It’s been an eventful off-season, but you know that when they lace ‘em up, the Denver Broncos will be on top of their game, and BroncosLocker.com is right there with them. This is your daily dose of Bronco-mania, from the field to the locker room to the “man on the street.” Get it all right here!
The Broncos have lost rookie safety Darcel McBath for the rest of the year with a broken forearm. McBath played in 13 games for the Broncos last season and he made 26 tackles, defensed 3 passes and he had 2 interceptions. McBath was a second round pick last April out of Texas Tech and he appears to have a bright future in Denver.
The Denver Broncos (8-5) rallied back from a 21-0 deficit, but their rally fell short despite a record breaking day by receiver Brandon Marshall and they lost the Indianapolis Colts (13-0) on Sunday. Marshall caught 21 passes, breaking the single game receptions mark set by Terrell Owens in the 2000 season. Those 21 catches amounted for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, as Marshall was quarterback Kyle Orton’s obvious favorite target. Orton completed 29/41 passes for 277 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. That means 73% of Orton’s completions went to Marshall, which is good and bad. You would like to see Orton spread it around a little more, but if Marshall is that effective you have to keep giving him the ball. Knowshon Moreno gave them 63 rushing yards on 23 carries, while Correll Buckhalter chipped in an efficient 19 yards on 4 carries. The Colts early lead deemed too much for the Broncos to come back from.
The Broncos defense came out a little flat and Peyton Manning and the Colts’ offense took advantage. Manning and the Colts’ found the endzone on three of their first four possessions, giving them a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Broncos defense woke up after that though and made some great plays in the secondary while also be the beneficiary of some lucky bounces. After Manning had the three early touchdowns, the Broncos picked him off three times. They held Manning to a season-low 220 yards on 20/42 passes. They could not stop him when they needed to most though, as Manning found Dallas Clark in the endzone with only 2:25 left to give the Colts a 28-16 lead, where it would stay.
The Denver Broncos (8-4) will be trying to be the first team of the 2009 season to beat the Indianapolis Colts (12-0). Peyton Manning has been great for the Colts all season long, so the Broncos need to be ready for a stellar passing attack. They average over 300 yards passing per game, and they have proved that they don’t need a great running attack to open up their passing game. They average 87 rushing yards per game, but that doesn’t mean the Broncos can only focus on their passing game. In his last five games, Colts’ running back Joseph Addai has been averaging well over 4 yards per carry, so the Broncos need to be ready for him as well.
The Broncos are going to need to put some points up if they want to keep up with Manning and the Colts. Kyle Orton will need to step it up, as the quarterback has thrown six interceptions in the past five games. If the Broncos fall behind, they will need Orton and the passing game to keep them in the game. The running game has been great all season, so Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter should find a lot of success against a Colts defense that gives up 112 rushing yards per game. Moreno and Buckhalter are coming off a great game last week where they combined for 199 rushing yards. This is an interesting matchup, a big passing game versus a big running game, but I don’t think the Broncos’ running attack will top the Peyton Manning.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Indianapolis Colts 31, Denver Broncos 21
The Broncos have lost starting OT Ryan Harris for the season due to a severe toe injury. Harris played in 8 games (all starts) for the Broncos this year. He has played in 35 games (24 starts) in his three years with the Broncos. Tyler Polumbus will replace Harris once again in the starting line-up. He has played in 11 games (4 starts) this season for the Broncos.
The Denver Broncos (8-4) went back to their bread and butter, running the ball, and it helped them cruise to any easy win over the Kansas City Chiefs (3-9). The Broncos had 245 rushing yards as a team, with Correll Buckhalter leading the way with 113 yards on 12 carries. Knowshon Moreno added 86 yards on 21 carries while rushing for 2 touchdowns. Kyle Orton had a solid game, going 15/25 for 180 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Orton did lose two fumbles along with the interception, so the Broncos would like to see him take care of the ball better. This is the type of game-plan that helped the Broncos start 6-0, and after losing four straight after the great start they have now won two in a row.
The Broncos defense had very little problems with the lowly Chiefs. They went for only 222 total yards and turned the ball over three times. Matt Cassel had a terrible game, finishing with only 84 yards and 2 interceptions on 10/29 passes. They held Jamaal Charles to 56 yards on 18 carries, but he did find the endzone. If the Broncos can get an all around effort like this from both the offense and defense, they will be a dangerous team come playoff time. I wouldn’t get too excited about this game though, as the Chiefs are very weak opponent.