Broncos Monday Ramblings (BMR): Game 16 Broncos 42 Raiders 14 As Ron Zappolo used to say it was a game not as close as that score might indicate. If soundly thrashing the Oakland Raiders can ever be kinda boring, this was. The fact that the Broncos defense held the Raiders to just one first down in the entire first half tells you just about everything you need to know about this game. The only down side was that the Broncos were fairly beaten up with scary injuries in the game and those could be factors in the upcoming playoffs. Orlando Franklin and David Bruton each suffered a concussion and those are very tricky injuries to recover from. The clip that knocked out Bruton was particularly scary and extremely cheap- IMO. No one likes to talk about this, but playing a bottom feeder like the Raiders always seems to invite this kind of injury. For the favored team, it puts you in a bind as to whether or not to play your best players. In my own personal experience, I remember going into play a winless team in 1985 and losing our best running back (Allen Bleismer) for the season in a game we could have won with our JVs. We lost him on the very first series, and honestly, that was all I was going to play him. But what are you going to do? Allen was a great kid who always wanted to play. When a player is a starter, hes probably worked very hard to win that status. You really cant penalize him and deny playing time because hes good. If you do that, you can easily lose his trust in you as a coach. Also, holding great players out can dull their edge, so it is a chance you are going to have to take. Obviously, the game was so one-sided that Im going to limit my analysis significantly. I was surprised that Oakland interim Head Coach Tony Sparano didnt have Janikowski try a long field goal in the fourth quarter. I mean really, what did they have to lose at that point in the game? I wish that Ronnie Hillman would be more physical. Dammit, run HARD!!! He seems to hit with the intensity of a pin cushion!! Yeech! Listen, they are a WHOLE lot better with CJ in there and honestly, I think Juwann Thompson is better than Hillman. I dont think Thompson has lost even one yard all season! I get a little frustrated with the pundits analysis of Mannings so-called slump citing QB ratings. Ahem! Give me a break! Basically, the Broncos scoring TD drives were achieved by Peyton hitting some significant passing gains and then CJ Anderson running it into the end zone from fairly short yardage. (Exception: CJs last TD scamper). This is my take on it: the Raiders have been burned so often over the last three years by Manning throwing the ball in the red zone that they tilted their alignment to stop the short passing game. They were daring the Broncos to run it in. On the last field goal drive, it was obvious that the Broncos were trying to get Peyton a TD pass and refused to take the easy rush into the end zone. And maybe Peyton is wearing down. He hasnt been sharp for about a month and a half now. But, like back in the day, John Elway wasnt the scintillating player of old when the Broncos actually won their Super Bowls. It meant then, and it means now that the other guys have to step up their games. I dont think ANYONE dressed in predominantly orange cares if Peyton is 10 for 35, as long as CJ rushes for 235, scores 3 or 4 Tds and the Broncos win. Lets also remember that DeMaryius SHOULD have caught a TD Pass from Peyton earlier in the game. Despite the fact the DT set the alltime reception record for the Broncos, I didnt think he had a great game (indeed, mediocre, for him!). He dropped several passes that he usually catches. He looked to me like he was hurting -his fingers, and that is a vital injury for receivers! Honestly, it looks like the Broncos are ALL a little beat up and they can really use the week to rest and recuperate. Here are my rambling thoughts regarding Denvers defense: The Broncos really need Brandon Marshall back on the field! Johnson and Davis are pluggers at best and unfortunatly they miss tackles. TJ Ward may not be the greatest cover safety but he really gives the Broncos a physical presence when they are in their Nickel and Dime packages and he plays LBer. Terrnce Knighton is the heart and soul of the Denver D and the Broncos truly NEED to re-sign him! Finally, I dont know that I have ever seen a sack like the one Aquib Talib got in the first half! Aquib started off in man coverage (it looked like), then lost his guy on a crossing pattern and magically turned the play into a Corner Blitz that got home! Honestly, I have to think that it was PDL (Pretty Damn Lucky)! :-) Okay, so lets talk a little about the playoffs now. First of all, I think that the most dangerous of the lower seeds is Baltimore, and fortunately for the Broncos, thats the only team that we know they wont play in the AFC Semis. Of the remaining lower seeds: I think that Pittsburgh is the strongest team, but they probably lost LaVeon Bell and will be limited against Baltimore. I think that Indianapolis is the weakest team and could easily lose to Cincinnati. The Broncos match up very well against the Colts. And, if there is one team that I want the Broncos to meet in the semis, it is Cincinnati. I believe that the Bengals were pretty fortunate against Denver and they shot their mouths off after last Monday night. They remind me a bit of Jimmy Johnsons Miami team back in the day when Terrel Davis used them as a treadmill in the playoffs after theyd beaten the Broncos on Monday Night Football. I honestly believe that if the Bengals come into Mile High, they are going to get a serious spanking. (sorry Dane!) ;-) Lastly, regarding the Broncos chances to win the Super Bowl: Denver (from John Elway to John Fox, to Jack Del Rio to Peyton Manning on down, must EMBRACE the idea that this is going to be a tough road. Winning a Super Bowl loses its luster if its the easy way. That means that once the Broncos get past whmever they play in the Semis, they need to have a Road Warrior mentality and go in and kick New Englands ass IN Foxborough! Then, they need to face Seattle again in the Super Bowl and exorcise the demons of last season. Dont tell me this cannot be done! Rember Duke and UNLVin the Final Four in basketball back in the day? Remember the Broncos revenge tour on their way to thumping Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXII? Embrace the difficult! It is so much better to be the underdog than it is to be heavily favored. Underdogs play loose while Top Dogs tighten up. Thats my idea any way.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:07:39 +0000