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From the pressbox at Invesco Mile High
There are no great surprises on the lineup card tonight. As expected, Javon Walker is in uniform. First-teamers Cecil Sapp, Gerard Warren and Courtney Brown are out as they have been all week; they will be replaced by Kyle Johnson, Demetrin Veal and Kenard Lang, respectively.
Rookie receivers Brandon Marshall and Domenik Hixon remain sidelined. So too are running back Ron Dayne and linebacker T.J. Hollowell. As for Ashley Lelie, his holdout extends into its fourth week.
*** Written at 6:31 MDT ***
"I love a rainy night ..."
-- Eddie Rabbitt
So perhaps he only liked such evenings because a sunny day emerged in their aftermath. That won't do the Broncos much good tonight, as a late-afternoon drenching and showers that persisted into the evening brought out the ponchos and umbrellas.
The field has typically held its form well amidst conditions most foul, as it came through the October 2005 dousing during the Redskins game without a hitch. Nevertheless, the Broncos and Titans will surely be on guard for even the slightest increase in ankle injuries and other potential infirmities should the rain persist.
*** Written at 6:38 MDT ***
As though you could possibly care ...
Tonight's pre-game meal ... the "gourmet burger" with lettuce, tomato, cheese, ketchup and mustard from the "Mile High Grill" along the east club level. Burgers at this five-year-old facility have never failed to disappoint; the patties are grilled, and the utilization of a french roll instead of a sesame-seed bun provides a nice touch. Like the Broncos themselves, all I want tonight is an evening without any negative surprises, and this burger provides sufficient victuals in advance of kickoff, with its backyard-from-the-grill quality and just a wisp of pink in the beef. I'm not a big fan of cheddar cheese -- a slice of which was placed on the burger -- but it doesn't detract.
Also, for those of you visiting the stadium this year, there are two sizes of souvenir soda cups. The smaller one is opaquely-clear plastic with a rendering of the stadium; the larger ones are orange. I have wasted little time in adding them to a collection that has come to cost even more than a set of fine crystal drinkware.
*** Written at 6:48 p.m. MDT ***
Off we go. The offense was introduced individually on the scoreboard and over the public-address system, but they opted to come out as a unit.
The rain seems to have doused not only the field, but the the crowd. As usual, the game is sold out, but roughly half the seats still remain unoccupied as kickoff nears, although lengthy traffic queues on the I-25 offramps are still the norm.
Kickoff temperature is an October-like 63 degrees. Ah, Colorado. Where snow can fall in June and January's temperatures are often warmer than those in Florida.
Tennessee wins the toss by calling "heads." The Broncos are now 0-for-2 on preseason coin tosses.
*** Written at 7:04 p.m. MDT ***
Hells Bells by AC/DC as the kickoff nears. When did we get to Oakland? (It is, however, also the pre-game entry music for the North Carolina Tar Heels' football team.)
Paul Ernster starts the night with a 77-yard kickoff downed in the end zone.
*** Written at 7:05 p.m. MDT ***
Starting lineup tweaks: Domonique Foxworth for Champ Bailey and Nate Webster for Al Wilson. The third-and-12 nickel package sees the Broncos insert Elvis Dumervil at left and and Karl Paymah as the third cornerback; the Broncos use that formation to get to Billy Volek for a 7-yard Demetrin Veal sack.
And David Terrell handles the first punt return of the game.
*** Written at 7:09 p.m. MDT ***
Only one tight end in the starting lineup, and it's rookie Tony Scheffler split wide.
Kyle Johnson opens at fullback in front of tailback Mike Bell.
Javon Walker and Rod Smith are the starting receivers.
Broncos on the move on their first possession. At the Titans 33 now, but facing third-and-6 after an incompletion.
*** Written at 7:12 p.m. MDT ***
The Broncos went three-wide -- in a manner of speaking on third-and-6. Tony Scheffler splits wide; the two receivers are Walker and Todd Devoe.
With fourth-and-6 one play later, David Kircus enters the game, and he continues his gargantuan preseason, snaring a 16-yard reception and hanging on to the football even when he's creamed by Titans safety Lamont Thompson. Cold-cut trios for all, and the Broncos' first-team offense is in the red zone for the first time all preseason.
*** Written at 7:14 p.m. MDT ***
Mike Bell leapt to his first NFL touchdown to put the Broncos up 7-0, and proceeded to bring forth the answer to a $64,000 question. That, of course, being as follows: What will the Broncos use as their post-touchdown music with convicted pedophile Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll Part II out of the mix?
The early answer? Let's Go Crazy by Prince, last heard repeatedly in a sports vein during the NHL's "Cup Crazy" mid-1990s ad campaign. Maybe it's the dampness in the air, maybe it's because this is the preseason, but it didn't seem to leave many fans dancing.
And as I'm typing, Ernster just blasted another 77-yard kickoff.
*** Written at 7:20 p.m. MDT ***
After two sacks on its first appearance, the defense continued its splendid start by coaxing an errant Billy Volek pass that Nick Ferguson intercepted. Once again, the Broncos did it without resorting to a blitz. They did bring eight men near line of scrimmage, but dropped their DBs -- including Ferguson, crouched low at the line of scrimmage -- and linebackers at the snap. Pressure was beginning to mount from the edge when Volek released the pass, which Ferguson procured at the Titans 44.
Meanwhile, Tatum Bell comes in for the second possession after seeing a little action on the first drive; his initial carry picks up nine yards.
*** Written at 7:27 p.m. MDT ***
It was fourth-and-one. The Broncos had gained just one yard on the previous two plays.
Time to get nasty -- Jack Nasty.
I just like typing that -- "Jack Nasty" -- and knowing I can get away with it. After all, it is the name of Nate Jackson's band -- or at least his musical alter ego in said musical ensemble.;
Jackson -- who has written his share of copy for this fair Web site over the years -- and Plummer perfectly executed a bootleg pass, turning the short-yardage situation into a gorgeous 35-yard touchdown pass as the Broncos' dominant first-quarter continued. Thirteen points in 60 minutes last week, 14 in 12 tonight. That's progress.
And because we're keeping track, the post-score song was That's the Way I Like It by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. That's a little better -- uh-huh, uh-huh -- although still in the retro vein.
And Ernster's third first-quarter kickoff wasn't up to his previous standards tonight. It "only" went 76 yards. All hell's breaking loose now, as Veal and Kenard Lang collapsed the pocket following the touchback to get a third Broncos sack tonight.
*** Written at 7:40 p.m. MDT ***
So there goes the shutout. Rob Bironas' field goal puts the Titans on the board.
The first-teamers evidently have some more work left; with 13 plays and two touchdowns under their belt on offense, they're back for a third possession, and Plummer wastes little time turning to old standby Rod Smith for 17 yards.
Mike Bell is handling the running chores this time out after Tatum Bell took the reins on the last possession. But his three-yard, first-and-10 run from the Denver 37 results in a clipping infraction on Matt Lepsis, sending them back into first-and-25.
It's second-and-13 after Mike Bell runs over Chris Hope en route to a 12-yard gain -- he plowed directly into the Titans' first-team strong safety and worked for an extra three yards. An illegal-contact penalty gets the Broncos a first down one snap later.
*** Written at 7:52 p.m. MDT ***
Is Mike Bell explosive? He just answered that question by following Kyle Johnson and Cooper Carlisle for a 34-yard sprint to the Titans 19.
Two plays later, Smith is at the 1-yard line with a 12-yard reception. For the record, that was play No. 20.
*** Written at 7:55 p.m. MDT ***
Persistence paid off for Mike Bell, as a third goal-line run was the charm, giving the Broncos their second fourth-down touchdown of the night.
Preseason or not, that's impressive. How many times can you recall a team getting fourth-and-1 touchdowns on back-to-back possessions? Although the Broncos surely would have liked to have seen the younger Bell find the end zone on his second-down flying leap -- which was rudely rebuffed by Tennessee's Jared Clauss -- he stayed in the game and found success two carries later.
Oh, and the touchdown music this time was "Because We Can" by Fatboy Slim. I'm suddenly in the mood for a Coors Light.
*** Written at 8:01 p.m. MDT ***
Tracking the kickoffs: Ernster sails this one 70 yards. 77, 77, 76 and 70 for the night with two touchbacks.
Tracking the music -- the techno version of Hey Baby. All of a sudden I feel as though I'm watching the Rhein Fire or Frankfurt Galaxy.
*** Written at 8:03 p.m. MDT
Vince Young's first possession of the night for the Titans will surely make the people who brought the Texas Longhorns banner behind the Tennessee sideline happy; he found Bo Scaife -- a local yokel from Mullen High School -- for a first down, although an incompletion to Scaife ended the drive on downs.
It's worth noting that the drive saw the Broncos combine elements of their first and second teams -- with a first-team defensive line and backups at the other spots.
*** Written at 8:10 p.m. MDT ***
One of the loudest roars of the night greets the announcement of Jay Cutler's name. One of the loudest groans of the night heralded his first pass, which was knocked down at the line of scrimmage.
*** Written at 8:11 p.m. MDT ***
A change in quarterbacks meant no change in results, as Jay Cutler picked up where Plummer left off, with a scoring strike to Tony Scheffler capping an eight-play, 65-yard drive that was aided by three Tennessee penalties for 29 yards.
Ernster's ensuing kickoff went 61 yards. His kickoffs to the south end zone have averaged 65.5 yards; his boomers to the north end zone have traveled an average of 76.7, although there appears to be no discernible wind, at least none showing up on the streamers atop the uprights.
More evidence of some kind of breeze being in the air: Tennessee's Craig Hentrich -- punting to the north end zone -- just slammed a punt 70 yards for a touchback.
*** Written at 8:27 p.m. MDT ***
I'm ashamed to admit that I missed the song that played after Scheffler's touchdown. Maybe it's because I couldn't get past my hysterics over the constant mispronunciation of the rookie tight end's last name by the press-box public address announcer, who bafflingly kept saying "Schaefer."
And speaking of the one beer to have when you're having more than one, the halftime bratwursts are being served, so I shall return after my intermission gorging.
*** Written at 8:32 p.m. MDT ***
Good bratwurst. Makes me want to sing like a young Rainier Wolfcastle:
"Mein bratwurst has a first name; it's 'F-R-I-T-Z;'
"Mein bratwurst has a second name; it's S-C-H-N-A-C-K-E-N-P-F-E-F-F-E-R-H-A-U-S-E-N."
Titans to kick off starting the second half.
*** Written at 8:44 p.m. MDT ***
Jay Cutler's two-for-three on his drives when it comes to finding the end zone. The Broncos are five-for-six. And Damien Nash, who was cut by the Titans earlier in training camp, has his first touchdown in blue and orange -- and, significantly, was the third running back in for the Broncos, entering the game ahead of Cedric Cobbs.
*** Written at 8:50 p.m. MDT ***
Batting around and back at the top of the order: That's the Way I Like It by K.C. and the Sunshine Band follows Nash's score.
*** Written at 8:52 p.m. MDT ***
After giving a shout-out to media-relations training-camp intern Brad Gee for bringing me a diet soda last week, I have now been offered drinks by both Gee and DenverBroncos's own Don "The Ninja" Schwartz, so I thank both for the offers, although my cup runneth over with soda.
*** Written at 8:55 p.m. MDT ***
The third quarter had belonged to Damien Nash; he had 71 yards on 13 carries -- a tally that included a touchdown. He seemed determined to shown his former team exactly what they missed out upon when they cut him.
But after a one-yard run, he was clobbered amidst a thicket of linemen for both teams. He arose and moved gingerly off the field after he had his left knee bent a tad awkwardly.
Two plays later, the Broncos' drive ended on downs -- marking the first time a drive fell short of a scoring opportunity tonight.
*** Written at 9:14 p.m. MDT ***
Time to head down to get ready for the postgame. It's 35-3. I'll be back with a quick wrap after I return from the locker room.
*** Written at 9:23 p.m. MDT ***
Okay, I'm back. Closing out the press box here -- well, I should say that I'll be closing it out whenever I'm done. What did we learn Saturday night?
* That the Broncos' running game appears as potent as ever, with Mike Bell, Cedric Cobbs and Damien Nash each averaging over five yards per carry. Tatum Bell's average is 4.2, as he hasn't made the kind of gamebreaking run of 30 or more yards that became his hallmark in 2005.
* That Jay Cutler can be efficient two weeks in a row;
* That Jake Plummer looks to be in regular-season form after amassing a stat line that led to a 154.7 passer rating.
* That David Kircus can not only make the spectacular catch, but the tough one, as evidenced by the hit he absorbed after making a clutch fourth-down grab on the Broncos' first possession;
* That there was, according to Paul Ernster, a wind above the uprights that was blowing from south to north, resulting in lengthier kickoffs to the closed end of the stadium than the open one;
* That Champ Bailey and Al Wilson missed the game because they broke curfew;
* That Hamza Abdullah had some rotten luck; he forced a fumble and intercepted a pass but had both plays go for naught because the fumble -- by No. 3 overall pick Vince Young -- was recovered by the quarterback himself for a touchdown, while the interception was negated by a penalty. Nevertheless, his ballhawking play -- he did intercept two passes in Friday morning's helmet-less, padless session -- proved worthy of some high praise that John Lynch heaped upon him after a practice midway through training camp.
The Broncos are back on the practice field Monday. Our daily coverage of all things Broncos will resume then.
And if you read this far, yes, that's several minutes of your life that you're never getting back. Hope you found it at least somewhat entertaining and plausibly informative.
That’s right, the NFL is back. The defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers kick off the season by hosting the revamped Miami Dolphins at the Ketchup Bottle. With the Bus having moved on to the broadcast booth, and the now appendix-less Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines, it could be a tough start to the season for the black and gold.
Tonight also marks the regular season debut of NBC’s coverage, featuring Bob Costas as the pre-game and halftime anchor, as well as a whole bunch of other guys. But Costas is back, and that’s the important thing.
I even dug up an old school video to get you in the mood:
Am I the only one who misses the network blazers? I was so inspired that after watching this clip, I went to visit my tailor. He’s currently putting together a Sports Matters blazer for me to wear while I work on posts.
Back to the games. We all know that Miami’s going to win tonight, but what about the rest of the season? I’d look into my crystal ball, but I trashed the stupid thing after it spewed out a Denver-Seattle Super Bowl two years ago, and a New England-Minnesota prediction last year. So instead we’re going to go on gut feelings, instincts, and all of the other intangibles that I can dig up:
AFC East
Sure they may not have a #1 or #2 receiver on the roster, a proven secondary, or a linebacker under the age of 42, but the New England Patriots have Brady-to-Ben Watson, and a fleet of talented running backs. They’re also strong along both lines, and as long as Belichik is calling the shots, you can’t count them out. Pencil them in for the division title, and at least 10 wins.
The Miami Dolphins are a trendy pick. They have an easy schedule, a quarterback coming off major knee surgery, and a feature running back who hasn’t been an every down player since high school. On the plus side, they have a great group of receivers, a talented front seven, and Nick Saban is such a good coach that everyone is willing to overlook the fact that they have a rebuilt and unproven secondary. Oddly enough, that’s the same situation that the Patriots find themselves in, but somehow Saban’s mentor, the guy with three Super Bowl rings as a head coach, doesn’t get the same benefit of the doubt.
Finally, am I the only one who thinks that Sex Boat Culpepper is going to get himself into trouble off of the field living in Miami? I mean, if he can do that in Minnesota, what’s he capable of in a party city like Miami? And it’s not like Coach Saban can watch him 24 hours a day.
Anyway, to summarize: the Dolphins are good, but not that good. They’ll beat New England at home in December, like they always do, but finish 2nd, and take one of the wild card spots.
Over in Buffalo, this is the year that JP Losman and the offense finally put it together. At least, that’s what I tell myself now, having spent high draft picks on Willis McGahee and Lee Evans in one of my fantasy leagues. What this probably means is that Losman will struggle, get yanked for Kelly Holcomb by Week 5, and the Bills will finish 6-10.
The New York Jets will be bad, really bad. But they also get Detroit, Houston, and Oakland at home, which might be enough to knock them out of the pole position in the Brady Quinn sweepstakes. If they somehow don’t win 2 of those games, they deserve to be relegated to NFL Europe for 2007. Bring on the Amsterdam Admirals!
AFC North
Killer schedule or not, this is the year the Cincinnati Bengals make the leap. Carson Palmer has looked great in the pre-season, and they are stacked everywhere on offense. Even if their D doesn’t come around, I don’t see any reason why they can’t pull an Indianapolis Colts (circa 1999-2004), and just outscore everyone for 16 weeks. My prediction: they go 11-5, and win the division by beating Pittsburgh in the final game of the season. The key to the game: a cutblock by Levi Jones on Kimo Von Oelhoffen to open the game, injuring the defensive lineman and keeping Carson Palmer safe for another day.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be good, but not real good. With Big Ben recovering, and Willie Parker about to be exposed for being overrated, they’re going to get off to a very slow start. They’ll turn things around when they abandon the run and go pass-heavy in the second half, and do well enough to sneak into the second wild card spot.
As for the other teams in the North, Cleveland will be a spoiler all year, but doesn’t have the horses on offense to compete. Baltimore struggled last year, and things are going to get a lot worse. Injuries, age and a lack of depth will push them to the bottom of the division.
AFC South
Indianapolis should be just fine without Edgerrin James. They have enough weapons in the passing game, and some combination of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai will produce a serviceable running game. I’m more intrigued to see how the losses on defense (Larry Tripplet, David Thornton) affect them. They could be forced to win more 38-35 games than they have been in recent years. Pencil them in for the division crown, but they’re not about to make another run at perfection.
Jacksonville is good, but they’ll take a step back with Jimmy Smith having retired, and no reliable backup to Fred Taylor, who will inevitably get hurt. The defense will keep them in games, but the 9 or 10 wins they’ll put up will put them just short of the playoffs.
Houston won’t be a playoff team, but they’ll mature as the season goes along, and will be a second half spoiler, and I don't just mean on the field. They'll spoil the seasons of most of their fans by refusing they made a mistake in the draft even after Mario Williams does absolutely nothing all season. As for the Tennessee Titans, no matter which combination of their three quarterbacks and three running backs emerges, it’s going to be a rough year. They’ve added some good players, but they’re not ready to be a contender yet.
AFC West
Here’s a bold prediction. The Denver Broncos will get off to a slow start, prompting Mike Shanahan to pull the plug on Jake Plummer and go with rookie Jay Cutler at quarterback by mid-season. Much to everyone’s surprise, the Broncos, behind Cutler and fellow rookie Mike Bell, will charge past the Kansas City Chiefs to win the division. Chiefs running back Larry Johnson will disappoint countless fantasy football players by establishing himself as merely a very good running back, not an extraordinary one. San Diego will have a rebuilding year, culminating in 6 or 7 wins, and the replacing of Marty Schottenheimer with a more player-friendly coach come January. Oakland will be bad, but they’ll find a way to win 4 or 5 games and play their way out of contention for the first overall draft pick.
NFC East
It’s all about the Philadelphia Eagles. The defense is loaded, Donovan McNabb is healthy, and the receivers will be improved. That should be enough to compensate for Brian Westbrook’s annual injury. Not only do the Eagles have enough firepower to win the division, they should take homefield advantage through the playoffs.
I’m putting the Dallas Cowboys second, based on their strong defense, but also the belief that the New York Giants will take a step back as Tiki Barber struggles, and coach Tom Coughlin alienated his players. Washington has a gimpy-armed quarterback, a hurting running back, and an overpriced defense. 6-10 is not the way Joe Gibbs intended to go out, but it’s probably what lies ahead for him.
NFC North
If Lovie Smith knows what’s good for his team, he’ll go to game manager extraordinaire Brian Griese sooner rather than later. If he does, I can’t see any reason why the Chicago Bears won’t comfortably win this division. The defense is great, they have playmakers on offense, and they play in the weakest division in the league. 12 wins wouldn’t surprise me.
As for the rest, Green Bay finishes second by default. They’ll surge down the stretch after an abysmal first half, prompting countless commentators to urge Brett Favre to come back for one more year, and therefore putting us through another insufferable “will he or won’t he retire?” saga. Minnesota and Detroit will both finish in the 4-5 win range, but on the bright side, the Vikes will avoid any major scandals, and the “Fire Millen” people will be lost to apathy, ensuring a controversy free year in the Motor City.
NFC Dirty South
I anticipate a big year for the Carolina Panthers. I’d really like to go against the grain, since they’re everyone’s popular pick, but I just can’t do it. They’ll win the division, and take the second spot behind the Eagles in the playoff seedings.
Tampa Bay will repeat their strong 2005 performance, and the Chris Simms-Cadillac Williams-Joey Galloway offensive trio will lead them to a playoff berth, where Simms can revive his college reputation for disappearing in big games.
Atlanta will be okay, but Michael Vick will continue to stagnate as a quarterback, and that will keep the Falcons from doing any better than .500 (I could even see them doing much worse). That is, unless Vick gets hurt. He’s the most obvious candidate for the Ewing Theory since Patrick Ewing himself. I’m convinced that the Falcons would be at least a 10-win team with Matt Schaub at QB. I may explain this more in my post “Why The Falcons Should Trade Michael Vick”, which means there’s about a 95% chance that I never will.
New Orleans will be fun to watch, since their offense will be dynamite. Unfortunately, they play in the NFL, not the Arena League, so their defense will do its part to keep them mired in mediocrity.
NFC West
I hate to be a Simmons-bot, but look for a big year from the St. Louis Rams. I have them winning the division, with Seattle taking a wild card spot. I think Bulger is a good quarterback, Jackson is a monster back, and they have one of the deepest receiving groups in the league. Most importantly, Scott Linehan understands the importance of protecting his QB, unlike his predecessor as head coach. The defense is also improved, so look for 10-12 wins out of this group.
I’ll give Arizona some respect once they put an offensive line and a secondary together. Until that time, I have to believe that they’re heading for another sub-.500 season. But on the bright side, at least they should be a trendy pick yet again next summer.
The less said about San Francisco the better. They should be slightly improved, but they overachieved last year, so that may not translate into a better record on the field. In any case, they’re at least two seasons away from contention, so I’ll be happy if Alex Smith progresses, Vernon Davis isn’t a complete bust, and they draft well in 2007.
Playoffs
Philadelphia is my pick in the NFC. Chicago doesn’t have the offense, Carolina is everyone’s pick (meaning they won’t win), and I’m not ready to gamble on St. Louis. The Eagles’ defense is strong, and if they have Brian Westbrook healthy, they can control the game on the ground. I have them edging out the Panthers in the title game.
I want to pick New England, but I can’t do it. I have a sinking feeling that the defense is going to implode, due to a combination of age, injuries, and lack of depth. Tom Brady may be a great quarterback, but one player can’t carry a team in football.
So who’s going to win the AFC? Pittsburgh and Miami aren’t quite there this year, Indy always chokes, and the Broncos will lack experience at key positions. Who does that leave? The Cincinnati Bengals. Though I expressed concerns about their D earlier in this post, I think it’s serviceable at worst if everyone stays healthy. Most importantly, they have balance on offense, and this is the year that Carson Palmer makes the leap to super-duper stardom. What better way to do it than by knocking off the Colts and/or Patriots on his way to a Super Bowl appearance.
Super Bowl
Who dey, who dey, who dey think they gonna beat them Bengals?
Not Philadelphia.
Prediction: Cincinnati 31, Philadelphia 20. Chad Johnson catches 2 touchdowns, is named Super Bowl MVP, and does the Super Bowl Shuffle to celebrate.
Denver Broncos Schedule
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