying about Pittsburgh, we’ll be competitive, and we’ll be asking the Steelers to beat us instead of beating ourselves. If that happens, we might just come away with a win after all.

• Haven’t you ever watched a sci-fi movie? Humans are “special” because they have one thing – hope (simultaneously the source of our greatest strength and our greatest weakness or something like that). Hard to come by in Denver these days (caution to virgin ears). – Orange Bucksnorts
• Champ Bailey is listed as questionable, but said if he had to go on Friday he would have. Javon Walker‘s knee surgery will leave him out 4-6 weeks. – Mason’s Morsels
• Inside Slant on the team – USA Today
• How momentum affects a team in sports – Rocky Mountain News
• Tight end Stephen Alexander is waiting on word from Denver regarding his future plans with the Broncos. If the news isn’t good, he says he’ll retire. – Rocky Mountain News
• Simeon Rice does some more pissing and moaning. What a baby. – Denver Post
• I’ve completely gotten over the birdie incident of years ago. Plain and simple, I’ve got love for Jake Plummer, and his latest escapades in handball put a goofy smile to my face. – Denver Post
• Cultural oddsmaker gives the odds for the next person to get banned from Monday Night Football. He’s got John Elway at 3/1. Any takers? Anyone? – Deadspin

Simeon Rice‘s comments on the Broncos are really getting to me. Talk about piss poor timing. Talk about selfishness. Calling out the coaching staff on a team that is lacking leadership. Rod Smith, Tom Nalen, Al Wilson – all gone due to injury. You’re on the free agent market for weeks, with few callers or workouts, and the Broncos come knocking and sign you to much more than anyone else thought you were worth ($3 million, many had suggested the veteran minimum). Everyone, including myself, would have hoped you would step up and be a leader in the locker room. Looks like the only place you’re leading this team is down the drain.

On whether he’s regretting joining the team –

“At this point I am,” he said. “My energy and purpose is to play and be the best. I’m not suiting up week to week and I don’t have any plain, concise answers.” …

Rice insists he’s now 100 percent and labels the discrepancy between his version and the team’s regarding his health as “a difference of opinion.”

“I’m really just trying to lock myself in and just make it through the year because I have no idea why I’ve been brought here – at all,” he said. “Things have been said. Things have been promised. Things have been told. And I’m at the point where I’m ready to perform and help this team out. They don’t have anything like me on this defense. But it is what it is.”

Just trying to make it through this year? How many times in your comments, Mr. Rice, did you mention “the team”? Oh, that’s right, when you said we’ve “got nothing like you on this defense. ” That’s a straight insult to both the coaches and your teammates. I don’t think I’ve ever had more disdain and loathing toward a Broncos player than I do towards you today. Even more than Jake Plummer when he flipped off the fans.

It’s about doing what’s best for the team. Just because you’re a veteran and potential Hall of Famer does not guarantee you a spot on the field. If you don’t put up, shut up.  And you’ve shown me little to nothing to impress me thus far.

Furthermore, Mr. Rice, you said you were 100% when we first signed you. Now you say “Oh, maybe I wasn’t 100% then, but I am now.” Give me a break. I hope Shanahan cuts you post haste.  We don’t need a cancer in the locker room, not when half of it is on the injured list already.

Horrible outing for the two of us. Jonathan and I gotta pull it together.

There are a lot of tough games to sort through this week. The Monday Night outing of Indy @ Jacksonville is a flip of the coin game (if not for a weirdly rough start defensively week 1, the Jags would also be undefeated).

I like writing these Pick ‘Ems because it gives me a chance to go around the NFL and ramble. If there were, oh, 10 more hours per day I could do an NFL blog too.

For recreational non-gambling don’t-bet-the-farm-on-these purposes:

Last week

Kyle – Against the Spread – 0-3
Straight up – 6-7
Jonathan – Against the Spread – 1-3
Straight up – 7-6

To Date

Kyle – Against the Spread – 6-6 (.500)
Straight up – 58-31 (.652)
Jonathan – Against the spread – 10-11 (.476)
Straight up – 54-35 (.601)

Kyle’s pick	Kyle’s Thoughts/Notes/Ramblings	Jonathan’s pick
	ARI (+8) @ WAS – Poor Cardinals. Talk about a cursed franchise. Among top defenses in the NFC and you’re down to your third quarterback. It’s a shame really.
	ATL (+8.5) @ NO – Are the Saints back? I never really thought they were good to begin with, but I thought they were better than 1-4. What is up with Marques Colston dropping balls, too? Robert Meachem sidelined every week, in the coach’s doghouse… this explosive offense is nothing like it used to be. Then again, they won’t need to be against the Falcons.
	BAL (-3) @ BUF – Quarterback controversies abound in this matchup in the Northeast. I’ve said before I think the Ravens are better with Kyle Boller than Steve McNair – hope they prove me right.
	MIN (+9.5) @ DAL – Adrian Peterson‘s homecoming of sorts, as he faces off against the team he grew up to love. Unfortunately the running game plays to the Cowboys’ strengths (Roy Williams in the box), and Dallas should win handily.
	NE (-16.5) @ MIA – The 6-6 Dolphins shut out the 9-3 Patriots in December of last year at home. Tom Brady plays his worst games against the Dolphins. They’re very, very hurt at runningback. The Patriots just might be looking ahead toward games against Washington and Indy in the next few weeks. And it’s a rivalry game. All that said, I’m still taking Pats, but I have a feeling the winless Dolphins will give them trouble.
	SF (+9) @ NYG – Everyone’s calling the 49ers the Ravens of the NFC. I kinda like it. Great defense; no offense to speak of… they could pull the upset but I stuck with the New Yorkers.
	TB (+2) @ DET – The Rod Marinelli Bowl. I like the Bucs defense and the Bucs quarterback better, although Detroit has a more explosive offense. Neither can run the ball. Talk about a crappy game.
	TEN (-1.5) @ HOU – Vince Young has the right attitude. He said somewhere that this game isn’t about his homecoming anymore – that was last year and that was over. It’s time to just play football. I think the Texans bounce back after a rough stretch, remember how to play defense and take care of business at home.
	KC (+3) @ OAK – Who do I hate worse… of course the Raiders take the cake. I think the team is better than last year, but they’re not that much better. Just my opinion. When Kansas City and Dwayne Bowe face a stud cornerback (like Rasheen Mathis a few weeks back), their team struggles on offense. Nnamdi Asomugha could give them fits, but I just think the Chiefs are a better team.
	NYJ (+6) @ CIN – The uber-disappointment bowl. I could see the Jets winning this game, but it’s in Bengals town so I’ll go with the stripes.
	CHI (+5.5) @ PHI – Tough game to pick. Just when you think the Bears are back they blow a should-win against the Vikings at home. I don’t see them stopping Brian Westbrook in Philly if they completely failed in stopping Peterson at home.
	STL (+8.5) @ SEA – After two tough losses, the Seahawks are lucky to have the worst team in the NFL coming into town.
	PIT (-3.5) @ DEN – Part of me wants to stop including the Broncos games in these segments. No thought goes into them for me. I cannot force myself to write the other team in the pick column. Can’t do it. I’m like Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar – the goddamn pen is always blue.
	IND (-3) @ JAC – Game of the week. Good for you, ESPN, you nailed one. Just watch out for Jimmy Kimmel trying to hijack the booth.

• There is so much to talk about today folks. How bad is Javon Walker‘s knee? No one really knows for sure. Arthroscopic knee surgery is not a serious procedure – for instance, San Diego’s NT Jamal Williams is undergoing a similar procedure over the bye week and plans to play next Sunday. – Yahoo! Sports
• Meanwhile, the Rumor Mill reports Walker’s knee may be much worse than advertised. – Pro Football Talk
• This team is devastated by injuries, more than most years. Andrew Mason breaks down the man-games we’ve missed, and with Tom Nalen, Nate Jackson and Stephen Alexander being placed on IR since the bye, it’s not pretty. – Mason’s Morsels
• Free agent acquisition Simeon Rice is already complaining about his role in Denver, and says he regrets joining the team. – Rocky Mountain News
• RMN’s scouting report on the game. – Rocky Mountain News
• The Broncos defense ranks 26th on third downs. – Denver Post
• The Steelers won’t back down from throwing at Champ Bailey – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• The Patriots know all and see all. StubHub buyers beware. – Deadspin

Mike Shanahan announced today that Javon Walker will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and be out for a few weeks. Javon has missed two games after pain and swelling in his knee.

“Javon’s not feeling very good,” Shanahan said. “He’ll get operated on tomorrow in Houston, so he’ll be out for a few weeks.”  Shanahan went on to say that the injury is not serious and is more of a cleanout.

Horrible, horrible news. Our biggest offensive playmaker has missed the most important weeks of our schedule, and now he will miss the next key matchups against the Steelers and Packers.

Meanwhile, Champ Bailey sat out practice again today and was noncommittal in playing Sunday.

Source: Andrew Mason

Yahoo! Sports reports that the Broncos have placed veteran tight end Stephen Alexander on Injured Reserve, ending his season. Alexander has been hampered with a calf injury all season long.  The team signed TE Chad Mustard to fill the roster spot.

The two tight ends have alternated spots on the roster several times this year, but Alexander had yet to move off the club’s inactive list on game day.  If activated on Sundays, Mustard would likely find work in run blocking situations and on special teams.